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Residents urge Oak Hill to enforce codes over derelict vessel at Fish Camp
Summary
Property owners told the commission that an occupied, derelict vessel has sat for more than two years at Oak Hill Fish Camp and is polluting the lagoon; they asked the city to enforce existing ordinances and coordinate with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Staff said a case is active and inspectors will visit the site the following day.
Bill Mitchell, a new owner at Oak Hill Fish Camp, told the commission he inherited what he described as a “rat’s nest” next door and urged city code enforcement to act after a vessel has remained at the adjacent property for more than two years. Mitchell read portions of the city code (Article 2 §14-22) and said the vessel lacks registration, septic hookups and has produced oily bilge runoff and alleged sewage into the waterway.
Mitchell asked the commission to use the city’s code provisions and to work with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), saying the boat “fits all the criteria for a derelict vessel.” He cited a prior FWC citation in 2023 for sanitation and registration violations and asked staff to back residents with enforcement action so the vessel’s occupant would leave or the owner would remediate the site.
City staff confirmed there is an active case and offered to visit the property the next day; staff said code enforcement would follow the formal notice process required for each alleged violation. Another resident who filed complaints said she has photos and a second complaint on file and urged immediate citations and a hearing before the county’s enforcement board to impose penalties and prompt cleanup.
Commissioners and staff discussed limits on state enforcement authority, noting recent statutory changes to boarding rules and that FWC officers may be constrained in some inspection actions. Staff said the city’s new code-enforcement officer is “by the book” and that coordinated action between city code enforcement and FWC would be pursued. Staff agreed to notify the residents of the inspection time and to follow up publicly at the next meeting if additional enforcement steps are required.
The public-comment period ended without a formal motion; staff said they will inspect the Fish Camp property and report back to residents and the commission.
