DUNCAN — The Duncan Lakes Commission was slated to discuss last Tuesday updated rules and a new fee schedule for recreational activities at cityowned lakes, but the meeting was canceled for lack of a quorum.
The board is slated to meet again Oct. 6, and an agenda will be posted 48 hours before the meeting, Kaisie Blankenship, administrative assistant for Duncan’s public works department, said in an email.
City officials have proposed several changes to the regulations for Lake Humphreys, Clear Creek Lake, Duncan Lake and Lake Fuqua, which have not been updated in several years. The changes include banning hunting and trapping at the lakes so staffers could explore options for better regulating those activities.
The proposal to outlaw hunting at the lakes drew mixed reactions from Duncan residents when the Duncan Public Utilities Authority discussed the new rules on May 12. Some people objected to the proposal, while others supported it.
The authority, which is made up of the five Duncan City Council members, delayed action on the new rules and sent them to the Lakes Commission for further study.
Recreational fees
Officials are also considering updating the fee schedule for recreational activities at cityowned lakes. Under the proposal, the fee for a daily fishing permit would rise from $2 to $5, while the annual permit fee would increase from $10 to $25, Southwest Ledger reported in May.
The proposal also includes several new fees, such as a $7 per-booking charge for vehicle passes and a $15 annual fee for disc golf.
City officials said in May that the fees, which were crucial for operating and maintaining the lakes, had not been updated for several years.
But some people worried that the new fees would make a day at one of the lakes unaffordable for some families.
The Public Utilities Authority discussed the new fee schedule on May 12 and decided to send it back to the Lakes Commission for review.
Eric Swanson is an awardwinning journalist with more than 20 years’ experience covering local government and criminal justice in Oklahoma, North Dakota and Kansas.
He can be reached at eric. swanson@swoknews.com.