VERO BEACH — The Vero Beach City Council has given initial approval to an ordinance that would prohibit the flying of model aircraft in city parks. That ordinance would have also prohibited the use of remote controlled toy cars and boats if not for one council member’s catch in reading the proposed rule.
City Councilwoman Tracy Carroll questioned the inclusion of prohibiting the toy cars and boats when the council specifically sought to address the large model airplanes often flown at Riverside Park. She noted that, if the ordinance stood, a little kid with a car or boat would not be allowed to play.
“That request came from the police department,” responded City Attorney Wayne Coment.
“I would think that’s going too far,” said Vice Mayor Craig Fletcher.
Mayor Pilar Turner agreed.
“We’ve gone far afield of where we started,” she said.
Recreation Advisory Committee Chairman Richard Yemm told the council that the committee, which met multiple times to discuss the ordinance, had neither discussed nor considered adding R/C cars and boats to the ordinance.
The council amended the ordinance, striking the prohibitions against the cars and boats, and approved it for a second hearing on May 15.
The council also asked that the language of the ordinance reflect that model aircraft can be flown, so long as the pilot has a permit from the city.
Coment questioned adding the language, which is already attached through a related city ordinance.
“Honestly, people are out flying airplanes aren’t reading this anyway,” he said of the ordinance. Instead, he added, they would be approached by a Vero Beach police officer who would ask the pilot to show his or her permit from the city.
Councilman Dick Winger told Coment that it shouldn’t matter whether or not people read the ordinance, the rule should be as transparent as possible – and that would mean spelling out that they could fly their planes if they had a permit.
