Casualskier

Hey everyone, This is my first time posting on here ( a lengthy one too, I apologize) but I'm looking for help on my local lake issue. It's not a ski lake, just a public lake I live on. Quick background on the lake. It use to be a city lake but once the city built a new one a file miles away they stopped caring about this lake and let us do what we want. It's been unregulated for the past 30+ years. A developer bought some 200+ acres on the south side of the lake and is putting in apartments and shops and now the government sees a chance to make money from the lake again. Worried about the lake traffic I went to the town hall meeting when they were discussing it to ask how the would control traffic only to be given the worst answer I expected. They plan on doing engine and speed restrictions. I asked the city council point blank "so your telling I have lake in my backyard that I can no longer ski on?" Their reply was yes. I'm hoping to get some ideas from everyone to help me fight it or convince them otherwise. I have a few arguments and I feel a few valid reason. 1. They are making it a less desirable lake to live by/around. My wife had been talking to a family that put a offer on a house across the lake. After the meeting my wife informed them about the upcoming lake restrictions. The family is now in deep consideration if they want to continue through with the purchase. I feel this would be a good example of what selling property around the lake would become. 2. There are more options than just to kick skiers of the lake. There main reason for wanting to put the restrictions in placed is because they claim the lake is shallow and there are stumps. They got this information from one of my neighbors. This neighbor doesn't own a boat and I'm not sure if she's ever been on the water, she just doesn't like the boats driving by. The city told me they were doing it for liability issues. If this truly is the case, wouldn't a big sign at the boat launch warning boaters about shallow water and underground obstructions and to use the lake at your own risk be ample enough? 3. Mark out the hazards. I know this is a far less practical solution because they don't know where they are and the markers can be knocked over, disappear, etc. but they honestly need to be more worried about a fishing boat trolling the banks running into a stump then me out in the middle. Throw some bouys up in the shallow bays and make them wakeless. Make it wakeless within so many feet of the banks, which is mostly where the hazards are and is a law on most lakes anyways. 4. I feel like this would be a winning solution if the government would go for it. Require a permit to use a motorized boat on the lake. I would much rather pay a yearly fee to use the lake in my backyard then have to go to the overcrowded lakes 30 - 45 minutes away (selfish, I know). This gives the city some money, let's them fine people for more money, helps regulate the amount of people wanting to come to our lake, and they can make the boaters sign a waiver when picking up the permit releasing them off liability. I feel these are some good valid point. Critique and other ideas would be helpful. They are talking about making every thing happen in roughly 6 months meaning next year. I'll be off lake next season. Rest assured, I will be out every warm day I can until they tell me to stop. Thanks for any help. Casualskier. ( There is a 5th option. Say the heck with all this, sell my property and buy some land further out of the city to build my own ski lake... If only.)