Beach Driving

On November 2 a meeting was held among Village leaders, the sheriff's department, three local property owners, and three conservation officers including Robin Schmitt from the DNR to discuss the problem of off-road driving on Elberta Beach. By federal and state law, it is illegal to operate a vehicle outside the parking lot or off the public roadway that runs several hundred yards at the base of the dunes. Several options were discussed, according to Council member Diane Jenks, and no decision has been made on how to deal with the problem. "It's not our decision to make," said Jenks. In regard to one of the options, conservation officers will look into the possibility of federal grant money to fund a demarcation along the beach road. The nature of the demarcation has not been determined. Permitting will likely be required for any measure taken, because of the critical dune status of the area.