What seemed like a good idea to encourage preteens to learn a new skill and enjoy the outdoors fell victim to fears of danger in a lakefront park.
After weighing fun possibilities and the risks of what could go wrong, the Orange City Council Jan. 23 decided to drop the idea of a fishing contest for children at Mill Lake Park in the early spring. Parks and Recreation Director Ashley Gay suggested the city schedule the fishing event for Saturday, April 6.
“It coincides with a license-free fishing day,” she told the council, adding the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is sponsoring the bigger statewide event. “We’re targeting children 3 through 10 … to make sure they know how to cast a rod.”
Gay noted Orange City does not currently allow fishing at Mill Lake, which is actually a stormwater-retention basin. The city spent a great deal of money to enhance and beautify the body of water. The city subsequently stocked the refurbished drainage basin with fish.
“We don’t know how many fish are in there,” Gay said, adding her department would provide free rods and reels to the first 50 youngsters who attend.
Orange City Parks staffers would also be on hand to teach such basics as how to put bait on a hook.
“This event is primarily to introduce children to the sport of fishing,” a city memorandum noted.
As the conversation continued, the negatives of such an event outnumbered the positives. Council members pointed out there are no docks on which anglers, young or old, may stand, leaving the lake’s banks — which can be quite slippery when wet — for children and adults to maintain their footing during the excitement of catching a fish.
City Manager Dale Arrington reminded the council about “the sloping of the banks.”
“If you’re in a wet area, it is very muddy and very slippery.”
No one wanted to see someone slip or fall into the waters.
“There are snakes at the lake. You have those risks,” Gay said.
The possibility of an alligator living in the lake did nothing to relieve worries.
“I’m just not comfortable with this,” Vice Mayor Alex Tiamson cautioned.
“This screams liability,” Council Member Kellianne Marks said.
City Attorney William Reischmann noted there is one place around Mill Lake that has “a 26-foot drop-off.”
“The water is dark,” he said. “Are there going to be enough people watching them [children]?”
Although the event was presented as a catch-and-release fishing tournament, Mayor Gary Blair gave a poor review of fishing for a meal.
“Personally, I wouldn’t eat a fish that came out of there because it is a stormwater pond,” he told anyone listening.
With the cascade of possibilities of what could go wrong, the City Council declined to endorse such an outdoor event.
“It died because of lack of a motion,” Blair observed.