JCC Notebook: Boating While Drunk Crackdown and More

Thursday, June 23, 2011

News in the county this week includes an unpcoming marine law enforcement crackdown on impaired boaters, the expansion of the county’s Enterprise Zone and the reappointment of the county voter registrar.

James City County’s marine law enforcement officers will be out on the water June 24-26 looking for boaters whose blood alcohol content exceed the State limit.

During Operation Dry Water, boaters will see increased patrols and checkpoints on the County’s waterways. Impaired boaters can expect penalties to be severe and include fines, jail and loss of boating privileges.

“We intend to stop intoxicated boaters and to educate as many boaters as possible about the hazards of Boating Under the Influence (BUI),” says Sgt. William McMichael with the James City County Police Department. We want recreational boaters to enjoy themselves, but there will be zero tolerance for BUI.”

BUI is a primary contributing factor in nearly one in five boating fatalities nationwide. A boat operator or passenger with a blood alcohol concentration above the legal limit significantly increases their risk of being involved in a boating accident.

Operation Dry Water is a joint initiative between the James City County Police Department, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, the U.S. Coast Guard and other law enforcement agencies. For more information, visit the organization's website.

Enterprise Zone Expanded

The James City County Office of Economic Development announced the expansion of the County’s Enterprise Zone.

Additional acreage was added to the existing Enterprise Zone in the southern portion of the County. And a second Enterprise Zone was created near the County’s northern border. Properties located within the new and expanded areas include the James River Commerce Center, Green Mount Industrial Park, the Busch Corporate Center, a portion of the Stonehouse Commerce Park, Hankins Industrial Park, Jacobs Industrial Park and a portion of the SR-60 corridor.

The Enterprise Zone Program is a partnership between the State and James City County. The program seeks to improve economic conditions by offering incentives for commercial and industrial investment, development, and expansion within a targeted geographic area. A company locating in the Enterprise Zone may qualify for State and local incentives based on their capital investments, job creation and real property investments.

The program is retroactive, so businesses within the newly incorporated areas that meet the program’s requirements may qualify for incentives based upon activities from Jan. 1, 2011.

For more information, contact the Office of Economic Development at 253-6607 or visit their website.

Reappointment of Registrar

The James City County Electoral Board has unanimously voted to reappoint Alan J. “AJ” Cole as the General Registrar for James City County.

Cole has served as the County’s Registrar since May 2006. His new term will expire on June 30, 2015.

The General Registrar represents James City County and the Commonwealth of Virginia in voter registration and elections. Cole’s responsibilities include maintaining the voter registration list, conducting elections, recruiting and training over 250 Officers of Election, collecting absentee ballots and providing information, materials and assistance to candidates and the public.

Cole is available for speaking engagements, voting equipment demonstrations and group training for Voter Registration Drives.

For more information, call 253-6868 or visit the county website.