[David Vrooman]

Jim Armstrong and John Lewis have drawn up and successfully passed (in Ashland/Catlettsburg, KY, and Bridgeport, AL, respectively) excellent pro-DQ local council resolutions. Jim's is attached below, and John will add his when he can.

I am doing this both to praise their efforts and to provide a couple of templates for other city or county councils to work from. Sometimes, just seeing something in print can overcome a lot of personal and organizational inertia. I sent letters to Marietta officials two weeks ago and got a positive reply from the mayor, but nothing else happened. Then yesterday I e-mailed him a copy of John's resolution; within 15 minutes he replied to me that he had placed it on the agenda for Monday's city council meeting with his endorsement.

I hope that these are useful to you. We need to mush along; yesterday the House website indicated that HR 2830 (Oberstar's Coast Guard bill) was to be reported out of the Homeland Security committee by Oct.1. I infer that it goes back to the full Transportation committee, then to the House floor -- maybe by mid-October? We should have support materials to our reps by then, if at all possible. Our friends (e.g.,Geoff Davis, KY 4th) will be offering a pro-DQ floor amendment to the bill when it comes before the full House, and we want them to have both ammunition and informed allies (no "Delta What?").


A Resolution


Of the Fiscal Court of Boyd County, Kentucky expressing the Sense of the Court and its Commissioners urging Congress to provide for the permanent exemption of the Steamer Delta Queen from the provisions of the Safety of Life at Sea Act of 1966.

WHEREAS, The Delta Queen is an important part of the culture of the Ohio River region; and

WHEREAS, She is a national treasure, being listed on the National Register of Historic places and is a National Landmark; and

WHEREAS, The Delta Queen is a part of history. Literary people, theatrical people, rulers, and presidents have ridden on her. To board the vessel is like stepping back into time, and its beautiful antiques are museum quality; and

WHEREAS, The Delta Queen is an original and the last of her kind, a work of art, a sternwheel overnight passenger steamboat like those that helped foster the westward expansion of our nation; and

WHEREAS, The Safety at Sea Act was written to apply to ocean going vessels and assumes that ships are remote from land and other vessels. The Delta Queen can be landed in minutes over the entire route she traverses; and

WHEREAS, The Safety at Sea Act requires inflammable material for the construction of boats, many layers of fire-retardant paint over the years as well as state of the art fire suppression systems protect the wooden superstructure of the Delta Queen well; and

WHEREAS, The Delta Queen contributes economically to river communities. There are many employees on the boat itself, passengers who spend money in river towns and people on shore who support this boat, both within the corporate ownership and at third party companies providing amenities; and

WHEREAS, It would be a travesty to restrict her travels and deny the public the opportunity to enjoy this uniquely American experience for many generations to come; and

WHEREAS, The very existence of the Delta Queen is now threatened with the expiration of her exemption from the Safety at Sea Act in 2008:


NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that this Fiscal Court and its Commissioners encourage the Congress of the United States to act with all due haste to provide for the permanent exemption of this magnificent vessel from the provisions of the Safety at Sea Act. The Fiscal Court Clerk of Boyd County, Kentucky is hereby directed to ensure delivery of copies of this resolution to all members of the Kentucky Congressional Delegation.

Done at Catlettsburg, Kentucky this________day of ______, 2007.



___________________________
William Stevens, County Judge Executive



___________________________
Marvin Meredith, Commissioner



___________________________
David Salisbury, Commissioner


___________________________
Carl Tolliver, Commissioner