Dozens of slip holders at Smithville Lake are upset after receiving a letter from county officials requiring them to remove potentially dangerous and hazardous items from their rented dock spaces.</p><p>Officials said many of the slips &mdash; the term for the sockets along the dock where boats are stored &mdash; pose fire hazards or electrocution risks and are putting stress on the dock structures.</p><p>&ldquo;It is best to let them know now; we are trying to work with them,&rdquo; said County Administrator Alexa Barton. &ldquo;At the end of the day, many of them are using their dock as their place at the lake and a dock is not a home; it is a place where you store your boat.&rdquo;</p><p>The decision requires slip holders to remove cabinets, refrigerators, sinks, ceiling fans, decks, ladders and other items by Dec. 31. County commissioners on Monday considered delaying that deadline until April 15 but made no decision. </p><p>County officials said that only county-approved lifts, storage boxes and electrical outlets could remain on the slips.</p><p>The county leases the slip areas from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the slip holders lease the slips from the county for $630 to $1,270 every six months.</p><p>Many slip holders, such as Bob Chizek of Kansas City, North, said they have spent hundreds of dollars on improvements to their slips. Chizek said he had sought to comply with the county&rsquo;s safety requirements.</p><p>&ldquo;Each year our lease was renewed, and there was no mention of any problems,&rdquo; Chizek said.</p><p>The retired Air Force veteran and community college administrator said he replaced a charcoal grill with an electric model designed for outdoor use and made other modifications. He said he and his wife use the dock for weekend family outings.</p><p>&ldquo;Instead of going to the Lake of the Ozarks on summer weekends, we go to Smithville Lake,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;We enjoy our friends, the other slip renters, and the lifestyle of hanging around our dock in the summer to relax.&rdquo;</p><p>Chizek said he hoped county officials are able to work out a compromise with the Corps of Engineers.</p><p>Charlie Barr, the county&rsquo;s parks director, said the corps office is seeking to have guidelines at all of its lake projects throughout Kansas and Missouri.</p><p>&ldquo;The corps brought it up now,&rdquo; Barr said. &ldquo;The corps forced our hand, and luckily they have been understanding. Why would Smithville be different from other counties?&rdquo;</p><p>Some slip holders, like Bill Lewis of Gladstone, said the policy might drive some away. He and his wife host summer fish fries on the dock. He has rented a boat slip from the county for the past 10 years, but now he&rsquo;s considering other options.</p><p>&ldquo;I think I am going to take my boat out,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;They can keep their slip. I might sell the boat or go to another lake.&rdquo;</p><p><hr class="infobox-hr-separator" /> <div class="infobox"> <strong><span class="infobox-head">SMITHVILLE</span></strong><br /> </div>