HARBOR COMMITTEE

May 18, 2005

4:30 p.m.

 

Members Present:          Kerry Adams, Alice Brock, Heather Bruce, Ann

Colbourn, Melville Cote, and Gerard Irmer.

 

Members Absent:                 none

 

Advisory Staff:           Duane Steele, Asst. Harbor Master

Rex McKinsey and Chief Meyer (both excused)

 

Others:                           Manuel Araujo(volunteer to organize beach clean-up)

 

AGENDA

 

The meeting was called to order at 4:30 p.m.

 

Review/amend/approve minutes of 5/4

Motion:  Kerry Adams made a motion to approve the minutes as amended.  Alice Brock seconded the motion and it was approved unanimously.

 

Public Statements

There were none.

 

Unfinished Business:

Alice Brock said she had a lot of unfinished business.  She cited a letter contained in the last meetings packet which she feels justifies her feeling about 333R Commercial Street; it’s an illegal building.

 

Heather Bruce said that the things referred to in the letter are just the concerns you are supposed to address regarding the fee calculation.  Heather continues to be concerned about the proposed deck for this property.  The entire property will have to be re-licensed and the fee would reflect that it is a non-water dependent license.

 

Alice also wondered about the letter dated Wednesday, March 30th which Jerry Irmer forwarded to the Harbor Committee.  She wondered when the Harbor Plan would be finally approved.  Jerry told the group that nothing is going to happen with the state – until the plan is finally approved.  (per Truman Henson)

 

Heather said she had found one problem in the Harbor Plan.  The Plan referred to square yards and it should have referred to cubic yards.  Jerry told her that this matter could be addressed whenever they have the in-depth meeting with the state. 

 

Old Business:

Beach Cleanup on June 15 - - - - Alice report

Alice Brock told the Committee that Manuel Araujo has volunteered to help organize this.  He will get together with his group and plan the town-wide clean-up.  He wants to make flyers, to approach businesses for financial support, to design t-shirts to be given away free to participants, and a myriad of other ideas, i.e., approaching restaurants to provide free food and seeking donations from businesses for raffle material so that he can conduct a raffle. 

 

Jerry Irmer advised Manuel that the beach area to clean will be between the  breakwater and Howland Street.  Manuel jumped in again repeating that he will be seeking some donated food for volunteers and will approach store-owners for material for the raffle.  He will also be setting up tables for food for volunteers.  The last request from the Committee that Mr. Araujo had was that he needed a letter stating he was organizing the beach clean-up with the authority and approval of the Committee. 

 

One concern was that the plastic bags used previously were not heavy enough.

Someone had a simple solution =  “Double them up!” 

Motion:  Kerry Adams made a motion that Alice Brock serve as a subcommittee of one so that she can act on behalf of the Harbor Committee in the June 15th beach clean-up.  Ann Colbourn seconded the motion and it, too, passed unanimously.

 

Kerry Adams said he got a call from the Pier this morning saying that the prisoners who had come down to do some beach clean-up were hungry.  Kerry told them to go down to the Coffee Shop in the center of Town and get a snack.

 

Heather Bruce handed out a list for the BoH; it will be fine-tuned later.

 

New Business:

Town-wide policy goals for FY 2006

The Harbor Committee was requested by the BoS to supply town-wide policy goals for their Committee.  Jerry Irmer handed out blanks and he is requesting input from members of the committee.  He wanted to make sure they mentioned office help as a Committee’s specific objective.  Someone is needed to file the Chapter 91 licenses so that they are readily accessible; Heather specifically wants to be apprised of the money amounts being generated.  (As an aside, Kerry suggested calling the High School to get someone from their secretarial intern program.  Jerry said he would do that.

 

Alice Brock said she has started to put together a list of mutual interests with other town boards, i.e., the Building Inspector and the ZBA who should not be giving permission for repairs, etc. when they are harbor-side without informing the Harbor Committee.

 

Review 2005 Amendments to the Harbor Plan status

Once again, Jerry said he is waiting to hear back from the state.

 

Sandy Turner needs advance notice to meet with the Harbor Committee regarding the storm water management plan.  It was decided by consensus that Sandy would be informed that the next meeting is June 8th.  If she is unable to make that one, the following meeting will happen on June 22nd.

 

Ann Colbourn volunteered to pick up the wastewater plan for distribution to members of the Committee.  Everyone will then be able to digest the material before Sandy’s presentation.

 

Again, the Committee members spoke of their concerns regarding not being informed of tests, problems, etc. handled by other Committees but directly affecting the welfare of the harbor.

 

Heather Bruce wants to ask for a grant to get a better pump-out boat.    Duane says the idea is too expensive.  Heather feels dumping of raw sewerage (even though it’s 3 miles out) is causing most of the problems of water pollution.

Motion:  Kerry Adams made a motion to appoint Heather Bruce (again as a subcommittee of one) to look into a grant for a pump-out boat.

The motion was met with a great deal of UNenthusiasm and died a natural death.

Ann will look into the matter to see what can be done.  The conversation then turned to the pier promise of public rest-rooms that were never installed.  Duane countered that the phase 1 of the sewer hook-ups has been closed.  Duane continued by asking what information anyone has that fishing boats, etc. are dumping in the harbor?  Heather feels everyone is just passing the buck. 

 

Kerry told the group that he had spoken to folks from the Provincetown TV and they’d like a meeting to discuss the Harbor Plan – maybe some time in the fall. 

 

Jerry reminded everyone that the group is supposed to meet with the BoS at their meeting on Monday, June 13th regarding the Harbor Plan.

 

Any other business that shall properly come before the Committee

Kerry Adams said people have come up to him and told him that they’ve gone onto the beach behind the Crown & Anchor have been told that they can’t use the beach in front of the hotel.  No action was taken on this since it was regarded as hearsay.

 

Kerry also wanted Jerry to go around at the end of the meeting to ask each member for agenda items for the next meeting.  Everyone agreed it was a fine idea but it was not acted upon.

 

Alice Brock said the Committee has 3 applications for Chapter 91 licenses.  Only one was mentioned and it was Boathouse Condos at 555 Commercial St.

 

Setup next meetings

 

THE NEXT TWO MEETING WILL BE HELD AT 4:30 P.M. ON:

                             June 8th and June 22nd

 

Heather Bruce still has monetary concerns and wonders how the calculations for Chapter 91 licenses are done.  A letter may – or may not – be written asking for clarification.

 

Adjournment happened at 5:50 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Evelyn Gaudiano

Evelyn Rogers Gaudiano

 

Approved by ____________________________on ______________, 2005.

                             Gerard Irmer, Chair