Public Hearing
HARBOR COMMITTEE
Judge Welsh
Hearing Room
Time: 4:30 pm
Members
Present: Kerry Adams, Alice
Brock, Heather Bruce, Ann
Colbourn, Mel Cote, and Gerard Irmer.
Members
Absent: none
Advisory
Staff: Maxine
Notaro, and Doug Taylor
Rex McKinsey
and Ted Meyer (both excused)
The
meeting was called to order at 4:33 p.m.
AGENDA
The
amendments to the minutes were:
1.
Add
Sandcastles to further identify the Volvo group’s meeting place when they found
our beaches filthy.
2.
Next
to last pgh on page 2 - Cross out sentence beginning “She hadn’t attended the
meeting…”
3.
Take
out the reference to Heather’s concern regarding that the Harbor Plan would
take effect………
Motion: Kerry Adams made a motion to accept the
minutes as amended. Alice Brock
seconded the motion and it was unanimously approved.
nothing
to add.
Old Business:
Ann Colbourn reported on her findings on the beach clean-up
machine. She found that we do have a
rake but lack the equipment to pull it.
Doug Taylor, clarifying the subject further, said that we don’t own any
of this equipment. It’s on loan. Ann said that she heard that there was a
rake someplace but there is no equipment to pull it. Jerry said it won’t do what they need to have done. He cited other beaches (such as the ones in
Florida) with vast expanses that are suited to large beach rakes. He said that the Barber Co. is one
manufacturer of this type of equipment and they have some which pick up
cigarette butts, syringes, etc. This
company also makes smaller equipment (more appropriate for our needs) which are
pressed into use for cleaning sand traps on golf courses and similar small
locales. There are 3 vendors who make
this kind of equipment. Jerry will get
brochures and the group can study them.
Kerry
Adams said that the Pier Corp. is required to use this equipment and they have
a large grant for this purpose. (Jerry
will e-mail Rex to find out further information.)
There
was a beach clean-up conducted by prisoners on the day after July 4th. It was an ideal time and Jerry received an
e-mail from Rex thanking Alice for her work on this. Alice thinks we can get them on a regular basis. She thinks Deputy Tony Roberts should get a
letter and also David Neil (get info on correct names and spellings from the
Police Chief).
Motion: Kerry Adams made a motion to have Alice
Brock send thank you notes to the above mentioned people and any other people
who participated in the day after the July 4th beach clean-up. Alice Brock seconded the motion and it
passed unanimously.
New Business:
Nothing
has been received from state thus far.
Heather
Bruce is trying diligently to dig out the procedural values regarding proper
protocol for finding out information on the Harbor Plan status. She will be accessing the web site and will
ask pertinent questions and then she will be e-mailing everyone on the
Committee as to her findings.
Alice
Brock felt that at the BoS meeting the Selectmen seemed to go along with all
the things in the Harbor Plan and the state should be informed of this
fact. Kerry Adams said the BoS didn’t
approve of anything. There was no vote
by the BoS and no motion made by the BoS.
The Harbor Committee did get a letter from the state saying that the
plan approved in 1999 is still in effect.
Mel Cote said he was doing research on his computer and
found – in the Massachusetts Coastal Zone Management (CZM) site that towns can
request having a “no discharge area.”
Wellfleet, Chatham, and Harwich are but a few towns who have achieved
this status. Mel will look into it
further and get back to the Committee with all the information at their next
meeting. Mel thought that he might get
together with Rex and pursue this issue.
Stay tuned…….
Ann Colbourn reported that the end of the Atlantic Avenue
beach access is quite dangerous. It was
decided to call Sandy Turner to find out when this project will be completed.
Kerry Adams reported that he had personally visited Dahill’s property on Commercial Street
and found out that the groin (mini breakwater) was not put in by Mr. Dahill but
was mandated by the state.
Also he researched the difference
in fees assessed to two adjacent properties. The difference in fees came from the fact that one property was
land-courted and the other one wasn’t.
Kerry
Adams felt that – at the meeting with the BoS – Cheryl Andrews said that the
Harbor Committee should be corresponding more with the Pier Corp. on
information on beach crews, mooring fees, and the Schofield line, etc.
Jerry
Irmer felt that the Committee has to revisit the mission statement and also
what was in the article that created the Committee.
Kerry
Adams felt that the Harbor Committee should be more of a regulatory committee
rather than just an advisory committee.
The Committee agreed.
Alice
Brock wondered what the criteria is for selling stuff on the Pier?
Jerry
said it was all approved by the Building Commissioner and the BoS and the HC
was notified after it was already decided.
Jerry felt the Committee has to make sure that they are privy to all
these happenings.
Ann
Colbourn said that the Pier Corp is a separate entity and can do whatever they
please.
Jerry
Irmer said that the onus is on us for the Schofield line change. “Maybe if we do it gradually it might be
accepted.”
Heather
Bruce said that the Schofield line happened because the Town didn’t want to
spend the money to do a proper survey – so now this is a mess for future
generations to hammer out.
NEXT MEETING WILL HAPPEN ON AUGUST 10TH.
Motion to adjourn happened
at 5:21 p.m. It was enthusiastically
approved.
Respectfully
submitted,
Approved by ____________________________on ______________, 2005.