Harbor Committee

Meeting Minutes
Wednesday June 21, 2006

Meeting Room A

Town Hall, 260 Commercial Street

Time: 4:30 pm

 

 

Members Present:          Kerry Adams, Heather Bruce, Mel Cote, Gerard Irmer, and Philip Scholl

 

Members Absent:                 none

 

Advisory Staff:           Rex McKinsey

 

REVISED AGENDA

 

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

 

Review/amend/approve minutes of 5-17-06 and 6-7-06

Motion:  Approve the minutes of the June 7, 2006 Harbor meeting as amended.

Motion by:  Kerry Adams   Seconded by:  Heather Bruce    Voted 4-0-1 ab (MC)

 

Public Statements

There were none.

 

Old Business:

· Review 2005 Amendments to the Harbor Plan status

Jerry said that nothing was changed.  The e-mail from Keith Bergman (KAB) summarized the meeting.  There are still the 3 sticking points that we’ve always had.  The DEP and CZM both want appendices A, B, and C reinserted in the Harbor Plan.  If we do vote to put them back in they are sorely incorrect and need to be revised.  Maybe we should hand back Appendix C after we update it? 

 

"If the state wants them back in there, we’ll just put it back in (corrected)."

 

Heather Bruce said that it was interesting that they want to focus on Appendices A & B.  Jerry said that you would have to walk the entire waterfront and make a value judgment on each property.  Heather said that it would take days for each property to be properly evaluated.

 

Heather is disturbed by what KAB wrote in his e-mail.  The idea of licensing 150 properties in such a short time (2 yrs) is very troubling.  She thinks we should draft a letter to KAB stating that this is not appropriate at all.  Heather had a meeting with Sarah Peake on Friday – one on one.  Heather hopes that Sarah will clarify the matter for the BoS. 

 

· Washington Ave. Town Landing Status

As in the minutes from two weeks ago, Jerry has heard nothing from KAB.

 

· Good Templar Place Town Landing status

Kerry Adams brought the matter up to ConCom & they were going to discuss it.  He hasn't heard back yet.

 

· Beach cleaning machine status; Cape Cod Beachcomber est.

Jerry hasn’t contacted him yet but will in the near future. 

 

Beach Queen called Jerry and wanted to do a demonstration but the DPW doesn’t have any man-power so Jerry told them a demonstration at this time wasn't feasible.

 

· Status of obtaining maps of the harbor

Nothing had happened in this quest until yesterday; a woman called from Boston to see if the Committee was still interested.  Jerry is trying to get the 1857 map.  Heather privately has one.  Jerry wants the HC’s own map.   Heather said the 1848 map is more legible and easier to use.  There is an 1870-odd map and Jerry is trying to get all of them.

 

New Business:

· Announcements

Jerry announced that there will be only 2 Harbor Committee meetings this summer.  They will be held on the 1st Wednesday in both July and August.  The dates are:

July 5th and August 2nd

 

BoS will be having a joint meeting with the Harbor Committee on July 10 on the Harbor Plan.  Please mark your calendars.  Heather is going to ask her subcommittee who is very knowledgeable on the Chapter 91 amnesty and non-amnesty issues to attend the July 10th meeting, too.  The Committee agreed that this would be a good idea. 

 

· Beach cleanup on June 15 review

This is not going to happen.  It was cancelled and rescheduled by Rex.  Stay tuned.  HH

 

 

· Chapt. 91 license database status

This data base is still being assembled.

 

· Statement proposed to be included with Ch. 91 reviews

Motion:  Include the following statement with all amnesty applications:

"There exists an ambiguity in the 1999 Harbor Plan that implies that the licensing conditions for Amnesty are the same or similar to the licensing conditions for Non-Amnesty.  This Plan does not recognize the 1978 regulations and fees as was the original intent of Amnesty and thus it must be noted that any endorsement of said conditions for Amnesty licenses cannot be fully endorsed by this committee."

Motion:  Heather Bruce     Second:  Philip Scholl     Voted 5-0-0.

 

· Mooring fees recommendation to Selectmen

This subject was discussed earlier in the meeting because Rex had to leave for another meeting at 5:00p.m.  The BoS has decided to hold a public hearing on Monday, July 10th, 2006 at 6 p.m. in the Judge Welsh Hearing Room on proposed amendments to the Harbor Regulations, Appendix B.  Rex told the group that any increases voted in would not take effect until 2007.

 

After a careful reading of the proposed fees and a full explanation from the Pier Manager, the following motion was made.

Motion:  The Provincetown Harbor Committee recommends approval of the proposed mooring fees with reservations.  Those reservations include timing of the process and cost to residents.

Motion:  Mel Cote       Second:  Kerry Adams    Vote:  3-0-2 ab (KA & HB)

(Jerry will write an e-mail to Keith Bergman to update him.)

 

· Any other business that shall properly come before the Committee

Jerry discussed (and gave out copies) a hand written note received which had been addressed to Jerry and opened by persons unknown before he received it.  The note referred to the constantly running water in the catch basin across from the Post Office.

 

BUT Jerry e-mailed Sandy Turner who had an explanation…… the cellars of many buildings around there are below grade and have to have sump pumps working constantly.  Jerry acted on it because he knew it had been a concern of some members of the Committee.

 

Two applications for Chapter 91 Amnesty Licenses

 

623 Commercial Street…..(next to Norman Mailer’s house) Someone commented that the owner is only getting approval for something that already exists. 

 

361 Commercial Street….. Kerry Adams recused himself from this discussion since the application had come from a client of his. 

 

Both the above cases are scheduled to be heard on Thursday, June 22nd in a public hearing and will have the public comments deadline on July 21st.  The Committee felt that a response could be crafted at their next meeting on July 5th.

 

The wood groins on the plan for 623 Commercial Street were a concern for Mel Cote.  He felt they might constitute a navigational hazard.

 

Adjournment happened at 5:40 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

Evelyn Gaudiano

Evelyn Rogers Gaudiano

Approved by ____________________________on ______________, 2006.

                             Gerard Irmer, Chair