Provincetown
Public Pier Corporation (PPPC)
Judge Welsh
Hearing Room
Present: Paul DeRuyter, Chair, Lee Ash, John Baldwin and Chip Bradish
Excused Absences: George Hitchcock
Other Attendees: Rex McKinsey, Pier Manager, John Davidson, PPPC Admin
Visitors: Alex
Brown, Kurt Schmidt, Mat Silva and Philip Michaud
Paul DeRuyter called the meeting to order at 4:10PM.
Public Statements
Kurt Schmidt read his letter, addressed to the Harbor Master dated July 9th, 2005 , to the board. The letter addressed vandalism to his property on the floating docks as well as his concern of the lack of overnight security on the pier.
Lee Ash made a comment that part of the management agreement was that the town police would make regular patrols from 11:00 pm to 8:00 am.
Alex Brown, who works at the Fisherman’s Wharf from 12:00 am to 8:00 am commented that he calls the police whenever he witnesses suspicious activity on the pier.
Paul DeRuyter agreed that a working plan for security be put together by the pier staff and presented at the next board meeting in 2 weeks. The plan costs were not to exceed $10,000 and that Homeland Security grants should be investigated as well as the system currently installed at the Provincetown airport. He also said that a company called Cobo Electrical should be contacted.
Paul DeRuyter also expressed to Kurt Schmidt and the other fisherman present that all acts of vandalism should be reported to the Harbor Master’s office on a timely basis.
At this point in the meeting the agenda was altered to address new business before the Pier Management Report by Paul DeRuyter and agreed to by all in attendance.
New Business
Vacant Slip On
Floating Dock
A number of issues concerning how to handle the vacant space on the floating docks were bought up:
Lee Ash: Should an RFP be posted? Is there an obligation to local commercial fisherman?
Chip Bradish: There should be an annual process for processing applications from Commercial Fisherman.
Paul
DeRuyter: Stated that the pier was to
be run as a moneymaking entity just like any other business.
John Baldwin: Read line#23 from the Pier Corps C 91 License as follows:
The “floating docks” as indicated on sheets 2 and 11 of 23, located on the eastern side of the pier shall be used for “small boat commercial fishery” vessels. The northern most floats of the “floating docks” shall be maintained for the exclusive use of the small boat fisheries. Any commercial berth authorized herein shall be assigned in a fair and equitable manner, via a waiting list or other appropriate unbiased manner. Any contract or other agreement for the exclusive use of berths authorized herein shall have a maximum term of one year and may be renewable upon expiration on an annual basis. In the event the “small boat commercial fishery” does not occupy the complete facility those vacant slips may be assigned via the waiting list or other appropriate unbiased means to recreation vessels. The “small boat commercial fishery” in no case shall occupy less than 75% of the facility, anything less will require prior review and approval by the Department.
Rex McKinsey: Has application from commercial fisher Sea Wolf for the vacant slip on the floating dock. This should take precedence over other uses. The request from Flyer’s can be accommodated in other ways.
After some heated discussion it was decided to put the issue to a vote.
Move to assign F/V Seawolf to the last floating dock space.
Moved by: John Baldwin Seconded by: Paul DeRuyter Yea: 4 Nay: 0
Commercial Fishing Float Space – Process for establishing annual assignment of float spaces and establish procedures to create and maintain a waiting list that is fair.
Also taken into consideration is to respond to a letter from the Provincetown Fisherman’s Association, Inc. outlining their concerns with the regards to the above-mentioned issue of a waiting list for commercial fisherman and the floating dock slips.
Phillip Michaud (commercial fisherman in attendance) stated that commercial fisherman should be given the first opportunity for any vacant spots on the floating dock over any recreational users. Stated that he is aware of a large number of commercial fishermen who would like to be on a waiting list for open slips on the floating dock in the eventuality of a vacancy. Reiterated the need for a waiting list process.
Chip Bradish brought up the point that there may be commercial fishing vessels on the floating dock that may not be active commercial vessels.
It was moved that the staff of the PPPC create a written proposal to establish a process of fairness and appropriateness in establishing an annual procedure for the processing of applications for commercial fisherman on the floating docks as an RFP, a waiting list procedure for vacancies and future floating dock space as it is created. Input from both the harbormaster’s office and ProFish should be used in the creation of said processes.
Moved by: Paul DeRuyter Seconded by: Lee Ash Yea: 4 Nay: 0
Pier Management
Report
Task List:
Put on hold until next meeting.
Financial Reports/Staffing Issues/Office
Procedures
Financial Reports:
Rex McKinsey
provided a trail balance report, a balance sheet, and an A/R Aging Report for
Fiscal Year 05.
It was established
by Paul DeRuyter that further review of the financials would be needed before
closing the books on Fiscal 04 and to have clean opening balances for Fiscal
05.
A list of
encumbrances was also included with Rex’s reports. Paul DeRuyter stated that that was a town hall terminology and
would not be a function of the PPPC’s books as we move forward.
A letter from the
harbormaster’s office as well as a list of
A/R to be written off as bad debt expense will be presented to the board
at the next meeting.
Staffing Issues:
A letter from the
office of the town manager stating that all employees of the PPPC would be
treated as employees of the town in reference to benefits was presented to the
board.
The training of
staff in reference to traffic control and traffic ticketing was brought up by
Chip Bradish.
Mooring Field
The board wanted to
know what the completion date for the mapping of the mooring field would
be. Rex stated that Martin Huey should
have it completed by Labor Day.
Chip Bradish feels
that we should take complete ownership of the mooring field and locate all
mooring permits not renewed and either have the mooring removed or the permit
paid for and a mooring permit issued.
He also stated that the PPPC has the right to re-organize the mooring
field if need be.
Rex McKinsey feels that after the mooring
field mapping project is completed that
1st priority should be to establish Harbormaster Moorings for use by
the harbormasters office.
Misc:
A sign posting
Harbormaster’s Office hours was requested by the board and will be in place
ASAP.
Lee Ash also
requested that a clock sign indicating a time of return be put into the
harbormaster’s office as well.
Paul DeRuyter
requested that the bathroom faucet be fixed.
At this point in
time the board returned to the new business on the agenda:
Slip 10W/Hindu:
John Baldwin
recused himself from this discussion and decision.
Rex McKinsey made
it known that a sales agreement for the Hindu was in the process of being
completed.
Lee Ash would like
to see a signed document.
It was proposed
that the board would develop a RFP to lease the float space for next year and
that the board would offer a $1 or nominal fee to lease the Hindu’s float
currently beached at the foot of the pier and move it into place at the slip.
Moved by: Lee Ash Seconded by: Chip Bradish Yea: 3 Nay: 0
Directors
Statements
None
Meeting Minutes
No review of prior meeting minutes.
The next meeting will be on Thursday, July 28, 2005 at 4:00 PM.
It was moved to adjourn the meeting at 6:28 pm
Moved by: Paul DeRuyter Seconded by: Lee Ash Yea: 4 Nay: 0
Minutes Respectively
Submitted by
John Davidson
PPPC Administrative Assistant
________________________________________________ ________________________________
Paul DeRuyter, Chair Date