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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-5-16Harbor and Shellfish Advisory Board Tuesday, May 16, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. PLUS Building Conference Room, 2 Fairgrounds Road Members present: Peter Brace, Andy Lowell, Joe LiPuma, Bill Blount, Ken Kuntz, Ken Gullicksen Members Absent: Fritz McClure r, Marine Dept: ° QZ Natural Resources Dept: Jeff Carlson — 2 Others: Kona r �G CALL TO ORDER 5:05 p.m. w 7Q APPROVAL OF AGENDA cn Unanimously approved APPROVAL OF MINUTES Draft minutes of May 2, 2017: Postponed to June 6 meeting for lack of a quorum of members who attended the May 2 meeting. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT Election of officers Mr. Brace nominated Mr. Lowell as chairman, Mr. Kuntz seconded his motion and the board unanimously elected Andy Lowell as chairman. The board voted to elect Mr. Brace pro tem chairman just for the May 16, 2017 meeting. Mr. Lowell nominated Mr. McClure as vice chairman. With Mr. McClure absent and Mr. Gullicksen showing interest in vice chairman, the board agreed to hold the vice chairman election at the May 16, 2017 meeting. Mr. Blount, who couldn't guarantee his attendance at the next meeting, said he was good with either candidate. Mr. Lowell nominated Mr. Brace as secretary. Mr. Kuntz seconded his motion and the board voted unanimously to elect Mr. Brace as secretary. Summer meetings The board decided to meet once a month for July and August with the caveat that it reserve the option to meet a second time each of those months if need be. MARINE DEPARTMENT REPORT: General Marine Dept. report — Sheila Lucey Sheila Lucey not present at the meeting, so no Marine Department Report in person nor written. NATURAL RESOURCES REPORT General Natural Resources Dept. report — NRD staff Mr. Carlson reported that NRD staff recently began water quality sampling in the harbor. He also reported that the shellfish hatchery is full up and running. He added that they were holding oyster larvae grown in the hatchery to be released onto the oyster reef to be built by assistant town biologist Leah Cabral of oyster shells reclaimed from island restaurants. He said the work would happen June 2 -5, and that volunteers were needed to move shells from land to the water at Shimmo Creek. Mr. Carlson said the hatchery is growing oyster, scallop seed and algae simultaneously and that he expects town shellfish biologist Tara Riley to be holding a big open house at the hatchery soon. He added they are much more efficient now, algae production is higher than ever. Mr. Carlson informed the board of new water quality task force formed of himself of the NRD, Roberto Santamaria of the Health Department, Rob O'Neil, the new Department of Public Works director and Wannacomet Water Co. director Mark Willett to generate a comprehensive water quality management plan to get ahead of water quality issues. He informed the board that the NRD and the Health Department did a how -to fertilizer application class taught by landscapers and golf club greens keepers. They taught it in Spanish as well and they're hoping to get this information on the town's website. Mr. Carlson reported that three floating "fixed location water quality meter" data gathering devices are being deployed in the harbor soon to get temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, chlorophyll A and chlorophyll B, which takes samples every 15 minutes. These devices were funded by a grant in 2016 from the Great Harbor Yacht Club. The 2017 grant will continue the town's harbors eelgrass mapping project, said Carlson. This grant also paid for a spectralphotometer for water testing to determine what's in the water. It will allow the NRD staff to determine immediately what pollutants are in a given water sample instead of having to sending the sample off island for analysis. Mr. Carlson informed the board that Dr. Brian Howes of the UMass Dartmouth School of Marine Science & Technology would be presenting the 2016 harbors and ponds water quality report on May 17 at 417G. He added that the Nantucket Pond Coalition did water quality testing in the ground water around Miacomet and Hummock Ponds, and a firm hired by the town did testing of Long Pond in relation to the landfill. Mr. Brace asked Mr. Carlson for a report on the 2016/2017 scallop season. Mr. Carlson reported that approximately 5,000 bushels were harvested. He noted that fewer fishermen scalloped this year due partly because there was more work on land. He added that less than five days were lost due to bad and or cold weather and that a sustainable fishery should be around 15,000 bushels annually and that Martha's Vineyard had a great season with "thousands of bushels" harvested. Mr. Kuntz asked Mr. Carlson if anything's being to done to create suitable conditions for the re- establishment of eelgrass and mentioned that bacteria should be added to Madaket septic systems and cesspools to help process the effluent with biomedia. Mr. Carlson noted that most people don't know how to properly operate their septic system in terms of what they can and can't put in to it. Mr. LiPuma noted that since voters didn't approve the Madaket sewer project, property owners are forced to use costly alternative septic systems that don't work. Mr. Carlson remarked that alternative systems remove 50 -70 percent of the effluent, but that putting toxic chemicals, feminine hygiene products and paper towels in these systems can still kill them. Mr. LiPuma recommended that the town create some sort of septic system guide for house owners. Mr. Brace said the Nantucket Blue Pages would be this guide. Mr. Brace asked Mr. Carlson if the town had ever diverted its 32 harbor outfall pipes into just six such pipes with stormcepter catch basins "treatment vaults" installed in between the ends of these pipes and the harbor. Mr. Carlson said yes and that the town is now working on creating a bio- retention site in the park next to 37 Washington St. to treat water flowing into this area. He added that the Nantucket Land Council is studying what is flowing into and out of these outfall pipes this summer. Mr. LiPuma asked why Long Pond neglected by the town with the killing of half of the common reeds (phragmites) and not removing the waste from the pond. Mr. Carlson said Long Pond is now the cleanest of Nantucket's great ponds despite being next to landfill with long -term plans to replace the culverts at First and Second bridges. Mr. Brace asked for a report on pond openings this spring. Mr. Carlson the town is reevaluating its pond - opening program for Sesachacha and Hummock ponds because this spring's pond openings weren't that successful. It's possible the focus could shift more toward openings for herring and eels to get in and out of the ponds and less for pollution needs, and work more on what we're putting into the ponds and less on getting it out, Carlson explained. Mr. Lowell asked for and Mr. Carlson gave an explanation of what the sonnes can do, their cost and the number to be deployed. Mr. Lowell asked Mr. Carlson if the NRD and Health Department includes anything in the town's fertilizer application courses on pesticides and Round -Up use. Mr. Carlson said they do not because pesticides and herbicides are regulated by the state. Mr. Lowell asked how the water quality task force would work and what it would do. Mr. Carlson explained that the group would meet weekly, that the meetings aren't open to the public and that they would strive to find water quality solutions to problems the town is dealing with now and in the future quickly in order to advise the Board of Selectmen on realistic, measurable goal that the general public can understand and not just numbers required to be met as state standards. Mr. Lowell asked Mr. Carlson about the use of too much salt on the roads. Mr. Carlson said now is a good time to address this issue with a new DPW director on board. Mr. Carlson encouraged public comment sent in to him for this task force. On the issue of grey water, he conceded it was a daunting task that's going to take a lot of work to solve. Mr. Lowell asked when Miacomet was last opened and Mr. Carlson said 2004. Mr. Lowell asked what drainage system was installed when the town rebuilt the Easy Street bulkhead. Mr. Carlson said nothing more than already exists PUBLIC COMMENT ON MARINE DEPARTMENT / NATURAL RESOURCES REPORT Kona asked how many fish totes of oyster shells are needed to build the oyster reef in Shimmo Creek. Mr. Carlson said about a 1,000. Kona then asked how much scallop larval production would increase after the hatchery had been renovated. Mr. Carlson said During town shellfish biologist Tara Riley's first five years working for the town, the hatchery produced 550 million larvae. With revitalized hatchery, she expects to produce 550 to 750 million scallop larvae annually. He added that Ms. Riley is producing quahog and oyster larvae, around 75 percent scallop larvae and 25 percent larvae for quahog and oyster larvae. OLD BUSINESS Eelgrass enhancement & dredging practices — continued to discussion Mr. Kuntz asked if the town is doing any eelgrass enhancement. Mr. Carlson indicated that the town had, but that it hasn't been successful. Further, he said although the bottom is healthy enough, but that the town needs to deal inputs into the harbor before planting eelgrass in the harbor. Mr. Lowell asked Mr. Carlson to investigate how Martha's Vineyard had such a great scallop season in relation to that island's water quality controls. Mr. Blount remarked that Nantucket has more eelgrass than over in Martha's Vineyard waters. Mr. Kuntz asked what the town is doing to control green crabs. Mr. Carlson said isn't doing anything yet, but two fishermen are permitted to trap them. He added that the town needs suggestions on how to make green crabs marketable so fishermen will have an incentive to trap them more aggressively. Mr. Kuntz said other coastal towns in the state also trap them and said he'd share his information with Mr. Carlson. Grey water The board agreed that this issue was properly dealt with during Mr. Carlson's report. NEW BUSINESS HSAB workshop meeting topics — discussion No discussion on this item. PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND COMMENT Kona asked about the status of the NRD's proposed shellfishermen work program. Mr. Brace said that the NRD is awaiting advice from town counsel and getting comments from scallopers. He said this new program wouldn't be implemented until at least the 2018/2019 season. RECAP and ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING Mr. Brace the board will hold its vice chairman election. ADJOURN Unanimously approved at 7:09 p.m. Future Meetings: June 6 and June 20 Respectfully Submitted, Peter B. Brace, Secretary