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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-05-16Harbor and Shellfish Advisory Board Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. Community Room, 4 Fairgrounds Road Members present: Andrew Lowell, Fritz McClure, Joe LiPuma, Peter Brace, Kenneth Kuntz, Kenneth Gullicksen Members Absent: Bill Blount Marine Dept: Sheila Lucey Natural Resources Dept: Others: Kona Hosier CALL TO ORDER Meeting called to order at 5:02 p.m. APPROVAL OF AGENDA APPROVAL OF MINUTES Draft Aug. 1, 2017 minutes approved unanimously. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT 0 s G CP w Finance Committee need of Community Room on HSAB meeting dates in 2017: Oct. 3 and Dec. 12 and in 2018: Jan. 9, Feb. 20 and March 6 Mr. Lowell asked Mr. Brace to keep this item on the agenda to keep the board and the public informed of these dates. Prayers for Albert Coffin Mr. Lowell mentioned that "Jalopy" Albert Coffin was out of the hospital and asked that the board keep him their thoughts. MARINE DEPARTMENT REPORT: General Marine Department report — Sheila Lucey Ms. Lucey informed the board that she's cut back lifeguard beaches based on seasonal staffing losses due to the end of the season with only Children's and Surfside beaches open for the coming weekend. She added that she hopes to hire more guards who can stay longer so she can keep Jetties Beach guarded longer. Her dock staff is also depleted and Ms. Lucey reported that she is working on cleaning up town beaches, getting all of their equipment off the beaches, pulling buoys, which the Coast Guard mandate must be in the water through Sept. 15. She noted that she had them in to the end of October in 2016. Ms. Lucey reported that members of the New York Yacht, 110 boats, came into the harbor in the first week of August. She found slips and moorings for some of them, but 68 boats went without, with come of them anchoring on in the anchorage, but none on Hussey Shoal. Two boats did drag across Hussey Shoal. She added she was able to get the names of the two captains of the boats that gave her and her staff the hardest time. These boats didn't announce their intent to come here after being over in Hyannis Harbor for the previous weekend. They were on a cruise. Ms. Lucey reported that Race Week did go better than expected with less boats in the harbor. Mr. McClure said the NY Yacht Club visits Nantucket regularly and he recommended that Ms. Lucey send a formal complaint to the commodore of this club. Ms. Lucey agreed and said she would explore this option. She added that she did not have to involve the Coast Guard to handle this situation and that one of the boats' names was "Northern Lights". Mr. Lowell asked how boaters are reacting the cord of the bay as an anchorage. Ms. Lucey responded that boaters were good with it but that people on land complained that their view was being ruined. Mr. Lowell commended Ms. Lucey for getting more boaters to anchor in the cord of the bay. Mr. McClure asked about a boat on anchor out in the harbor all summer, but Ms. Lucey that boat is in compliance. She added that the 65 -foot "Nautical Lady", a marine trawler, has been trouble all summer on anchor including not getting pump -outs. The boat has been ordered out of the harbor after being told not to come into the harbor. Dwayne Dugan is the owner and he's living on this boat. Ms. Lucey said she's been issuing him a ticket with a monetary value every day. NATURAL RESOURCES REPORT Natural Resources Dept. report — NRD staff No report. PUBLIC COMMENT ON MARINE DEPARTMENT / NATURAL RESOURCES REPORT No public comment. OLD BUSINESS Eco -friendly moorings — Discussion — Fritz McClure Mr. McClure reported that the Nantucket Land Council is doing an eelgrass restoration project near Second Pier off Monomoy. He added that the town should make this an area where eco -friendly moorings are required. Ms. Lucey said this is possible but challenging, but she is actively pursuing a solution that keeps mooring tackle from resting on and dragging over the bottom. She added that her department is pushing boat owners to use these moorings, which are more expensive, and she's working with two eco -friendly mooring companies on the affordability of these mooring systems. She further added that getting support for these moorings from mooring permit holders who don't scallop or fish the harbor will be challenging if the price of these moorings is too high. Seasonal septic system maintenance — Discussion — Ken Kuntz Mr. Kuntz suggested that the town require septic system owners to put packages of microbes into their systems in the spring to jumpstart their systems quickly. Mr. Lowell to agreed to keep this item on future HSAB agendas. Boat basin oil accumulation — Discussion — Ken Kuntz Mr. Kuntz inquired about oil containment and recovery equipment, and mentioned a "bucket skimmer". Ms. Lucey said this equipment is for a large spill, not everyday use for small spills. She added that runoff causes sheens on the surface of the harbor, but a "bucket skimmer" would be too large to use to clean this up. Absorbent pads would be used instead. NEW BUSINESS Race Day — Discussion — Ken Kuntz Mr. Kuntz noted that the Race Week organizers have the Rainbow Fleet parade in the water at Brant Point right when all the Opera House Cup boats are leaving the harbor for the race along with the coming and going of the ferries, a big potential safety hazard. Ms. Lucey agreed. She added that she'll be working with the Race Week organizers to have Rainbow Fleet start at Sam instead of 9:40am to avoid chaotic conditions. Last year, she got them to start over east of First Point and that went well, but this year the tide was coming in, making it difficult for the boats to maneuver. Ms. Lucey said she'd continue to work with the organizers to find a solution that worked for everyone. Mr. Brace asked Ms. Lucey about what he perceived as anincrease in kiteboarding activity in the harbor this summer. Ms. Lucey said there were no problems with the kiteboarders this summer. She did say they've had problems with rental boats drifting away from where their renters had beached or anchored them. Mr. Brace also inquired about Jet -Ski use in the harbor, asking if it's prohibited. Ms. Lucey said she dealt with a lot of Jet -Ski incidents involving underage operators. Mr. Lowell noted that Coatue is not commercially zoned, so kiteboarders shouldn't be giving lessons from that part of the harbor shores. Mr. Brace noted that most of Coatue is owned by the Nantucket Conservation Foundation with a portion of the northeast section near Coskata Pond owned by the Trustees of Reservations with neither entity allowing commercial activity on their properties. Cruise ship anchorage — Discussion — Bill Blount Because Mr. Blount was not present at this meeting, Mr. Lowell continued to this item to a future HSAB meeting when Mr. Blount would be present. Local commercial fishing dragger survival - Discussion — Bill Blount Because Mr. Blount was not present at this meeting, Mr. Lowell continued to this item to a future HSAB meeting when Mr. Blount would be present. Possible HSAB info table at Maritime Festival (Sept. 30) - Discussion — Peter Brace Mr. Brace floated the idea of having a HSAB table at the Maritime Festival on Sept. 30. The board supported this idea, which was modified by Mr. Lowell to have the table in the shellfish hatchery. All agreed with this idea. Mr. Gullicksen said the board needed some sort of handout to give to people. Mr. Brace said he would connect Pauline Proch at Egan Maritime Institute, sponsor of this event, to get space for the HSAB. PUBLIC QUESTIONS AND COMMENT Mr. Brace, in response to McClure's inquiry on what happens with the sludge from the Surfside Wastewater Sewage Treatment Plant, said the sludge is used at the landfill to make bark mulch and topsoil. Mr. McClure reported to the board that the Nantucket Land Council is now taking water samples from outfall pipes at Children's Beach and the town pier. He added the new DPW director Rob McNeil is working to clean out storm drains on the harbors including the main collector for Hulbert Avenue, Easton Street and the surrounding area, which is in front of the Nantucket Yacht Club. Mr. LiPuma noted that the storm drains along Tennessee Avenue in Madaket are all clogged up. The board engaged in a wide-ranging discussion of on -the -water and land-based enforcement issues. RECAP and ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING ADJOURN Unanimously approved at 6:18 p.m. Future Meetings: Sept. 19 and Oct. 3 Respectfully Submitted, Peter B. Brace, Secretary