HomeMy WebLinkAboutHSAB Aug. 9 2011Nantucket Harbor & Shellfish Advisory Board
Minutes of Meeting held Aug. 9, 2011
Approved:
Conference Room, 2 Fairgrounds Road
Call to Order at 4:35 p.m.
Members Present: Dr. Peter Boyce, Michael Glowacki, Peter B.
Brace, Wendy McCrae
Members Absent: Doug Smith, Bob Rank, Bill Blount
Marine Dept: Dave Fronzuto
BOS:
Others:
Approval of Agenda:
We did not approve the agenda.
Approval of Minutes:
Approved unanimously.
Chairman’s Report:
Dr. Boyce announced that there would be a water quality
presentation at the new police station. Dave Fronzuto added that
there would be representatives at this meeting from the Department
of Environmental Protection and the School of Marine Science and
Technology at UMass Dartmouth. The presentation, explained Mr.
Fronzuto, would be an update on the TMDL number for Madaket
and the computer modeling scenarios the town hired SMAST to
do.
Dr. Boyce also announced the erosion talk at the Coffin School at
4 Winter St. that day between 5pm and 7pm
Marine Department Report: Dave Fronzuto
Mr. Fronzuto reported being busier than he’s ever seen it policing
errant Jet-Skiers, dealing with issues situating the Nantucket
Lightship in the anchorage for Raceweek and pumping more than
17,000 gallons of sewage from boats since July 1, “an enormous
amount”.
He reported that town biologist Tara Riley did a scallop spawn
recently, set up the booms in Madaket at Warren’s Landing and
released the results there, and that she hoped to get a few more
spawns in before the water got too cold to allow growth.
Mr. Fronzuto said there’s been a lot of transcient dockage,
relatively few mooring incidents. The anchorage is averaging 60
boats a night and the rental moorings are full, but the boat basin is
not. Mr. Fronzuto said he expected Raceweek to be extremely
busy.
Dr. Boyce noted that many more boaters are ignoring the no-wake
zone inside of Brant Point. Mr. Fronzuto said his department
makes the effort to cover all of its bases.
Mr. Brace inquired about the distance a JetSki must be offshore
and Mr. Fronzuto said 150 feet. Mr. Brace reported being at Dionis
several times while witnessing JetSkis operating between bathers
and shore. Mr. Fronzuto estimated that there were 25-30 JetSkis on
the island, but some of them arrive on the megayachts. Mr.
Fronzuto said JetSkis are supposed to operate away from boats,
swimmers and moorings, and that the town has a bylaw that is
supposed to keep them in the areas off of Quaise and up in the
Head of the Harbor, and out in the Nantucket Sound. He added that
the whole west end of the island is prohibited to JetSkis
Although the town has signs at various public launching spots
outlining JetSkiing areas and laws, Mr. Fronzuto said many launch
from inside the boat basin or from boats in the anchorage. He told
the board he would include info about the laws and use areas in
welcome packets for boats anchoring in the harbor.
Dr. Boyce echoed Mr. Fronzuto’s kudos on Ms. Riley’s
propagation efforts this summer.
Old Business:
No old business.
New Business:
Dr. Boyce noted that HSAB needed to appoint new representatives
to the Harbor Plan Implementation Committee. Dr. Boyce, Mr.
Smith and former HSAB member Bam LaFarge are the
encumbents, and Dr. Boyce said all three members want to
continue for another term.
Ms. McCrae noted that Mr. LaFarge is no longer a member of
HSAB, so he is no longer acting as a liaison for HSAB. Mr. Brace
asked how Mr. LaFarge could be on HPIC and be appointed by
HSAB if he was not a member of HPIC. Dr. Boyce clarified,
saying that the criteria for appointments by the HPIC only specifies
that this board can appoint three people, but that if any members of
the HSAB are uncomfortable with Mr. LaFarge continuing on the
HPIC, the board can appoint someone else in his place.
Mr. Fronzuto stated that the HSAB should not give up
representation on HPIC by letting LaFarge take up HSAB’s third
appointee spot. Dr. Boyce stated that if the board does not re-
appoint Mr. LaFarge, he would no longer be a member. Ms.
McCrae added that she isn’t trying to get Mr. LaFarge off the
HPIC, but to clarify that he was appointed by HSAB and that she’d
rather have a full board present when appointments are made, and
that the slate of appointees should detail who are HSAB members
and those who aren’t.
Acting on Ms. McCrae’s motion and Mr. Brace’s second that the
HSAB reappoint Mr. Smith and Dr. Boyce to the HPIC and
waiting until all seven HSAB members are present to consider Mr.
LaFarge’s reappointment, Mr. Brace, Dr. Boyce and Ms. McCrae
voted in favor while Mr. Glowacki vote against the motion.
Complaint about Matt Herr’s conch raft in West Polpis
Harbor
Mr. Fronzuto stated that he hadn’t had a chance to speak with Mr.
Herr, as he had been out in Madaket working with town biologist
Tara Riley. He said that the complaint was in the way of a person
rowing their shell in this part of the harbor, making it difficult for
her to turn around. Mr. Fronzuto said he would speak with Mr.
Herr about moving the raft up to the Nantucket Harbor mooring
field. Dr. Boyce said Mr. Herr told him that his raft needed repairs
before being anchored in open water. Mr. Fronzuto explained that
Mr. Herr usually anchors his raft off the second pier in Monomoy
to hang his conch off of in the water until he can sell it but that this
year, the market is such that he is selling his catch as soon as he
brings it in from his pots off of the island, so Mr. Herr doesn’t need
his raft. Mr. Fronzuto added that the woman who complained
believes that the “sole source of pollution” in west Polpis Harbor is
from the sea birds that roost on this raft.
September meeting dates
Dr. Boyce stated that the next regularly scheduled meeting would
be the day after Labor Day, Sept. 6. Mr. Glowacki stated he could
make that meeting. Mr. Brace said he might have a conflict with
the Sept. 6 meeting. Mr. Fronzuto said he’d like to have a week to
decompress after the Labor Day Weekend. Ms. McCrae said she
was flexible on meeting dates for September. Dr. Boyce said he
would prefer not to do the agenda on Labor Day Weekend. On Dr.
Boyce’s motion for holding the first September meeting on Sept.
13, the board voted unanimously to do so.
Letter of support for ECOHAB proposal w/Sandy Shumway of
the University of Connecticut
Dr. Boyce stated that the money Ms. Riley is seeking grant funding
to study the brown tide and monitor its effects should it occur in
Nantucket Harbor this year or next year.
Dr. Boyce queried the board on him writing a letter of support for
Ms. Riley’s efforts to secure this funding. Mr. Glowacki asked if
Dr. Boyce was asking the board’s permission to represent its
position of support for this grant proposal. Ms. McCrae expressed
her confusion over Mr. Glowacki’s statement, saying he made it
sound like the board would be “rubber stamping” for funds and Dr.
Boyce made it sound like the board would support another member
of the department that is seeking outside finding for that effort.
Dr. Boyce clarified, stating that Ms. Riley is a co-proposer and
researcher on the effects of the brown tide on the harbor and that
the board can be in general support of this effort. Mr. Glowacki
agreed. Dr. Boyce said his statement in his letter of support would
that HSAB supports Ms. Riley’s efforts to research the impacts of
the brown tide on Nantucket’s shellfish.
Ms. McCrae made a motion that Dr. Boyce, speaking for the
board, draft such a letter of support for Ms. Riley’s efforts. Mr.
Brace seconded this motion. Mr. Glowacki stated that he would
vote no because he wouldn’t vote for a letter he didn’t know the
content of. Ms. McCrae amended her motion by stating that if Ms.
Riley has enough time before she files her proposal, Dr. Boyce
would bring his letter to the Sept. 13 HSAB meeting for the
board’s consideration and if she doesn’t, it would be OK for him to
write it and give it to Ms. Riley without the board’s review of the
letter. On Ms. McCrae’s revised motion, Mr. Brace. Dr. Boyce and
Ms. McCrae voted yes. Mr. Glowacki voted no.
Adjournment:
Unanimous
Next Meetings:
Sept. 13 and 20
Respectfully submitted,
Peter B. Brace, Secretary