HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-03-08
Beach Management Advisory Committee
Land Bank Conference Room
8 March 2007
4:00 pm
Members Present: Maureen Beck, Chair, Tom Dickson, Edie Ray, Colin Leddy; Beach
Manager Jeff Carlson
Mrs. Beck convened the meeting at 4:06 pm. The Minutes of 8 February 2007 were
approved by unanimous vote. The meeting notes of22 February 2007, for which there
was no quorum, were acknowledged.
Mrs. Beck distributed some sections of the Madaket and Tom Nevers Area Plans, which
might be of interest to BMAC, as well as a listing of island beaches with their managers
from the Parks & Recreation Department.
Mr. Leddy raised the question of BaS action on BMAC's recommendation to refrain
from allowing commercial activity on island ponds. Upon investigation, Mrs. Beck
discovered that no mention of BaS acceptance of the recommendation and its consequent
amendment to the Beach Management Plan was noted in Minutes after the decision was
made at the BaS meeting of 10 January 2007. Therefore, these Minutes acknowledge
that decision.
A second recommendation that no commercial activity be allowed on any easements
granted to the Town by private owners of beach property is still pending BaS attention.
Mr. Carlson suggested that such decisions might be delayed until after the elections of
new BaS members in April.
A discussion followed regarding how Minutes should be taken. Mrs. Beck observed that
when a guest is invited to speak, often he or she is given the full attention of the meeting
and no other issues are discussed until his/her departure. Mr. Leddy hoped room for such
discussions could be addressed in the future. Mr. Carlson suggested that any member
wishing to address an issue or ask a question should submit it in writing at the beginning
of a meeting so that there would be a written record of the query. The members agreed.
Mr. Dickson suggested that the members should share the jobs of note taking and other
BMAC duties to help our information be more efficient and accurate.
Mr. Carlson also suggested that each member make a list offive issues of high priority
for the Committee's attention. Mrs. Beck agreed and asked that each member bring to
the 22 March meeting such a list so that the Committee could identify what are
significant concerns to be acted upon by the Committee.
Mr. Dickson asked about the concerns expressed in the discussions of22 February. Mr.
Carlson said that he had made clear his separate role as advisor to the Committee but not
as a voting member. Whatever the Committee recommends or proposes to the Town is
always referred to him for an opinion; therefore, ifhe supports the BMAC request, it
gains strength as a second voice.. Mr. Leddy hopes that some ongoing issues which
seem fuzzy need to be addressed more specifically and that members should speak up
rather than refrain from comment when guests are present. He spoke of his reluctance to
disagree when Chief Pittman and Jimmy Manchester came to discuss beach policy
regulations and A TV surveillance. He wanted the Committee to present a united front.
His most troubling issues are the trash and the breakdown of the infrastructure, like litter
and maintenance of access, on the beaches.
Mr. Carlson offered to put together the members' priority lists, noting the most pressing
items and seeing if some of them could be taken care of in his daily agenda.
Mrs. Beck observed that these priorities would also be useful in preparing the annual
report ofBMAC's concerns and accomplishments. She assured Mr. Dickson that the
Annual Report at Town meeting would show BMAC's report for 2006. Mr. Carlson
again reminded the members that we should always vote on any decisions or issues which
"go out the door" to other agencies. Mrs. Beck asked if guests should be introduced not at
the beginning of the meeting but only after Minutes and other BMAC business are
addressed. Mrs. Beck hopes that members will have read the minutes carefully ahead of
the meeting so that they can ask for discussion and revision before approval. Mr. Carlson
remarked again that bringing such requests in writing would help clarify the Minutes.
Mrs. Ray asked Mr. Carlson about times when beach permits could be purchased. Could
someone here just for a weekend be able to purchase a permit even if the office is closed?
A discussion of the current fees followed. Mr. Leddy would like to see an even higher fee
than $100 for permits begin on July 1 rather than June 1 and extend until Labor Day. Mr.
Carlson recommended that the fee for rental cars be raised because of the constant re-use
ofthe vehicles on the beaches. Mrs. Beck agreed that past studies had not shown the
actual amount of time or abuse these vehicles incurred on the beaches. We should look at
the problem again. It was suggested that if we do raise fees, perhaps avoiding doubling
them, we should only increase them by ten or twenty dollars rather than doubling them.
Mrs. Ray recommended Mr. Carlson ask the Great Point manager for his estimate of the
number of rental vehicles their permits cover.
With a reminder to bring the lists of priorities to the next meeting on March 22, Mrs.
Beck adjourned the meeting at 5: 16 pm.
Respectfully submitted with notes from Edie Ray,
Maureen Beck, Chair