HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-11-30
Beach Management Advisory Committee
Land Bank Conference Room
30 November 2006
4:00 pm
Members Present: Maureen Beck, Chair, Tom Dickson, Edie Ray, Colin Leddy; Guest:
Patricia Newton
Mrs. Beck convened the meeting at 4:15 pm. The Minutes of2 November 2006 were
approved. The Minutes of 16 November needed only acknowledgement as read by the
members since there was no quorum at that meeting.
Mr. Johnson, being absent on that date, sent a note wishing the Minutes to read that he
had tried to phone at 4:30 pm in order to participate in the meeting; however, the phone
only rings in the main office, which is locked after 4:00 pm. The Land Bank Staffhas
reported to Mrs. Beek that the phone cannot be adjusted for incoming calls for our
meetings.
Mr. Leddy wished the same minutes to read that he was concerned not about fires on the
beaches but rather about aecumulations of trash despite the very few people using the
beaches. He believed that the Beach Manager had noted fires. He also noted the poor
condition of the steps at Fisherman's Beach, which even at this date have not been
repaired. Mrs. Beck spoke about complaints over Thanksgiving Weekend regarding the
breakdown of the steps. She will call the DPW again.
Mrs. Beck cireulated a memo from the Assistant Town Administrator regarding a
mandatory meeting of the Committee on 18 December 2006 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm in
order to review meeting procedures and Roberts Rules of Order with a consultant. She
noted that a response sheet for eaeh member due by 7 December 2006 accompanied the
memo. She asked Mr. Dickson to stand in for her at the meeting since she must chair the
Parks & Recreation Commission meeting for the same purpose at the same time.
It was decided that the next meetings ofthe Committee would be 14 December 2006 and
11 January 2007.
Mr. Carlson being absent, there was no Beach Manager's report. Mrs. Ray noted th~
remains ofa party and fire at the Washing Pond beach recently. c:;
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A proof of the 2007 Beach Driving brochure with the suggested revisions ~as reviewed.
Mr. Leddy raised a question regarding item #12 on the back ofthe brochuie eonce~g
no dogs allowed on the beach when lifeguards are present. Would people l)e allowe<{6o
walk their leashed dogs past the guarded areas to an unguarded section ofthe beach?(f1
Once more, Mrs. Beck observed, the whole question of when or if dogs may be on a W
beach looms for later discussions. The members asked her to invite Mr. Manchester for a
discussion on dogs and lifeguard changes on 14 December. * She will also ask the
Beach Manager for the wording in the By-Law section regarding dogs on beaches.
Since the deadline for the new brochure is near, the old photo will stay in place; a new
one will replace it in 2008. Mr. Dickson hopes that noise on the beach from loud radios,
etc., will be included then also. He also pointed out to Mr. Leddy that red print in the
items indicated past revisions made to eliminate confusions or omissions.
The Committee discussed the need for random wintertime patrols of the beaches in order
to keep the public aware ofthe monitoring of beach rules, especially beach permits. The
times thought best were spot cheeks or afternoons until dark, including weekends.
The number of ATV tracks posed the question of whether the tracks were from the same
vehicle always or from several. Ifthe police are using ATV's, could they not stagger
shifts for establishing a higher profile for patrols? If the Beach Manager is checking
beach maintenance needs during the winter, can he not set his inspections at random
times also to check permits, illegal A TV traffic, fires, and littering? Mrs. Beck will also
alert the Environmental Police Officer to watch out for these ATV's.
The small number oftickets issued for violations also concerned the Committee. Is there
an explanation? Are some violations being overlooked? Surely, the parking violations
alone would be more. Could summer police on bicycles help with a more careful patrol
of parking violations on the streets adjacent to the beaches? The Committee agreed to
discuss these questions with the Beach Manager on 14 December and then invite Chief
Pittman and the ATV supervisor for the next meeting on 11 January to address these
issues.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:00 pm. The next meetings will be on 14 December 2006
and 11 January 2007.
Respectfully submitted, with notes from Edie Ray,
Maureen Beck, Chair
*Mr. Manchester will be away on December 14 but will try to corne on January 11,2007.
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