HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-08-30
Beach Management Advisory Committee
Land Bank Conference Room
30 August 2007
4:00 pm
'07 SEP -4 :~ 9 :27
Members Present: Maureen Beck, Chair, Tom Dickson, Edie Ray, John Johnson
Mrs. Beck opened the meeting at 4:00 pm. The Minutes 01'23 August 206~) were
unanimously approved. Mr. Leddy, who could not attend today's meeting, phoned to say
he hoped the 9 August Minutes could be held over for further discussion before being
approved. The members present agreed to wait for Mr. Leddy's return. Mr. Dickson and
Mr. Johnson noted that the continuing discussion of dog issues must be mindful of the
leash law on the books and the need for its enforcement in order to protect people and the
environment.
Mrs. Beck reminded the Committee that the Minutes come from notes taken during the
discussions at each meeting, that they advise those absent of questions and comments
which arise at each meeting and which can be addressed further in later meetings. She
also reminded the Committee that votes do not all have to be unanimous; however, if
there is a majority vote, it should be recognized as such, not as the opinion or consensus
of all the members, but it should still carry weight as the predominant wish of the
members. The minority votes and any reasons for them can always be recorded as
legitimate stands taken by dissenting members.
Since the Beach Manager was unable to attend, there was no beach report.
The members recommended that Mrs. Beck arrange tor Mr. Reinhard and the Coast
Guard Chief to come visit BMAC after Labor Day sometime.
Mrs. Beck showed a note in "The Independent" of 15 August 2007 that the Harbormaster
at the request of the BOS was looking into any regulations affecting fishing in island
ponds. It may refer to some recent concern about considerable fishing activity in
Hummock Pond called to the Town's attention by residents there.
Mr. Johnson expressed concern that the rapid deterioration of the Ratner House on the
beach off Sheep Pond Road was altering the lateral drift there and causing some erosion
around the property. He also mentioned that from that point northwest to Smith's Point
major erosion was taking place. He was pleased in his daily walks to note how clean the
beaches were looking; very little debris was piling along the shore.
The Sconset Beach Nourishment Project will repeat its presentations to the ConCom
because new members have not heard the earlier arguments. The schedule will be a rapid
one, and Mrs. Ray will be on hand representing her Conservation Foundation interest.
Mrs. Beck and other members expressed their distress about the wear and tear on island
infrastructure as possibly 77 loads of beach materials must be brought on island and
trucked to Hoicks Hollow Road in the course of the project.
Mrs. Ray reported that when she accompanied a tern specialist to Smith's Point to count
banded terns, she noticed that the three monitors there were not very helpful to them nor
doing much work. She hopes the Beach Manager will discuss this problem at next week's
meeting. Normally she is so busy on the counts that she wonders what is going on. She
knows that on one count alone she and the specialist counted 2500 birds. She explained
that the monitors are dropped off each day by the Harbormaster's boat at Smith's Point
and are charged with submitting their counts to the state and federal authorities. She
wonders if their submissions are real?
Mrs. Beck remembered that last year the Beach Manager had had to discipline those
monitors, that he often gave them other chores at other beach locations to do when their
own jobs were completed. Mr. Dickson wondered if they are meant to get college credits
for their work or some other recognition. Mrs. Ray recalls Beach Manager Bixby
assigning monitors to installing fences, signs, etc. when the counting was slow.
Mrs. Beck wondered if the early departure of many beach staffers caused an August
malaise in the beach operations work; those staffers remaining were aware that the end of
the season was close at hand and that little more could be enforced or accomplished for
the summer.
Mrs. Beck reported that the Town Manager would get to us as soon as possible about a
meeting.
The meeting was adjourned at 4:30 pm. The next meeting will be 5 September 2007.
Respectfully submitted, with notes from John Johnson,
Maureen Beck, Chair