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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2007-11-15 Beach Management Advisory Committee Land Bank Conference Room 15 November 2007 4:00 pm ....'I.~, "'""Ii: ~ ;:0 t::::I - C":) I -oJ a - --i-"" a::: -..'" Cl:: Z Members Present: Maureen Beck, Chair, Tom Dickson, Edie Ray, Colin Leddy; Beach Manager Jeff Carlson (""') ,I " ,,", Guests: Allen Reinhard, Selectman, Bruce Perry, Land Bank Operations, Jim Mullen, Surfside !$;lsonal - resident Mrs. Beck convened the meeting at 4:00 pm. The members unanimously approved the Minutes for 1 November 2007 but agreed to allow Mr. Leddy until the next meeting on 6 December to look at the Minutes of 18 October more closely. Mrs. Beck welcomed Messrs. Reinhard and Perry to discuss their roles in beach operations. She explained the task the Town Manager had assigned BMAC: to discover the extent of various agencies' roles in beach management and to note any overlap in their work. Mr. Perry stated that the direction and involvement of beach management operations should flow down from the Beach Manager, through whom, first of all, tasks should be allocated to other agencies. Mr. Reinhard noted that the Land Bank and the Conservation Foundation together own and supervise 50+ miles of Nantucket beaches, including the maintenance and the removal of trash washed ashore or left from parties on the beaches. Mr. Reinhard noted further that BMAC has a good control now on beach access and patrols which monitor respectful use by beachgoers of public and private beaches. The Beach Manager has joined the Harbor Plan project to verify legitimate rights of ways for beach access all around the island and will participate in developing a map of these ways, currently a work in progress. Other paper ways of no use to the Town will be offered at a price to coastal abutters in return for public access to their beaches. He reminded the meeting that paper roads do not show up on the tax rolls. As Chair of the Rights of Ways Committee, he has hired island scholar Fran Karttunen to research the history of the paper roads as a further discovery of their development. This is all being put on the Town website under his Committee. Mr. Perry referred again to the pyramid of beach operations, starting with Mr. Carlson, the Beach Manager, whom other agencies, like the Land Bank staff and Ernie Steinauer at the Audubon Society, contact for information and needs. They all work together on beach issues. Mrs. Beck asked how the DPW fit into this cooperative effort. Mr. Perry replied that all the public beaches and accesses are their domain; Miacomet, Cisco, Fisherman's and Nobadeer are the busiest places. The DPW crews do not get to these sites early enough each day to handle all the trash and repair problems. Nor will they pick up anything not in one of their barrels. The Beach Manager agreed that Nobadeer was a particularly bad spot. Mrs. Beck observed that the DPW sweepers did not respond promptly to calls to clear sand off the yellow lines delineating No Parking areas on beach roads, thereby often making traffic tickets null and void. Nor, Mr. Leddy noted, does the DPW work on Saturdays or Sundays when beach use is high. By Monday the trash piles are an appalling mess. Mr. Reinhard and Mrs. Beck referred to the long delayed need for repairs of the steps at Fisherman's Beach despite constant reminders to the DPW. Mr. Leddy stated that the worst step at the bottom was now repaired. Mr. Dickson asked if there should be someone at the DPW to direct calls for repair. Mr. Reinhard agreed that there should be. The land Bank and the Conservation Foundation take care of repairs right away. The BOS has hired a consultant to look at the condition of Town property and the resources utilized to keep it in good condition. Mr. Perry stated that the DPW does not have a property staff person dedicated to do repairs as does the Land Bank. Perhaps, suggested Mr. Dickson, there is someone on staff who is really familiar with the beaches and would gladly take on such a job. Mr. Reinhard agreed that the BOS was thinking the same way. Who should pick up the trash on Town beaches? The Beach Manager should not have to do it. Mr. Leddy stated that people should be hired to do the job, which is laborious. Mr. Perry said that money was not the issue right now as much as what help was available. When Mrs. Ray mentioned the community service assignments for trash pickup, both Mr. Reinhard and Mr. Perry demurred, indicating that that attempt had been unsuccessful. Mr. Reinhard did point out that picking up trash was part of his job as Middle Moors Ranger for the Foundation. Mr. Perry reminded the meeting that although clean beaches made a significant difference in their appeal, the public beaches were the busiest; therefore, more trash accumulated there and in their parking areas. Mrs. Ray referred to Ms. Hamilton's suggestion that Visitor Services work with the Town to promote TV slogans and logos encouraging beachgoers to pick up after them. She hoped Mr. Reinhard and Mr. Perry would contribute to these ideas. Mrs. Beck brought up the issue of some private property owners demanding that their beaches be removed from the permitted beach driving areas. Mr. Perry said that that decision was really up to the Beach Manager and the Town Manager with recommendations from BMAC and other agencies. Mr. Carlson mentioned that he put No Driving signs on one property this past summer at the request of the Chief of Police to cool the issue until it could be debated for the 2008 Map. The issue is reviving again and could impact the fishing access at Point of Breakers. Mr. Carlson is writing his ideas to the Town Manager as will BMAC later. The signs are still there, but no physical obstructions are at the site, Mr. Carlson assured Mr. Leddy. Mrs. Ray thought that in the proposals to the Town Manager Mr. Mullen's suggestion of delaying the driving access to beaches to 6:00 pm be included since many people use the beaches later than 5:00 pm. She and Mrs. Beck assured Mr. Mullen that the revenues from the Beach Stickers were not being used for other purposes than beach management, that there were many other beach costs than just driving d patrols to be addressed. ....... -i..""" C)::'~. ::::E .~ ::z:: ::0 C-) r" r'i :::::J :;,1:; Q CJ -!.. a - ~. -- C~""J~ Mr. Mullen stated that he had asked the Police Department for a print-out of tickets issued by the summer patrols and found none for Surfside. Mrs. Ray explained the policy of issuing and recording a warning first and, thereafter, tickets for violations. Mr. Leddy stated that he had observed much improvement, especially at Nobadeer, in beachgoers' compliance, thanks to the tact and the firmness of the ATV police. Mr. Mullen added his concern for the breakdown of fencing at the Surfside public beach and adjacent Land Bank property, which invites people to walk in the dunes. Mrs. Beck reminded him of the spring storms and continuous high winds battering that shore this summer. Mr. Carlson and Mr. Perry will check the area for repairs. Mrs. Beck reminded Mr. Mullen that the original strong fencing had been installed by Surfside volunteers under the direction of Parks Field Manager Charles Bartlett. Mr. Perry suggested that someone approach the new owner at 40th Pole to allow the public to use a portion of his beach there. Mr. Reinhard said that land Bank Director Eric Savetsky had done so and that the owner had noticed much improvement in beach compliance there in the last three years. Both Mr. Reinhard and Mr. Perry praised the efforts of BMAC. Mrs. Ray responded that more parking areas, bike racks, and public transportation will help spread out beach use along the shoreline as people look for quieter locations. After Mrs. Beck thanked Mr. Reinhard and Mr. Perry for their comments, she asked the members for comments on the text of the Beach Driving Map. It was suggested the discussion take place at the two December meetings, the 6th and the 13th. Mr. Carlson urged that the members put their changes in writing and that Mr. Mullen send him or the Town Manager his concerns about the Surfside area or beach management. The meeting adjourned at 5:30 pm. The next meeting will be Thursday, December 6 to finish the brochure. Respectfully submitted, with notes from Edie Ray, Maureen Beck, Chair d -I -..J ::::0 a ::lE.. c:::J Z~' C":) (""':1 I ~ r". rrl ;:::Ci ;::g ;:'It:: .- (.; -