Deputy Harbormaster Adam Murphy came away with a measure of confidence from his recent meeting with new Town Administrator Geoff Gorman, in which they and Harbormaster Isaac Perry went over “how the (Harbormaster) Department operates and how to make it better, reach goals that we’ve set.
“I can honestly say after meeting with the town administrator … he’s hands-on, he knows what we need to do. He’s very supportive of the (new Marine Center) building,” Murphy told the Marine Resources Commission during Monday night’s public meeting at the Music Hall.
According to Murphy, Gorman has asked the department for a three-year plan as it searches for boat-storage rental space. Sheltered space is “difficult to find,” said Murphy, who noted that even the local boat companies rent space to absorb their overflow.
Though its day-to-day operations will not see a recognizable difference going forward, the last year has been tumultuous for a Harbormaster Department leveraged by statewide police reform into budgetary constraints, reorganization and heightened concerns as to how the department will continue to provide many customary services.
“I can’t stress it enough that the MRC needs to dig their heels in with what they want to see. … It really has to come from you guys,” Murphy told the membership.
In addition to the rising cost of a new headquarters construction yet to begin, the department lost its storage space when the town sold its property on Atlantic Drive. Meantime, the Department of Public Works is ahead of the Harbormaster Department in its effort to construct a new operations center at Benson Brook.
The harbormaster hopes the old DPW site can function as boat storage and help preserve the former’s capital interests, but that scenario is three years away. The town has also told Perry that the deteriorating seawall at Island Wharf falls on the Harbormaster Department.
“We’re trying to come up with a temporary fix until grant funding becomes available,” said Murphy, noting that “time was too short” to apply for a grant that was available in February. “The town wants MRC and (Harbormaster) Department to take that project on.”
MRC member Peter Borsari asked Murphy if the town plans to make its front-end loader available to the Harbormaster when a storm is coming in.
“I hope so. … I have a commitment from the town administrator … he seemed pretty enthusiastic that we’re able to use the town’s equipment,” said Murphy.
Murphy met with the Finance Committee last week to discuss the Harbormaster Department’s FY24 budget and reported to the MRC that the FinCom raised no red flags with news that repairs on the existing patrol boat are going up.
“Next year changes to reflect the outsourcing of stuff in the near future until we get a facility adequate for the Harbormaster,” explained Murphy. “People are sending in their invoices and paying them, no issues with that.”
Former Chairman Greg Houdelette, who presided over Monday night’s MRC meeting in lieu of Chairman Vin Malkoski, who was unable to attend, noted that floats are an issue separate from indirect costs to the department.
Murphy was encouraged to learn that the town has indicated it will split the cost of using its equipment to get floats in and out of the water.
“(Gorman) was trying to explain to us how the indirect costs affect our budget,” said Murphy. “The indirect costs are an accounting exercise, so we know the cost of operating the … department. They’re not taking that money from us.”
Murphy said he is still trying to achieve clarity on the matter. As he has understood it, the money that the Harbormaster puts into the town’s General Fund does not go into the Waterways Account. “That question should really come from the MRC so we can budget forward,” said Murphy, stressing the point of the commission’s involvement.
MRC member Scott Cowell acknowledged that Finance Director Judy Mooney “explained some of it.”
“(After) meeting with Judy, I was under the impression that she was going to cut some of the percentages … but the meeting on (March 22) I was under the impression they’re not going to take the money from us,” said Murphy.
Murphy estimated there is $239,000 in the Waterways Account but with capital projects drawing upon it. Upon reviewing his spreadsheet, Murphy said there was $10,000 remaining that was going back into the Waterways Account. “Apparently that’s not the fact,” he told the MRC.
“We generate $12,000 in shellfish permits; $6,000 we propagate, the other $6,000 goes back to the General Fund,” said Murphy, noting that the department’s annual operating budget comes out of Waterways Account. He said the General Fund gets half the money generated by water-related taxes and revenue, but he admitted to confusion as to whether the Harbormaster Department is being charged or if those operating costs are only isolated as an accounting exercise for informational purposes.
The Harbormaster has increased boat-related fees to generate $150,000 in general funds for the Marine Center construction project.
Cowell said the department’s last increase was in 2015. “That was supposed to keep carrying over … so we weren’t in a predicament when we went to buy a boat … then ‘indirects’ went up,” he said.
According to Murphy, the Waterways Account was charged $186,000 in indirect costs and after budgeting, had $10,000 remaining in the account.
Citing almost $60,000 for a new dinghy dock, Murphy said that many boat owners are selling larger vessels and replacing them with smaller ones.
“We’re the ones building the floats, we maintain the floats … but all the revenues that are made from that go to the General Fund,” said Murphy.
Cowell said a cement float requires insurance and any benefits derived “should come back to Waterways (Account) because the Waterways paid for that float,” he said. “Who rebuilds those floats but us? They’ve got to have some responsibility somewhere.”
Murphy encouraged the MRC to seek a meeting with Gorman.
“We not only need to get this laid out and (arranged by) line item, but we want reasons. I feel a lot of times like we’re being treated like an enterprise account and we’re not,” said Houdelette, who said he will discuss next steps with Malkoski and set up a schedule. “We may sit down with (Gorman) for a couple of hours to get this straightened out.”
“I can assure you he will take everything you have to say and process it, and he will definitely have an answer for you,” said Murphy.
Meantime, the Marine Center, which fell $700,000 short of its grant-funding goals compounded by spectacular inflation over the past two years, is in a holding pattern. Murphy indicated the next presentation to voters would occur at a Special Fall Town Meeting, not the May 8 Annual Town Meeting.
Houdelette introduced the former sporting goods store across Front Street as a potential Plan B. “Really this is just an exercise … we won’t know what we want to do with this until we know about the main building,” he said.
Architect Will Saltonstall, who attended the meeting, said the fire has left a shell of a building.
“It’s in the flood zone, it’s too low, encumbered by the same rules down here (at Island Wharf.) Steel structure, needs a lot of work, had a fire, in pretty rough shape,” summarized Saltonstall, who noted property owner Frank Fletcher will put it on the market at some point.
Tabor Academy’s athletic fields are immediately adjacent to the store, but Murphy doubted its viability as a parking lot for Old Landing. Murphy said the Select Board allowed use of the Cushing Community Center parking lot but also said that lot is full.
Murphy told the commissioners that Perry, who had back surgery during the winter, will soon be returning to his duties as harbormaster.
Tad Wollenhaupt was recognized as a full member of the MRC, and Houdelette noted that Ray Cullum becomes the first alternate.
The next meeting of the Marine Resources Commission is scheduled for Monday, April 17, at 7:00 pm.
Marion Marine Resources Commission
By Mick Colageo