The Marion Marine Resources Commission met on Wednesday, July 15 primarily to go over the Harbor Management Plan, as well as discuss April’s informational meeting with the Urban Harbor Institute of UMass Boston.
Chair Vincent Malkoski, Jr. began the meeting by introducing Research Associate Shannon Hogan of UMass Boston’s Urban Harbor Institute, the group working with the town to draft solutions to harbor management-related problems and help guide officials through the process of drafting the plan itself. It was noted the public survey, which was extended from its original closure date, had closed on June 26. The extension yielded an additional 75 responses, totaling in 350 submittals from residents. Hogan from the UHI noted, “there were a lot of great comments in there. Some things we [had] heard, some things we hadn’t heard. So that was really helpful.” She also stated they had met with and conducted interviews with local shellfishers in recent days, though more are scheduled.
Following the collection and analysis of public comments, Hogan noted the next step is the actual writing of the management plan. She noted the institute has laid out a list of key issued presented to them, saying, “What we’ve done thus far to get to this list is we looked at the public survey, took notes from the public meeting, notes from interviews, document resource reviews within the different categories and topic areas, and we kind of synthesized all that information, and we’ve developed this draft list of issues.”
Commission members commended the presented document, though it was noted the majority of comments were from recreational boaters. Members also highlighted nothing in the document that referenced any sort of fees, though predominant discussion at public meetings nearly always draws talks of harbor fees. There was a lengthy discussion on rates for moorings, with members motioning to other towns as possible examples, with Hogan saying, “I’ve looked at Mattapoisett, Dartmouth, Wareham, Fairhaven, and New Bedford.”
Hogan requested all other comments get to her by the following week, as she will be conducting interviews and will then begin drafting the Harbor Management Plan itself, noting she will be back to present her work in September.
The next meeting of the Marion Marine Resources Commission was not scheduled at adjournment.
Marion Marine Resources Commission
By Sam Bishop