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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10/04/1996 Fishers Island Harbor Committee MINUTES Friday, October 4, 1996 at 4:30pm at the Utility Offices NEXT MEETING: Friday. Nov. 29th at 12:30pm at the Utilit~ Offices (turkey Friday) AGENDA (BIG, VERY BIG -- ie., don't eat turkey for lunch): Review Candidates for Assistant Bay Constable position Review Bay Constables Position Description Discuss West Harbor Channel configuration, revise if necessary Vote on frequency of lower tackle inspections, 1 or 3 years? Vote on revised Recommended Minimum Mooring Specs (chk. scopes) Vote on date certain by which channel marks/buoys are placed, 5/20 or 6/1? Vote on "rock" piling in turning basin Vote on Inspection Form as rcvised by Burr (to follow in separate mailing) Develop list of Inspectors to provide to mooring permittees Update on Town approval of Fl HMP (see attached memo to Town) Review L WRP policies specific to Fishers, with Steve Ridler, NY DOS Present: Elby Burr, Louisa Evans, Leslie GOBS, Bobsie Macleod, Stcve Malinowski, Harris Parsons, Margie Purnell (no votes, only 6 of 13 voters present) Absent: Frank Bohlen, Ken Edwards, Chippy duPont, Allie Raridon, Tom Johnson, Bill Ridgway, Scudder Sinclair, Tom Doherty and Bill Wall Observer: John Clavin Louisa opened the meeting by announcing that Bill Wall, Assistant Bay Constable. offered his resignation effective December 3] .1996. He cited needing more time with his family on the weekends as the reason for his resignation. Louisa mentioned that Luis Horn had written her expressing interest in the Assistant Bay Constable position. Leslie mentioned that the committee should post a notice on the PO bulletin board announcing and briefly describing the position. The notiee should ask interested parties to write to the committee by mid-November so that the committee can discuss candidates, their strengths and weaknesses, at the Thanksgiving harbor committee meeting. Louisa will then carry the committee recommendation to the Town Board in time for their January organizational meeting. Leslie mentioned that as far as she knew, Tom Doherty would like to stay on as Head Bay Constable. This lead to comments about Bay Constable duties and restating the position description discussed with the Bay Constables in July of 1995. There was concern that calls from Hay Harbor residents about overnight boats in Hay Harbor were not responded to and that the mooring application paperwork is late each spring. Leslie mentioned that at the last meeting, a new procedure for paperwork had been developed. She suggested that further discussion be postponed until the next meeting when more members should be present. Steve asked whether the unlicensed vessel operator age minimum was 16 years or 18 years. It has been confirmed that it is 18 years. page 2 Leslie updated the committee on negotiations with the Town to prepare the R Harbor Management Plan for approval by the Town Board. Copies of the September 1996 Plan as revised by the Town attorney and a memo from the attorney were circulated. Meeting observer John Clavin asked committee mcmbers why Fishcrs Island harbor rules should be codified. Various committee members responded that 1) it provides authority for the Bay Constables, 2) clarification of long-standing gentlemen's agreements thereby "leveling the field" for various harbor uses, and 3) Fishers Island specific portions of the Code exist because the goals of mainland Southold are not always consistent with Fishers Island goals. Leslie raised specific questions (see attachment) from Ruth Oliva and Town attorney Laury Dowd on sheIlfishing by non-Islanders, whether or not to require building permits in addition to Trustee permits for docks, etc... and, the constitutionality of residency requirements for receiving mooring permits. Leslie outlined the proposed public hearing process for new or revised mooring permit applications. There were no comments. Members of the committee agreed that Leslie should write to Supervisor Cochran to urge Board action on the Fl Harbor Management Plan. Leslie briefly reviewed the 1996 Mooring Record and suggested that the committee may again hear from Mr. Coleman next spring about the location of his mooring which is currently on the east side of Goose Island channel for the purposes of providing plenty of maneuverability and a view (albeit far) of his boat from his waterfront home. Meeting observer John Clavin asked that The Head Bay Constable check to see that Mr. Wadsworth was not overcharged for a mooring (record indicated Wadsworth was charged non-resident fce). There was some question about if Pirate's Cove Marine had placed the Rice mooring absent a mooring permit. Louisa providcd a brief update on the Town's proposed vessel specd regulations drafted in an attempt to address jetskis and vessels operating too fast too close to bathers. She mentioned that thc Code Committee had gone back to the drawing board over comments at a public hearing from sailors, windsurt.ers, waterskiers and small creek navigators. The committee reviewed the proposed Mooring Application package. There were no comments on content of the Cover Letter. Additions to the Application Page included adding "tonnage" to vessel information section, adding "lessees" in the fee section next to Fishers Island Residents and adding "of owner/applicant" after signature. Corrections to the Inspection Form included adding "weight" at the mushroom anchor section, adding "length" at the pennant section, adding "optional or spliced" to the lanyard snap clip section, adding "length" and "size" to the chain sections, adding "date" after name of inspector, and inserting number of feet at points in the diagram to indicate proper chain and pennant lengths. There was discussion about revising the Inspection Form and revising the Rccommended Minimum Mooring Tackle Specifications. Leslie asked EIby to draft his proposed changes and provide them to thc committee in advance of the Thanksgiving meeting. Committee members thanked Elby for Mooring Ball Stickerdesign. It was determined that serial numbers printed on the stickers themselves would not be necessary. In absence of a quorum, Leslie postponed discussion and a vote on the "rock" piling in the West Harbor turning basin. page 3 The committee then discussed comments received from Gordon Murphy and John Clavin. Members approved of the idea of using a hand held GPS to set moorings. Other comments required some discussion and a vote. So, in the absence of a quorum, Leslie postponed discussion and voting on the following until the Thanksgiving meeting: . Annual inspection on ALL parts of mooring tackle too onerous and expensive (Murphy) . Scope for moorings at the head of West Harbor should be tightened up (Murphy) . All harbor signage and markers should be in place prior to Memorial Day weekend for patrolling purposes (Clavin) . Reflector tape should be put on all channel markers (Clavin) . Review channel layout and tighten up fairways (Clavin)