2001

Report of the

Waterways Commission

www.vsv.cape.com/~harharb/waterways.html

The Harwich Waterways Commission met ten times over the past year to deal with matters at hand. I completed my first twelve months as chairman on December 1^st and I can truly say that this has been an education. Most of all we feel it has been the Commissions job to the man to be as fair as possible and back-up the Harbormaster when it comes to debatable issues and interpretation of regulations. We welcomed two new members Eric Winer and Matt Hart and give our heart felt thanks to Bill Myers and Bob Pistel both of whom were active members for many years.

The Army Corps of Engineers put Harwich on Notice relative to conditions for the operation of the marina. That it be open to all on equal terms. The Corps believes the Town would be breaking its agreement by waiving local boats from the $500 Tuna fee. This is in keeping with the spirit of the Corps / Harwich agreements from 1966 on the operation of the harbor. Some members feel that since conditions of operation and expectations for the harbor have changed over the years that perhaps the Town might be able to renegotiate its operating agreement with the Army Corps.

In dockage rate arena the members supported an 8% dockage increase for 2001 and are recommending holding the line for 2002 based on an increasing rate of return.

It was decided that escalating landings at Wychmere are not in the best interest of the groundfish fleet who are already backed up. Some of this is due to a critical lack of parking space and access to the pier by multiple fish buyer trucks, ice trucks and fuel tank wagon at peak times. This is why the Commission supports limited fueling access to the pier to C-Permits.

Allen Harbor was dredged again this November and material placed at Gray Neck and Earl Road. The Commissioners would love to see these areas dredged annually but the reality is dredging is burdened by budget, permitting and survey. You don’t dredge if you don’t need it and you need survey to dredge.

The Commission wants to pursue the burdened parking situation and suggest revenue would offset gate expenses and make money for the town.

The Board recommends that the Selectmen set a minimum requirement for charter boats to hold their permit. That would mean the C-permit holders must do a minimum of 20 charter trips per season, otherwise the Town will take back the permit.

We want to see a definition for who is a commercial fisherman especially where it comes to allocating offloading permits. We are concerned that there are applicants in line for all intensive purposes that might fish only seasonally and work 90% of their income from other source businesses. They dabble as commercial fishermen and might barely comply with the definition for a commercial vessel in the port regulation. So this leads to people getting one of these very limited permits when other full-time fishermen who need that permit to support a family would be out of luck. It should be in the purview of the Harbormaster to refuse issuing the permit, however, suggest to that applicant he/she seek a hearing with the Commission if there is an issue. However, a more clarified definition or setting the standard at "full-time" commercial fishermen for A, B and E permits is needed.

It was reported that tuna buyers had been illegally picking fish from trailered tuna boats last year. The Commission had the Harbormaster write a strong letter to all the Tuna buyers advising the ground rules concerning the Saquatucket Landing and those utilizing ramps to exit with fish. NMFS advised Tom Leach that the trailered tuna boats need not have their tuna fish tagged by the buyers before exiting the water.

The chairman underscores that the Harbormasters Office is short of help, needs more help. Most recently a three-year principal clerk left the under-funded position for a new position at Woods Hole. The Harbormasters Office needs full time clerical help and more staffing. Why the Harbormaster is forced into doing housekeeping and mowing instead of harbor patrol and getting out and about is wrong. A letter was sent to the Board of Selectmen about this need for help. This past year the harbors grossed more than to $600,000. the Commission feels that somehow this money should be gotten back to pay help and a living wage for a full-time clerk.

The Commission wants the waiting list for prospective passenger carrying interest to be broken into two lists in the Harbor Management Plan. One list would be for charter boats carrying six or fewer passengers and the second list for boats in D category of 7 or more passengers. The Harbormaster does not have a problem with this and believes that doing so might head off a problem in the future. Members would hate to see a six passenger Coast Guard license opeartor take needlessly take a D permit out of circulation because of a waiting list problem when it really wasn't of interest.

The Commission supports anything that may be done for pedestrian safety at Saquatucket Harbor. There are many dangers involved to people crossing Route 28 from the ferry operation center. This issue is not even when the ferry boat people direct customers to walk on the north side of 28 to Lambert's Market where there is a crossing, they will cross to the Brax side and every which way. The middle of the existing crosswalk is paint right to a telephone pole on the south side of the highway. This is "view blocking" for drivers and pedestrians. It also seems that the side walk project from Saquatucket to Snow Inn Road proposed by the planning department has fallen dead again. This would have definitely been a public safety piece.

There was no money in the FY'01 budget for dredging Saquatucket Harbor entrance channel. However, Mark Forrest aid to Congressman William Delahunt said there is money in the coming fiscal year.

Waterways Commission is looking for alternative revenue sources instead of raising dockage. Thoughts of paid parking, dry land storage and wet storage were discussed. Wet storage is impractical as the stored boats depend on electricity for heating boats and engine blocks, running deicers etc. and the electric system is stressed in the winter with all the additional load put on by the fishing fleet. So increasing this should be the last thought.

Dry land storage is a better consideration but would require dealing with the environmental problems that are created and electrical needs and deadlines of getting boats out of the parking lot before season. A third idea was making Saquatucket a paid parking lot. This probably would generate the most revenue and gather in a more efficient parking situation as the marina has become a catch all for surrounding businesses and day and overnight storage of vehicles.

A dock permit for Lisa Pedicini on Wychmere Harbor was appoved in December and a proposal for a dock and quay on Saquatucket Channel was tabled in 2001. The Waterways Commission supports pocket dredging the northeast corner of Allen Harbor by the Town docks, but remains undecided about the dredging of Oyster Creek.

In closing, we want to pay a special tribute to the commercial fishing community of Harwich, the Board of Selectmen, Town Administrator and above all the Harbormasters Office and its employees for their cooperation, and suggestions and recommendations for improvements to the Waterways and to the environment over the past year and hopefully in future years to come.

Respectfully submitted,

Michael Cienava, Chairman