During the October 29 meeting of the Mattapoisett Marine Advisory Board, once again Mattapoisett Harbormaster Jamie McIntosh presented financial realities that would have a direct impact on the Waterfront Enterprise Fund’s ability to complete the wharfs’ to-do list.
First up was a discussion to finalize increases and maintain control over tackle inspections. McIntosh reminded the board that the town had invested substantial amounts of money to upgrade the wharfs these last several seasons; thus, professionals should inspect the mooring tackle equipment and boatowners should no longer be allowed to conduct their own inspections.
“The town has spent about $80,000 cleaning things up,” McIntosh said of the offshore mooring field around the Long, Middle, and Mello Wharfs. He said the process of inspection needs to be in the hands of the harbormaster.
As he had previously recommended, McIntosh asked the board to approve a three-year inspection fee of $300 payable in three installments of $100 spread over three years, with $100 remaining non-refundable in the event a boat is sold. The board members agreed.
The new rule reads: “All wharf spaces which have offshore mooring tackle affixed to pilings, eyes on the dock underwater, moorings, or any other means, any of which are utilized to hold their vessels off the dock must be inspected every three years, in the same manner as regular mooring tackle. The inspection of dock tackle will coincide with the years that moorings 001 through 500 are inspected beginning with the fall of 2018 into the spring of 2019. Due to the close proximity of the offshore mooring gear, all gear will be inspected at one time by a qualified mooring inspector. The cost will be shared equally by all wharf slip holders involved. Each wharf slip holder will be billed annually for [one-third] of the projected cost of the inspection, not less than [$100] annually that is non-refundable.” McIntosh further noted that this change will impact 20 wharf slip holders at a total of $6,000.
Staying on the theme of harborside boating fees, McIntosh reopened the discussion of other increases in fee structures. He said, in order to keep retained earnings at a level that could sustain other wharf improvements and repairs, a 20-percent across-the-board increase would be necessary. McIntosh said that he and his staff would provide the labor for many projects, but that materials would still be necessary. “A blanket 20-percent increase would avoid delaying off-season projects.”
There was some discussion about the ability of towns to increase waterways stickers that are set by the state. McIntosh said that an all-inclusive fee, a “harbor service sticker”, such as that currently in place in Wareham, could be instituted. In closing out his financial report, the harbormaster said the Waterfront Enterprise target sum for held retained earnings needed to be at about $29,000.
A dredging project long in the planning that would give dinghy owners access to their vessels regardless of the tides was then discussed. McIntosh said that his office was in the permitting phase but, given the closure of many offices due to the pandemic, things were moving slowly. He added that monies would be sought at the Spring Town Meeting for dock expansion; failing that, grants would also be sought. McIntosh’s masterplan includes an additional 20 new dinghy spaces at a cost of approximately $20,000.
McIntosh was called away when an alarm came in for a boat drifting off Cleveland’s Ledge. After the incident, the Harbormaster’s Office released the following statement via Facebook: “At approximately 19:40 hours, the Buzzards Bay Marine Task Force was activated for two people stranded on Cleveland Ledge Lighthouse after their vessel had drifted away. Mattapoisett Harbormaster, Mattapoisett Fire Rescue, and Marion Harbormaster’s team and additional agencies responded to the activation. One person was removed from the lighthouse while the other decided to stay.”
Cleveland Ledge Lighthouse is now privately owned and is in the process of being renovated into a private residence.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Marine Advisory Board has not yet been determined.
Mattapoisett Marine Advisory Board
By Marilou Newell