Link back to Harbor Development Committee page
Hingham Harbor Development Committee
Meeting Minutes February 11, 2009
Meeting was called to order at 7:30 pm; a quorum was confirmed.
Committee Members Present:
Nick Amdur, Dave Beal, Chris Daly, Alan Perrault, Robert Mosher,
Members Not Present:
Warren Nottleson, Adrienne Ramsey
Other Speakers:
Carl Peterson, Dave Robinson
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Meeting called to order by Chairman Amdur at 7:33 pm.
Previous Meeting Minutes:
Minutes from the meeting of January 14, 2009 were reviewed. A. Perrault made a motion for
approval of the minutes, seconded by R.Mosher. The vote to approve the minutes was
unanimous.
Dredging Update:
N. Amdur advised that positive progress is still being made on the dredging project. The
funding is in place and at this time it looks like dredging will start in October 2009.
Dock Policy:
C. Daly advised that the warrant article for the dock and pier policy is moving forward. The
article is being reviewed by the Advisory Committee. Carolyn Nielsen of the Conservation
Commission will continue to provide updates.
Whitney Wharf Fence:
N. Amdur advised that he has had conversations with a representative from the Community
Preservation Committee about allocation of remaining funds from the Whitney Wharf project
for maintenance and upkeep of the wharf. There have been discussions on the issue of unspent
funds and how long they can remain allocated to a certain project.
N. Amdur also advised that he spoke with Selectman L. Burns to clarify the condition of the
fence and the HHDC’s position on the future of the fence. Selectman Burns advised that no
action would be taken immediately. Selectman Burns will also contact Town Counsel to
understand why Mr. Toomey felt that too much money had already been spent on the legal
issue with Vine Associates over the fence.
D. Beal advised that another problem with the Whitney Wharf fence is the separation of the
wharf’s granite blocks. The fence is bedded into the blocks and when the blocks separate so
will the fence, thus creating an additional maintenance issue.
Hingham Business Council Meeting
N. Amdur gave an update on the meeting held at Bare Cove Marine on January 15th. A good
discussion on the future of the harbor was held with local business leaders. The meeting also
included a discussion of the parking issues surrounding the 3 Otis Street property and the Bare
Cove Marine operation and slips.
The Committee Members discussed the issue of public vs. commercial use of town parking in
the harbor area. The option to use an RFP process to allocate the available parking was
discussed. It was decided that A. Perrault will draft a letter to the Board of Selectmen
highlighting the potential benefits of managing the harbor parking areas though this process.
A. Perrault to submit draft of letter to Committee members prior to submission to Board of
Selectmen.
Joint Meeting with Planning Board – 14 Jan 2009
A copy of the minutes from the joint meeting, as prepared and approved by the Planning
Board, was provided to the Committee members.
The outcome of the meeting was to create a sub-committee with members from the HHDC,
HDIC and Planning Board. The goal of the sub-committee is to gather public input on the
future of Hingham Harbor and report on the potential and then recommended future paths for
management and/or development of the harbor.
C. Daly and D. Beal volunteered to take the lead for the HHDC. C. Daly to contact the
Planning Board and the HDIC to determine who will represent from these committees.
The sub-committee will meet for a half hour in each HHDC meeting and separately as
necessary.
It was suggested that we try to have The Selectmen and Town Administrator attend the subcommittee
meetings on occasion. Also, it was commented that involvement of other
committees and gathering their input through the process will give more validation to the
overall findings.
Mooring Fees
The recent decision by the Board of Selectmen to increase mooring fees from $2/foot
(resident) and $4/foot (non-resident) to $7/foot for all mooring permit holders was discussed.
The HHDC supports the increase if the additional funds gained are to be used for harbor
related projects. The new fee levels could increase the revenues from mooring fees from
$80,000 to $160,000 annually.
Other Business
N. Amdur advised that he had received an email from Jerry Seeland of the Advisory
Committee on a Warrant Article proposed by the Chief of the Fire Department that addresses
Fire Prevention Measures for docks and piers. The warrant article would call for docks and
piers more than 200 feet in length to have a water source out to the dock. Docks and piers
longer than 500 feet must have additional fire prevention equipment or fixtures. The Advisory
Committee will provide more information as they receive it.
Resident Carl Peterson addressed the Committee and advised that he has experience in fire
prevention and would be happy to assist with a review of the potential warrant article. N.
Amdur to forward emails to D. Beal who will forward to Mr. Peterson. The Committee
thanked Mr. Peterson for his offer to assist on this item.
D. Beal raised the issue of the geese droppings on the waterfront and a need to take action and
resolve the problem. The method of dipping geese eggs in oil was discussed as a potential
solution. D. Beal to contact Ben Matthews who had provided information in the past about
geese eradication options.
Resident David Robinson asked the Committee if there were any concerns about runoff into
the harbor from melting ice and snow piled by the Town at the Bathing Beach parking lot.
The HHDC will investigate and thanked Mr. Robinson for his comments.
D. Beal made a motion to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by A. Perrault. The
vote to adjourn was unanimous.
The next meeting is scheduled for 7:30 pm on March 11, 2009.