Harpswell Harbor and Waterfront Committee
Minutes:

           MEETING MINUTES

HARBOR & WATERFRONT COMMITTEE, HARPSWELL, MAINE

June 27, 2007

Attending

Jim Hays, Harbormaster

Sam Alexander, Amy Haible, Selectmen

Committee Members:

Present:  Burr Taylor, Peter Darling, Steve Rowe, Len Duda, Bill Blood, Scott Moody, Bill Bartley  

Absent: 

Activities

1. Meeting called to order at 6:00 PM.

2. Agenda per Burr Taylor:  Welcome Scott Moody, Minutes, Sam Alexander – Ordinance feedback, Election of officers, Old business, and New business 

3. Minutes for 6/16/07 accepted. 

4. Handouts:  Possible goals of HMP (Harbor Management Plan), Coastal Waters and Harbor Management Plan (outline), and Coastal Waters and HMP- Stockton Springs, ME.

5. Election of officers:  Postponed.  

 Old Business

1.       Harbor Master Contacts:  Bill Blood reported on his contact with the Freeport Harbormaster.  Freeport charges $80.00 plus $2.00 per foot for residential moorings in the harbor.  $350.00 plus for non-resident commercial moorings.  One boat one mooring rule applies.  No guest moorings.  Two marinas have 15 rental moorings each.

New Business

1. Ordinance feedback discussion with Sam Alexander:  The town’s people looked at the proposed Ordinance changes as threat to individual property rights with more regulations.  Gordon’s issue with the guest mooring time limit, and that one must own a boat to have a mooring was enough to shoot the Ordinance down.  Also, there were too many other Ordinances up for vote.  Most of them were voted down as well.  Sam suggested that we not try to change everything at once, and only propose one or two items per year.  We need to educate the public in order get the ordinance passed.

2. The Harbor Master Plan Survey has been posted on the Town of Harpswell website.

3. Harbor Master Plan effort:  We most likely do not have time to complete this year.  Jim Conners with the State of Maine Planning Office will be on vacation in August which would cause a delay of two months to start.  We will try to develop the Goals and Objectives of a Harpswell HMP.

4. Jim Hays suggested that we could work on a revision for the “Waters Classification Plan”. 

5. Harpswell Festival, Sunday, July 22nd:  Burr Taylor identified the need for help to man the booth at the Harpswell Festival.  We need committee volunteers to help Bill Blood with the booth.  We could use some signage (we might have to take a collection).  Steve has a display from old boat show we can use. 

6.  Discussed the need for professional services to assist in the collating and writing of the plan.

7. Committee members should think about the HMP goals and bring thoughts to the next meeting.  Harpswell is unique in that we have a long coastline and multiple harbors which presents a huge challenge.  It will be almost impossible to treat all harbors the same, but we must be fair.  We must be prepared to seek the advice of the owners of the various working waterfronts.  

 Next Meeting (s)

1.       Wednesday July 25, 2007, 6:00 PM, Harpswell Municipal Building.

2.       Harbor Management Plan, Mission, Goals, and Objectives statement discussion.

3.       How do we divide and conquer the Harbor Management Plan?

4.       Professional services?  Role definition?  Budget?

Adjournment

7:30 PM