Duxbury Bay Management Commission
Meeting Minutes – Thursday, August 11, 2005
A meeting of the Duxbury Bay Management Commission was held at the Duxbury Senior Center at 7 pm.
In attendance:
Duxbury Bay Management Commission (DBMC): John Carnuccio, Chair, Skip Bennett, Shawn Dahlen, Don Gunster, Jack Kent, Jon Nash (secretary), Julie Waltz and Don Beers, ex officio. Missing were Ned Lawson and Kathy Ahern Gould.
A quorum was reached.
Shellfish Advisory Committee (SAC): Alan Hoban, Acting Chairman, John Brawley, John McCluskey, Ken McKim
Concerned Citizens: Bill Bennett, John McGrath
I. Task Force 1 – Island Creek Herring Run Task Force
- Don Gunster will join Dahlen, Lawson and Nash on task force.
- Citizen John McGraw has accepted the offer to be “task master” for the project.
- No initial meeting planned as of yet.
II. Task Force 2 – New Shellfish Grant Moratorium
- Headed by Skip Bennett. Will also include Shawn Dahlen and Julie Waltz.
- SAC members will include Alan Hoban, John Brawley and Ken McKim.
- Shawn Dahlen proposed that they meet an hour before the regularly scheduled DBMC meetings (second and fourth Thursday of each month). However, it was decided that they would have their first meeting next Thursday, August 18 at 7 pm.
Acting chairman Alan Hoban described the movement of agriculture in Duxbury from land to water. Aquaculture is the last form of agriculture in town. The SAC serves to accept applications from townspeople for grants; filter such requests, and then make their recommendations to the Board of Selectmen.
As of February 1, 2005, the BOS has issued a moratorium on new grants. This left 10 submitted applications in limbo.
Hoban described how of the 10 in hand, 4 are of a group which have been reviewed by the SAC and were in-process according to approved processes awaiting a hearing. The remaining 6 are in an early stage of the approval process.
As the BOS has awaited input from the DBMC, the SAC hopes that their committee can begin working closely with the DBMC in an effort to 1) assist in getting the 10 grant applications back in motion, and 2) collaborate on future issues now that the new DBMC has been established.
Don Beers went on to describe the partnership between town and state re management of the shellfish resources. He (along with others) encouraged all parties to review the legal implications of lifting the current moratorium.
John Carnuccio offered the viewpoint that “the bay can handle an enormous amount of aquaculture on a biological standpoint, but not as much on an esthetic standpoint.” He suggested waiting to take a vote on handling the 10 grants until Task Force 2 has had an opportunity to discuss the matters completely on the 18th. Therefore, the DBMC will formally vote on the matter at the next scheduled meeting of Thursday, August 26.
III. Mattakeesett Ramp Project:
Shawn Dahlen presented a series of drawings submitted by the Duxbury Department of Public Works.
Many in the room commented that although the plans might benefit recreational boaters, commercial fishermen (among others) would find their landing area space dramatically reduced. Many scenarios were presented, and this prompted Dahlen to comment that the plans obviously had not been properly vetted.
Dahlen will draft a letter to the Conservation Commission (cc BOS) voicing concerns and expressing hope that the project will be put on hold.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:50 pm
Respectfully submitted,
Jon Nash
Secretary
Thursday, August 12, 2005
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