Tisbury selectmen consider decrease in shellfish permit fee

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The Tisbury selectmen will hold a public hearing at 5:30 pm, April 19, to consider an amendment in the fee schedule for non-resident family shellfish permits from $400 to $300 annually.

Shellfish constable Danielle Ewart made the recommendation on behalf of the town’s shellfish advisory committee, at the selectmen’s meeting Tuesday. Ms. Ewart said Tisbury’s non-resident family permit fee is the highest among the Island towns.

Since the fee rose last year, the number of non-resident family permits dropped from 19 in 2009 at $300 apiece to eight sold in 2010 for $400 apiece, Ms. Ewart said. In response to a request for more information from finance and advisory committee chairman Larry Gomez town administrator John Bugbee said he would provide figures for revenues and the number and types of permits issued for the last 10 years at the hearing.

In other business, the selectmen heard an animal control complaint from Carol Biesecker about an incident on September 6, 2010, in which her dog was attacked and injured by a pit bull that ran from its yard across the street.

The discussion was not a formal dangerous dog hearing, because animal control officer Laurie Clements had deemed such a hearing unnecessary, Mr. Bugbee said, and the pit bull’s owner’s name was not made public.

Ms. Clements said she quarantined the pit bull for 10 days after it attacked Ms. Biesecker’s dog and told the owner to keep both of his pit bulls on a leash attached to a run in his yard. She said she mailed him a letter requesting that he pay Ms. Biesecker’s vet bills, make his fence higher, and put in a better gate, which he has not done.

Ms. Clements also issued and mailed the pit bull owner a $25 ticket, which was returned by the post office several times as undeliverable. She told the selectmen she is afraid to walk up to his door to hand deliver it because of the pit bulls.

Ms. Biesecker said she also is afraid of the dogs and concerned about their containment. Selectman chairman Jeff Kristal told her to report the dogs if she sees them running loose and asked Ms. Clements to step up enforcement.