The Tisbury board of selectmen had a discussion Tuesday about whether to enforce a regulation that calls for charging a $10 fee and $25 application for commercial ventures, other than fishermen, using the town’s dock at Owen Park.
In the end, the board voted 2-0 (selectman Jim Rogers was absent) to refer the regulation to the harbor management committee for review.
The discussion was prompted by a recent application (though the company was never named) seeking to use the town dock to pick up and drop off passengers, Chairman Tristan Israel and selectman Melinda Loberg said.
Several people in the audience could remember the regulation being passed, but never being implemented. On Wednesday morning, Lynn Fraker, who was at the meeting, shared a 2010 memo suggesting a $10 permit and a $25 application fee to determine the extent of the commercial use of the dock. “Once we understand the scope of use, we will have further, more explicit recommendations to make for the 2011 season,” the memo states.
Those recommendations never came.
Glenn Pachico, a commercial fisherman who uses the Owen Park dock, said the town missed an opportunity when it was rebuilt recently. “We didn’t look forward enough,” he said. “We should have added footage to make life easier for commercial fishermen and everyone else who uses the dock.”
Israel said the town has considered building a separate dock for commercial fishermen, and that’s something that could be resurrected.
Meanwhile, selectmen will hold a public hearing on waterways regulations that have been reviewed and revamped by the harbor management committee.
On Tuesday, Loberg discussed a series of edits that she’d like to see in the document, including requiring liveaboards to have insurance, adding safety and sanitation requirements for Tashmoo and Lagoon Pond, and winter storage regulations for dinghies, among other things. “It’s been difficult to manage the process,” she said.
Israel, who has expressed frustration at the 11th-hour changes, allowed Loberg to make her suggestions, but declined to take other public comment on the regulations, despite several attempts by Fraker. Israel said they’ll be discussed in detail at a public hearing Tuesday, March 26.
Reached Wednesday, Fraker said she’s watched the process, and there’s been plenty of time for Loberg to give input. Harbor management had a completed document that they handed in, she said. “This stuff has been ready for a long time.”
Loberg first said she had edits at the board’s Feb. 14 meeting, but didn’t reveal them until Tuesday night.
“It’s so frustrating what she’s doing,” Fraker said. “There’s so much anger.”
In other business, selectmen approved a plan by Verizon and Comcast to move their lines underground on Union Street and remove the utility poles. Thomas Stanton, who represented Verizon at the hearing, said the project will start in about six weeks and should be done within three weeks once it’s started.
Israel cautioned that the road would need to be passable for Memorial Day weekend.
“It took a long time,” town administrator Jay Grande said. Eversource completed its portion of the project several years ago, he said.
“My hair has turned from black to what it is now” in that time, Israel deadpanned before taking the vote.
“Same,” Stanton said. “You don’t know how many trips I’ve made over here.”
Selectmen also approved an affordable housing restriction requested by Philippe Jordi, executive director of Island Housing Trust (IHT), for a new project on Greenwood Avenue. IHT is scheduled to break ground on the project, which will include six units of new construction, on March 28.