A newly formed group of Vineyarders frustrated with the Steamship Authority’s operations are mobilizing to call for reforms at the Island’s lifeline.
The MV SSA Citizen’s Action Group has begun gathering members to strategize how to push for improvements at the ferry service in a number of ways, from upgrades to the reservation system to possible amendments in the Steamship Authority enabling act of 1960, even calling for reparations to be paid for canceled reservations.
The group rallied for its inaugural meeting this past week with a Zoom more than 50 people attended, including aides of Cape and Islands state Sen. Julian Cyr and state Rep. Thomas Moakley.
The organization was founded by Islanders Magaret Hannemann, Amy Cody, and Alan Brigish after they approached the Dukes County Commission chair, Christine Todd — a recent tough critic of the ferry line — about how they could get involved following a Steamship Authority forum held in November.
Members of the Southeastern Massachusetts Regional Transportation Citizens Task Force, an organization that has been calling for Steamship Authority changes for Woods Hole, were also present at the Zoom meeting. There was talk of joining efforts for efficiency’s sake.
An issue that came the top was the search for a new general manager for the ferry line. The current general manager, Robert Davis, announced in September he would be stepping down from his position, but staying on in an advisory capacity, starting in November.
Hannemann said a position of this “magnitude” needed more public input and understanding about the search process. Some people said on Tuesday a culture shift was needed at the Steamship Authority, starting from the top.
“Frankly, when we recently had the hiring of a school [superintendent], I knew much more about the process for hiring that superintendent than we do about the process of hiring this GM,” Hannemann said.
The Steamship Authority held its first general manager search committee meeting in November, with a recording posted on the ferry line’s YouTube page on Wednesday. Its next meeting will be on Jan. 15 at 4 pm, over Zoom.
Those in attendance wanted more transparency on the building of the Steamship Authority’s new website, a project that ballooned to nearly $3 million. The project was postponed until after a new reservation system had been installed.
There were also operational issues the group wanted addressed, such as better communication regarding cancellations and possible reparation for customers affected by cancellations. There were also concerns raised about whether employees were working fair hours with satisfactory wages, points of ongoing union negotiations. Long-term issues the group wanted to explore were reshaping the structure of the ferry line’s board, term limits, and where changes could be made in the enabling act.
And while the ferry line is working on a strategic plan, the action group wanted an independent review of the Steamship Authority operations and board.
Several meeting participants favored advocating their cause to the state legislature, including beginning to draft enabling act revisions.
“If all of the communities that are affected by the Steamship are in favor of the changes, then they will happen,” Judy Laster, a Woods Hole resident who worked for the state legislature when the enabling act was passed, said.
“I hope in looking at the enabling act, we also look at the long-term picture, and we can afford the long-term picture,” Tristan Israel, a Tisbury resident, said, pointing to how state involvement was needed to bring funding for major projects.
Cody said the action group had heard from Moakley that Gov. Maura Healey had spoken with Steamship captains over the summer. Cody said Healey was becoming “more and more aware” about the ferry line issues.
”We just need to keep being mosquitoes in their ear,” Cody said, saying activists will need to develop “common themes” on what kind of issues they want addressed.
Doug Ruskin, West Tisbury representative to the Dukes County Commission, underscored that getting state-level changes will be a long process that will require perseverance. He pointed to how housing advocates on the Vineyard spent years before getting the transfer fee to state legislators.
Hannemann said there were several tactics the Vineyard’s citizens group, which hopes to collaborate with residents from other port communities like Nantucket, wants to implement in pursuing changes. The group wants members to attend all meetings held by the Steamship Authority board and its committees, to make their presence felt, alongside posting meeting agendas and minutes to keep people informed.
Additionally, the group plans to form its own “action” committees, and keep the press updated. The group also wants to keep in close contact with representatives on the Steamship Authority’s board and port council. Hannemann said they received a letter from Jim Malkin, Martha’s Vineyard’s representative to the Steamship Authority board, saying progress was underway at the ferry line, but slower than he’d like, and he would be happy to meet with the group, a sentiment shared by Joe Sollitto, Oak Bluffs’ Port Council representative.
Some people offered to give help to the group’s cause, like Gerald Jones, who had been part of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital’s leadership transition team.
The group encouraged those interested in getting involved or staying informed about the group to reach out to them at mv.action.ssa@gmail.com.
