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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-07-16 Harbor Committee Minutes City of Bangor Harbor Committee Minutes Meeting: Thursday, July 16, 2009 City council Chambers Committee Members in Attendance: Richard Reinhard; Daniel Field; Jim Ring, City Engineer; Daniel Cassidy; Robert Woods; Harbormaster, Jerry Ledwith; Susan Hawes, Council Representative Guest: Tracy Willette, Parks and Recreation Director I May 14, 2009 minutes: Accepted as distributed II Fiscal Year 2010 Budget Impacts on the Waterfront: 1. There shall be an approximate 50% reduction in the Waterfront Budget 2. Docks have already been place and will remain in for the year. 3. Effective immediately the Assistant Harbor Master Position will not be filled; the Harbormaster position is reduced from 40 to 32 hours, in FY 2010 it will be further reduced to a $1,500.00/yr position 4. Docks 5 and either 2 or 3 will be placed for Summer 2010. Other docks will be stored. Suggestions raised in discussion  Consider an arrangement to partner with an independent contractor to run the docks available for private vessels. This would allow continuation of waterfront activities with no or perhaps minimal cost to the city.  Ladders should be installed for safety since there will be no personnel present on the docks  Corporate financial sponsorship of some waterfront facilities should be explored. III Updates  Tar Remediation City Engineer, Jim Ring, reported that permitting is near completed, as is design with the contracting process underway. The intent is to begin work in September with completion before the ice is in this winter.  River Park Project Construction has been delayed by the higher than expected rains. This year’s improvements, including much of the underground utilities and water drainage work should be completed prior to the Folk Festival. IV Harbor Activities The Economy and poor weather has limited waterfront usage. Activity is expected to be lower than average this year. There will be more shore-side events this year, and this interest seems to be increasing. V Future Agenda Items  Harbor History Project – Report deferred until the next meeting  Army Corps permitting and future waterside usage will be addressed after all permitting is completed for the Tar Remediation Project.  Development of a “Boating Club” should be explored. This could be an organization that would foster activities on the Waterfront. o August Harbor Committee Meeting – Discussion of what form this could take and how it would interact with the city. Committee members will prepare concepts to discuss initial thoughts at this meeting. o October – An open meeting to bring together interested parties to discuss what interests exist and how they may develop. Jim Ring will investigate a meeting site for an evening 2 hour open forum o Specific organizations should be targeted to participate. These should include (with designated contact persons):  Penobscot River Keepers (Jerry Ledwith)  Maine Canoe and Kayak Racing Organization (Terry Willette)  Brewer Parks and Rec (Terry Willette)  University of Maine Club Rowing  MOAC (Maine Outdoor Adventure Club) (Dan Cassidy)  Bangor Parks and Rec  Paddle and Chowder Club o Consider role of “adopt a dock”or similar such marketing that already exists for some Bangor parks, (e.g. Sea Dog sponsorship of Dock 2). To this end, costs figures for such a sponsorship program should be reviewed by the committee