Harbor Management Commission - Minutes - 09/02/2020

MINUTES 
HARBOR MANAGEMENT COMMISSION 
REGULAR MEETING 
 
ZOOM Meeting Wednesday, September 2, 2020 
 
Present:  
Commissioners Jane Adams, Robert DeRosa, Robert Dutton, Philip Fine, Jim 
Hamsher, Greg Crocker (alternate), and Fred Wise (alternate). 
 
Absent: 
Eva Bunnell, Bryan Lynch, Harbor Master David Crocker and Deputy Harbor 
Master Richard Miller 
 
1. 
The meeting was called to order at 5:00 pm and quorum established. Greg Crocker and 
Fred Wise will be the voting alternates for Eva Bunnell and Robert Dutton (Bryan Lynch 
after Mr. Dutton’s arrival). 
 
2.   The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.   
 
3.   Approval of the minutes 
 
Motion by Mr. Wise, seconded by Mr. Hamsher to approve the minutes of the July 1, 2020 
regular zoom meeting, motion passed, vote 6-0. 
 
4. Harbor Masters Report  
 
Ms. Adams provided an update in Mr. Crocker’s absence: 
a)  A minor modification to the Thames River Marina Removal permit has been received. 
 
b) A public notice was posted in The Day newspaper on August 18, 2020 that the HMC 
would begin checking moorings in Waterford Waters for valid permits.  This task was done 
on August 7th and August 14.  The area of Kidde Beach still needs to be completed.  
 
c)  Some changes will likely be recommended to the Harbor Master for 2021 applications to 
add an effective date for Winter mooring stick removal and requesting all owners to use the 
4 digits numbers on their mooring balls.  
 
5. Correspondence –  
 
a)  Attorney Robert Avena obtained legal information on the jurisdictional boundary line in 
the Niantic River between East Lyme and Waterford.  During the recent review of moorings 
in the Waterford harbor a number of moorings had permits issued by East Lyme. 
 
 
b)  The commission received the updated MOU from WELSCO dated 8.1.2020 noting the 
boundary revisions for the open and seasonally conditional shellfishing areas. Mr. Wise is a 
member of WELSCO and agreed to obtain clarification on page 14 Section 8E regarding 
commercial shellfishing.  
 
 
 
 
6.  Applications - 
 
a)  A license was approved for the dock on 17 Riverside Drive; no action by the commission. 
 
 
Mr. Dutton arrived at the meeting at 5:15 pm. 
 

 
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7.  Old Business –  
 
a) Mr. Fine will contact Tighe Bound regarding the GIS mapping performed last year for the 
HMC.  The changes include the formatting of longitude and latitude, background color, 
providing a link to the GIS maps from the HMC web page website and updating of the 
WELSCO shellfishing maps. 
 
b)  Mr. Wise previously presented a discussion paper suggesting the establishment of 
mooring fields and identified 3 potential.  Ms. Adams requested that Commissioners 
provide her with the questions/issues that they believe would need to be addressed in 
considering a mooring field and the potential relocation of certain moorings.  Discussion will 
continue at a future meeting. The Harbor Master would have to approve the creation of a 
mooring field. 
 
 
8.  New Business –   
 
a)  The Harbor Management Office at the Waterford Police Department will be moved soon 
to another location within the Police station. 
 
9. Adjourn 
 
There being no further business to come before the Commission, and upon motion by  
 
Mr. Hamsher, seconded by Mr. DeRosa, the meeting was adjourned at 5:32 p.m. 
 
Respectfully Submitted, 
 
 
Amy Tinker 
Recording Secretary