Harbor Management Commission - Minutes - 07/01/2020

MINUTES 
HARBOR MANAGEMENT COMMISSION 
REGULAR MEETING 
 
ZOOM Meeting Wednesday, July 1, 2020 
 
Present:  
Commissioners Jane Adams, Robert DeRosa, Robert Dutton, Philip Fine, Brian 
Lynch, Greg Crocker (alternate), Fred Wise (alternate) and Harbor Master  
 
 
 
David Crocker 
 
Absent: 
Eva Bunnell, James Hamsher and Deputy Harbor Master Richard Miller 
 
1. 
The meeting was called to order at 5:03 pm and quorum established. Greg Crocker and 
Fred Wise will be the voting alternates for Eva Bunnell and James Hamsher. 
 
2.   The Pledge of Allegiance was recited.   
 
3.   Approval of the minutes 
 
Motion by Mr. Wise, seconded by Mr. Lynch to approve the minutes of the June 3, 2020 
regular zoom meeting, motion passed, vote 6-0. 
 
 
Motion by Mr. Wise, seconded by Mr. Dutton to reorder the agenda in order allow Item 6 A- 
presentation by Mike Bono on his MPBA COP;  All in favor, motion passed, vote 6-0. 
 
4. Harbor Masters Report  
a)  The large floating tree has been removed from the Shawandassee Road area of the river.  
Ms. Adams suggested the local contractor that hauled the tree submit an invoice to the 
commission for payment of services.   
b) A sunken catamaran is believed to be in the Sandy Point area of the river that cannot be 
removed until an official location has been determined.  
c) The mooring list will be updated over the weekend with any additional renewals that 
have come in and are approved.  The stickering of derelict moorings will begin after the 4th 
of July holiday weekend.  A few commissioners offered to assist the Harbor Master with this 
task.   
d) The Harbor Master will submit a consultation form to WELSCO and Waterford Shellfish 
Commission when a new mooring/pulley pole application in the Niantic River or outside the 
bridge, respectively, is requested.  
e) There is currently a mooring owner who lives out of state but has a CT registration for his 
vessel and at this time is approved.  In the future this may become an issue unless there is 
an established summer or permanent CT address. 
 
 
 
5. Correspondence –  
 
a)  A consultation form was created and will be utilized by the Harbor Master with regard to 
new mooring/pulley pole applicants. 
 
b)  The commission received a copy of the June 23 DA/BA letter to WELSCO extending the 
closure of portions of the Niantic River north of Smith Cove to year-round recreational 
shellfishing and its proposed reclassification to conditional shellfishing..  

 
2
 
 
 
 
Mr. Fine joined the meeting at 5:13 pm. 
 
6.  Applications - 
 
a)  Mr. Bono reviewed his COP application for MPBA as it pertains only to extend currently 
existing piers within the permitted footprint.  After discussion, the commissioners didn’t 
find this application to be inconsistent with the Harbor Management Plan.   
 
A motion by Mr. DeRosa, seconded by Mr. Wise stating the commission did not find the 
application to be inconsistent with the HMP;  Motion passed, (1) abstention -Mr. Dutton, 
vote 6-1. 
 
7.  Old Business –  
 
a) Mr. Fine suggested that he and Mr. Wise discuss changing the GIS map coloring and GPS 
coordinates with Tighe & Bond when our contact is available. 
 
 
8.  New Business –   
 
a)  Mr. Wise reviewed his document on Mooring Fields in the Niantic River.  He proposed 
several recommendations for Areas 1 through 4 in an effort to clean up the increased 
congestion caused by the large number of moorings.  The commissioners discussed Riparian 
Rights, Home Owners and Beach Associations rights and the cleanup of derelict moorings.  
There will be continued discussion in the future. 
 
b)  Mr. DeRosa noted Jaxon Vibber of Sound Marine recently installed the Sandy Point buoy.  
 
9. Adjourn 
 
There being no further business to come before the Commission, and upon motion by  
 
Mr. Wise, seconded by Mr. Dutton, the meeting was adjourned at 5:59 p.m. 
 
Respectfully Submitted, 
 
 
Amy Tinker 
Recording Secretary