The Waterways Management Commission held a meeting on March 10, 2026, where they approved the minutes from their January meeting. The commission received an update on the marina repairs, noting that two piles still needed to be driven and finger floats reinstalled. The project, funded by ARPA, has a deadline of the end of the calendar year. The original contractor, Cuddy Hunk Marine, is still expected to complete the work, but Fitzgerald Construction is available as a backup. The commission also discussed replacing two dinghy racks with four or five new kayak racks to meet public demand, increasing capacity from 10 dinghies to a potential 40 kayaks. Steve, the department head, reported that a recent blizzard had minimal impact on the waterways, with only one commercial dock float breaking free, which was subsequently retrieved. He also informed the commission that the hiring for a full-time clerical position has been paused, as two part-time positions are currently working well and are more cost-effective. Regarding the 2027 budget, a major topic was the replacement of the department's 10-year-old Ford F250 truck. The replacement cost has skyrocketed from $39,000 in 2014 to an estimated $90,000. The commission discussed the possibility of purchasing a smaller, more nimble vehicle and keeping the old truck for heavy hauling. The most significant discussion centered on the formation of a new town-wide Water Quality Advisory Committee. Dave Tenbomb from the Select Board explained the committee's comprehensive mission. After a lengthy debate about time commitment and the need for generational continuity, the commission unanimously voted to nominate Eli as the Waterways representative. Commissioners Andrea and Roger also volunteered to apply for at-large positions on the new committee to provide their expertise. The meeting concluded with an update from Eli on the newly formed South Coast Massachusetts chapter of the Surf Rider Foundation and a report from Steve on water quality monitoring in the Slocums River.
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City Officials
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So, let me do a quick roll call. Got TJ Salvidio here.
0:10Andy Hurley here.
0:13Andrea here. Eli here.
0:18And Roger.
0:20I'm here.
0:21All right. And Dana is here. And um Jamie is absent.
0:29And uh we got Steve. So I think we've got a full house balloons.
0:36So I'm gonna start us off with uh talking about last month's or actually January's meeting minutes. Everybody have a chance to take a look at those.
0:46Thank you, Andrea, for pulling those together.
0:48Thank you, Andrea.
0:49Any any changes? Are we ready to vote on those?
0:56Make a motion to accept the meeting minutes. Right. TJ moves and go.
1:01Andy seconds. Great. So, we'll do a roll call vote. Uh TJ, yes.
1:08Uh Andy, yes.
1:10Andrea, yes.
1:13Eli, yes.
1:15Roger, yes.
1:17And Dana, yes. Okay.
1:21So, then now we're up to item three.
1:23Steve, you want to talk about the marina? Yeah, we're still waiting for completion. Um, we have two piles to be driven and obviously the finger floats need to go back in. We've received um confirmation that we are still within the funding deadline for the funds from ARPA to be used by the end of this calendar year. and Froth has sought and obtained relief from the time of year restrictions because this fingerpring
2:01area that brought about those restrictions. So, we're good to go. We have uh snow mounds blocking access to the floats, but I don't think that's going to stop us.
2:13The original contractor was Cuddy Hunk Marine and they're apparently still on the hook and still willing to install.
2:22He's uh Patrick is working on getting confirmation from Cuddy Hulk Marine.
2:28He's also found u a price from Fitzgerald Construction which is working at Davidson Trip behind me as we speak. And if we don't get confirmation from Cuddy Hulk, we're going to go with Fitzgerald's before they leave town.
2:43They can fit through the bridge and drive those two piles for about the same price, well within the amount we have left. Uh, and Pioneer is ready to install all of the floats and get us back operational. So, in one um one motion, if you will, they could put in the two intended fingerprints and all the ones that need to go back between the ramps and that'll happen sometime this week or next.
3:12So, great.
3:15It's our status.
3:17Thank you.
3:18So, install in the next week, reinstall and also put in the floats to be installed.
3:26New floats. So, that would be done. They asked about this week, and I had no problem. I don't think we're going to see any kind of damaging ice. Even if we do get a couple more snows storms, I don't foresee the north side freezing up again. So, I think we'll be good to go.
3:42Great.
3:44It is spring and I believe we just had Dave Tenbomb join us. Welcome.
3:53Hi, Dave.
3:56Right. Uh Dave, I don't know if you have our um our agenda. We're on item four here to talk about the dinghy and kayak rack replacements.
4:06I do. Thank you. I'm following along.
4:08Okay.
4:12Okay. Dingy racks for the landing and kayak racks. I have two interested uh contractors, if you will, that'll be willing to construct those for us for this season.
4:24I'm looking to replace two of the dinghy racks that are on the beach now with kayak racks. Should equal four, possibly five kayak racks, giving us an additional 40 kayaks potentially where we would previously have held only 10.
4:43And then there'd be the replacement of whatever kayak rack, I'm sorry, whatever dingy racks have not been replaced.
4:50Those could be done one at a time or they could be done all at once. So, I think we're funding is in place and with two interested parties, I'm hoping that at least one will come through for us in time for this season.
5:04Right.
5:09That should go well with uh increasing public access to our to the area.
5:14Absolutely. Well, the demand is there.
5:16We're using some secondhand racks from the yacht club just to verify the demand is there and those as you saw last summer were fully occupied with a waiting list. So like to give the public what they want especially where it fits in with our master plan for the waterfront and our overall charge if you will.
5:39Yeah, that's great. That seems like a nice capacity there.
5:46How about the blizzard impact on the waterways?
5:50Surprisingly, there was none. I mean, it was a minimal storm. It was a noraster.
5:56The boats that are in the water were all sheltered from the northeast. We did have one commercial dock float that broke free and I retrieved that from Smith Neck Road a couple of days after the storm. Returned it to its owner. U minimal or no damage to that float. Uh, as expected, our boat did fill up with snow. That's going to happen. And I went down just after the blizzard to empty
6:24that so that we were floating high and ready to go. And I did use it the next day to retrieve that float. So other than trees down and quite a bit of runoff, I have not noted any impact to the waterways or the waterfront.
6:44Amazing.
6:47That's great.
6:48That's great to hear, actually.
6:49That's good news.
6:51Absolutely.
6:52Now, if someone could do something about my yard.
7:01All right. And what's happening with your clerical position?
7:05or the second time it was put out to for applications and uh we've decided to put it on hold.
7:14There was nothing that stood out and working with the two part-time positions that we have. It equals a full-time position and we are not paying benefits.
7:24We are not dealing with any of the incidental costs and we seem to be reaching the public probably better than with just one person full-time. So, for now, I've worked with HR and they've put it on pause and uh we'll evaluate as we go along, but it seems to be working well. better than that expected.
7:50Right.
7:50You expect the the summer season to be not need this person?
7:56It's looking like we would have two full uh two part- timerrs that can work throughout the the year and that would alleviate the need for a full-time person with benefits.
8:12Go ahead. I I was just wondering if that means that we'll be able to have uh some public presence in like regular office hours and stuff like that.
8:23That's exactly what we're aiming for.
8:25Yes.
8:25Okay. Great.
8:28Great. There's been some I've had a couple people ask me about um if there was going to be regular office hours to, you know, and all that jazz.
8:39Yeah. Shel Shelley Heert started almost at the end of the season, the end of August and uh between her and Lauri Russell, we're going to have every day of the week covered and um we'll post those hours once we get a summer schedule in place.
8:59Right now, they're both working on the billing and the data entry.
9:06Maybe I suggest that we leave it. Um, if you need some if you need have a change of circumstances, you come back to us at the next another meeting.
9:13Absolutely. Excuse me.
9:14Leave this in your discretion how to run it.
9:18Come back to us or just or just repost.
9:22Yeah, just repost. You know, leave it in in his hands basically is what I'm saying.
9:29We thought we had somebody the first goound. they accepted the position and then when they discussed finances with HR they withdrew their acceptance. The second round as I stated we got applicants we had a lot of interest we try to weed through those that were fulfilling uh unemployment obligations by applying and those that were qualified. Um, and it was at that point that it was decided to put it on the back
9:59burner for now.
10:07How about uh 2027 budget?
10:10The budget is still pending. Um, finance committee has not called me before them.
10:17I have not been told that there are any issues with that budget. I did meet with capital improvement committee this morning at 9:00 to discuss the one item that we had listed which was a new department truck and I made it clear that the only reason we're pursuing a new truck is the town policy for 10year-old vehicles to be replaced. The one we have is adequate and it is reliable but it has met the 10year mark
10:45and has 50,000 miles on the odometer.
10:48So, I've started pricing out a replacement for that truck, and the sticker shock is palpable. Um, that Ford F250 that I'm driving now in 2014 was $39,000.
11:06A new one is going to be in the $90,000 price range. And that's not any upgrades. That is basically barely what we have now.
11:19Wow, it's crazy.
11:22And I've also discussed with both the town administrator and the fin the capital improvement keeping that truck which we intend to do anyway be the number two vehicle for the deputy uh and replacing or or instead of buying a duplicate of that truck getting something smaller that would be more practical for daily driving and then keeping the department truck for hauling boats and the needs that a large truck
11:50would meet. So that's also a possibility that might save the department considerable capital.
11:59So Steve, a smaller, more uh nimble truck as your new truck and then keep the big old truck for hauling stuff around. What are you thinking for a smaller new nimble truck? Would you would you go all electric?
12:14I don't know that that would be practical. Um, I've heard lithium batteries and salt water don't get along well. And a lot of the environment I'm in, the environment I'm in is heavily laden with either salt spray, salt water. But I'm not opposed to it. I just would need to know where it would be charged. I'm looking at something smaller and nimble being a Jeep type vehicle, whether it is a Jeep Wrangler
12:37or a Ford Explorer or a Ford Bronco, um, something like that, which would be about half the price of an F250.
12:46Wow. Cool. Yeah, explore those explore those trucks. I uh I I I just thought the town had free charging for for town employee vehicles, but maybe not.
12:59Well, that would probably mean the truck or whatever it is, would be tied to town hall for charging or the senior center, I think, is the closest.
13:08So, if I were to bring it there each night and then had to respond to an emergency, it would complicate getting to it and then responding. I don't have charging at home for an electric vehicle and don't know that that's in the future. So, perhaps we're not there yet on the tech.
13:25Yeah. Not not there yet. Not there yet.
13:28But it would be a four-wheel drive vehicle because we work on beaches, sand, and all that. And it would also have some towing capacity for the smaller boats, but um not necessarily for the larger boat, the big boat, right? I'm sorry. Sorry, Roger. The big boats are Yeah, the big boats a 10,000 pound lift is and it's obviously not an everyday toe, but when we need to move it, we need to
13:56move it. Uh, and then the boats descend in displacement and weight, trailer weight from there. So, I know the wher I know that the probably the pumpout boat could be towed by a jeep like vehicle.
14:11Um maybe even the new aluminum rescue boat could I'd have to look at the uh numbers but
14:29so that again that was just this morning's meeting. Um I'll wait to hear their recommendations.
14:36Did they give you any they didn't give you any feedback in the meeting?
14:39No. Yeah.
14:41And do we have that in our piggy bank? I guess we do. Uh Gary reported this morning that waterways reserved or retained earnings was certified at about 150,000 give or take. And I know that that is confusing to me after 21 years because we're making the money now. We bill in March and we collect through June and then we start a new fiscal year with in essence zero in the piggy bank because we've closed out the
15:14fiscal year that we just collected at the end of. So we're living off retained earnings until our revenue flow starts at the end of the fiscal year.
15:27I'm not sure how to correct that. It's been looked at and nothing has been suggested. But I don't think there's a way to correct it. I think I think once you were in one cycle of it, it's just the same cycle repeating itself over and over again.
15:43Now, yes, the enterprise fund isn't a revolving fund that's available.
15:52In essence, it is, but at the end of the fiscal year, whatever we have not spent goes into retained earnings and then we need town meeting approval to take those retained earnings out for a specific purpose. So, it is not truly a revolving account, but it is it has retention, right?
16:11Couple couple weeks delay there.
16:14Yes, but Ender makes a good point. By August, it's fine. Yeah.
16:22Yeah. We start out July, we are collecting money. August, we're collecting money, but not at the rate we're spending it. And then when we get to March and the bills go out, we're collecting it a lot faster than we have spent it. And that replenishes the reserves on retained earnings.
16:44So that's it on budget capital.
16:46Okay. How about item eight? We had discussed the nlloxxon and knots box. I did get a few more questions answered from Rachel who is the uh person in charge of uh that and we haven't had a chance to meet due to the weather but um she assured me that the liability would not be on waterways that this is something they're looking at throughout the town and when I do get more info on the location and the
17:18practical um application of this. I'll get back to you, but it's still on. Um, just waiting for the finer details to come out.
17:32Okay.
17:35All right. Item nine, the town clean water group update, which I think it's going to includes the formation of a new water quality advisory committee with a representative from waterways on that.
17:53Andrea or or Steve, do you want to talk about or Roger want to talk about the history there or Well, there is history there and this town did start one years ago and we were doing good works but apparently that fizzled out. Uh this is now I'm glad Dave is on. I think maybe Dave could give us a synopsis of what they'd like to achieve now in the year 2026 going forward. Dave,
18:21thanks Roger. Um, I always have to introduce myself as a single member of the select board. I although I am on the committee for water quality designated, I don't always speak for the select board. I got to sleep myself first and foremost. Uh but uh Cody um I don't know if you've uh any of you followed Cody's uh track since he's come back as a town administrator, but I just want to say
18:45straight out even as recently as last night's meeting uh he's done a really fine job organizing and leading and u communicating to the town.
18:57as recently as the storm we just had. He was on with three or four different videos, updates, how we're doing, and we even had a a meme presentation last night about how the town's prepared for uh uh these kinds of uh catastrophes if we even going down the road. But uh under Cody's leadership and um when he was brought back on, he's been here about six months. Uh one of my personal
19:20goals, most important to me of a couple was a water quality issue in town. and uh he uh he was on his uh watch list to make sure that we get that going. And uh at this point in time uh that the select board has uh uh is I'm not going to say resurrected but confirmed and put together a committee which has to do with water quality. Uh it's uh we've
19:41sort of defined it. Um uh but it's pretty I'm sorry it's uh it's it's pretty comprehensive and some might say it's too comprehensive, too ambitious, but I do look forward once we begin uh to really refine the mission, put it in short and long-term goals. Very important. But we're talking about water in every way possible in town. Uh meaning uh drink drinking water, um um nitrogen, uh you name it. uh rivers, uh
20:13streams, uh the bay, uh drinking water, water and sewer. It's all packaged. And that's why the committee is made up of uh permanent members from the DPW and conservation in waterways and at large members. Uh I'm I'm going to be I'm on that committee and I'm taking a uh I'm going to say straight out a very aggressive attitude. I think it's extremely important. Uh not a whole lot different than our long range planning
20:37for town, which is uh we reviewed that last night at the meeting last night.
20:41we're going to be spending three or4 hundred million dollars over the next I don't know how many years regarding uh water sewer um schools etc etc so um I'm here to either assure you that um not only is waterways a really important part of this but I've worked with Roger and Andrea and a couple others out of the committee over these last couple years and uh the work was not for not
21:06because uh we're jumping in feet first as well and um uh I'm I'm here to say that uh I'm not only encouraged by what waterways has done over the last couple years, but I how much of a role how important it is that we uh we we conclude anything and everything from composting and the quality of our rivers and streams and stuff. And I'm I'm I'm here to say that um I'm really welcoming
21:30members and if there's interest of more than one member, we can find a way to uh get you involved as well. So maybe I'll ask questions but to tell you this is incredibly important out of priorities of the town.
21:46Got it. Dave, um Andrea, you want to comment?
21:51Um it's an incredibly important topic for the town. Um and I recognize that. I I do um share the concern that Dave mentioned that um uh that the it's a it's a very comprehensive um mission, you know, let's improve water quality in town. And that's um really not achievable in any in my lifetime. I mean, you know, I think I think it needs to be it need I think I think a mission statement needs to be
22:36addressed as to you know what what do you actually want to achieve? Um and what how can you you know and and let's let's attack let's attack it as a you know series of individual problems. um because on its own it's big bigger than us. That being said, I the they created a a structure um where where departments work together and this committee is a citizen advisory. So it's it it reviews and and makes
23:18recommendations on the work of others.
23:21So that's all good. Um but you know I'm I you know I'm kind of a threeyear fiveyear action you know what can what can we do what can we do and and to call you know what can we do to call our to get a success um so besides that concern waterways is a huge I'm so happy that waterways was asked to be representative because we can speak to, you know, the impact of
23:57surface water quality on our boating and swimming and, you know, daily lives. And I I think waterways can provide a really strong voice. Um, so I'm hoping um that um water, you know, someone from the waterways committee steps up to be that representative.
24:18And I am looking at Eli. Where is Eli?
24:22Unmute Eli.
24:25Unmute yourself, Eli.
24:28I'm here. I'm here. Um, transparently, I'm I'm juggling my uh obvious interest in the subject to uh bandwidth and being able to give it what it what it merits. Um, but I'm very open to being involved.
24:46Um, well, Dave, maybe Dave Taliban could elaborate as to that's a good question.
24:51Eli bandwidth. Dave, what are you thinking about at least initially high level for the amount of time that our volunteers would be um asked to contribute to this?
25:02I would I would I would anticipate initially once or maybe twice a month to meet just to get the thing moving. Um and I don't think it's going to be more than once a month. Maybe an extra here or there, Eli. Um you know, and we always say the same thing, no problem.
25:18then it turns into something totally different. Um um it's going to take on a life of its own. Uh on a person as I I I keep saying on a personal basis this needs to be pushed hard so that the momentum doesn't quit and I think the beginning meeting is going to be critically important. I envision subcommittees as well. Uh but uh the promise it's going to be uh every
25:43other month for an hour. I would never do that. But on the other hand, um this is a giant topic and just whittling it down to a short and long-term priority is going to be the most important issue. And I Andrea said it, Roger said it, so that I'm not sure I can answer better than that, but that's that's kind of what my answer is.
26:03Yeah, understood. Hey, would would you be okay if one person from Waterways started with you and then maybe maybe that you know when you got it smoothed out a little bit maybe somebody in Eli's generation could be able to step forward to give us a long-term horizon.
26:18We uh my we also there's five uh at large members as well. If there's a second member of this committee who wants to participate from the get-go, I think that would be an avenue to get there. I you guys bring a lot of a lot to the table for this issue but uh that's another choice as well if there's more interest to get more involved uh in the beginning especially
26:42so I know that's the right answer J excellent answer Roger Andrew you want to start with it first oh boy here we go well you know it's always comes on you Roger and on this he's he's asking you Roger Right.
27:00Ro, you have a level of expertise with this and you have a a historical knowledge that, you know, I don't want to see wasted, but I also want to see I'd like I want to see people in Eli's generation. And I've and I've gone on record many times as saying that we need to have involve younger people in um in our committees and stuff like that or it becomes a committee of people who are
27:19all around the same generation.
27:20Yep.
27:21Right. No, I'm with you. I'm with you, TJ. And and and I I love Eli and I totally have been there, Eli. I mean, I get crunch crunching work, family, housing, driving, doing all that stuff.
27:35Uh, we're we're I am very fortunate that my workload has diminished. It hasn't gone away, but it's diminished. I do have time. And I'll tell you what I would do, Dave. I'd be happy to jump in and volunteer for this beginning part, but as TJ said, my evil plan is to have me disappear and a younger, cuter version of myself takes takes my place.
28:04Young is going to be pretty easy, Roger.
28:09Yeah. Yeah. Lord, everybody, but I I am I'm I'm 100% with Andrea. We have to we have to um look at the problem and have manageable achievable goals that we can do with volunteers going forward. That's what we found last time is we can do this stuff, but it's got to be it's got to be projectbased and something we can do reasonably. And then I'm I'm happy to jump in and do that and and
28:38get that down to a manageable bits and um and then as as you say TJ, talk to Eli, keep him in the loop all the time. and uh then pass that baton at at a at a future time when maybe it's a little bit better for I might also suggest that there could be certain meetings where any one of you could attend the meeting just to offer some expertise and see how it's going back.
29:06Well, then I'm going to look right at Andrea and say, geez, she's the she's she is the brilliant one in the room as far as water goes. So, um maybe just at a a review and overview level that's um easy on the your schedule. Andrea, how does that sound? I'll go and attend and if I need help, I could just give you a call.
29:28Um well, I mean, he's looking they're looking for five members.
29:33Um theoretically if if you Roger and I um come on as you know experts in the field to help you know create a focus to make manageable success then maybe maybe um maybe Eli can still be our our waterways rep that that moves it forward that we're you know we're kind of the thinkers um but we you So, but but it's it's a long it's a long-term commitment and um and
30:11if we can help if we can help make it manageable, it'd be great if if Eli if you could, you know, move it move it keep it keep it going.
30:21All right.
30:22So, I'll do it if Eli will do it.
30:26I'll do it if Eli will be our rep. Eli, nothing nothing requires you to do a blood oath that you if it doesn't work out afterwards with your your committee and your town is here to support you in any way you need. So, and I keep I keep coming back to you, but I really think it's so important.
30:43I can wrap my head I I I completely agree and I I can wrap my head around the the time commitment and and uh being involved. So, we'll we'll and if it if it doesn't work out, we'll come back to it together.
31:00What do you think of that?
31:01Yeah, that sounds great.
31:03That's the deal.
31:06What I just want to say I really appreciate the fact that you're trying to work this through and we all understand how important it is. This is what's the best way to get it done with a reasonable time and commitment because uh everything takes time and commitment.
31:18The town volunteer government is the way it goes. So, I I really appreciate it and I uh it's going to at the end of the day this going to really work and get something done. So, thank you.
31:27Well, and also going back to what Andrew said, this is not a short-term thing.
31:31This is not a fix that we wave our magic wand and it's done because we were bright enough to figure out a solution immediately. This is a long-term solution. Um and you need some continuity of of generation and time.
31:44Absolutely. This is this is a a global problem quite honestly. freshwater and dealing with it in all forms. And our bay is so important and our harbor is so important for the town uh going forward.
31:56I mean, we've been here as a town for 350 years. I I do not see us going away.
32:02So, I see this as a a very key aspect, Dave, quite honestly, of the uh town having this at least at least a handle on it and being able to tell Boston, hey, we we're looking at this. We've got good people working on it and uh you can you can save off a few of the uh I know ownorous things that are coming down from uh septic tanks and things like that. Anyway,
32:30so I I think I'm kind of hearing we're looking at someone making a motion to nominate Eli as our rep with uh expert expert um support from Andrea and Roger in the background. Is that what we're saying now?
32:50Sure.
32:51Roger, you just to clarify to clarify, you want to start with with it um a little bit and then have and fold Eli in as we go along. Eli, I'm trying not to not to butcher both of your hands up uh at the same time to volunteer. So, you tell us what you No, you tell us what you want, Eli, because that's it's not fair that we just like tell you that this going
33:16uh No, I I appreciate what you're doing.
33:18Part of me I I would like to have Andrea and Roger as involved as they're able to be, but part of me thinks that if I'm committing myself to it, playing catchup a couple months from now doesn't really make sense. And maybe I'm just involved from the beginning rather than playing catchup down the road.
33:39Well, we to be speaking for me, I mean, we'd be always here. And I guess I'll Dave, you said they're open committee positions.
33:50Um, do you want one of us to take that position and then float back and forth?
33:55We could do that. Would that work, Andrea? In a perfect world, I think that you could have Eli's able to accept a position and one of you could take one of the atlarge positions and then see how it goes and maybe possibly both of us. Roger.
34:09Yep. Yep.
34:10Okay. Okay. Dave, is that acceptable to I mean, you're going to review the committee if we have Eli as the waterways representative, but Andrea with her expertise and my expertise coming in um as the at two of the atlarges, we certainly have a lot of experience from before and uh certainly want to keep this um I I think yeah, we have to we have to whittle this down to it's a manageable problem. I I love what
34:38I love your vision, but you know, let's make it something we can actually chew on and succeed at.
34:44That would be great. And I you know, we can always adjust going forward and I have to bring that to my colleagues, but I think there will not be an issue.
34:51Okay. All right.
34:54Okay. Then I will make a motion uh that we appoint Eli as the waterways representative to this new water quality committee and that Andrea and I will apply for the atlarge positions going forward.
35:13Um David, has there been any interest from the public to the posting the town has?
35:17Uh there's been some uh Stephen I'm not sure yet. I'm going to talk to Cody after this meeting.
35:23Okay. I'm just curious. Let's see if we have I have a I one or two others that I know personally have are going to is there a world when all all five of those are spots are are reserved for the just like general population and subject matter experts are just a a couple of bonus people involved. They're they're called they're at large meaning residents of the town Eli and one of the
35:53things that they put in the chart was to people representing the different um uh different waterways in town to see distributed but uh that's subject to interpretation as well.
36:04In my view expertise on the subject is also important but uh yeah I'm confident we work with Cody to do the right thing as well. Dave Dave, would it be helpful if we um if we modified Roger's motion and say that um you know we'll move forward so long as Roger um and Andrea are placed on. If it isn't, we'll come back to it and give Eli another shot at it. Is that that better for everybody?
36:29I think it's better for Eli if Eli's interested. I think it's it's good to be there at the ground up and understand how the sausage is made.
36:39Yeah.
36:40Yeah. I mean, I think the town is asking us for for one nomination for a rep from waterways, right? And then there's a different process for applying for those at large, which I think is kind of what what Roger was was uh talking about.
36:56Yeah, it's it's one one from your group and then five at large, which could be they're at lodge, right?
37:07Do you want me to modify the motion then to just nominate Eli?
37:13What I have now as a motion as is motion made by Race to appoint a Powell as waterways rep with Langhouser and Ra and Race volunteering for the atlarge positions and to be determined whether it's accepted or not.
37:29Yeah, that I think that that's that more than captures it.
37:33Okay.
37:34Okay. I agree.
37:36Second it.
37:37I'll second it.
37:39Okay.
37:40You ready to vote?
37:42Sure.
37:43Okay. So TJ, yes.
37:46And uh Andy.
37:49Yep.
37:51Andrea.
37:53Yeah. I don't know how this happened though. Roger.
37:56I know. I know.
37:56Julie.
37:58Yes.
37:59Roger.
38:01Yes. Yes. Yes.
38:02And Dana. Yes. All right. So, it passes unanimously.
38:06Thank you.
38:08One technical question for Dave. So, Andrew and I have to go on the website and apply for those at large positions.
38:14Yes.
38:16Okay.
38:16So, does Eli. He has to but he has to apply as a rep.
38:21He has to He has to put his name in.
38:24Or do we just nominate him as our rep? I I was picturing that we just sent a letter to Yeah. But but he has to have an application right?
38:38We could to TJ's point to TJ's point, it's not waterways putting Eli forward.
38:44It's Eli putting himself forward.
38:48Well, that it's structured so that there is a specifically a waterways commission representative. So, I assume that was us nominating our own representative.
38:57Dave, can can we get a clarification from you on that? that basically it's whoever whoever waterways nominates correct I believe so we do it correctly um by you know we're obviously we're obviously trying to figure it out ourselves now so this is I'm going to uh a confirmation and have go right back uh there's a lot of rules in time government and I don't profess to know any I don't want to know any
39:19okay all right so we'll we'll figure that out but we'll uh assume that between if there's a problem we'll take it up we'll take it up at the next meeting and fix it exactly There you go. All right.
39:32Then we're up to item 10, news and other happenings on the waterways. And I had asked Eli to talk to us a little bit about the Surf Riders group and and what's going on there.
39:43Yeah. um uh a couple of months ago now uh more or less the first of the year um myself and myself as part of an executive committee um stood up a South Coast Massachusetts chapter of uh the Surf Rider Foundation which is a nationally present and actually internationally uh present foundation um founded by surfers on the California coast basically that were concerned about um a water quality in their area um along
40:25beaches and coastlines but also um preserving public access to waterways.
40:31Um and that's what it's founded on. The name Surf Rider is a little deceptive because it's really just um it's much broader than that. It's it's really um focused on getting um communities excited about um being on the water and in the water and um protecting the waterways in their communities um from pollutants and um everything else. So, um the national chapter um gives local chapters a lot of
41:14flexibility. A huge resource book to basically develop um the goals and aspirations of each local chapter based on the needs of that community that they've split it up in. Um, and so we've worked over the last several months and probably will continue working on focusing and sort of identifying our specific goals for the South Coast chapter of Surf Rider based on um conversations like this about quality
41:52and um what um our main goal is to not reinvent the wheel, not to waste any energy or time um of our own or anyone else's reinventing the wheel. Uh as you all know there are heaps of organizations focusing on um the waterways and uh the ecosystems that exist in our s rivers streams that feed into Buzzard's Bay. Um, and so our main goal is to have a ton of conversations and brainstorming exercises and um, work
42:34with the people that to our events to uh, identify what's truly important to our community and what gaps um, can be filled with for BIS for organizations already doing great work like Community Voting Center. And um so we had our first event on January 1st that was a polar plunge at Roundhill Beach. Um Steve played a hand in getting that set up for us for uh um safety and and whatnot. Um, and we are planning a
43:14couple other events including beach cleanups and um, movie nights and um, some hopefully some more cold plunges and things like that just to get sort of generate some excitement and get people interacting with their waterfront. um four seasons a year, 12 months out of the year and um build from there on on what uh like I said, what gaps can we build um in the community and in in our
43:46waterways. So, um it's a very young organization and we're looking for lots of input on how we can help um lift all the other organizations doing great work and uh get people, you know, using uh the waterfront and preserving access to it.
44:08Very cool.
44:09How cold was the polar plunge?
44:13A real bowl of plunge this year. Now, I'm not sure what the water temp was that day, but I did go surfing this weekend and it was about 37 degrees. But God love you.
44:28It's invigorating. TJ, you'd love it.
44:33Even though I'm well insulated.
44:35First water quality meeting is going to be a polar plunge.
44:40Dave, I'm right behind you.
44:45I am familiar with the um the North of Boston chapter of the Surf Writer Association from my work at DP and um they've done they they've done you know great events and have you know got have got funding into the community to address real issues. It's it's, you know, it sounds like a it sounds like a fun group, but they, you know, they really get they really can get things
45:13done. It's it's it's nice. It's a nice compliment to what's going on in the area.
45:19Eli, keep us in the loop on stuff that's coming up, too. So, we we you know, like everything you you start with one word to somebody and it goes to 10 now. So, you know, the more the more we know that is happening, the more we participate in it.
45:32Definitely keeping on that plunge list.
45:35Yeah. You know, one quick, we have a new uh a new communications director hired who's u a lot of stuff going on. If you can uh she's on the website and she'll get this stuff wor out. She's really good at getting it on to into newspapers and the website, etc. So, making these kind of announcements would be great.
45:52That's great. Yeah, our first uh our the our first plunge was on uh New Year's Day was uh covered by Darmmouth Weekly, which is amazing. They're they do great work over there. and uh we it was fun getting to know them and uh yeah, we will definitely keep you posted. Like I said, we're we're still getting our feet under us, but um are very excited to uh to get get some more
46:17events rolling out. And I will say that uh on a sort of regional and national level, surf writers also um very involved in policy um both in Washington and in Boston and and all in states all over the country uh pertaining to water quality and public access to waterways and and everything like that. Um and host um hill days. Um, there's also a regional chapter meeting happening in Newport later this month
46:49that will go down for the weekend and I can kind of report back on regional happenings and and we intend to have lots of conversations based on water quality, both uh both marine water quality and drinking water quality. So, lots to talk about.
47:06Excellent. Beautiful.
47:09Glad to know you're involved.
47:12Very cool.
47:14Thanks.
47:16Any other news or happenings?
47:19Just two things quickly. I am working again with Chris Misho from the health department on doing some monitoring outside the Slokums River. Um he he has volunteers and they do the inwater in river shallow type sampling. my staff worked with him to collect the outer bay required sampling for water quality testing and monitoring that um he's got some funding to continue. And I've also
47:47had some interest in another aquaculture project in that same area outside of Little River. Um not sure the details but I have a meeting set up for the end of March with a prospective new oyster farmer and it would be bottom culture.
48:05So those are the two things new in my world in the What kind of water quality do you do?
48:12What what specifically are they looking for?
48:16I I am not a scientist. Roger. I know that Chris has um he is not duplicating the stuff that's being done by um the division of marine fisheries which are looking for the caulifform counts.
48:29I think he's looking for more um if I get this correctly the more telltales uh of shore side activity than they are contaminants in the byproduct or in the uh shellfish stock. So it's done at specific times of tide and specific times of flow of current. So we're measuring a true sample of what's either going into or coming out of the river.
48:58Uh beyond that, I couldn't tell you what they are looking for specifically.
49:03So you he he takes a liter of water and then takes it back to his lab.
49:08That's correct. Actually working with Woods Hole, I believe, to uh sample.
49:12Steve, I mean, Roger, this is a second year of a water quality sampling that um he's um Mashad is doing with the Smass group.
49:24They have an approved quap from DP.
49:28Okay. Um and what they're what they're um quap meaning a you know approved protocol and lab work and you know so that um so that the data can actually be used for updating and evaluating and updating what what the TMDL sulkum river came up with. That's that's the purpose.
49:51This is this is a second year of a water quality sampling event and frankly um there needs to be a third year. He he anticipates a third year.
50:02Good. I can also add to that which is really exciting because I met with um the professor from Smast who's involved with Chris Misho and the the nitrogen figure printing etc. and uh she's ready to come on board to help us out in water quality because they're looking to spread their uh the university to spread their uh influence and get more grants to do more and more work not just on the
50:23slope but all around and um and and couple that with the um other other departments of the university they're becoming very aggressive in trying to help us out with the town and I think it's something we can we're going to add on pretty quickly into this the water quality issue.
50:38Well, that that's wonderful, Dave, because SMAST and having a professor be part of that, she could be a PI, which would allow us to go after other uh state grants and other federal grants, some federal grants. But uh there's a lot of money out there as long as we have a a professor who can who can be the academic um anchor, if you will. I met with her.
51:04We have a lot of volunteers. Yeah, this is good.
51:07They're really anxious to get on board and find find the money that's there for us. So, good.
51:13Yep.
51:15Yeah. SMS provided the certified labs, too. So, it's a lot, you know, it's a lot simpler and it's a lot less expensive.
51:22Yep.
51:23Great. Excellent. That's what I wanted to find out. Perfect. Thank you.
51:31Any other happenings?
51:33Guess no got no public to comment.
51:36Sorry, Eli. here.
51:37I I had a quick follow-up question for an earlier uh agenda item.
51:42Um just as far as Steve said you or Steve, you said you retrieved a float for presumably one of the marinas at uh is that did they ask you to or just as far as your sanity? Like is that do you do that? Do you have to do that a lot or um just retrieve private property during the winter? or do they not have a boat in the water or just think through you
52:09being out there alone and dragging stuff off the beach and or whatever.
52:14The way this worked out was we had a report from the shoreline Smith Neck Road that there was a float and it was loose and it was in the vicinity of two other peers. It was relatively calm at that point and Paul Adam from Pioneer didn't know if it belonged to one of his customers or not, but he was willing to come with me. So, the two of us went out
52:34and retrieved it. When I got there, I looked at it and knew that it had come from Davis and Trip.
52:40They don't have a boat in the water.
52:42Matter of fact, I think none of the marinas have a boat in the water at this time. So, rather than leave it where it could do damage or break up and cause more unsightly mess on the public shore, we towed it out, brought it back to Davidson Trip and let them deal with it.
52:59but it had broken free apparently in the storm and had so far as as well as we can tell not done any damage to anything else. So that's basically what I'm doing is not restoring the private property but I'm protecting public and private property from further damage and when I can safely do that without risk to life limb or town property I'm more than happy to help out.
53:25So yeah.
53:27And it's it's it's a good I hate to say it, but it's a good practice to use the boat, to move the boat, to actually run it. Um whether it's for just going out and exercising its legs or doing something like that, it's it's good practice, if you will.
53:44Absolutely.
53:50Thanks for the clarification.
53:52No problem.
53:54I have to head out. I want to say how privileged it's been to work with. I really appreciate your whole attitude toward this and I think we can do some great things together to help uh the town and our waterways. Thank you so much and anything I can do, contact me at any point. We'll get this thing going. Thank you so much.
54:09Thanks, Dave.
54:10Join us.
54:11Thanks, Dave.
54:16All right, we down to next meeting, which would normally be on April 14th at noon. Does that work? I do have I forgotten one thing that I may tie into the next meeting, but there is a group doing project for the peninsula where the landing is and they've started I've met with them by Zoom once they want to do a walk through and they want to have a joint meeting if possible with park
54:40department. They're eyeing May 12th for that. I know that's not our next meeting, but I just want to put that out there is an invite may come from the park department to do a joint meeting with parks recreation and the group that's being paid to do the feasibility study for the highest and best use of the peninsula.
55:02So that would be right now tenatively May 12th. But thanks Dan. I have a conflict on the 14th um that I don't think is going to resolve.
55:16Any chance we do the 21st?
55:1921st.
55:20What date is that? May 14th.
55:22May 14th.
55:22April.
55:24I'm sorry. April 14th. So, wait. The joint.
55:26No. No. I'm sorry. I'm going Dana. I'm I'm asking when the uh joint meeting on the parks department might be that right now, Andrea. May 12th is a tentative date. Nobody has committed to that yet, but that is what they were asking. May 12th to Tuesday. Don't have a time or a location.
55:48Okay. I also have a problem with April 14th. I'll be away. Okay.
55:54Yeah.
55:5521st. Does that work work for us?
55:5621st would be good for me.
55:58Works for me.
55:59Here.
56:01All right. So, we'll say the 21st at noon.
56:05Um, thank you. I have a Can we make it a little later? I have a I have a um appointment in Canton at 10.
56:16We make um can make it at one.
56:20I have no problem with that.
56:21That's I have no problems with that.
56:24One's good here. 1 p.m.
56:26All right. Next meeting May 21st at at 1:00.
56:30I'm sorry, April. Thank you.
56:32April 21.
56:33Just to confuse things further. All right.
56:37And to we have a motion to adjourn. All right. And a second.
56:43And all in favor say I.
56:45I.
56:46And thank you everybody.
56:48Thank you everybody. Hope you feel better.
56:50Thank you.
56:50Bye bye. Bye bye.