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01/10/2007 MARINE ADVISORY BOARD MEETING MINUTES CITY OF CLEARWATER January 10, 2007 Present: Paul J. Kelley Chair Edward O’Brien, Jr. Board Member F. David Hemerick Board Member Mark A. Smith Board Member Vacant Seat Board Member Absent: Charles A. Cashman Board Member Bill Stephan Board Member Also Present: Bill Morris Marine & Aviation Department Director Bev Buysse ` Marine & Aviation Department Assistant Director Brenda Moses Board Reporter The Chair called the meeting to order at 8:03 a.m. at the Marina. To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. 2 – Minutes Approval – December 13, 2006 Member O’Brien moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of December 13, motion 2006, assubmitted in written summation to each board member. The was duly carried seconded and unanimously. 3 – Old Business Board Vacancies Marine & Aviation Department Director Bill Morris said Member Cashman had indicated he would tender his resignation from the board, and had recommended continued industry representation. Tim Trager, Marine Max Risk Manager, former City Commissioner Bob Clark, and former MAB (Marine Advisory Board) member Don McFarland have expressed interest. Member O’Brien moved that the City should begin the process to replace Member Cashman if his letter of resignation does not arrive within two weeks. motion died The due to the lack of a second. Consensus was for Mr. Morris to contact Mr. Cashman regarding his letter of resignation and for Chair Kelly to contact a Councilmember regarding board’s recommendations. Discussion ensued regarding applicants. Member O’Brien moved to recommend that the City Council appoint Bob Clark and Tim motion carried Trager to the MAB. The was duly seconded and unanimously. Marine Advisory 2007-01-10 1 St. Petersburg Times Downtown Marina Articles Discussion ensued regarding a January 8, 2007, opinion piece in the St. Petersburg Times regarding the downtown boat docks. It was suggested that the City hire a firm to present the project in a more favorable light. It was stated that the goal of the MAB, an informed group regarding marine issues, is to expand marine facilities and is not tasked with offering advice regarding City operations or finances. It was recommended that the MAB focus on its support for the Downtown boat slips. A January 12, 2007, meeting on the downtown boat slips is scheduled at the Harborview Center. Waterway Management Plan –revised draft Marine & Aviation Department Assistant Director Bev Buysse distributed a revised draft of the Waterway Management Plan. The Plan includes information regarding the planning process, harbor and waterway management planning authorities, rules and regulations, planning consistency, a description of Clearwater Harbor, its tides and currents, public anchorages, special use areas, wake zones, non-boating water-related activities, loss of marine-related facilities, resource inventory, a demographic overview, identification of various waterway issues, aids to navigation, water quality, Plan goals, policies and recommended actions, diagrams and photographs of various speed zones, etc. There is cross-jurisdictional enforcement of the waterways by the State, Federal government, or local communities. The Plan does not analyze environmentally sensitive areas, as other agencies have more expertise in that field. Staff has begun an inventory of boat docks. The resource inventory for Clearwater Harbor can be expanded to include other Plan areas. Ms. Buysse requested MAB input and for the board to develop formal processes to address, analyze, and make recommendations regarding issues under their purview. Discussion ensued regarding boaters that drop anchors in City waterways. Mr. Morris said regulations do not limit where boaters can anchor, as long as they do not create navigation problems, illegally dump materials, etc. Designated mooring fields are regulated. The State is interested in municipalities addressing these issues via ordinances. The Police Department has become more proactive regarding abandoned boats, researching ownership, and then writing tickets. With the FWC (Florida Wildlife Commission) regulating PWC (Personal Water Craft), it was remarked that it is surprising they do not regulate parasail operations also. Ms. Buysse said insurance requirements regulate parasailing boats. She recommended operators to adopt PAPO (Parasailing Association of Professional Operators) guidelines. While the Coast Guard feels there are too few parasailing accidents for them to address enforcement issues, they want local municipalities to establish guidelines for parasailing areas based on height requirements, waterway conditions, etc. The Marine Safety Office’s voluntary certification program for parasailing companies is inactive. Marine Advisory 2007-01-10 2 In response to a question, Ms. Buysse said Clearwater does not restrict parasail heights. While PAPO guidelines recommend a maximum height of 500 feet, some companies advertise heights up to 1,000 feet. Mr. Morris reviewed staff efforts to have parasail boat captains meet and agree on using a common radio frequency to avoid mishaps, etc. It was suggested that marina leases be amended to require tenants to adhere to PAPO guidelines. Mr. Morris said dock permits require Council approval. Once adopted, the Waterway Management Plan can be used as a reference to enforce regulations. Discussion ensued with recommendations that the Plan include parasail and rental guidelines and coordinate law enforcement ticketing authority. It was requested that members list and develop processes to address all issues, including marine code enforcement and amending the Plan. To help prepare for discussions, it was suggested that marine-related issues be distributed to members prior to meetings. The board was encouraged to review pertinent Code sections, and recommend necessary amendments. Support was expressed for continuing to allow citizens to be heard at MAB meetings. Ms. Buysse’s efforts were complimented. Ms. Buysse said the board had agreed that the formal dock application process should not be changed. 4 – New business Sandpearl project Mr. Morris said the Sandpearl project resulted from public and MAB input in 2005. During negotiations, the City encouraged construction of a hotel, rather than additional condominiums. The marine piece is a result of those negotiations. Concern was expressed that the MAB had not been provided an opportunity to provide input to Cheezum, the Sandpearl developer, nor had Cheezum been invited to review its dock application with the MAB. He reminded the MAB that initial dock design was for docks down the center of the basin, a design that was not satisfactory to the MAB. The dock was redesigned based on the MAB’s input. The MAB was provided the updated design as soon as it was made available to Mr. Morris. Downtown promenade structure Mr. Morris said should the downtown boat slip referendum fail, a plan to build the promenade with a floating dock alongside remains in place and does not require referendum approval. The plan is at the 60% design phase. Seminole boat ramp site The Seminole boat ramp high and dry storage facility project formalizes parking and modifies the access road slightly. If relocated from City property, the Playhouse site would provide additional parking. It was suggested that purchase of the bait house would open more space. Marine Advisory 2007-01-10 3 Stevenson Creek park It was felt that stand-alone recreational uses should not be located on waterfront property. It was suggested that future use of shuffleboard courts by Stevenson Creek should not prohibit marine use. Member Hemerick moved that the MAB feels that the Stevenson Creek property is a viable asset to the boating community and should be maintained as a primary marine waterfront asset, possibly in conjunction with another use, and as a boating asset for the community. The motion carried was duly seconded and unanimously. Island Estates Mr. Morris said a flier referencing two large boats on Island Estates is related to a planning and zoning issue. The County requested his input regarding the impact of the related docks on navigation. It was remarked that the County’s computerized and detailed analyses are based on specific navigational guidelines. Mandalay Channel Mr. Morris said someone had purchased a portion of the Mandalay Channel bottomland extending from the water recreation area to the Clearwater Beach Recreation Center, where the City owns bottomland and plans to construct docks. He encouraged board members to contact him with questions. Clearwater Pass Mr. Morris said due to a miscommunication, he had missed Monday’s County meeting regarding rock jetties proposed for Clearwater Pass hotels. He sent a letter to the engineering firm designing the groins, recommending that the project be scaled back and marked with lights as a navigation hazard will be created. Pinellas County Coast Coordinator Nicole Elko indicated she did not have the authority to light jetties. Mr. Morris expressed concern that the City and County may butt heads regarding the lighting of jetties. 5 – Agenda for next meeting on February 14, 2007 It was requested that the MAB: 1) Define low profile lifts and develop acceptable guidelines, particularly for the Sandpearl project; 2) Determine where lifts can be located to avoid aesthetic problems, etc. during the Sandpearl dock application process; and 3) address the footprint of privately owned submerged lands close to the Clearwater Marina. It was recommended that the board invite to a MAB meeting to discuss docks, a contractor, other than the one constructing the Sandpearl docks. Marine Advisory 2007-01-10 4 . . . - . 6 - Adiournment The meeting adjourned at 9:31 a.m. ~~ oard Reporter Marine Advisory 2007-01-10 <~ Chair Marine Advisory Board -- 5