06/10/2015 MARINE ADVISORY BOARD MEETING MINUTES
CITY OF CLEARWATER
June 10, 2015
Present: Chair Paul J. Kelley, Vice Chair Paul E. Lightfoot, Board Member Jane Davison Bongo,
Board Member Edward T. O'Brien Jr., Board Member Nino Accetta, Board Member Michael
Grohman, Board Member Tish Wold, Ex Officio Member Eric D. Spaulding
Also Present: Camilo Soto -Assistant City Attorney, William Morris - Marine &Aviation
Department Director, Patricia O. Sullivan - Board Reporter
The Chair called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. at City Hall.
To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily
discussed in that order.
2 —Approval of Minutes
2.1. Approve the minutes of the March 11, 2015 Marine Advisory Board meeting as
submitted in written summation.
Member Lightfoot moved to approve the minutes of the March 11, 2015 Marine Advisory Board
meeting as submitted in written summation. The motion was duly seconded and carried
unanimously.
3 —Citizens to be Heard re Items Not on the Agenda: None.
4—Old Business
4.1. Dunedin Pass Channel Discussion
Marine & Aviation Department Director Bill Morris reviewed the Woods Engineering report,
which indicated the City could obtain permits to dredge the Dunedin Pass Channel near Island
Estates only one more foot in depth. Dredging a 100-foot wide channel, one additional foot deep
from the Seminole Launch Ramp to the north end of Mandalay Channel would cost $1.75
million. A board-recommended recreation zone would force larger boats away from the
shoreline. He recommended the Mandalay Channel recreation zone and this proposed
recreation zone be separated with a slow speed minimum wake zone extending to Red Marker
14 to discourage high speed boat traffic from hugging the north end of Island Estates. Maritime
enforcement is helpful but turnover of enforcement supervision is underway. In response to a
question, Mr. Morris said he had received no complaints re speeding boats near Carlouel.
Discussion ensued re wakes from large boats in the Dunedin Pass Channel and the success of
the Mandalay Channel recreation zone.
Member Lightfoot moved to recommend that a slow speed minimum wake zone be established
at the north end of Island Estates between the Mandalay Channel recreation zone and the
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proposed Dunedin Pass Channel recreation zone. The motion was duly seconded and carried
unanimously.
4.2. Clearwater Point Discussion
Mr. Morris said Woods Engineering had suggested several options re dredging near Clearwater
Point. Staff declined the Coast Guard's proposal for the City to accept responsibility for nearby
aids to navigation. The consultant for the Marquesa Hotel's developers felt strongly the
developers would offer to pay $200,000 toward the projected $406,000 cost to dredge the
channel if the dredge material is pumped onto the Marquesa Hotel property for future beach
renourishment. The hotel would use the sand for a beach once it obtained necessary permits
and constructed the tees and groins. If there is sufficient sand to share with Shepherd's and
other properties, the City also would request contributions from those property owners.
Shoaling began to reoccur prior to completion of the last dredging project. The Army Corps of
Engineers plans to expedite a survey of the area to verify how much shoaling occurred in the 3
years since that project. The Army Corps suggested that boats are causing channel edges to
collapse by cutting into and out of the channel and running along its edges to avoid wake zones.
In response to a question, Mr. Morris said during the last project, dredge material was deposited
off of Pier 60.
Member Lightfoot moved to recommend that the City Council adopt Wood's Engineering Option
2 to dredge the Clearwater Point channel and deposit the dredge material on the Marquesa
Hotel property. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously.
4.3. Beach Marina Construction Update
Mr. Morris said rental space at the Beach Marina had doubled. The main floor restaurant will
open in mid September; employees will be required to commute via the ferry. The first-floor
diner will open before the 2nd floor and rooftop restaurant. The 2015 date for the grand opening
of the large restaurant has not been finalized. Mr. Morris encouraged board members to visit the
marina and view the changes.
4.4. Urban Land Institute Report Update
Mr. Morris said the consulting contract for the marina portion of the ULI (Urban Land Institute)
report was being drafted. A contract will be signed this month. The marina plan will integrate the
downtown waterfront with the Seminole Launch Ramp. Short term goals include the posibility of
a high and dry marina near the Seminole Launch Ramp.
4.5. Tropics Ferry Update
The City did not issue a RFP (Request for Proposals) for the ferry service. A private company
runs the ferry without City funding. Staff is working to tweek the location of the ferry landing at
the Downtown Marina due to conjestion on the north basin docks. Parking by the downtown
ferry landing is no longer a problem. A ferry landing at the Clearwater Beach Rec Center has
been requested.
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The ferry service was complimented for easing parking shortages on the beach and providing
alternate transportation for beach hotel, restaurant, and construction project employees.
5 — New Business
5.1. RFP #20 -15 New Restaurant Proposals
Mr. Morris said the City had received 3 proposals for the Crabby Bills site by the roundabout.
Crabby Bills likely will be razed when its lease expires at the end of September; the new
restaurant will open in January 2017. The new structure will be limited to 3 levels, with no
permanent placement uses permitted on the first floor. The review committee will meet on June
26, 2015 for scheduled presentations; the City Council will review the committee's rankings and
approve moving forward with one proposal. All proposals provide the marina at least an
additional $100,000 annually.
Items not on the Agenda
Airport Operations Manager Gordie Wills discussed conflicts between north basin vessels
entering the Downtown Marina and anglers with lines in the water. He expressed concern a
physical altercation may occur. Fishing line has wrapped around props on two vessels. The City
will post signs requesting anglers to yield to boaters. As a last resort, fishing could be prohibited
at the point of conflict.
Suggestions were made for signage requesting boaters to be considerate of anglers and for
volunteer police to patrol the area.
Concern was expressed that a slip near the Starlight Majesty has signficant silting during mean
low water.
6 - Agenda for next meeting on September 9, 2015
7 — Adjourn
The meeting adjourned at 9:54 a.m.
Attest:
Bo rd Reporter
Marine Advisory Board
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