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07/11/2001MARINE ADVISORY BOARD CITY OF CLEARWATER July 11, 2001 Present: Tom Horne Chair Hank Epstein Board Member Nick Matsis Board Member Paul Kelley Board Member Denis Sparks Board Member Edward O’Brien Board Member Dick Safirstein Board Member Also Present: William Morris Marine & Aviation Department Director Alder Allensworth Sail Ability Florida Paul Evans WindJammers Commodore Chuck Pollick Clearwater Gazette & Beach Views Marcia Charlton Board Reporter The Chair called the meeting to order at 8:00 a.m. at the Marina. To provide continuity for research, items are in agenda order although not necessarily discussed in that order. ITEM 2 – June 13, 2001, Minutes Approval Member Safirstein was inadvertently listed as being absent at the May meeting and the June meeting. The Chair moved to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of June as corrected. The motion was duly seconded and carried unanimously. ITEM 3 – Other Business Mr. Morris updated members on the wake zones and new markers. He has had a lot of positive feedback about the no wake zone as you enter the marina, the extension of the minimum wake for the channel between markers 9 and 11 and the additional markings in Clearwater Pass have made it better for the Pinellas County Sheriffs for enforcement purposes. All of the markers have been paid for with county dollars that were part of the Federal fuel tax program that comes back to the State. Mr. Morris is trying to turn the marker program back to the county. Mr. Morris is currently working on getting an additional marker for the wake zone along Harbor Island. Mr. Horne said that some of the markers are too far apart on the southeast side of the bridge; they are about 50 yards apart, we don’t have enough markers. After some discussion Mr. Morris suggested that at the next meeting members come prepared to identify where more markers are needed on a larger chart. Mr. Morris will proceed with the emergency marker paperwork to get that in place and get more information out to the public regarding wake zones and markers. Mr. Morris got a visit from Mr. Peter Hunt regarding a request for a gated marker at day beacon #13 at Dunedin Pass across from #12 at the end of Harbor Island. U.S. Coast Guard did not want to put a marker there because there is no commercial traffic, just local residents. Some members commented that Mr. Morris should go to the Coast Guard and let them decide the issue. Mr. Morris said he would bring a letter forward to the U.S. Coast Guard. The sheriff’s office is responsible for enforcement of the wake areas and markers; the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary helps out on the weekend. Mr. Morris also got an email concerning a representative for the Olympic Committee. Mr. O’Brien has a friend who is on the committee and he approached him to use the sailing center for international sailing site. The committee was positive and is making plans for a site visit. Mr. O’Brien wants someone from the city and sailing center to attend when the date is set. Mr. Morris stated that the St. Petersburg Yacht Club would probably be more involved with the Olympic committee looking for sites. Mr. Morris also stated that any venue for sailing would probably be set up at Sand Key, the County is already starting to look into possible sites to develop should this area be chosen. Ms. Allensworth briefed the members on her recent trip to Australia in regards to their handicapped sailing programs. She met with representatives of the Special Olympics involved with sailing. In Australia you must have a special license to operate a boat. She also updated members on upcoming regattas in the area. Mr. Morris is trying to turn the image of the sailing center around to focus more on special event sailing also the beach area to the north of the center. There is new signage to prevent trailers from parking there, unless there is a special event to allow them. We are having problems with cars stuck in the sand, tailgate parties and launching of waverunners. Mr. Horne brought up that on the spoil islands at the northeast end of Island Estates on the island that he is getting complaints about kids out there on Saturday night and not cleaning up the trash. He would like the marine patrol or sheriffs to say something to them. Mr. O’Brien asked about the parking area on the causeway. Mr. Morris stated the permit was extended until the first of the New Year and could have added extensions until a garage is built to accommodate the overflow. Chuck Pollick asked the members support more docks at the Drew Street facility at Coachman Park because of events going on at the park. He also suggested that the members look at mooring buoys added along the causeway. Mr. Morris is already looking at these options and trying to pursue grant monies to accomplish them. Mr. Pollick also asked about the shoaling around the spoil island after you leave the marina. Mr. Horne stated when the dredging starts, that hopefully the tiers would help that area. Mr. Morris added that we would be using retained earnings for dredging of the marina basin (slips) which would not need a permit because it would be maintenance dredging. It would cost between $50,000 and $100,000. Mr. Morris will be setting up a CIP in the future for continuous annual funding for maintenance dredging and probably using retained earnings. Mr. Morris also stated that he has met with Corp of Engineers regarding the dredging, and was asked by the city to keep in contact with them so that the city would not be left out of the Corp’s budget. Mr. Horne asked about the spoil island. Mr. Morris met with Mr. Corrigan from the DEP to discuss the area to be dredged. Mr. Corrigan is interested in making the area an exclusion zone to boaters, also limiting boats in the grass beds behind Sand Key (no combustions engines). The spoil island or Bird Island is being monitored by the Audubon Society, more discussion next meeting. Mr. O’Brien asked about the dumping of the debris from the dredging project. He stated that 10,000 cubic yards will be put at Shepard’s but is concerned that it will just end up back in the channel. Mr. Morris said that the dredging project will take 30,000 cubic yards of sand out of the basin. Shepard’s site was 1st and is now 3rd for consideration of where to put the dredged material, the corp wants to put it on the beach to the north of the sailing center, maybe all 30,000 cubic yards. Mr. Morris also stated that there was a written agreement between Shepard’s and hotels along Clearwater Pass that if they built the rock groins that when the city did a dredging project that they would be given some of the sand material. Also, the rock groins were built incorrectly and should have been in a “T” shape to retain the sand instead of a straight shape. The groins could be altered to the better shape. ITEM 4 – Agenda for next meeting on August 8, 2001 Members want to address areas that need to have more markers. Further discussion of spoil island and dredging, invite Terry Finch to meeting. ITEM 5 – Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 9:07 a.m.