Salem Harbor Port Authority

SALEM HARBOR PORT AUTHORITY 98 WASHINGTON STREET, SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS 01970 (978) 619-5685 PLANNING (978) 741-5685 HARBORMASTER MEETING MINUTES: November 4, 2021 A public meeting of the Salem Harbor Port Authority was convened at 5:00 pm via Zoom web conference. Members present: Michael Rutstein (Chairman), Mayor Kimberley Driscoll, Councilor Bob McCarthy - Ward 1, Fred Atkins Members absent: None Others Present: Tom Daniel – Planning Director, Capt. Bill McHugh – Harbormaster, Seth Lattrell – Port Authority Deputy/Planner, Senator Joan Lovely, Jeff Cohen - Ward 5 Councilor- Elect, Bob Blair – Eastern Point Pilots Chairman Rutstein called the meeting to order at 5:05 pm and outlined the format for the meeting, indicating that members of the public may provide comments during the period of the meeting designated for public comment. Mr. Lattrell provided an update on offshore wind. Mr. Lattrell requested Port Authority support to send a letter to the state’s 83-III evaluation committee in support of Commonwealth Wind. Mayor Driscoll made a motion to issue the letter with SHPA support. The motion was passed unanimously. Mr. Rutstein suggested that the city may need to bring in subject area experts to support negotiations of a CBA and development of a tariff schedule, leading to a discussion of leverage and timing. The consensus was that support may be needed, but that we need to manage our priorities broadly across the city and wait to bring in the right support at the right time when details for site reuse become clearer. Mr. Lattrell provided an update on the Port Infrastructure Grant Application. An application was submitted on July 30th for $3.14M and includes improvements to the mooring system and access enhancements. No response has been received from MARAD. Mr. Lattrell raised for discussion whether it would be in the city's interest to rescind the MARAD application to improve chances of winning a larger grant in partnership with Crowley next year. Following a discussion, the SHPA members agreed not to rescind the application at this point. Mr. Lattrell  Meeting Minutes Nov 4, 2021 Page 2 also report that he is exploring a potential EDA tourism grant for a ferry terminal building due late January. Mr. Lattrell shared a copy of the technical memo prepared by IAMPE following the strategic visioning session held on October 5. There was a discussion of next steps, and general agreement that a strategic plan would follow the completion of the Harbor Plan / DPA Master Plan. Mr. Lattrell shared that the website is ready to publish and is requesting final review by SHPA members before it’s published. The members agreed to review and share any comments within one week. Harbormaster McHugh provided the Harbormasters report. BHC successfully ran multiple additional ferries during Halloween to address the increased number of visitors, including their 45-meter catamaran during heavy weather. Staff and BHC are coordinating on several items from the past year, including the necessary overhaul of the Bowditch, challenges with ticketing/staff, and issues with the hours of operation/marketing of the Landing. Mr. Lattrell shared that the MHP and DPA Master Plan are ongoing. The consultant team continues to make progress on the draft of the document while the state is reviewing individual sections as they are complete. The meeting was opened for public comment. Bob Blair, Salem port pilot, commented that the city should add additional staff to support the offshore wind effort. Mr. Rutstein inquired if additional meetings of the Port Authority would be helpful. Mr. Lattrell agreed that additional resources are needed but indicated that we need to get a further along with Crowley so that we better understand where assistance is needed, including but not limited to the execution of the PSA and the MA-3 award to Commonwealth Wind. Mr. McHugh agreed and shared that we need to sort out the City’s role in this largely private development before engaging a consultant team. Meeting minutes from the October 7 meeting were unanimously approved by all members present. Salem Harbor Port Authority adjourned @ 6:10 pm.