Salem Harbor Port Authority

SALEM HARBOR PORT AUTHORITY 98 WASHINGTON STREET, SALEM, MASSACHUSETTS 01970 (978) 619-5685 PLANNING (978) 741-5685 HARBORMASTER MEETING MINUTES: June 2, 2022 A public meeting of the Salem Harbor Port Authority was convened at 5:00 pm via Zoom web conference. Members present: Michael Rutstein (Chairman), Councilor Bob McCarthy, Fred Atkins, and Kathy Winn Members absent: Mayor Kimberley Driscoll Others Present: Capt. Bill McHugh – Harbormaster, Seth Lattrell – Port Authority Deputy/Planner, Christine Petryszyn – Recording Clerk Call to Order Chairman Rutstein called the meeting to order at 5:04 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. Hybrid Meeting Overview Beginning with the July 7th meeting, the Port Authority meetings are anticipated to be hybrid in format. A quorum of the members must be in-person. The meetings will be held in the large conference room in the City Hall Annex. The room is enabled for Zoom meetings. The public will be able to see and hear all members, and will be able to provide comment. Staff Authority Updates Harbor Plan/DPA Master Plan A draft of the Harbor Plan was submitted to the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) for review. CZM has been engaged throughout the process of drafting the plan so substantive comments are not expected. New developments within the south harbor are working within the guidelines of the current plan so no new changes to the Harbor Plan are anticipated.  Meeting Minutes June 2, 2022 Page 2 Offshore Wind Governor Baker came to Salem recently to announce $100M in his supplemental budget for offshore wind ports. Of the $100M, $45M is earmarked for Salem. The Governor’s presence in Salem for the announcement and commitment demonstrates his administration’s appreciation to Salem for its work towards supporting offshore wind. The team is working to continue to advocate to the state legislature to secure the funding. Project Funding On May 16th, a $30M federal grant was submitted to help support the next phase of the project. Two additional grants are being pursued. The first is to support equitable workforce development in EJ communities. UMass, ECCF, and MassHire are working with the City on this grant. The second grant provides funding to support infrastructure. Crowley is the lead on this application. There are also smaller buckets of funding being pursued. There are also other needs for funding as well, such as the ferry terminal building. The existing trailer was not meant to be permanent, and is now over 10 years old. Schedule Updates Mr. Lattrell noted that the project is at 10% design. The City will be having a meeting with department heads in mid-June. Their aim is to see improved public access, parking, etc. Permitting for the project can’t start until after property close. Engagement Engagement is quickly ramping up. The first public meeting with the Derby Street neighborhood was last week and it was very well received. Constructive comments were received, particularly around construction impacts. A meeting with the Willows neighborhood is on June 14th, and the first community-wide meeting will be on June 22th, followed by a meeting with the City Council. Harbormaster Report Harbormaster McHugh provided the Harbormaster’s Report. He reported that though there were challenges with procurement of materials leading to delays, the new platforms on the north berth look excellent. He added the piling caps should arrive in two weeks, and then the project will be finished. The berth can be used for large yachts, which they are hoping to promote for Salem, as they are expected to bring revenue and boost tourism. Yacht Insider has been a good promoter. On June 29th they are hosting a tour of Salem and Gloucester. Salem Trolley is providing support as well.  Meeting Minutes June 2, 2022 Page 3 Harbormaster McHugh noted The Landing should have been open all of last weekend, but they are struggling with personnel issues. They are trying to recruit enough staff to be open Thursday through Saturday. They would like to bring the harbor shuttle back, but they don’t have the staff to support the boats. They hope to operate the shuttle similar to an Uber format. Boston Harbor Cruises (BHC) is working on changing commuter notifications to text messages for inclement weather. The search is ongoing for a new ferry. A 149-passenger ferry was found in Maine, but a larger vessel would better serve the City’s needs. BHC may have a ferry they may be willing to charter or sell. The City has to update its Facilities Security Plan. There may be issues with the cyber security component. Salem doesn’t rely heavily on internet use, so there are efforts to secure special dispensation on this requirement. Changes were made to the Blaney Street parking sign which now specifies no parking without permits 7am-7pm, May 1st– November 1st, and no RV parking. Councilman McCarthy noted that the lot was very busy and availability for commuters must be ensured. A ferry overhaul is scheduled for the fall, and contracts will be going out shortly. This will keep us on track for our milestone maintenance. Public Comment The meeting was opened for public comment. There were no comments. Approval of Minutes Meeting minutes from the May 5th meeting were unanimously approved by all members present. Adjournment Salem Harbor Port Authority adjourned at 6:00 pm.