Harbor Commission Meeting - 2020-07-08

Detailed briefing

Harbor Commission Meeting — July 8, 2020 ATTENDEES: Jim Bartlett, Jeff James, Fred Rockwitz, Michael Esposito, Laura Coors, Flicka Reagan, Nick Schiller, Bill McCullough, and Tim Fletcher Rice. Tom Graham was absent. • The commission approved the June 10 meeting minutes with corrections. Corrections included how Georgia Williams was identified, changing a reference from “buckle failure” to “mooring bridle failure,” and correcting language about electrical pedestals. • Electrical-pedestal work on the east dock will wait until fall because installation would require shutting down the full dock for one or two days. The ordered pedestals were expected by mid-August, with installation anticipated around mid-September as boats come off the dock. • Wallstrom Barge and Crane reported its first-year Fort Park staging arrangement was delayed by COVID-related factors, high water, weather, and other conditions. A nearby resident said work extended beyond early morning, affected launch-ramp use, and created an objectionable harbor view when the crane boom was up. Wallstrom said it would be more diligent about lowering the boom daily. The commission said the one-year arrangement will be reviewed after the season, with an October meeting referenced for comments. • The new ferry dock was delivered June 25 and installed for use the following Friday. The ferry company had paid for the dock and was to pay for replacement heavy-duty fendering after existing 6x6 fenders failed. The replacement material was expected the following Monday or Tuesday. • Harbor activity was reported as strong. Launch-ramp daily revenue was reported at $9,200, compared with close to $7,000 at the same point last year. Harbor revenue was reported at $56,630, compared with just under $40,000 at the same date in 2019. Long-term stays and transient buoy rentals were cited as contributors. • The commission supported using the entire east dock for overflow boats during the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club rendezvous, a Wednesday-through-Friday event capped at 32 boats. Members discussed managing dock activity under COVID guidelines and said they did not plan to raft boats unless necessary. • Commissioners discussed increased wakes in the city marina. The harbor master said he would speak with the patrol officer about continued education and monitoring, including wakes from boats operating in no-wake areas. Worth watching: • Whether the Fort Park barge-staging trial is renewed or changed after the season, and whether nearby residents receive notice before any renewal. • Fall completion of east-dock pedestal installation without unnecessary disruption to dock users. • Deployment and public availability of limited wave and surface-temperature data from the temporary buoy. Upcoming: The next Harbor Commission meeting was identified as August 12 at 4 p.m.; the commission said remote-participation rules could change after July 31. Why it matters: The meeting focused on keeping harbor infrastructure and events operating during a busy season while addressing neighborhood impacts, boating safety, and COVID-related limits.

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.