10/07/2016

Committee to review town harbors; service to fishing, recreation and aquaculture

A new committee will begin meeting after the first of the year to review Cape Elizabeth's coastal waters and how they are serving the fishing, aquaculture and recreational needs of the town.

The Town Council on Oct. 5, 2015 approved a charge for the ad hoc committee, and appropriated $15,000 from undesignated funds to complete its work. Updating the Harbors Report, originally prepared in the late 1980s, is a 2016 goal for the Town Council.

"One of the reasons we need some money is because we don't have any internal expertise in some of the areas the committee is going to be looking at," Town Manager Michael McGovern said at the meeting. The town will likely advertise for technical as well as clerical assistance, he said. Ian Anderson, Scarborough's marine resource officer who also serves as harbormaster for Cape Elizabeth, may provide be able to provide some assistance, but the committee would still need more technical expertise.

According to the approved charge the committee will:

• Review the town’s Coastal Waters and Harbor Ordinance and recommending any changes it deems desirable to the Town Council.
• Meet with state officials to determine options for boat access in the Kettle Cove/Crescent Beach State Park area and develop a long range plan for access.
• Update the maps utilized by the harbormaster showing potential locations for moorings.
• Inventory public water access.
• Consider such other related matters as the town council may request.

The Town Council will appoint two councilors to the committee, and three citizens recommended by the council's appointments subcommittee.

The appointments committee is accepting applications now for the Harbors Committee, which will begin meeting after the first of the year and prepare a report for the Town Council by Dec. 31, 2017. Deadline for application is Nov. 4, 2016.