THIS WAS ANOTHER VERY BUSY FOR YOUR BOARD.  WE WERE 

Ø      ENGAGED AT THE LEGISLATIVE LEVEL IN HARTFORD

Ø      VERY ENGAGED IN THE CRITICLE ISSUE OF DREDGING AND DISPOSAL SITES

Ø      PROVIDE INPUT ON UNDERSOUND UTILITIES IN LONG ISLAND SOUND

Ø      AND CAME TO THE RESCUE OF THE DEP PUMPOUT BOAT ON THE CONNECTICUT RIVER

Ø      AND CONTINUE TO LOBBY THE DEP FOR NOTIFICATION OF HMC’s ON ALL PERMIT APPLICATIONS

BRIEF DETAILS:

OUR CAMPAIGN TO SAVE THE AUTHORITY OF OUR HARBORMASTERS GOES TO SHOW YOU THAT YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

IN SUMMARY .. THE DEP IN AN ATTEMPT AT STRENGTHING THE “BOATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE” LAWS… INADVERTANTLY, VIRTUALLY DEFROCKED OUR HARBOR MASTERS OF THEIRAUTHORITY TO DO THEIR DUTIES AS AUTHORIZED BY OTHER STATUTES AND THE HMC ENABLING LEGISLATION.

THROUGH AN AGGRESSIVE LOBYING EFFORT WE WERE ABLE TO TRACK DOWN THE BILL, GET IT MODIFIED … NO EASY TASK … AND CORRECT THE VERBIAGE.

DREDGING, DREDGING, DREDGING  WHAT CAN I SAY.  WE HAVE A VERY CRITICAL ISSUE HERE IN CONNECTICUT WITH THE “SCHEDULED” CLOSING OF THE MID SOUND DISPOSAL SITE AND OUR CAMPAIGN TO KEEP IT OPEN UNTIL ALTERNATIVE SITES ARE ESTABLISHED; BUT LET ME INTRODUCE Geoff Steadman to give you a high level overview of what is going on.  BY THE WAY GEOFF WAS A PRESENTOR AT THE NATIONAL COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE THIS YEAR.  …GEOFF

(Geoff Steadman spoke.)

WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT UNDERSOUND UTILITIES … ITS LIKE A RELENTLESS ONSLOUGHT OF WAVES OF APPLICATIONS COMING ASHORE IN SPITE OF A MORITORUM IN PLACE…

WE HAVE REINFORCED OUR POSITION … AND RECEIVED LETTERS OF THANK YOU FROM ATORNEY GENERAL BLUMENTHAL AND COMMISSIONER ART ROCQUE.

OUR POSITION IS: APPLICANTS MUST .. WHICH THEY HAVE NOT DONE THUS FAR… PROVIDE APPROVING AUTHORITIES SHORT AND LONG TERM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDIES. 

PLUS… AND THIS IS IMPORTANT WE STAND BY OUR ORIGINAL OBJECTION TO THE DEPTH TO WHICH THE CABLES OR PIPES MUST BE LAID.  OUR CONCERN IS DRAGGING SHIP ANCHORS LIKE HAPPENED TO THE NORWALK CABLE FIELD EARLY THIS SUMMER.

OUR NEXT ACCOMPLISHMENT WAS THE JOINING TOGETHER OF THE HARBOR MANAGEMENT COMMISSIONS IN THE LOWER CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY…INCLUDING ONE OF OUR NEWEST COMMISSIONS… OLD SAYBROOK – ROSS BYRNE,

Ø      OLD LYME - NORM HEWETT

Ø      ESSEX

Ø      CHESTER

WE WERE ABLE TO… IN A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME… ORGANIZE AND ASSUME THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SUMMER AND FALL.

SOME HIGHLIGHTS DURING JULY AND AUGUST, EACH MONTH WE:

Ø      PUMPED OUT 400 BOATS

Ø      PUMPED IN 7,000 GALLONS OF SEWAGE

Ø      AND WHILE AT IT THE CREW SAVED A LIFE IN HAMBURG COVE.

WHAT’S NEXT……

Ø        WE SHALL CONTINUE IN OUR EFFORTS TO GET THE DEP TO REQUIRE APPLICANTS OF ANY PERMITS… THIS INCLUDED 4/40’S TO SUBMIT SAID APPLICATION TO THE LOCAL HMS WHERE ONE EXISTS SIMULTANEOUS WITH SUBMISSION TO THE DEP. 

Ø        WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE DEP, DOT AND ATTORNEY GENERALS OFFICE IN CLARIFYING THE CONFUSION IN HARBORMASTER’S AUTHORITY BETWEEN

q       ENABLING LEGISLATION

q       PUBLIC ACTS AND

q       STATE STATUTES

q       SOME LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT’S OPINION

WE WILL CONTINUE IN OUR LEADERSHIP ROLE IN HARBORMASTER TRAINING

I STILL WANT TO PURSUE THE UPPER CONNECTICUT RIVER AS A CRUISING DESTINATION.  THE ADRIEN’S LANDING Riverfront Recapture CHM has been too busy for the last year to talk with me about this opportunity.  Middletown is onboard.

A REMINDER… BOARD MEMBERS ARE AVAILABLE TO ASSIST OUR MEMBER COMMISSIONS IN LOCAL ISSUES THAT MAY HAVE STATEWIDE RAMIFICATIONS

THIS HAS TRULY BEEN A YEAR OF PROGRESS………

NOW I WOULD LIKE TO REINTRODUCE BOARD MEMBER GEOFF STEADMAN FOR A SPECIAL AWARD.

THANK YOU GEOFF

NOW LETS MOVE INTO TONIGHT’S PROGRAM:

GEOFF WILL BE THE MODERATOR…..GEOFF