BHMA Minutes April 18 2018Harbor Management Authority
Minutes of April 18, 2018 Meeting
CITY OF BEVERLY
PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES
Board:
Harbor Management Authority
Date:
April 18, 2018
Location:
Beverly Public Library -Fogg Room
Members Present:
Chair Paul Earl, Don Neuman, Rinus Oosthoek, Chris
D'Alfonso, Pat McAleer, David Suminsby, George Simon,
Rob Dever (Marina Manager)
Members Absent:
Emily Flaherty, Larry Herman, Estelle Rand, David Lang
Others Present:
Bryant Ayles (City Finance Director), Keith Baker
Recorder:
Brett Bauer
Earl calls the meeting to order at 7:00 pm. Discussions about the signage review, bridge mural,
and plastic bag project will be moved to the May meeting.
Discussion with City Finance Director, Bryant Ayles
Ayles first thanks the volunteers that the City relies on to serve on the various boards and
committees. He notes that he started his career with the Mass Department of Revenue where he
developed a cost allocation system. At the City of Beverly, indirect costs are charged in various
ways and he has tried to clarify these charges in a way that makes sense and follows accounting
standards. The costs have to be related to the services received. The HMA does not pay the exact
amount of costs assessed from City services it receives. Last year, these costs were estimated at
$16k, but the charge was rounded down to $10k. Neuman notes that the HMA's ability to pursue
projects is dependent on the balance in the enterprise fund so they continually try to grow this
fund. Oosthoek notes that the financials are much clearer and make sense to him. Ayles notes that
he looked at the utility meters on the waterfront to consider what utility charges make sense for
the HMA to pay. Dever adds that the McDonald's building is using very little in utilities. Ayles
will see if this meter can be shut down. Ayles notes that the Harbormaster building is almost net -
zero in energy use with the solar panels. And the lights for the parking area serve the waterfront
and marina, so it makes sense for the HMA to incur those costs. Earl comments that the costs
seem justified and he sees no reason to contest the $ 1 Ok charge for city services.
FY19 Budget
Oosthoek asks how much of the current projects will come out of this upcoming budget. Earl
responds that the $190k amount in the reserve fund accounts for current project commitments,
but that number could come down to $175k. Earl notes that the total expenditures for the pilings
project was $715k, and this is $215k over the original estimate of $500k. Oosthoek questions
whether there was value in paying GZA the $30k to oversee the project. Dever feel that this
expense did add value as there were no change orders for the project. Earl feels that the
percentage of GZA's fee to the overall cost was high. He has typically seen 7 -8% for engineering
fees to total project cost. Dever responds that 10 -12% is more typical for government projects.
Earl notes that the operating expenses, assuming a full marina, are mostly based on last year's
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Minutes of April 18, 2018 Meeting
number. But, he adds, the utility expenses for this year have been moved to a utilities category.
Regarding the Bass River, Neuman notes that the current estimate is $3 million, and the City will
need to contribute a total of 50% if dredge money becomes available. Neuman asks how much
money is needed for the hoist/fish pier. Dever responds that Josh, from GZA, still owes them an
estimate. Dever notes that the deadline for submitting the fish pier project for the Seaport grant is
sometime in September, and this would just be for permitting. Neuman notes that the costs from
GZA have gone up and their responsiveness has gone down. He asks if it is time to look for a
new engineering firm. He also asks if Public Works can share the engineering fees for the pilings
project. Dever will look into this. Simon asks if there was any conclusion on HMA money used
for Green Hill. Ayles responds that a report on this inquiry is owed to the HMA. Dever brings up
the need to discuss the financial responsibility for the security cameras on the Harbormaster
building. Two were lost in the March storms, and they cost $lk each. It also costs about $200 per
year to operate the cameras. Earl asks how other departments handle this, such as the schools or
police. Simon comments that if the HMA absorbs this cost, can they consider increasing the
marina fees.
Approval of Minutes
Oosthoek motions to approve the March 21, 2018 meeting minutes. Seconded by Suminsby. The
motion is approved, 7 -0.
Project Updates
Piling Project
Dever reports that the contractor is just cleaning up and has the caps left to install.
Bass River
Earl notes that this project needs the City's attention to move forward.
Transient Moorings
McAleer reports that he is told this project is moving along when he has spoken with the
Harbormaster a few times in the past month. He has offered his assistance should the
Harbormaster need it. Earl notes that they need to come up with an amount to charge so that the
Marine Trade Association can list it on their website and other marketing materials. Other
marinas charge $30 -$40 per night with launch service. Earl suggests that $25 per night may
make sense without launch service available. Suminsby will post this rate to the HMA website.
Dever suggests that the Harbormaster could start using GoParkIt to collect transient mooring
fees. This is the same service that was introduced for parking meters, and it is also being adopted
for use at the airport.
Kayak/SUP Rack Expansion
Suminsby has drafted an RDA (Request for Determination of Approvability) for the
Conservation Committee in consultation with Amy Maxner. Oosthoek notes that fee waivers for
any review should be requested.
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Waterfront Master Plan
McAleer reports that the last meeting was mostly trying to clarify the purpose of the project
meetings. Earl asks if there are any plans for the consultants to communicate with various
stakeholders. McAleer responds that they have currently sought out every Chapter 91 license in
the project zone and that they plan to reach out to property owners and stakeholders.
Commercial Marina Contract Review
Dever will compile the notes from his meeting with Oosthoek and Herman and relay these to
Earl.
Main Street 2030
Oosthoek reports that he has urged this group to consult with the HMA on portions of this project
that will be on the waterfront.
Marina Facilities Report
Dever reports that GFCI's have been installed for electrical service to the recreational marina per
the current code standards. This will cause some boats with grounding issues to trip the breakers,
and we should notify recreational marina tenants ahead of time. Earl asks about the timing of the
Dinghy float replacement. Dever responds that this needs to be done soon. Dever reports that the
WIFI may only cost $5k if only two antennas are needed, and it should only take one day to
complete once the work is started. D'Alfonso asked if they can make the password something
that is easier to remember. Dever responds that they should be able to choose the password.
Dever reports that a dinghy rack user has asked for a bathroom card key. Earl asks if there are
any objections to providing a bathroom card key to dinghy rack users upon request. No
objections are heard.
Dever reports that all customers on the recreational side of the marina have paid except for one,
and that customer is not returning. He adds that they are currently calling through the waiting
list. Oosthoek asks if this list can be made public. Some discussion follows about what the fee is
for being on the waiting list, whether or not the fee is collected, and whether there is any
accounting of this.
Other Initiatives /Items /Announcements
D'Alfonso asks if a meeting can be held outside at the marina this summer. The July meeting is
suggested.
Earl announces that the Harbor Fest is scheduled for Saturday, September 8th this year.
Adjournment
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Minutes of April 18, 2018 Meeting
There being no further business before the Harbor Management Authority this evening,
Suminsby makes a motion to adjourn. Neuman seconds. Motion to adjourn approved
unanimously (7 -0).
The HMA Meeting was adjourned at 8:45 pm.
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