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LEGISLATIVE BOATING CAUCUS DISCUSSES KEY
LEGISLATION
On May 23, 2007 the Massachusetts Legislative Boating
Caucus met at the State House to discuss issues relative to the
Massachusetts recreational marine trades and boating community. The Caucus
consists of over 50 members of the Legislature who meet several times
throughout the year to discuss and advance initiatives directed at
preserving the marine trades' recreational boating industry in
Massachusetts and enhancing the boating experience. MMTA is honored to
support Boating Caucus Chairman Anthony Verga and his
staff in facilitating the Boating Caucus. Chairman Anthony
Verga (Gloucester) led an engaging discussion among Massachusetts
Legislative Boating Caucus members and guests on a number of legislative
vehicles with implications for the recreational marine trades and the
boating industry. Participating in the meeting were Representatives
Paul Kujawski (Webster)and Senator Michael
Morrissey (Quincy), the MMTA 2006 Legislators of the Year,
Representative Brad Hill (Ipswich), Representative Susan Gifford
(Wareham), Representative Frank Hynes (Scituate), and
Representative John Scibak (South Hadley). Staff members
attended on behalf of Representatives Robert DeLeo (Winthrop),
Mark Falzone (Saugus) and Mary Grant (Beverly) and
Senator Robert O'Leary (Cape and Islands). The Caucus was also joined
by Director James Hanlon and Lieutenant Larry
Chenier of the MA Environmental Police, Director
Jack Sheppard and Doug Cameron of the Office
of Fishing and Boating Access, and Stephanie
Cunningham of the Division of Marine Fisheries.
ABANDONED VESSEL LEGISLATION
Meeting
participants spoke about legislation and other funding initiatives
pertaining to vessels abandoned on land and water, workforce development,
moorings administration and dredging. Chairman Verga is the lead sponsor
of HB3781, which would reduce costs and speed the system
for marina operators to dispose legally of vessels abandoned on their
property. MMTA assisted Chairman Verga with the drafting of this important
legislation. Chairman Verga explained how well-received the bill was in
the 2005/2006 legislative session and spoke with renewed confidence in the
bill's chances of passage during the current session. HB3781 is MMTA's
top legislative priority and cannot be successful without the vocal support
of the Caucus and MMTA membership. Association members are urged to
contact their elected officials and ask them to make HB3781 their
legislative priority as well. MMTA Government Relations and Legal
Counsel, Jamy Buchanan Madeja, would welcome your call or email asking for
talking points or to volunteer to testify at the upcoming public hearing on
July 16 at 1:00pm at the State House. Attorney Madeja can be
reached at 617-227-8410, ext. 234 or jmadeja@buchananassociates.com. Chairman Verga also expressed
support for Representative Antonio Cabral's (New Bedford)
legislation relative to addressing vessels abandoned in water
(HB726). Currently the Coast Guard limits its removal
actions to navigable channels while vessels abandoned outside navigable
fairways often remain in place indefinitely. MMTA supports this bill as
well. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
MMTA Director Ed
Lofgren, Trustee of the Massachusetts Marine Trades Educational
Trust (MMTET) and President of 3A Marine in Hingham, was invited to discuss
workforce development issues before the Caucus. Mr. Lofgren cited the most
recent marine workforce study available, which indicates that the marine
industry in Massachusetts alone has a need for an additional 1600 skilled
technicians in the coming years. Though progress has been made toward
providing technical training opportunities to grow a qualified employee
pool, a great deal more needs to be done with the support of the
Legislature. Marine training programs launched at Massasoit Community
College (Canton Campus) and the Benjamin Franklin Institute (Boston Campus)
have proven successful and several educational leaders at the secondary
level are intent on establishing similar programs. MMTET has met with
officials at Marblehead High School, where a marine technical program would
be implemented but for the lack of funding to hire an instructor.
Though not
officially awarded as of the date of the Caucus meeting, Mr. Lofgren
thanked Chairman Verga and Senate President Therese Murray for their active
support of MMTET's efforts to secure a Commonwealth Corporation grant for
the establishment of a Marine Trades Center of Excellence at
Massasoit Community College. The Center would be dedicated to
alleviating workforce shortages in the marine trades. Mr. Lofgren urged
Caucus members to view the workforce shortage in the marine trades as a
potential employment and career opportunity for the many young people at
risk in our communities. Representative Kujawski
commented that 20 years ago trade schools were considered an
alternative for less promising students, but today applicants are often
denied entry due to the rigorous standards imposed upon vocational
schools. Discussions ensued regarding the economic impacts of the absence
of trained workers. Attorney Madeja noted that MMTA has
been advocating in the executive branch for the formation of an Interagency
Task Force much like the Legislative Boating Caucus, and has garnered the
support of Lieutenant Governor Murray and several key cabinet secretaries
in the Patrick Administration. Lt. Governor Murray has assigned Asst.
Secretary Bob Coughlin to work on this Interagency Task Force with respect
to economic development concerns. MOORINGS FEES
Senator O'Leary and Representative Hynes each
filed legislation that would repeal Senator Morrissey's successful efforts
in the FY05 state budget to require communities to charge the same mooring
fees to residents and nonresidents. Representative Hynes stated that he
believes the issue should be aired in public hearings rather than through
the state budget process and noted that communities must charge fees to
maintain waterways. MMTA takes no position on how localities
should be allowed to charge reasonable mooring permit fees; however,
Attorney Madeja noted that repealing the law should be done carefully, if
it is done at all, so as not to repeal authority for localities to be
charging any mooring permit fees at all. Additionally,
Senator Morrissey is the lead sponsor of
SB2075, which affirms legislatively the current
"Chapter 91" regulatory provision allowing marinas, boatyards and yacht
clubs to receive moorings assignments for sublease or rental to individual
customers, patrons or members. MMTA is a strong proponent of this
legislation. Representative Gifford inquired as to why the
current State Inspector General, Gregory Sullivan, has
sought to change this long-standing and balanced element of the statewide
moorings assignment regulations. Indeed, boatyards and marinas provide
parking, restrooms and moorings maintenance that communities could
ill-afford. Chairman Verga noted that without the
assistance of marinas, transient vessels could not visit communities and
infuse them with tourism dollars. MMTA is optimistic that as the Inspector
General learns more about the public benefits provided by marinas,
boatyards and yacht clubs, his position may change. The Boating Caucus
discussed this subject, and those members present indicated support for the
marinas, boat yards and yacht clubs. Representative
Hynes stated that a serious concern is the perceived practice of
private citizens "selling" publicly owned slips and moorings due to the
high demand for them. He later expressed awareness that many recreational
boating facilities traditionally charge for many services bundled into a
single seasonal or monthly fee, causing misunderstanding as to what the fee
is for. Representative Hynes then expressed support for the continued
practice of "local choice" to assign moorings to boatyards or boating clubs
for subsequent rental or lease to customers or patrons.
DREDGING
Representative
Hynes shared his concern for lack of dredging funds to
maintain public waterways if the Army Corps declined to use public monies
for dredging around "private" moorings. Dredging is comparable to filling
potholes on roads and other highway maintenance, added
Representative Hynes, noting that our "coastal highways" should be dredged
every seven years rather than every 30 years as is the current average in
MA. Without adequate dredging waterways become inaccessible and
moorings field cannot be maintained nor expanded. Representative Hynes
recently expressed this to the Patrick-Murray
Administration, which inquired of legislators their capital
project priorities. MANDATORY SAFE BOATING EDUCATION
Chairman
Verga is the lead sponsor of HB2400, An Act
Relative to Mandatory Safe Boating Education, which had been
championed by former Caucus member and now retired State Representative
Shirley Gomes. MMTA supports this legislation because it
sensibly phases in the education requirement, provides exemptions or
equivalency examinations for experienced or licensed boaters, allows a
multitude of non-state education providers who adhere to NASBLA standards,
and permits new boat owners reasonable time to obtain the certificate
without banning operation of the newly acquired boat in the interim. MMTA
will continue to support HB2400 in its present form in order to exempt MA
from the imposition of a "federal standard" currently advocated by the USCG
for all states that do not have mandatory safe boating education in place.
Representing MMTA at the May Caucus meeting was Director
Russ Vickers of Hawthorne Cove Marina, Leona
Roach, MMTA Executive Director, Jamy Buchanan Madeja,
Esq., MMTA Government Relations & Legal Counsel and
Nathalie Grady, MMTA Public Affairs Director. MMTA thanks
Chairman Anthony Verga for inviting MMTA to participate in this Boating
Caucus meeting and looks forward to attending the next meeting.
If your
elected officials are not members of the Massachusetts Legislative Boating
Caucus, please contact them to ask them to join. If you would like
assistance doing so, please contact Nathalie Grady at 978-808-1408 or
nathalie.grady@boatma.com. Please join MMTA in thanking the
Representatives and Senators who comprise the Massachusetts Legislative
Boating Caucus and encouraging them to continue their involvement:
Senator Stephen M. Brewer, Senator Stephen Buoniconti, Senator Gale
Candaras, Senator Susan C. Fargo, Senator Robert Hedlund, Senator Joan
Menard,Senator Michael W. Morrissey, Senator Robert O' Leary, Senator Bruce
E. Tarr, Senator Susan C. Tucker, Rep. Bruce Ayers, Rep. Garrett Bradley,
Rep. Antonio Cabral, Rep. Stephen Canessa, Rep. Paul C. Casey, Rep. Robert
Coughlin, Rep. Robert DeLeo, Rep. Paul Donato, Rep. Mark Falzone, Rep.
Michael Festa, Rep. Colleen Garry, Rep. Susan Williams Gifford, Rep. Mary
Grant, Rep. Patricia Haddad, Rep. Bradford Hill, Rep. Frank Hynes, Rep. Kay
Khan, Rep. Rachel Kaprielian, Rep. John Keenan, Rep. Peter Kocot, Rep. Paul
Kujawski, Rep. Stephen LeDuc, Rep. John Lepper, Rep. Matthew Patrick, Rep.
Douglas Petersen, Rep. George Peterson, Rep. John Quinn, Rep. Michael
Rodrigues, Rep. John Rogers, Rep. Richard Ross, Rep. John Scibak, Rep.
Theodore Speliotis, Rep. Harriett Stanley, Rep. William Straus, Rep. Eric
Turkington, Rep. Cleon Turner, Rep. Anthony J. Verga, Rep. Brian Wallace,
Rep. Martin Walsh, Rep. Steven M. Walsh and Rep. Martha Walz.
Questions on the abandoned
vessel legislation or any other MA legislative concern may be directed to
Jamy Madeja by clkicking here |
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FOCUS ON THE MASSACHUSETTS SEAPORT
COUNCIL
What is the Massachusetts Seaport
Council?
The Seaport Council, Chaired by
the Lt. Governor, consists of 15 members including cabinet secretaries,
agency heads, mayors from seaport communities, and regional and waterway
user representatives. Its members appointed by the Governor present a wide
range of viewpoints on seaport development and policy, including
environmental, maritime commerce, business development, and government
perspectives. The Council meets quarterly to discuss current issues
facing the Commonwealth's ports and to make recommendations to the Governor
regarding release of capital funds from the approximate $300 million
Seaport Bond Bill for seaport projects that revitalize and enhance the
state's port and harbor resources. Meetings are held in different port
cities and towns on a rotating basis. All meetings are open to the
public. Upcoming meeting details are posted on our What's New
page. Why was
the Seaport Council Created?
The Seaport Advisory Council
emerged as a function of the Lt. Governor's Office based on recommendations
made by the Governor's Commission on Port Development in the fall of 1994
and was formalized that December with the declaration of Executive Order
#376. In 1996, the state legislature enacted the Seaport Bond Bill to
provide capital funds in the order of $300 million for dredging, rail
improvements and coastal facility investment projects. The inception of
the Council and authorization of funds set the stage to: Revitalize the Commonwealth's
five deepwater ports (Boston, Fall River, Gloucester, New Bedford and
Salem)
Support
the Commonwealth's smaller, but economically vital ports and harbors
Ensure the
Commonwealth's ports are equipped physically and institutionally to meet
the demands of modern day shipping
Create a nexus for global and
domestic commerce
Support the Commonwealth's fishing industry
Create new jobs and stimulate
economic growth to Massachusetts via the economic engines of the ports
Articulate,
Develop, and Implement Maritime Policy and Initiatives What has the Seaport Council
Accomplished?
Since the passage of the Seaport Bond Bill nearly $70 million has
been invested in more than 35 Massachusetts coastal communities. The
largest of these was a $15 million dredge project in Boston Harbor, a
landmark step in restoring the "Port of Massachusetts." The Council has
launched several major projects to rebuild commercial piers in communities
lining the coast from Fall River to Salisbury. Improved public access ways
have been brought to several areas including Salem, Newburyport, and Fall
River. Strategic pier assets have been transferred to the public domain to
protect the interests of commercial marine businesses. Seaport Bond Bill
dollars gave rise to aquaculture projects around the state, as well as
various other seaport development efforts, including a project that built a
sophisticated vessel computer simulator at Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
The Council provided funds for the development of comprehensive
harbor plans and coordinator positions to oversee their implementation.
The completion of the harbor plans set the stage for new investment
projects that promise to revitalize our major commercial ports and position
them to better compete in the global marketplace and the reemergence of
coastal shipping (Short Sea Shipping) along the Atlantic Coast.
As mentioned in the above article, Attorney Madeja
has been advocating in the executive branch for the formation of
an Interagency Task Force much like the Legislative Boating Caucus which
will come under the uMbrella of the Seaport Advisory Council. Efforts
have garnered the support of Lieutenant Governor Murray and several key
cabinet secretaries in the Patrick Administration. Lt. Governor Murray has
assigned Asst. Secretary Bob Coughlin to work on this Interagency Task
Force.
For more information on the Massachusetts Seaport Council, Click
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