Select Board delays vote on Marion harbor permits amid concerns

MARION — Discussion of harbor permits, additional fees and ongoing issues in Sippican Harbor sparked backlash from residents at Marion Select Board’s meeting on Thursday, Jan. 30, ultimately resulting in delaying the vote until Tuesday, Feb. 25.

Marion Harbormaster Adam Murphy and the Marine Resource Commission proposed updating waterway regulations in Sippican Harbor to cut down on time and resources spent dealing with unregistered boats.

The proposal requires that vessels that are 25 feet or less will pay a minimum fee of $315 for a harbor permit while vessels larger than 25 feet will pay an additional $8 more per foot. 

Vessels that will require a permit are “affixed to a float or mooring” or “take up space in the water and have a motor,” according to Murphy.

Changes to regulations would also give harbor patrons more time to pay their fees and give the harbormaster department more time to file these payments, according to Murphy.

Invoicing for permits was proposed to be sent on Jan. 15 instead of April 1. Payment for fees is proposed to be due back on March 15 rather than May 15, with late fees enacted on March 16 and the ultimate final due date of April 15 to pay or the permit will be forfeited.

“It’s a big response and it’s a lot of money to get those resources rolling just for something as simple as putting a harbor permit on it so we know who you are,” said Murphy.

Multiple attendees questioned the need to be registered with both the state of Massachusetts and the Marion Harbormaster Department, commenting on how the additional fees seem unnecessary.

In response, Murphy explained the cost of the permit is reflective of the amount of work that is put into creating and distributing the permits in addition to the collective benefits it will provide the community.

Establishing a database specific to Sippican Harbor will help the department decipher which vessels are in their system and which are not permitted to be there, making it easier to track down boat owners.

“We have to pay for the database, pay for the users that are in it. We have to pay the administration to create that permit. We have to bring the stickers down there,” said Murphy. “This is not something that we do for free. We have a budget that we have to maintain.”

Residents also suggested a self-directed identification process in which boat owners will create their own stickers or labels to identify their vessels.

Murphy emphasized that having their own database in addition to the state registration will make it much easier to identify vessels, stating that oftentimes the state identification numbers labelled on boats are outdated or belong to former owners.

Lack of easy identification for the harbormaster department makes it difficult to reach out to owners of unattended vessels that are experiencing issues or breaking protocol. The ongoing issue creates hours of additional work for the harbormaster’s department, according to Murphy.

“One sticker — one permit — would save me hours just by being able to have that data,” said Murphy.

“The reality is, at some point, something like this is going to need to happen because we need to address these problems,” said Vin Malkoski, chair of the Marion Marine Resources Commission.

Murphy and Malkoski urged those with concerns to reach out to the harbormaster’s office and the Marine Resource Commission with any questions or comments they have regarding the proposed changes before the vote takes place.

“This is the best resource we have. We’re just trying to manage it and give you guys the best services and provide the best service for you that we can,” said Murphy of the Sippican Harbor.

The Select board decided to table the discussion and reschedule the vote for Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. in the community center, giving the Harbormaster Department and Marine Resource Commission time to revise the proposal.