In accordance with notice to members of the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council’s Planning and Procedures subcommittee, a meeting of the subcommittee was held on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at the offices of the CRMC, Stedman Government Center, 4808 Tower Hill Rd, Wakefield, RI.

MEMBERS PRESENT
Anne Livingston, Chair
Paul Lemont, Vice Chair
Don Gomez
Russ Chateauneuf
Bruce Dawson
Dave Abedon

STAFF PRESENT
Grover Fugate, Executive Director
Jeff Willis, Deputy Director
Jim Boyd, Coastal Policy Analyst
Laura Dwyer, Public Outreach and Education Coordinator
Brian Goldman, Legal Counsel

OTHERS PRESENT
Doug Groff
Ed Pare

Call to Order. Ms. Livingston called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m.

Ms. Livingston called for a motion to approve the minutes of the February 21, 2012 subcommittee meeting.

Item 4.A. – Management Procedures, Section 4.3 Schedule of Fees/Transatlantic Cables. J. Willis presented proposed fee schedule for transatlantic cables. He explained that fee schedule addresses issues of time of year payments and pro-rated payments; active v. inactive cables; defines transatlantic for purposes of the regulations and the legislation; responsibilities of the cable owner; and, that the fee schedule will be re-evaluated every five years.

Item 4.B. – Redbook, Sections 210.1 and 210.3 Vehicle use on beaches and barriers. J. Willis presented revisions as (1) at the request of USFWS to have the RICRMP help assist, coordinate and further explain the benefits and reasons for the protection of piping plovers in RI (210.1); and (2) to reiterate the vehicle use policies of 210.1 for inclusion in section 210.2, and to state that because of the geology of Seapowet Marsh and Fogland Beach a beach vehicle permit is not required. Mr. Gomez was concerned with a possible unnecessary creep of regulations re: piping plover.

Item 5.A. – Matunuck Erosion. Ms. Livingston explained how she would like to see a more developed program to address erosion along the entire Rhode Island shore. G. Fugate explained how an experimental policy to be developed for the Salt Ponds Region SAMP could be a good mechanism for such. He stated that it would need to have a monitoring component and address bonding requirements. It would also look at techniques that show promise in controlling erosion without using permanent solutions, such as geomattresses. Possibly also a need to create a technical committee to review erosion control technologies. Lastly G. Fugate explained that as such a program is put in place illegally- constructed devices currently in-place could be brought under enforcement actions. Mr. Fugate explained the URI proposal handed out to the Council at its last semi-monthly meeting. Mr. Gomez asked if $500,000 would be enough. Ms. Livingston asked whether the federal government, EDC, and/or the south coast communities should help finance such an effort. G. Fugate explained that a phased approach may help to better understand the larger financial issues of a comprehensive plan. Mr. Abedon asked about an outreach effort. G. Fugate explained that the URI proposal had such a component. G. Fugate explained that a more formal proposal will be developed and presented to the governor, the speaker and the senate president.

Item 5.B. – Public Relations Program. Ms. Livingston feels that the public doesn’t seem to grasp some of the importance of the issues that the Council deals with. She believes that a more direct public relations effort may help and that possibly hiring someone along those lines would be one way to help forward the issues into the publics’ view. She also asked members to begin thinking of creative avenues to help spread the issues of coastal zone management.

Item 5.C. – House Resolution H7698. G. Fugate explained that this resolution tasked the Council with developing a report on the status of the current CAD cells and how CAD cells could assist the state with its future dredged material disposal needs and asked the Council to address financial issues with creating new cells. G. Fugate explained that staff will provide additional details to the report and that it will be sent to the appropriate leadership positions in the Assembly.

ADJOURNMENT. Mr. Lemont, seconded by Mr. Abedon, moved to adjourn the subcommittee meeting. All voted in favor of the motion and the meeting was adjourned at 10:00 a.m.

Respectfully submitted by
Jeffrey M Willis, Deputy Director

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