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 Wednesday, November 20, 2013 at the offices of the CRMC, Stedman Government Center, 4808 Tower Hill Rd, Wakefield, RI.

MEMBERS PRESENT
Anne Livingston, Chair
Don Gomez

STAFF PRESENT
Grover Fugate, Executive Director
Jeff Willis, Deputy Director
John Longo, Legal Counsel

OTHERS PRESENT
Melissa Horne

Call to Order. Ms. Livingston called the meeting to order at 8:31 a.m.

Ms. Livingston called for a motion to approve the minutes of the August 20, 2013 subcommittee meetings.

Item 4.A. – RICRMP Section 110.C Applications for Category A and Category B Council Assents. J. Willis presented recommended additional activities that could be added to this section for administration review and approval. Ms. Livingston asked how standards are to be applied. J. Willis explained that all programmatic requirements remain intact and applicable. The only exception is that these activities can be reviewed and decided on at the administrative level; however should an objection be filed on the application or if the Director feels it is more appropriately heard at the full Council then the request will not be decided upon administratively. G. Fugate asked to amend one proposed activity by holding it for further consideration, namely the residential dock provision for shallow water activities.

Item 5.A. – Petition for Regulation Change. J. Willis and G. Fugate explained that the Council had received a petition to change its regulations, namely those of the Salt Ponds SAMP at 920.1.B.2(f) and (g). Each explained that staff had requested information from the Towns of Charlestown and South Kingstown as to the number of presently undeveloped parcels located within the CRMC-designated Lands of Critical Concern in their respective towns so as to ascertain how the Petitioners request might impact the existing undeveloped parcels and the potential unintended consequences through amending the SAMP. Based on the available information at this point, staff is recommending that the subcommittee issue a 30-day public notice for comment on the Petitioners proposed rule change whereto staff would prepare a more detailed report based on the comments received, questions raised, and further analysis of the parcel data and their proximity to coastal ponds, coastal wetlands or tributary wetlands such that staff could issue a recommendation on the Petition.

With Mr. Gomez’s concurrence, Ms. Livingston directed staff to submit the Petition to a 30-day Public Notice period that seeks comments on same. She also directed staff to prepare a report that analyzes how the Petition might impact the SAMP and the RICRMP and the regulated resources therein and bring the issue back to the subcommittee for further deliberation.

Item 7.A. – “Beach/Erosion” SAMP Update. G. Fugate explained that funding issues are still an obstacle to accomplishing significant science towards the development of the SAMP and to that end has asked the Administration for $300,000 in a Capital Plan project request split over FY2014 and FY2015. Additionally the Beach SAMP Team is putting together another application to NOAA for its competitive Projects of Special Merit program. The FY2014 application was not funded. A van Beuren Charitable Foundation was obtained to assist the Team in its efforts of investigating shoreline erosion, climate change and sea level rise issues in Newport. G. Fugate and the Beach SAMP Team are hosting a Stakeholder meeting next week where Margaret Davidson of NOAA will be the special guest.

ADJOURNMENT. Mr. Gomez, seconded by Ms. Livingston, moved to adjourn the subcommittee meeting. All voted in favor of the motion and the meeting was adjourned at 9:29 a.m.

Respectfully submitted by
Jeffrey M Willis, Deputy Director

CALENDAR INDEX