In accordance with notice to members of the Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council’s Planning & Procedures subcommittee, a meeting was held on Tuesday, April 18, 2017 at 8:30am at the offices of the CRMC, Stedman Government Center, 4808 Tower Hill Rd, Wakefield, RI.

MEMBERS PRESENT
Anne Livingston, Chair
Don Gomez
Trish Reynolds
Angelo Liberti

STAFF PRESENT
Grover Fugate, Executive Director
Jeff Willis, Deputy Director
James Boyd, Coastal Policy Analyst
Dave Beutel, Aquaculture Coordinator
Anthony DeSisto, Legal Counsel

Call to Order. Ms. Livingston called the meeting to order at 8:37 a.m.

Ms. Livingston called for a motion to approve the minutes of the March 21, 2017 subcommittee meeting.

Mr. Gomez seconded by Ms. Livingston moved to approve the meeting minutes of March 21, 2017. All voted in favor of the motion with Ms. Reynolds abstaining.

Item 4.A – Revise Section 300.11 Aquaculture. J. Boyd explained proposed revisions. He explained the new revision format and that the RICRMP excepting for this section and the harbor management section has been reformatted to meet the new state requirement. He explained that the harbor management section will be ready for the subcommittee’s review at its next meeting. J. Boyd explained that the proposed revisions were suggested by staff in consultation with RIDEM Fish & Wildlife and that the revisions were codifying past CRMC and DEM practices as well as mirroring RIDEM rules. D. Beutel explained how these revisions are more detailed in the Aquaculture Application Package. J. Boyd explained how some revisions are existing language that is better placed in Policy rather Standards sections and that some have been better written for clarity. Ms. Livingston asked why the Guidance section was being eliminated. J. Boyd and G. Fugate explained how the new state regulatory requirements do not allow for Guidance to be codified as rules and that pertinent sections of the Guidance have been folded into Policy or Standards as appropriate. Several questions were raised by the subcommittee as to Guidance allowances under the new state regulatory requirements. A general discussion was had regarding the new state regulatory requirements. Mr. Gomez, Mr. Liberti and G. Fugate asked if some of the existing Guidance sections could be used elsewhere. J. Boyd noted that some of the existing Guidance sections are proposed to be used elsewhere. G. Fugate asked if the aquaculture industry was approached on these changes. D. Beutel answered that he has held meetings with the industry to discuss several of these proposed revisions and that he was have another such meeting later that day. J. Boyd summarized the proposed revisions by noting that the codification of RIDEM requirements into the RICRMP is being proposed as RIDEM wasn’t implementing them because CRMC was and that the proposed language was therefore discussed and developed between the two programs for inclusion into these revisions. Mr. Liberti asked several questions regarding Definitions, Policies and Standards that resulted in lengthy discussions such that Ms. Livingston directed staff to meet with Mr. Liberti and his staff at a later date to better address his concerns and bring back the discussion to the subcommittee at its next meeting for finalization of the proposed changes to Section 300.11.

ADJOURNMENT. Ms. Reynolds, seconded by Mr. Gomez, moved to adjourn the subcommittee meeting. All voted in favor of the motion and the meeting was adjourned at 9:41a.m.

Respectfully submitted by

Jeffrey M Willis, Deputy Director

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