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Town dock
permits on hold
By Jean Laquidara Hill
Telegram & Gazette Staff
WEBSTER-- The controversial town dock-permit
program on Webster Lake has been suspended, pending a community
forum with selectmen, residents, the town conservation board and a
state representative.
Acting on a motion by Selectman Robert Stawiecki, selectmen
voted unanimously this week to tell police to halt the dock-permit
process until issues that are displeasing lake residents are
resolved.
Town meeting voters adopted a dock-permit process a few years
ago. The program stalled because of personnel changes, then was
restarted this year by Police Officer Reid Bagley, who oversees
the dock-permit process and lake patrols.
Residents have the option of registering their docks with the
state or the town, with town fees being paid to the town.
Residents want a dock-permit process that guarantees the fees
will be spent on the lake, and is neither more costly nor more
work than the state program, according to lakefront property owner
Richard D. Cazeault.
A town bylaw states that fees collected for dock permits must
be deposited in a waterways account, but a state law requires that
fees be deposited into the general account to be spent as
authorized by a town meeting.
Mr. Cazeault said yesterday that many residents will not
participate in the local permit process until that issue is
resolved, by legislation or other means. He said residents want
money set aside to abate the growing weed problem and for other
lake needs.
For the time being, he said, many people are registering
their docks with the state because of the uncertainty over how
town fees would be spent and because they do not want the yearly
hassle of renewing their dock registrations.
He said the state process also costs less in the long run and
is less bother than the town process, which costs $10 per dock per
year.
The state process, he said, was simplified in 1996 and costs
$50 for 10 years for one or more docks, and $25 for the next 10
years.
Lake residents first aired their concerns to selectmen in a
heated meeting July 1. At that time, selectmen told an audience of
about 90 residents that they would check with the town
conservation board about its requirements and invite someone from
the state to explain the state process to residents.
The issue arose again Monday night, when Mr. Cazeault and a
small delegation of lakefront residents attended the selectmen's
meeting.
Speaking on behalf of other lakefront residents, Mr. Cazeault
questioned late fee notices that residents received Sunday in hand
and in their post office boxes. He reminded selectmen they had
offered to hold a forum to clarify dock-permit issues.
The notices given to lake residents Sunday stated that fines
would be assessed within 10 days unless dock owners either paid
the town $10 dock fee and filled out the dock permit application,
or showed proof of a state dock permit.
The notices did not specify how much the late fees would be,
but the town dock permit bylaw lists fines as $50 for the first
notice, then $75, $100 and $200 for subsequent notices.
The amount of the fines and lack of information about the
time period between notices is a problem, Mr. Cazeault said.
The selectmen voted to put the entire process on hold.
Selectmen also agreed to have a public forum for residents to
clarify issues.
Selectman Robert J. Miller suggested a neutral person
moderate the meeting to allow people to speak their minds and
brainstorm about how to fine-tune the town dock-permit process. No
date was set.
Lake residents have scheduled a different meeting to discuss
common concerns and issues and to consider organizing as a lake
association, similar to the South Pond Association, which has been
sponsoring charity events and social gatherings, Mr. Cazeault
said.
The meeting for lake residents to discuss lake matters will
be at 7 p.m. Monday at Point Breeze.
Mr. Cazeault said South Pond, North Pond and Middle Pond
residents will meet and discuss organizing for the betterment of
the lake, to serve charitable causes, and to have fun. |
