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Harbor master reports buoy retrieval; Long Beach police boat slip request tabled
Summary
Harbor Master Frank reported retrieval of a buoy and described a Long Beach request for a slip to house a grant-funded 29-foot police boat; the board tabled the request for follow-up on rules, fees and storage arrangements.
Harbor Master Frank reported on routine fall marina work and a recovered buoy, and presented a letter from Chief Swistek of Long Beach requesting a slip to house a 29-foot police boat funded through a Homeland Security grant.
Frank said the Long Beach plan was to share the boat with Michigan City Police, the county sheriff’s department and the fire department and that Long Beach was asking the port to waive slip fees. “They’ve applied for a grant...to get a 29 foot police boat,” Frank said, and asked the board whether the port would be willing to waive a slip fee.
Board members discussed practical issues including slip availability (Frank said a 30-foot slip on the 100 West dock might be available), whether the slip would extend into the channel and interfere with other vessels, winter storage and gate access, and who would cover fuel and other ongoing costs. Frank said each agency using the boat would be responsible for its own fuel.
One commissioner recommended tabling the request until staff could meet with Long Beach representatives to ensure the town understood port rules and regulations and the operational constraints of slotting a 29-foot vessel in a 30-foot slip. A motion to table the request was made and seconded; the board agreed by voice vote. Members said they would follow up with Long Beach to discuss administration fees, winter storage, and paperwork required if a slip were provided.
Why it matters: The request involves public-safety agencies and a donated or grant-funded asset that multiple jurisdictions plan to share; the board chose to delay a decision until operational, safety and administrative details (slip length vs. channel encroachment, winterizing and gate access, and whether a nominal administrative fee would be charged) are clarified.
Next steps: Staff and the harbor master will meet with Long Beach officials to explain port rules, determine slip suitability, and return with a recommendation and a proposed fee or agreement structure if appropriate.
