Committee recommends maximizing local ferry fee, studies for larger regional increase

The Nantucket Harbor Plan Committee on Sept. 22 reviewed and tightened language in a draft harbor plan urging the town to adopt the maximum locally authorized ferry embarkation fee and to support regional legislative efforts to allow higher fees.

Committee members instructed staff to reword the recommendation so it calls for a warrant article at town meeting to raise the ferry fee from the current local rate toward the maximum locally allowed amount (the committee referred to $1 as a local ceiling) and to support legislative action to enable increases above that level. The committee also discussed the need to coordinate with other Cape and Islands ports if the fee were raised above locally authorized thresholds.

Why it matters: monies collected through ferry and harbor fees are deposited into the town’s waterways account and have been used for dredging, pier work and other harbor-related projects. Committee members said clarifying the plan’s language would direct future revenues toward coastal resilience and harbor infrastructure rather than into unrelated accounts.

Details and context - The committee asked staff to specify that a warrant article be drafted to adopt the maximum locally allowable fee and to add language supporting efforts with legislators to enable increases above $1 where state law would be required. - Committee members discussed that fines and certain Chapter 91-related fees are deposited to a waterways account; committee discussion tied that account to minor dredging, pier work and—potentially—a stabilization or resilience fund. The draft plan notes the town has pursued grants and private-public partnerships in addition to those local revenues. - The committee proposed a standing review entity to examine current collection and disbursement practices for waterways funds, make recommendations for future expenditures on harbor improvements and advise how to present any required warrant articles to town meeting.

Discussion points and constraints - Members emphasized that increasing the fee beyond the local maximum would require state enabling legislation and that each town would still decide whether to adopt a higher fee, so legislative outreach would need to be coordinated. - The committee asked that responsible parties be listed clearly in the recommendation text; several members said town meeting must be named where warrant articles are required.

Next steps The committee directed staff to revise the recommendation wording and to add town meeting explicitly where necessary. Members agreed to further refine the recommendation before the committee finalizes the harbor plan for submittal to the town.