At the Greenland Board of Selectmen meeting June 30 a member summarized recent activity and capital planning at the regional Ports & Harbors (Port Development Authority), telling the board the authority has updated rules, rates and a multi-site capital plan that includes a roughly $54 million Market Wharf project.

The update matters because the PDA’s capital and rate changes could affect regional shipping, barge operations and fees collected by the authority; the speaker said the authority has revised flowage, wharfage and dockage rates and is aligning rules with federal guidance for marine terminals.

The speaker said the Market Wharf section’s planned work — described in the authority’s capital pages — allocates about $54 million across north side, south side and a proposed extension; the plan also anticipates investments at Rye Harbor, Hampton Harbor and others in 2027 and beyond. He described strengthening pilings and extending wharves to support heavier cargoes, adding barge wharf capacity (paid by the Department of Transportation) and riprap shoreline protection. He said the authority increased a fuel flowage rate from 8¢ per gallon to 11¢ per gallon to help fund runway and capital work at an associated airport facility, and that wharfage/dockage tariff increases were intended to raise revenue for Market Street Wharf improvements.

The speaker also recounted that the PDA has updated rules of conduct and safety protocols, engaged outside legal counsel for regulatory updates, and is pursuing marketing to attract heavy-lift cargo and other commercial uses. He said mooring-appeal cases were included in the PDA package and cited two appeals handled by the authority. The update was described as informational; no action by the Greenland selectmen was requested.

The board discussed fiscal implications and the selectman who spoke said the authority’s revenues are collected into the PDA coffers and can be used for capital projects under federal and state constraints; board members asked questions about where authority revenue is held and how fees are applied, and were referred to the PDA for full documentation.