The Scituate Waterways Commission opened its March session with a data-driven look at the town’s maritime resources, revealing that Scituate’s public safety fleet is significantly larger than those of its immediate neighbors. Commission member Dave Sukski presented an Excel-based benchmarking study comparing Scituate’s harbor safety vessels—including those operated by the Harbor Master, Police, and Fire departments—to the fleets in Hull, Cohasset, Marshfield, Duxbury, and Plymouth. Sukski noted that Scituate maintains twice as many safety boats as some of these coastal peers, raising questions about redundancy and long-term maintenance costs during a period of town-wide fiscal tightening.

I believe as any business, you should benchmark what you're doing against your competition, Sukski told the commission. In some cases, we have quite a few more boats than other towns. We have twice as many safety boats as others. The study specifically questioned why Scituate operates two fire-capable vessels when most neighboring municipalities have none. Sukski suggested the town could find efficiencies by sharing resources, asking, I too wonder about the second so-called fireboat and why couldn't they use a Harbormaster rigid bottom inflatable? It's another boat, another slip, another trailer, more insurance. He noted that the Town Administrator has also raised questions regarding the necessity of the dual fire boat configuration.

The discussion turned toward the operational readiness of these vessels during winter months. Resident Dave Doy of Tilden Road expressed concern that during recent extreme cold snaps, the town's safety vessels were effectively trapped by harbor ice. My concern is the boats are frozen in the marina and they're unable to get out, Doy said. To have the tool and not be able to use it is worse than not having the tool at all. I'd like those boats not be iced in. They should be turnkey, ready to roll in case somebody needs help.

Harbor Master Stephen Mone defended the current fleet and the town’s winter protocols, clarifying that while one inflatable is being auctioned off, the primary fleet remains robust. Responding to Doy’s concerns about ice, Mone explained the logistical reality of winter emergencies. We had the Calvin Beal and the deicers were on for a month, Mone said, referring to the town's 34-foot fireboat. It's faster to go by car to Minot than it is to go by boat in an emergency during icing conditions. Mone also clarified a discrepancy in Sukski’s report regarding pump-out services, stating, The town of Scituate has one pump-out boat. It doesn't have two. And there's two pump-out stations.

Commission member Rick Murray cautioned against drastic reductions in the fleet solely for the sake of the budget. I think the savings we would incur would be relatively small compared to the heightened risk if we were to decrease safety boats, Murray argued, though he joined Sukski in questioning the specific need for two dedicated fire boats. The debate over vessel count comes as many town departments are being asked to find five-percent internal efficiencies to avoid tax overrides.

In his Harbor Master report, Mone provided updates on the aftermath of the recent blizzard. While the storm brought significant wind and snow, the harbor escaped major damage. The blizzard was snowy and windy. One dinghy was lost, but we didn't lose any pilings or have marina damage, Mone reported. He also noted a bizarre incident involving a town truck parked at Town Hall during the storm. The truck was sent to Town Hall in one piece, and when I went to pick it up, someone had used a can opener on the hood. I wasn't driving it; I wasn't in control of it, Mone said. Seasonal maintenance is currently underway, with deicers being pulled from the water at the Maritime Center and Cole Parkway this week.

The commission also reviewed upcoming dredging projects for the South River and Scituate Harbor. A suitability determination recently confirmed that 16,000 cubic yards of material require removal. While most of the material can be disposed of at Mass Bay or Cape Cod sites, approximately 3,600 cubic yards will require upland disposal. Mone suggested the town would likely use geo tubes for dewatering that specific portion of the material to provide more flexibility in permitting.

Financial discussions touched on the capital plan for "Unit 2," a Waterways outboard motor. Commission member Brian Kelly sought clarification on funding for the repowering project. I believe that Unit 2 was on the capital plan to be repowered. Stephen, can you share whether or not we got any money for that project? Kelly asked. Mone explained that while the motor is roughly eight years old, he has deferred the $39,300 repowering expense to fiscal year 2028. Susan Harrison noted that recent Select Board approval for $53,000 in twin Yamaha motors was for a Police boat, not the Waterways vessel, resolving the confusion over the line item.

Regarding the local shellfish industry, Harrison reported that winter ice has wreaked havoc on aquaculture infrastructure. They have seen a lot of damage this year. The ice did a number on the cages, Harrison said, noting that ice movements twisted even the heaviest cages. She informed the commission that the town is currently researching grants to help farmers replace lost or damaged equipment. Guest Mike Deo inquired about the lifespan of the harbor's deicers, which Mone confirmed have been in use since 2018. They probably last 15 years, Mone said. We take pretty good care of them.

Looking ahead to the April 13 Town Meeting, Harrison briefed the commission on a joint meeting with the Select Board and Advisory Committee regarding bylaw changes. The town is seeking to tighten the language surrounding "annual gross income" for commercial and charter designations to ensure it strictly follows the 51-percent rule. It would be 'who derives 51% or greater of their gross income,' which is what was intended, Harrison explained.

The meeting concluded with a brief update from Dave Haley on local fishing activity. Jared's been fishing and scallop opened up, so there was a little bit of traffic, Haley said. The other guys are still waiting to get fixed up. There's been a little bit of activity the last few days where the weather's been nice. Chair (Speaker 03) opened the meeting with a formal statement of diversity, equity, and inclusion, emphasizing respect even during disagreements. Motion Made by B. Cronin to accept the agenda. Motion Passed (5-0). Following the agenda items, Motion Made by R. Murray to adjourn. Motion Passed (5-0), with members B. Cronin, S. Mone, D. Haley, R. Murray, and B. Kelly in favor.