ST. MICHAELS, MARYLAND — St. Michaels' Waterways Management Advisory Board meets Tuesday to review draft changes to the town code rules for its public boat slips, including the waiting list for them.
At the board's Sept. 8 meeting, members discussed requiring proof of personal boat liability insurance, boat ownership or registration information on new applications, and a physical town residence address in addition to a mailing address, according to draft minutes.
Members also discussed clearer standards for slip width and length and for how far a boat may extend past the end of a slip, along with a renewal and notice timeline that would give staff more time to process open slips and update the list. They also said they would keep reviewing existing practices and grandfathering issues as part of the code revisions.
The board voted to have staff move forward with those revisions. The September minutes called for staff to prepare the language and obtain town attorney review before returning it to the board; Tuesday's packet includes draft revisions. A proposal to change slip fees based on boat length was tabled, pending further review and the future reconstruction of the town slips.
Tuesday's agenda lists draft recommendations on the code sections covering use of town boat slips, the waitlist, requirements and usage. A list of proposed items for future Commissioners meetings, dated Oct. 9, includes Ordinance No. 576, Boat Slip Waitlist.
The board also returns to a request from the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. In September, museum representatives proposed replacing fixed docks with floating docks and extending the harbor development line about 35 feet near the museum's living shoreline. The museum said the living shoreline reduced water depth, and that docks in deeper water would reduce impacts to the shoreline and improve access. The proposal would not add slips, according to the minutes.
Board members raised concerns about the town's existing prohibition on moving the harbor line, protection of public waters, navigation, and the precedent for other waterfront properties. The board named members Glenn Albrecht and Don McCann to a fact-finding review with the museum. No approval was given in September.
Matt Negley, the Eastern Region Waterway Improvement Fund administrator with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, is also listed to attend Tuesday's meeting.
The board meets at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Boy Scout Cabin, 407 St. Mary's Square, with a Zoom stream listed on the agenda. Its next meeting is Nov. 10 at 4:30 p.m.
Source: Town of St. Michaels
Drawn from public records; drafted with AI and edited by Peter Gorman before publication.
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