Upgrades on the way for Wareham Harbormaster Department

Oct 25, 2016

Voters at Monday’s Town Meeting unanimously approved transferring $104,128 from two Harbormaster Department accounts into one that funds improvements.

Of the $104,128, $25,000 will cover unforeseen expenses related to the Onset Boat Ramp project. That project will expand the ramp to 16 feet wide and 104 feet long. The boat ramp is located off of East Boulevard, on Broad Cove.

Key Corporation of Kingstown, Rhode Island submitted the lowest bid at $156,000 for the work out of four received in mid-August.

Funds for the reconstruction are available through a $100,000 Community Preservation Act grant. The Bouchard Transportation Trustee Council awarded $67,500 for the project. That council is responsible for Buzzards Bay remediation efforts following an oil spill in 2003.

Any and all of the funds approved at Town Meeting that were not spent will be returned to the account they were taken from originally.

The remaining $79,128 will be spent on waterfront upgrades, all-terrain vehicles and a redesign of office space and restrooms at Onset Pier.

There are nine different expenditures in total, including: $10,000 for mooring and dock repairs; $20,400 for two, all-terrain vehicles to patrol beaches and other uses; and $6,000 to redesign the Onset Pier Harbormaster Office, information center and showers and bathrooms.

Additionally, $9,000 will be used to buy replacement swim lines, supplies to build a kayak rack, and barriers and snow fences to protect beaches from erosion.

Selectmen and the Finance Committee unanimously supported the upgrades.

“The Finance Committee believes these expenditures are reasonable and will help the Harbormaster and his staff continue the excellent work they have done to help revitalize the Onset waterfront,” said Finance Committee Clerk Ellis Bailey.