Yeah. How's it going down at the beach? How's it going at the beach? It was It's Well, I didn't haven't been down there today. I don't know what the beach looks like today, but pretty messy last night. All good. Okay. Uh, open the meeting with the pledge of allegiance.
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay,
Dana is Have you talked to Mike today? I uh texted with him just asking how things were going today and he said good that there's just people coming to see the waves but for the most part no one's swimming they're guarding so no is he coming tonight
I don't know okay uh well what we'll do is we'll take uh you have to be out of here by 5 right um or 5:15 I just have to be for sure over get you out of here by 5:00 we'll have we're going to have a little brief
talked with the disabilities commission, two of the members are here tonight about handicap access that you may want to Yeah, absolutely. You can sit up here if you want. Oh, all right. If you want Okay, Martin, if you want, you're going to Yeah, come right up. You know,
I don't want to keep anybody in later than they have to be. So, since we're short a couple of members, we won't do budget tonight. We won't do I'm doing a sleep uh study at 8:15 on medical.
We'll be out of here. Good to see you both here. Thank you. Thank you for inviting us. Uh thank you for coming. I invited the members of the disability. We had a conversation with Mark and it's in regards to uh possibly providing some
means of better access to the um to Chering White Beach. Uh because we all know if you're mobility impaired, even if you're not mobility impaired, it's tough to get from the parking lot to the beach and back, especially on a
hot day when there's things going on. Uh, so, uh, I know Martin and I had talked about a couple of ideas that maybe we were thinking of and Mike had talked to Martin and everybody. So, you know, one of the ideas, well, I'll let you two. I'll let Martin go ahead. So,
just want to hash out some ideas. I know you guys have done this before and uh, it's kind of the first time for us, so we'd like to hear what the the ideas are and the arguments for and against. I went down to the chairing web. I have not been there in years because of my disability. And I thought to myself, I'm going to try see if I can make it on my
two canes. And I noticed, which I wasn't aware of, there were two hills, two inclines that are really tough to get up, but I got up there. And then I got toward past the Port of John's. And then there was that really sandy section that I know that Chris Gonzal has, you know, pull that sand back. But anyways, that was tough there.
So I made it all the way across to the uh uh lifeguard tower and talked to the guys over there. My thought was um for anyone who has a disability or a mobility issue like myself, Alisa has suffered a stroke and um of course we have a lot of elderly and so forth who
can't get over there. Can we come up with some idea to try to help to get folks over there? Let me tell you something. I haven't been there in so long. I was so pleased to be there. It's such a beautiful beach as we know. You know, I think a lot of us take it for granted. Um so I' I'd love to see the availability for disabled folks
especially to be able to get um to the beach. So, one of my thoughts was could we do some sort of a shuttle service. Could we do I know that the that that the lifeguards have a UTV alter ATV and I thought maybe something to that idea. Not necessarily the lifeguards doing
that job. If we had to hire somebody, we would I've spoken to a few town folks. You know, uh, Lisa and I were at the, um, national night out, the police department did, and folks came up and talked to us, and the number one issue that came up was, what can we do about accessibility to Cherry and Web? And so, we thought we'd bring that up to
you guys and and we would discuss it amongst the uh, commission on disability as well. And I asked a couple of folks, would you be willing to pay extra money if we got some sort of a shuttle service, you know, and they were very positive about it. One lady said, up to five $5. I said, we we're already
negotiating price. I said, "How about a couple couple of bucks?" And she said, "A couple of bucks? I'll do $5." My my point is, I think people are willing to pay. And I said, "On, you know, because we, you know, some people are going to say, well, we pay a a beach, you know, sticker fee as it is. Shouldn't that be?" No, that takes care of the beach maintenance and everything else, the
lifeguard and so forth. What we need is a special fee just in case you use this uh um this trolley, this vehicle. So, um I want to see what you guys thought about that idea, if it was doable. um
what type of um risk is there involved? Is there insuranceances that have to be looked at, you know, to protect not only the employee that would be providing uh the assistance for someone who is disabled? Um and and if you've already
explored this, what are the risk factors? We basically when anyone approaches us, we always say that we'll we'll research it, you know, because we don't want to give someone false hope or make promises that we can't keep. Um, I have to honestly say being new to the
commission, um, the MOI mats and we did all the inspections of all the beaches and everyone welcomed us and they showed us where the MOI mats are and and they were very forthcoming. So, we know that you do a tremendous job, you know, in a positive uh, light, not only to the
people in Westport, but the people who visit Westport. Um, a lot of family members that are disabled come to these beaches with family members that live in town and exponentially we've received such positive uh, comments with regards to that. So, uh, you're to be commended
for all the positive things that we do receive that maybe you're unaware of because they tell us because we're the disability commission, right? But then in the same token when we do have something that has been brought to our attention there are people such as myself depending on the day um and other
people that have invisible disabilities. There are people that have visibil that visible disabilities that are in a wheelchair but there are people like where I have a a brain injury that you don't necessarily see it unless I actually have uh support with me you know by the end of the day. Some people
don't realize that I do have a disability. So, I think in general it's just really important to know that Westport is committed to uh to uh helping people with disabilities with accessibility and that's why we wanted to come and ask for your guidance.
Well, well, I I mean Martin and I had a conversation. Uh my feeling is anything we can do as long as we can do it obviously is the way to go. We've talked about I've talked about this on this committee for 20 years. uh back in Lane Austria started the whole disability
thing and it was wonderful and it was always a challenge but also back then we the only thing we had was a truck vehicle. We only had a truck at the time. Uh so it was that was logistically impossible you know using the truck. Sure. And then you know there was talk about a
golf cart and then there was talk about what's the liability who's driving it you know. Uh the concerns I've heard about a shuttle service is how are we going to run it? How does it get paid for? How does it, you know, that's the usual where does come from uh to do such a thing?
Uh and how did logistically how do we do it? Because I can't see it as being like a tram at Disney World where everybody gets on and you know goes back and forth all day long and it just turns into a nightmare. You know, every person, able-bodied person who just happens to have, you
know, be tired at the end of the day and has a child on one shoulder, cooler on the other, uh you know, they're going to want to do it. And who does that? You know, I think it needs to be limited to handicapped Exactly. uh personnel. And the issue would be
lifeguards doing it. It's tough to do because if they're busy doing something or everything or something, God forbid something should happen while they're running out to the parking lot to you know, bring somebody up and you know what happens there. So, we also thought of um and Martin came up
with this as well as myself that we had a a designated telephone number that we have already set up. About that, are you talking about a special? Yeah. If they knew they were coming to the beach, they could call and like give us a head res. Exactly. And then we would know because usually the handicap very few
times, maybe you'll see one car every once in a while in the handicap spots at Cherry and Web. I really don't see a lot of handicap, you know. It's true. No, you're right. But this would probably increase that use significantly if people know because we
give out beach passes to caregivers of people who can't drive anymore to the beach and they get taken to the beach who can't you know they their license has been taken away or you know whatever they visually or whatever they can't just drive and so they or people who just have a 24-hour
TI diver and they just want to go to the beach and it doesn't necessarily mean cherry but east I and That is something we've always tried to do because, you know, you're a Westport resident, too. It's just they have an unfortunate circumstance surrounding them. So, I'm all for anything that we
can come up with and actually do. Do you think that would be like one of the few solutions? I mean, I know you guys tried like a boardwalk before. Well, the slats before that did not work. Boardwalk is just not doable cuz it's too steep up and down to make it true. Handicap accessible. That's a good point. It'll be a little easier for you
to get up and down, but you still have to climb up the hill, down the hill, up the hill. And then the question came up is, okay, now that you're at the beach, what happens? Yeah. Right. Cuz we had a woman, a couple women I think, mentioned they'd like to see a Moby Mat going from the Portage, John with a soft sand kind of
stuff down to the beach. Yes. and and we haven't you know that and logistically because that if you see what's happening down there today and the way he's washing the sand up into the path again is something the lifeguards would have to keep brushing off on a regular basis because that sand
just blows right in as much as you put it out it blows right in. Uh so that would be something that have to be looked at too. You know how do we keep the mobile mat and then once you get there what happens when you get there? Like if you're in a wheelchair, you're not going to go much further than that.
You and I talked about maybe a tea configuration where somebody like they do at uh Gooberry, you know, they have a little tea there. That's about as far get cuz you know, and then the question is how do we run it back and forth? What kind of time frame are we talking? You know, 10 to 4 or whatever, you know, I'm not
sure. These are all things to look at. Somebody suggested there must be a service maybe or somebody that can do that. Talent can pay to do that. Yeah. and do we make it? And they said maybe not a full-time service, maybe a weekend, 4 day a week service or, you
know, I'm all for anything as long as we can do it. You know, but budget is everything and it's all about the money. I have a question with regards to the beach pass that you just spoke about for people that have a disability and not able to drive. And the question that was
posed to me is the pass that you issue for that is it issued to a vehicle or is it issued to the individual? It's to a vehicle. Okay. So my question is if you have a person who lives in town and let's just say their son or daughter comes from out
of town kind of like what the DCR gives. You pay that $10 and then when the plaque card is in that vehicle, as long as the physical person who is disabled is in that vehicle, it's actually actually registered to the person. Do we have that capability? Because what
happens if you do have a child or a relative that doesn't live in town and wants to take their mom or dad that doesn't have the capability of driving, would they still be allowed or or is it a different pass that we could issue that's registered to the individual?
We've been giving passes to the individual or individuals that may be the caregivers for the person involved. Uh and and it's been like visiting nurses. It's been a couple other but we don't have a lot of requests for that.
So it's not a problem. We foresee the time coming where we're going to get a lot of these requests and it's like you got to have some kind of control over who's going to and from the beach, right? And we don't like to issue blank passes to anything because we feel that they'll get passed out to everybody and
everything, right? You know, like I said, we get very few and we give them all out. I think every time we get every place, Elephant Rock and Spindle Rock have placards that hang, right? You could actually put it in another car, right? Yeah. Well, that's
and I I mean I'm and there's not a big problem because there's Well, that's how we used to do it because we used to have the mirror flag and now we have the stickers and I know the DCR like like for instance we I have one you you if I was in another vehicle I have to show my license because it's registered to me as
a and as an indiv number on it, right? And uh you know in the harbor they don't do that and so that the placards could be used by as long I mean you'd say two for a
family of members right and then whoever go to whoever yeah whoever car whatever car you have you have a limited audience too over there when you have that's true but 4,000 passes is they get a little more I mean they still fill up the lot.
Yeah. We have 4,000 passes in town. 3,844 this year. Okay. As of when I asked Carl the other day, it was Monday, I think. So, Sean, I maybe shoot myself in the foot here. Let me just throw this out. How often have you guys heard that, you
know, we need access like somebody with a wheelchair because are we is it worth the money and everything we're doing here when we have Beach Avenue? and you know well beach avenue you know as much as you have moi mats there how accessible really is to that that's another issue we can bring
up one of the time that we want to go a little further with the movie mats there if we could one thing about you know uh you know symbolic you know kind of access you know you can get there you can get out there and you can get out you're not really going to the beach you
know it's nice that we can do something we have to do something we're required by law you know baby beach is probably a little more accessible a little easier to deal with just because you can park right there. East Beach would be a good option if we figure out a way,
but it's so commonly there's other issues there. That's a tough one. Yeah. Uh, you know, everybody wants to be at Jerry and Web and but it's so the point is that I don't think we get, you know, a ton of disabled folks asking for for this. That's why I think we do at the
beginning of the year if we had and I've checked with the town clerk, they can put a little HC after the number they issue for somebody who has a handicap placard. Yeah. So, we know that there's okay, we have 45 people or we have 445 people. We don't, you know, maybe now we have a service. We do get
445 and not 45 cuz I think a lot of people don't buy passes because they know it's not difficulties of getting out there. like why would I spend whatever you know $50 for a beach pass if I can't get there right you know a lot of people I know uh one
gentleman in particular he's a veteran he's a quadriplegic he buys it just so he can go to each beach so at least he can get out and just park himself right there right there and look out you know at least you have a view of the ocean I think most folks who are in in a wheelchair um and I'm in one at night um
would not go by themselves you know I mean they go with they can't take out it's going to be very difficult on any beach I would think but it's nice that they could go someplace to look and at the the vista, you know. Yeah. You know, and and I had these conversations with Mike WT and I've always talked to about many years, God
bless his soul, uh for many years about the access. He's a big proponent of the Beach Avenue and uh uh and everything because he was wheelchair bound and he'd had friends carry him out to Cherry and Web and he'd handicap surf and do all the things that you that he realized that was the problem. I
mean, everybody looks at Terry Webb and it's like, how do we get from here to there? You know, it's thousand feet and thousand feet of not very flat or accessible land. But we have other people who, yeah, I won't call them handicap, but are
impaired, you know, knee replacements, hip replacements, things along that line who have been emailing us and saying, "Hey, we got to do something." Yeah. And it's really hard. It's like, it's a beach. It's sand. It's just soft. It's just hard to walk. You know, able-bodied people. have problems walking. You know, it's
Well, that brings up another issue, though. Then, are we going to include folks who have had knee replacements that are temporary? Yeah. Yeah, that's what I mean. We don't want to catch 22, you know. You know what I'm saying? You can't say no to them. They're going to be like, "Oh, I can't walk." You know, people have knee replacements, hip replacements, and they want to go
and, you know, until you're fully recovered or emotionally recovered, you're not going to probably make it. Exactly. Uh I don't know. I don't know if you've tried to do it, Lisa, recently at all. Have you tried to go out to the beach at all recently? you know, you know, cheering it's it's so I' I've only been newly out
on my own for like the last 6 to 8 months. So, it took me almost 3 years to get back on my feet. She's a perfect example of, you know, somebody could use it of somebody who yeah, you know, would be like knee replacement type thing where it's you can walk but it's very difficult for her to walk and
she's getting better eventually maybe, you know, and hopefully. So, how do we make that work for somebody? I just don't want to turn it into a ambulatory tram that Exactly. That's right. Now we got everybody out there. Let's say we got everybody out there at 11:00. Now what happens when like three want to
leave or you know and you can't leave because you're doing something down the Okay. Before we tackle that issue, I think could we hire could we hire a company per se versus putting somebody on? That's what somebody said to look into to see if there's a company that would provide a service or something like that even like on the weekend or you know
like a minimum of two or three days. Yeah. I mean, you know, weekends, holidays, you know, the day I mean, those are the most crowded, but maybe this days in the week, maybe it'd be better if it was days of the week. There is some grant money, too, that's available. Um, I checked into not too long ago, too. So, we might be able to get some grant money that would help
fund it. And I know that it might be something in consideration with the disability commission, too, that we were looking real tight. When we were dealing with the town landing at Higs Bridge, we were talking about uh uh getting handicapped
people in into the our our rowing boats. Yeah. Yes. And I think we were talking to you know wounded warriors project. Yes. And there were there were people who were in there must be they do and they have lifts you know that actually go on docks now because I I saw
well what I found out I had a friend who had a physical he had a disability problem and he loved to sail but he couldn't he lost his balance couldn't could barely walk. Mhm. And I found the and I had a skiff that I used to go out to my sailboat and
he couldn't and he'd sail every day but had to couldn't do it. So I could bring my skiff into a beach and he could get one leg into the, you know, flat bottom boat. Right. Good for him. He could get into the skiff more easily
from the beach than he could from a dock. Absolutely. And I what I would when we do this project at say Hicks Bridge, what I would recommend if uh when we get down to the final plan is have a a mati
mat going right to the shore. Sure. Have a find a good stretch of beach or where you could bring one of the rowboats right to the beach. Mhm. Because believe me, I have a hard time myself getting in the boat from afloat.
All right. And it's much easier for me now to do it from a beach. Absolutely. Much easier for him. Sure. Solid solid ground. Couldn't have done it from a dock. No, but that was it's amazing though that you know people are willing to come to the table to kind of figure it out. We went to the yacht club not too long ago and we've been doing a lot of
outreach from the commission and um they were very uh open to us coming to do a presentation and they were asking us questions too about what other yach clubs are doing for people that want to access and be a part of a family outing that happened to be disabled. Um so
we're we're exploring different things. I know Dick Squire and was in a wheelchair for 20 years. Mhm. And he his family got a pontoon boat. Yeah. And and if he timed it right, he could come right into a dock.
It's pretty cool. There are ways there are ways to do it. I know. I don't know if you want to. Um, so so my suggestion, my suggestion would be if the Westport Disability um commission um would be so kind enough to maybe do a little
research um to see what kind of companies offer that kind of shuttle service so we can get idea of the cost. Um, and then like you know, you can maybe give that to us via email or I'd be happy to take it and then pass it on or if you want to do that if you want to
take it, you know, anything I can do to help. Thank you. You know, hey, just having us here is wonderful. Thank you. Yeah. You know, I I just don't know what it is. I know. I know. Um, well, that upsets me because if you don't know what it is, I don't know we're going to come up with any novel idea. But it's not like this is uh, you know, this
the first time everybody ever thought about Well, exactly. You guys have been working on it for years. has thought of it somewhere solved it somewhere. Exactly. Well, I think though having the the the gator of whatever. Yeah. I mean, the gator would would be a uh I think that's and I mean that would
what that would require if we if the lifeguard said, "Okay, no problem." You know, it'll all be, you know, they could use it, right? I think the concern is that you don't want to take lifeguards off their post. Hire someone. So, you're saying hire another person. That person would just use the gator.
All they do or they would be a floater like not necessarily at a post 10 to 2 and but no I'm serious. I think that there was a need and absolutely for parking lot attender. Yeah.
To be visible at the gates. I mean that's the one thing we don't have which we should. What's what's the purpose for that? What do you mean to collect? Well, no. Psychologically knowing that there's a post there that they're not necessarily on the beach. Uh oh. You know, to keep people with
that from to security issue and there's a parking issue. Yeah. To to keep make sure that people but then they could and then they would provide the transportation if it was that person. It doesn't have to be a certified lifeguard. Right. Right. Because we do
this at the I know the Spindle Rock Club has an employee and all they do on weekends is sit by the gate under an umbrella at the gate. Yeah. Yeah. And there's not a lot to do, right? And so they pull them off if there's a pro, you know, something.
So that might solve two issues. One being the transportation, one employee, right? And if if we could it's not if it's not in our budget then maybe we could subsidize it between the recreation department facilities department
and getting getting a grant correct this person. Correct. Absolutely. The grant would be the the big thing because now you can say okay the grant's putting so much money into the project. Yeah. Right. and then you have hopefully a chance to get the town
to follow through with it. But I know that the money from the beach passes, maybe you can explain that. Well, we're we're I don't 38.44 so far this year. I don't know how that breaks out in $25 passes and $50 passes, but you know, our budget
for last year was 192,000 and change. 3844 will just about cover. What's the season? What's the season, Sean? How many weeks are we looking at for an employee if just Well, we typically start the second Saturday in June till Labor Day, whatever that is.
That's typically what we run for a beach season, I guess you call it. Uh some and sometimes it's a week or two longer depending on when Labor Day is real early this year, right? So, it's a real short season this year. Uh, and so that's what you're looking at
and it's a number of hours per week obviously times salary and how that all works out and everything like that. And it could be very simple to do a part-time or sure whatever the case may be, but we'd have to look at finances how that's going to work. And we did have a couple of companies reach out that they would be willing to donate the gator. Well, well, that would
be good if you had sponsors and stuff to do that to get sponsorship for for that or any other company that provides gators that would that you know, of course, they'll have their name on the Gator, but you know, at least it would be a way for um for us
to to have that piece of equipment that wouldn't break into the budget. Um so, a couple things. One is um if you're using the gator by a parking attendant/shuttle person um and the gator is most of the time in the parking
lot. My only fear is that if there is a real emergency and the guards need that gator to rush no we the plan would be parking. We kind of discussed this a little bit Martin and I is like the gator stays out at the beach. Yes. When somebody who has who need
who's required if the gator is not being used they just text or call one of the lifeguards and say hey run it down run it back or he runs it he walk and gets it goes and gets it. Okay. And it depends on obviously it depends on how many people are using this thing. You have 30 people show up in a problem.
Yeah. You're going to have a problem. I would think you'd want to use the radio system instead of a phone cuz phone usage is kind of spotty out there. Yeah. Yeah. But a radio would be very simple. Okay. The life got out. Handicap Pass 500 is in the parking lot and needs transportation to the beach and boom.
Um the only other thing well well a couple things. One is the piping clovers and mass Ottabon. They have said that we should be limiting the use of any vehicles or gators on the beach and path. So that might come up as an issue. Right. Well, were you only using the
path now? If the birds are on the path and two years ago, I think they actually were nesting on the path now. Big problem. Uh that's a big problem for everything involved. Clear it and everybody was upset and all the other stuff, but as long as half the parking lot, we're going to be okay.
There's a liability issue. Exactly. The insurance then would come into play and that would blanket on that. There's a blanket insurance policy on all liability vehicles and stuff, but the issue would be the driver. I'm not sure how the driver has to be a full-time employee or how that all works. I haven't
considered that, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to that point, you know. And I believe there is a there is also a stipulation uh and don't quote me though I think that the particular individual has to be 18 or older. Yeah. It can't be like 16 and just got their license or 17 experience. So 18 years
and older from what I and these things that all can possibly be worked out. We just got to figure out how to do it. We got some time until next year obviously at this point, you know, but we should work on it right away because it's a if it's a budgeting thing, the only chance we get to do anything as we found out this year again is May.
I' I've had good luck with local foundations. Yeah, council on the agent might be able to come up with a volunteer. There are Yeah, you just have to find out what the foundations locally are. and uh you know several times I've I've
I've given the name of the foundations to organizations, fundraisers. Yes. And all of a sudden there's a six figure donation. Right. I think it's a research thing. So if you're just you have to pick the right one and match it up. Exactly. Exactly. If you're willing to
do the research, we're willing to support it. Absolutely. We didn't want to do it without having our guidance wasting our time. Not sure best way to do this cuz it's such a it's a difficult problem. It is a difficult problem that that access we we thought of every
we tried the whole possible handicap ramp. I remember laying and we tried that actually over at the be uh beach avenue and that met with a rousing boo over there. So uh we need to do something. I just don't know if we can or we'll be able to but
we should. I would think the other valuable feedback from your committee would be a proposal of which days and times would this service be available. Um because I'm I'm assuming weekends would be important.
I would assume too, but then I don't know if you'd also want weekdays and you know the guards are out there 9 to5 every day in the summer. So, if that's the requirement or or the need, then we would have to look at the cost of that for an attendant shuttle person,
right? And I and I think I think Martin brought up a a good uh point. I mean, most people that have challenges in their lives have a window like from, you know, 9 to 2 because they have to be home at a certain time and eat at a certain time and they have to facilitate
with their with their challenges in life. So, it's it's usually not an all day thing. I mean, Martin and I can attest to it. you know, we're only good for so many hours a day and then we're then we're done. So, so yes, and we're mindful of that as well. Yeah. Yeah. Just a recommendation would
be great. Yeah. You know, any suggestions and then we can figure out what we how we go from there, I guess. I mean, and also I I think that uh I was at a meeting of the on the barrier beach the other night.
Oh, yeah. I was there. There are there are serious issues with disability. I mean, handicap access and barrier beach preservation are basically incompatible. Yeah. Well, because you need to have a so therefore there. Yeah.
I would ask you and your people if there what are other locations where you would like to see handicap access in addition to what we have now? Yes. because I think some of the access that you have now could be threatened by
you know preservation for example we went to that meeting as a matter of fact and they they did touch on it very lightly but they they invited us to that meeting as well the watershed the other night no we went down there was another oh there's one Monday night right Monday at
we went to the one before that to uh res include you as part of because one of the concerns I have is everybody nobody ever It's sad to say thinks about your issues when it comes to Oh, but now that we're on the commission, you will hear. Yeah. Well,
now we like to be out there, but I mean, I agree with you. A lot of times people don't understand what the commission on disability does. We're kind of quiet group, but again, and and as the town gets older, we're all Yes. You know, I look back and forth gets older, we're all getting older. We're not as
all going to need the access to be handicap. It's an access period. And I can't think of her name. uh at the wood pole group said, "I can help you with that." I was I had a phone conversation with them a couple weeks ago. Oh, yeah. I said, "How can you help us with that?" Because I we had been talking. Yeah, we did talk a lot.
And I said, "Well, let's see what we can do here." Good. You know, there may be a better option than even what we're thinking of. Yeah. Like I said, I don't think this the first time ever thought of it. So, there's got to be a solution out there somewhere. And the nice thing is is we're getting a lot of calls because people do want to I mean not only that
it's a compliance issue, but they're opening more doors for us to to participate, you know, and and we enjoy that. Good. And it shouldn't be done. So anyway, um you'll have my support 100%. I taught special education in Westport 33 years.
Wow. Thank you so much. Joel Sullivan. Joel Sullivan. We don't know who everybody is. I'm sorry. We don't know who you are. Woody Underwood. Wood. Woody. I'm Lisa Fidelberg. And yeah, and you are? I have Lisa Fidelberg. Casi. He says we're we're married. He's Martin Costa,
but we're not married. Related to Joe? Yes. Well, I worked on his house a lot. Yeah, I'm aware. Yes. I recognize the name now that you said it, but I didn't. Sometimes you don't know who you're speaking with, so I appreciate that. Well, listen, thank you very much for your support. We'll take the ball from
here and then report back to you guys. I That'd be great. Um, I just want to bring up one more thing. Um, regarding the complaints we heard through email about the sand buildup. You mentioned it a bit. Um, and I know, um, you said they always plow in the beginning of the
season. The highway department does. Do they normally plow midseason or July? They're not supposed to because of the whole birth thing. Okay. So, but then I think they did this summer because there was such a buildup. So with something like that, is is there
a standard that we should be doing or striving for or is it just based on weather and like what the lifeguards recommend? It's it's hit or miss. You could clear that path and get a southwest wind blow to goofy in there day, right?
You know, but could it be cleaned every day by the lifeguards or they don't have the time for that? If we put movie mats down. I'm talking about Well, that's what I mean. That's going to be difficult because you know the sand there's two things that do it. People walk up, they carry the sand a little bit. It's like but it's just you can have a storm like we're having right
now. This will do it and boom. And you'll have 2 ft of sand on it overnight. Oh, you will? Yeah. That much. And that's where the problem that's where the problem come they're out snow shovels coming and then what do you do with the sand? Cuz now you have to clear the whole path again. You're not supposed to be dumping on the beach cuz
the birds are on the beach. I know. Nobody likes the birds. So like in a weather event like we're having right now, will the highway department be plowing it again before Labor Day or Okay. So it's kind of like gone. This will get the birds will be
gone after this. No birds on cuz it was up to the dunes. I told you the other night. Yeah. So yeah, that but again you can do that and then a month from now. Sure. Of course. Here we are again. Um, so I guess like if the public asks, we say it's always plowed in the beginning of the season,
the summer season, and then depending on weather and conditions, um, we can look at plowing it again if need be, right? But again, it's it's not something we typically do because we're not you're not supposed to be transporting materials and moving things
around, you know, any more than you going to have to for emergency, of course. Of course, disability aside, right, maybe that will solve some of the problem, but you know, the sand wasn't really horrible despite the complaints. I went down the next day and walked it. It
wasn't really that bad. But it is for somebody who's h mobility, right? You know, uh but then they did it and like two days later it didn't look like they did it. Wow. Wow. Yeah, that's a problem. You know, that's I don't know what you do about that. You go down there every
days and plowing it. So, I guess we would probably want to consider if we were to implement this service with a gator or something that it it be also for seniors or or people who really struggle with that. Well, that's that's what see that's kind
of avoid what I'm trying to avoid actually because how do you determine a disability eligible for disability stick you know? It's really easy to have a handicap placard and say, "Oh, it's very obvious you're but like I said, everybody who ah jeez, I hurt my
knee pain the other day." You know, I think you have to have people apply for the service. Yes. Right. At the beginning, have a and you have a list and people somebody gets a car and if and you make it, you know, certain qualifications, right? You know, do you have a placard in your
car, for example, because Yeah. You know, that's easy to identify. We we can Carla can add a code to the beach pass. I just used HC cuz the handicap, right? Sure. And you apply at the beginning of the season. That way we don't have the problem that I went down for the day and
now I'm just tired and I just can't make it back, right? You know, it's it'll turn into the whole world wants to shuttle back. No, I understand. But I think um I think if we're going to make accommodations for folks who have, you know,
disabilities that have a placard um I mean there are folks in your car in your car. That's what justifies someone. I could see someone who's a senior like you say with a bad hip or knee saying that they need help as well. Yeah. Yeah.
Disabled in order to get a plaque card in your vehicle there. It's not just you go online and and get it. You have to get your doctor's information. If you get if you get um social security disability, you have to prove that. There's a whole there's a whole format
that you have to follow that justifies like I had to go through because I am disabled. And so when you have all of that information, when you have a plaque card, you've met the state's compliance and you are deemed disabled now. And the reason why your photograph is on it is
so I mean it's a $1,000 fine if someone else is using your plaque art and you can lose your license up to 60 days. So there's a lot of things like when you disabled you are disable and and I'm not arguing that point. I'm just saying we might still hear those complaints.
Oh no I think from folks who still can't you're going to get that anyway. Yeah. Who are going to have the deep sand and can't walk through it. I get ears all the time and it's really and from people who just they're tired, you know, at the end of the day or it is a tough walk in the winter. It's real tough.
So, I understand that. But we can only do so much. Can't make Mount Everest accessible to somebody who can't climb Mount Everest. You know what I mean? Is there But a senior too who can't walk that well or that far or has shortness of breath more than likely could get a
placard. Yeah. Right. Because I mean the doctor would say yes they can't they can't they can apply for so my point is then so they've done all the work. So when they come to get Oh I apologize for the town to legitimize and say like on that that code they have a plaque
card. It is issued by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. They're deemed disabled. Yeah, they don't have to do. I'm just saying that somebody comes up and you're saying the best I guess what I would say to them is why don't you go talk to your doctor because if you really can't make that Yeah. Cuz I don't want to turn this into a Tom Clerk problem where well I really
want the handicap pad. I really can't do it. You know I don't want them spending in more time than they already do on something. Right. Right. Right. You have to make it as simple. One thing that they that could be done is the handicap pass is necessary for the parking spot. So removing the the
pass from the car is blah blah. But anyways, if you just make a copy of it and when you're standing at the bus station, you just show the copy and you can leave your pass in the car so you don't get a ticket.
Yeah. Well, I think that we we'll figure it out. Yeah, that's let's let's do step number one. like you said, I mean, everyone's coming to the table with the ideas and I think we have to just have a clear mission and see what works. Um, and I think just with allowing us to attempt
to address it and having your support is more than we could ask for. Yeah. Right. Well, that's what we're hoping to get when I get the phone call. I know. And then he comes, he's like, "You need to come with me to go see." And I was like, "Well, you don't have to come, but it's always helpful." And again, somebody has
figured this out. I just don't know who it is, and we'll have to figure out who that person is. Sure. And we're we're in the process also um just so that your uh your uh board knows is we're we're also um been invited to other disability commissions. So we're going to be going to other cities and
towns to see what they're doing and maybe through who knows maybe some I don't want to reinvent you don't have to reinvent the wheel. I don't want to reinvent the wheel just to make it but they might have already addressed this in in another area. They might say
Exactly. Lisa, you need to do this or do this and you guys should be good to go. So, why don't we meet in another month? Okay. Do you want to come back in a month or do you want to talk about it? Sure. Of course. Do you have a date when you're meeting? Sorry to bother. I'm going I'm going on vacation, so I want to find out. Thursday and I don't know when that is.
Okay. Third Thursday. Uh third Thursday in September, sir. Something like that. Yep. It would be the 18th. That would be the 18th and 4:30. Yeah, that was a date to go to New Bedford
Council Committee on Disability. Is it at is it at 4:00? But I don't know what time it is. We'll figure out. Okay. Okay. We will. It would be the 18th unless something if we don't have a quorum, I kind of like I always poll before I post. Okay. See you make sure we have a
go. Okay. Okay. Thank you very much. Okay. Thanks for the time you guys seeing you on time. Good to see you. You too. I'll call you tomorrow. Okay. Okay. Thank you, gentlemen. Oh, thank you.
Now, you know you have to run Dana. So, I'm going to make a couple I want to go real quick. So, I was hoping to go over the lifeguard closing issues. Yep. One of the things that didn't happen last year is getting the fans off the beach perfectly. Get them up here. I
know the new that's going to be difficult with the new chair because like Wait, I'm sorry. What? The chairs have to get off the beach when they leave. Last year they left. You mean when the beach season is over? Yeah. Okay. You know, uh everything has to go. The
equipment has to be out of the trailer. Uh I think Mike knows all this. The lifeguard chair didn't come off last year. I had to get the highway department down there in November to get them out of there. uh make sure so we can uh tell Ballran to come get the storage trailer and get it out of there because I need to get all
the equipment up here to the town hall. I don't care if they leave early to do it, but they just got to do it. Um and do they do that on the very last day? Yeah. Um and obviously they can't um move the the chairs because the highway
department does that. They moved them yesterday up into the dunes because of those surf. So they did. Yeah. They could put it the one of them fits in the back of the truck. The new one doesn't necessarily fit in the back of the truck. Yeah, cuz I saw how the beach comm or the highway department use like the big
truck thing. Well, that makes it easy. But it's got to get off the beach is what I'm saying. Somehow they can coordinate with the highway department. I can coordinate with department, but they're not going to be there on Monday. And where do the chairs get stored? We try to bring them in the garage up here. Okay. But we kept them in the parking
lot last year because there was no way of getting them up to here. So, do you prefer the garage then? It keeps them out of the weather. Oh, yeah. Okay. Make them last a little longer anyway. You know, they don't need to be out in the snow and the rain and
uh that's all. And then I'm going to get a budget report. I was hoping hoping to have full board here do it. So we see the next meeting will be the end of the lifeguard payroll. So we'll know what we stand for next year.
That's all. I don't know if you have anything. Um just that I've been in contact with Mike, our head guard, um every day this week just about just asking, you know, um with the impending hurricane, you know, what are they predicting? And so
Mike was very good about watching all the reports um talking with Chris Bole from Horseneck do you know agreeing to kind of emulate the two beaches of what was going to happen. Um so the waters from my understanding were closed on Wednesday. Wait okay. Uh yes Wednesday.
Was it closed Tuesday? No. Okay. Um so Wednesday, Thursday, that's today and then possibly Friday and Saturday weather depending. So, um um he said that mostly it's people just going
there to look at the waves and and not swim obviously or not like sit out on the beach. Surfers were out there down at Gooseberry today. Yeah. Wasn't too was funny. Yesterday I was on the Goose Berry at 5:30. It was really bad. This morning wasn't bad at all. It wasn't interesting. I was there.
No wind. It was It was rolling in but it wasn't smashing over the car. M m. So, uh and then I did notice that, um there was a notice on the town of Westport website. Um did you guys do that or did someone from the town do that? I asked Jim to have it because they
changed the whole website and there was no beach committee page. It's on there. I think it's Yeah, it's just like you have to find it a different way now. And well, I said if if I can't find it, somebody who's looking for it be able to find it. So, it's got to be I told put it on the main page that
everybody's going to be logging on and Yes, it was on the main website. It was like good luck trying to find it. Yes. So, so I did check it and it was on the main page in a corner when you first log on control to do it just to because and we changed the sign the flashing
sign said beach closed until further notice. So, okay, we're good on all that, I think. So, I just didn't want everybody I know everybody's going to go down there and look at the surf. I wish they would because it just causes problems. Sure. To watch people tend to drip down in the beach next to you. There were two people swimming last night when I went down
there. So, nothing surprising me, right? And they're just parking on the street. They parked. I don't I I walked down look at the beach when I was locking up and they were in the surf and they saw me and they got out of the surf and they
walked and it went flying by me going back up the path and I don't know where they went after that. Interesting. Okay. Okay. Two teenage 20-year-old. Yeah. Okay. Okay. So, um, but that's that's really all I have. Okay. Yeah, that's all I have, too. I
just want to make sure we because I just don't want, you know, I want him to remember to do all this stuff. Yep. Sure. I can go over all that with him. Chris is very good with working with me and stuff like that, but, you know, he doesn't want to be lugging chairs all over the place, you know, until
it's time. I just want to make sure they get everything off the beach, everything out of the trail. Yep. Okay. That includes the gator. The gator has to come back up here. Yep. Okay. All right. That's about all I have. Okay. For you. Yep. That's it. Okay.
Uh so Okay, perfect. All right. Thank you. Okay. Have a good concert. Thanks. All right. Thanks. Have a good rest of the meeting. Thanks for all you do. Oh, well, thank you. Uh we don't have a lifeguard handicap. discussion each closure town clerk
report 3844. It's about 500 down from last year change. Yeah, I'm not going to review the budget. There's nobody here. Parking lot closure. We know we're closed with the storm
anyway. Uh unanticipated issue. Do you have anything? No, just what you gave me and I'm okay. Happy with that. since everybody uh uh we've been going back and forth, me being me, Dana, and Chris Dunn
uh about the East Beach closure. Neither you were here for I was there and yeah, I read the article. Explain that to me. And the article kind of lines article. Yeah. I love it when they kind of like take things out of context and make it look appear a different way of what I
said and how I said it. But what is the yeast speech closure? Well, we had for the last seven or eight years, we've had problems with uh the public part of East Beach, the Palm Beach where you turn the corner on July
5th and there's garbage everywhere. Oh, I I saw this and I sent pictures to I sent pictures there. I saw it was on Facebook actually. Yeah. Yeah. And it was it and even going down the closed there at 8:30ish at night when I was going down the closed
car cherry web it was like driving through a street festival there people racing up and down the street on the onehe electric unit and then there there were kids running back and forth and dogs and people breaking out barbecue grills because
Kevin lights off the fireworks you know everybody wants to go down and watch it and then there's parking both sides So each beach road is like this wide. People are darting in and out. And I have no problem where appeared to me. What I said was,
you know, if you want to blow yourself up on your private property, I don't care. Just don't trash the town beach. Well, it got out of control because every year for the last couple years, I'd turn in the corner. I fill up my truck full of spent fireworks, throw it in the dumpster, and then call Chris G's house to the highway department to get
guys down there to clean it up and get it out of there. Well, it was Friday this year, so they didn't work on Saturday. And Saturday was a gorgeous day and people went to the beach and there were fireworks in the surf and there were fireworks pizza boxes blown around and broken bottles and we had a
number of complaints about that. It was on Facebook. Yeah. Who gets who supposed to clean it up? And the question is that's a good question because usually the highway department does a good job. They almost anticipate it. My phone calls to go down there and do the best job they can of getting all
the garbage out of there. And I give them credit for that. But they're not going to work on Saturday and Sunday on the 4th of July weekend. That's true. So what happens when that happens? You know, when it's on a weekend because there were times where we literally a couple of truckloads full of garbage you
got on the way. That's and now with this street basically borderline street festival and again nothing to do with the private property. Don't care if you invite your friends on your private property. Don't care if you your fireworks. It's legal, but I don't
care. Just don't trash the town beach. But now the town beach is trashed. So the idea basically is set up some kind of system. Put the sign there. 8:00 3rd, fourth, and fifth next year. Everybody's gone off the town beach. Don't care if you have a sticker. Don't
care what your excuse is. Gone. that section of beach is not going to be anybody parking there to eliminate the problem of being trashed because there's nobody going to pick up in the morning at 5:30 before everybody comes back, right? And it's just a nightmare, you know, and
police can't they don't have the resources on July 4th weekend to be sitting there at each beach, you know, telling people, "Oh, okay. Don't do that. Don't do this. It's not you shouldn't have to babysit. It would be fine with me because the homeowners have a right and that's it." But I don't I don't think it's any the homeowners. I don't
think it has because people I'm watching people come there from all over. Oh yeah. And and I see the trucks back up to the on the It's a beautiful thing. Fireworks over the water. Fireworks. Yeah. You know fireworks over the water. Yeah. But then they leave the boxes. Oh yeah. You know it's like
I'm just saying do it right. I'm just saying it's beautiful. But it's great. I took trash the beach for a long time. But now it's gotten so it's a destination place now for everybody who wants to do it. It wasn't just, you know, my brother Joe. Yeah. Yeah, I got it.
Up the street. It's like the whole world's coming to light fireworks off the beach and leave the crap. No, I understand it. So rather than deal with the million complaints from phone calls that I got and emails and text messages and all the other things, right? It's like just 8:00. Once we close 8:00,
doesn't really get enforced. We all know that. 8:00. See you later. You don't have to go home, but you can't stay here. Fine. Don't let the door hit you in the It might be easier for everybody the residents on East Beach. I'm not sure. Uh I was going to I know the East Beach
Improvement Association has a meeting coming up. I'm going to talk to them. See, I It's not there. It's not. No, they they they take care of their property. I mean, I'm down there. I see. I understand. You know, I see they're picking up the trash that other people have left. Exactly. So, but it's like there's
no reason to trash the town beach or have people trash. I trashed the whole world. Nobody had a sticker. Yeah. If I showed you the film on my dash cam, you would be horrified of what I would There it was. The car in front of me. He was a white Audi SUV. He was right in front of me and I was watching. He would
navigating around people and these people were racing down the street both lanes right at him. He was like, I saw him do one of these, you know, what am I supposed to do? You know, I got nowhere to go. And it's it's just not right that you But
And plus your semiol skeleton crew for uh police, too. Yeah. Well, the police, you know, Fourth of July week, they have a million places to be and they don't need to be sitting at the beach. You know, they have their own issues to deal with. This shouldn't have to be one of them. So, we're meeting with
hopefully in the near future with Chris Dunn to figure out some kind of game plan and then we can just like say here's what we think we should do. And I to me the I was of the opinion of we put the flashing sign out there no parking July 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8:00 p.m.,
you know, we put the highway department put the saw horses out there. They can Yeah, that's what I was thinking or something. So hostel should do it, you know, right up to this and then everybody can go somewhere else. I don't care where they go if they want to. I know it's limited parking. I think that's the problem. You know, that's
part of the problem. But anyway, it it was it become a real issue now. You know, it never used to be, but it's got a problem because I took this year. There are no fireworks anywhere else. Yeah. Yeah. That's problem. Yeah. And and that is a problem. We got
to go into Fall River and New Bedford, you know, and that's or Bristol, do your own. The question is, you know, how do you fix all this problem and do all these things without making it a burden and you know, I understand can't erase
everybody who shoots up fireworks and you could have you would have a place big enough to put up the film. I got it. I got it. I understand. Yeah. It's just uh you know take your stuff with you. Anyway, go to the esplanard.
Yeah. Oh. Oh no. Even I can't imagine what cleaning up there must look like. But now it's become the esplanard south, you know, beach. So anyway, so that's the only thing we had talked about uh my issues. What do you have anything?
No, beach. Hasn't doesn't look too bad. Been fine. I'm a little concerned though about the when they cut through the doom at the town beach, right? And I mean that's going to just fill
first good storm that's going to I mean that opening is just going to Well, the question is wash away. What was asking me about that and I said it depends on a lot of things. If you have a bunch of little storms will slowly build up and it might come back
like the dooms do at like Elsen Rock. If you have a big storm, it's going to be Yeah. that much wider. Well, I've got a couple couple of idea a couple of ideas. I would one would be to actually go in in the fall and put it fill it up with sand.
Well, now now the highway department's got a place to put all the sand that washes on the end of the road so they could pick it up and put it over there. Well, but but just do that and then plow it out every spring. Yeah. if you can, you know, after the storms. Or the other idea would be to
design a a really sturdy gate that you can close um when there's a storm like a snow fence. Well, my idea to Woods F is we want to put boulders there. No, no. Well, boulders were might not help. Well, bolders is you have an emergency.
Now, how do you move the boulder? you know, it's so so the idea is to put it and and Elephant Rock did this this elaborate thing at the pond where there's where it comes through, right? And it's and I'm not sure whether it's
it's snow fence and you know big posts. We talked about a you know DCR gate especially closed during the winter especially. Well, is there something like that exists or or we haven't designed it? Oh no, they have it in a lot of beaches. So yeah. Well, there you go.
And that's and that's what the plan possibly be depending on grant and all the other things and committee. So the plan would be to put it, you know, where the parking ends, you know, where the parking well I put it put it on the where the
I put the solid gate across the doom, right? So that the way and you know high and it would have to be really pretty sturdy, right? But uh you we could design. So they have them all over the place like Cape Cut Seashore and stuff like
that. They have things like that to keep sand from going through an open. Yeah. Well, okay. Been done. Yeah. Cuz it h you know, it's like everything else. It's like this is the only place in the world that things like this happen. So this somebody has thought of the solution long before we did.
Okay. Well, that's the that but I think that I've noticed there hasn't been as many people fishing. Or maybe it's just many people what fishing off nubble like they usually is. And I don't know if that's a weather thing or if it's just I don't know. I haven't noticed the before on a hot
day you'd see like Yeah. You know, it look like a refugee encampment up there, you know, and now it hasn't been as bad. So, yeah. I don't know. And that's why I was wondering if it was any better or worse. I'm not sure. I have not heard anything either. Either.
Yeah. Well, it's been clean. I haven't picked up any trash out there. Now, beach passes, handicap beach passes are necessary for that area. A regular beach beach pass beach pass you can park up to a certain point like Right. Right. A very small area and then
there are two spaces at the end of the road. Yeah, there's handicap but those are that's a town that's a regular handicap park stick. That's not a town. I understand that. I've been down there. The handicap commission gets all the ticket monies from the handicap fines.
It's $300 a whack. So they they have a little bit not a lot of cash but a little bit of cash they use. This is how they do phone. Uh but I haven't noticed or heard maybe I just don't hear anymore. But any problems
like we we had some major trash problems parking and cat spots. We travel to different states and when you look at Massachusetts highways and you look at other states, they just don't seem to be as bad. And it can't be
because they have a larger budget to pick up trash. It's just it's just that it's I don't know uh noticeable. That's all I can say. Mhm. It is It is what it is. But anyway, uh that's
all I have. All I have make a motion to adjurnn at 532. Second that. All in favor? Uh all in favor? I I I
Well, thank you gentlemen. No.