Beaches and Little Pond Oysters Update

Beach News:

All Town beaches are expected to open June 25, 2016, staffing permitting (dependent upon school closings and student life guards being available).

Heights Beach: The new stairs to the Heights Beach have been installed.The concession vendor will be back in same spot with the same truck and electrical hook up. He will not be selling ice cream. A traveling ice cream truck will come twice a day.
      The porta-potties will be installed as usual, location unknown as yet, and the new rubbish containers for recycling and trash will be installed.

Bristol Beach: The gate should be completed before May 31.

Little Pond Oysters:

On 4/15/16, the Enterprise reported that “Shellfish propagation has not significantly reduced the amount of nitrogen in Little Pond since 2012, this according to results of a three-year monitoring report of the pond”.  To read the whole article, see http://www.capenews.net/falmouth/news/little-gain-in-nitrogen-reduction-in-little-pond/article_b23d4d22-7de7-5a19-91ff-ba47777fced1.html

On 4/5/16, Town Meeting Members voted to APPROVE ARTICLE 13:

To see if the Town will vote to fund a two year continuation of the Little Pond Oyster Propagation program, to determine how the money shall be raised and by whom expended. Or do or take any other action in this matter. On request of the Board of Selectmen.

RECOMMENDATION (Finance Committee): That the Town vote to transfer the amount of $110,000 from certified free cash for the purposes of this article. Said funds to be expended under the jurisdiction of the Town Manager.

EXPLANATION: This article will fund two additional years of the successful Little Pond Oyster Propagation program. The department will grow 2 million oysters per year in Little Pond, as we have done the past several years, with relay into West Falmouth Harbor and Green Pond for recreational and commercial harvest. Funding is no longer available for this project through the Water Quality Management Committee.