Timeline
The Friends of Bassing Beach have assembled the following timeline by reviewing all the published minutes from the Scituate Board of Selectman Meetings and the Shellfish Advisory Committee Meetings. For each notation we have included the year, a headline and relevant details. We have also included a link to the published minutes with the relevant information being highlighted in orange.
The FOBB have included an end of year summary, noting inconsistencies in the Board of Selectman decisions and illogical rulings.
It is always been our opinion that they creation of the Shellfish Advisory Committee and its impact on the BOS is both illogical and unethical. We can see no benefit to the town in any way.
As noted on 11/20/2019 a Scituate Oyster Farm will “generate no property tax, no significant new jobs and not much by way of money spent in the local economy”
TIMELINE
September 18, 2018 BOS Meeting Minutes
Oyster Farm Concept Re-Presented to Board of Selectman
Jamie Davenport and John Tedeschi present to new BOS. Terms Used: “Great for the community”; North River Dismissed as possible location
[link]
November 6, 2018 BOS Meeting Minutes
Shellfish Advisory Committee is formed
Selectman Shaun Harris asks if commercial fisherman siting on the committee is a “conflict of interest” since Davenport will seek a license. Item is not discussed
[Link}
December 18, 2018 BOS Meeting Minutes
Candidates for SAC Reviewed By BOS
Susan Harrison, Jamie Davenport and Jeff Palmer are appointed to the Shellfish Advisory Committee for a term of three years.
[LINK}
July 23, 2019 BOS Meeting Minutes
SAC Announces Application is Complete
To be submitted to Waterways to get approval and then sent to BOS for approval
[LINK}
2013 - BOS Meeting Minutes
Oyster Farm Concept Rejected by Town Officials
Jamie Davenport proposes commercial oyster farming to Harbormaster Mark Patterson (retired) and former Town Administrator Patricia Vinchesi--both reject the idea
[LINK]
October 2, 2018 BOS Meeting Minutes
North River Location Rejected
Bassing Beach is proposed, when asked about the North River or Spit, it is rejected. Mr. Dimeo notes “the river would be a harder sell”
[Link}
December 4, 2018 BOS Meeting Minutes
Candidates for SAC Listed
David Dauphinee, Jamie Davenport, Scott Harrington, Jeff Palmer and John Tedeschi are all applicants and have stated they will seek a plot through the application process.
[LINK}
March 19, 2019 BOS Meeting Minutes
Selectman Shawn Harris is appointed BOS liaison to the Shellfish Advisory Committee
[LINK}
September 17, 2019 BOS Meeting Minutes
2018 Summary
The effort to bring an oyster farm to Scituate started in earnest in 2018 with the appointment of a new harbormaster and the hiring of a new town administrator. Starting in September, the idea of an oyster farm in Scituate is discussed openly in a Board of Selectman meeting.
Lead by Jamie Davenport, a commercial oyster farmer in Dennis, the idea quick gains traction. Called “Great for the Community” the location is discussed. Later, in October, the North River, and assumed the Spit, is dismissed by Board of Selectman Shawn Harris as being “a harder sell”.
The Shellfish Advisory Committee is formed by the BOS and the two most vocal proponents are listed as being prime candidates. The first instance of “unethical behavior” is noted when Board of Selectman Harris asks if there is a conflict of interest to have commercial fisherman on the committee. The BOS does not discuss this concern.