Punta Gorda Boaters Alliance
General Meeting
December 17, 2020 

ATTENDEES:  John Welsh, Bob Hickey, Diane Welsh, Gene Pawlowski, Mike Savino, Charles Wolley, Dave Blair

Guest:  Mayor Lynne Matthews, Officer Joseph Trufan, Ron Jones, Ron Ludvig, Tom Delaney

The Meeting was called to order by John Welsh at 9:00 AM

Minutes M/S/P by unanimous voice vote without modification

Treasurer’s Report:   The bank balance is $3283.80 with approximately $500 in payments due in the future. Member annual dues invoices will be mailed in January

City Report: Mayor Matthews reported:

  • The County has approved changing the speed zone in Alligator Creek making it a slow speed zone past the intersection with Buckley’s Pass.
  • The Ponce Inlet dredging is complete. The spoil is drying on the lot along Colony Point and will be transported to Placida for disposal.
  • The lighted boat parade is Saturday December 19th. Approximately 40 boats are registered. The PGPD will have two boats and the water and the county will have one boat available.
  • The plans for additional parking along the west end of Gilchrist Park are in progress
  • A complaint has been raised about the excess amount of signage at the Laishley Park boat ramp. The signage is being reviewed to see what can be combined or eliminated, but much of the signage is required by statute.
  • The seawall panels replacement for the Ponce Park boat launch ramp is complete. The beach area remains closed as work continues in that area.
  • The city is preparing to start the design and engineering of the historic City Hall renovation.

PGPD update: Officer Trufan reported:

  • Two boats are now in service
  • A nighttime operation is scheduled for Monday December 21st. Lighting of moored boats off of Gilchrist Park will be monitored along with mullet fishing activity.
  • The department is seeking FLIR cameras for the boats to improve nighttime safety. A short discussion ensued about the possibility for acquiring a third boat strictly for volunteer patrol usage. It was agreed that this should be looked into further.
  • There are now a total of (4) officers trained by the PGPD. In addition, the PGFD has sent nine people to a USCG approved captain’s school. The public safety departments are able to provide 24/7 emergency coverage on the water.
  • The derelict boat by Alligator Creek has been cited by FWC.

MAC Update: Bob Hickey reported:

  • The USCG Shallow water ATON review remains open for comment by sending a letter to the USCG email address. John Welsh sent a letter and received a response. Bob is going to create a generic letter that can be completed by member organizations and sent to USCG. It is important that our collective voice be heard.
  • Grants – the city needs a new engine for the pump out boat.
  • Derelict boats – There are 14 derelict boats in Charlotte County waters. The money has been granted to the city to directly handle derelict boats.
  • A purchase order for a bathymetric survey of Alligator Creek has been ordered.
  • Weather Station Marker 2 – Despite Commissioner Deutsch’s involvement, the application continues to wait for approval. Ron Jones is going to send the contact information to Mayor Matthews. John Welsh will contact the mayor and discuss her possible involvement.

Canal Maintenance:

  • Annual seawall inspection starts this week and will continue through February 28, 2021
  • Ponce Park has been dredged to 6 feet MLW by 20 feet wide.
  • Hans Wilson’s firm has been retained to assist in renewing the various canal permits.

New Business:

  • Gene Pawlowski proposed modifying the PGBA correspondence to show the member organizations on the left hand side of the page.
  • Gene Pawlowski proposed a possible extension of the name to show more regional inclusiveness of the PGBA. One suggestion was The Greater Punta Gorda Boaters Alliance. Tom Delaney commented that name changes could be simple and inexpensive by adding d/b/a to our records.
  • Ron Jones suggested a short narrated introductory piece about the PGBA to be posted on the public portion of the web page.
  • John Welsh will reach out to Florida Weekly about creating an article showcasing PGBA serving Charlotte Harbor.
  • It was decided to discuss these items more in depth at the January BOD meeting.
  • It was generally agreed to we need focus on member outreach and increasing the involvement of members.

Meeting adjourned at 10:28 AM.