What's up with Fish Buying Fees?

On April 21, 2014, I requested the 2013 Fish Buying Fee data. I wanted to review fee revenue collected monthly under the new 2012 Fish Buying lease agreements. 2013 was the first full year fish buying fees were required under the new lease agreements.  

On May 21, 2014, I received the Harbor District's fourth revised spreadsheet of 2013 Fish Buying fees collected.  After receiving so much inconsistent information I'm not sure if I'm being provided with accurate data.  Also, the fish buying fees collected (as noted in the most recent version of the District's spreadsheet) do not match the Fish & Game catch data.  It appears the District has been significantly underpaid.  I wonder why fish buying fees have not been collected accurately and why management did not alert the board about the problem?

On June 11, 2014 I received  the Harbor District's fifth revised spreadsheet of 2013 Fish Buying fees collected and April/May 2014 fee worksheets.

May 21, 2014 8:35:21am (from HR)

Fish Buying Fee data from Harbor District management  →

May 19, 2014 12:18:22pm (from GM)  

Fish Buying Fee worksheets →

May 19, 2014 11:02am (from HR)

Fish Buying Fee data from Harbor District management →

May 19, 2014 8:42:44am (from HR)

"One change, it should read Pillar Point Fishery, not Pillar Point Seafood."

April 22, 2014 4:06:30pm (from HR)

Fish Buying Fee data from Harbor District management →

June 11, 2014 3:25:28pm (from HR) 

Fish Buying Fee data from Harbor District management →

Fish Buying Fee worksheets →

President Dave Pine's LGBTQ Commission Press Release

Thank you San Mateo County Board of Supervisors for establishing California's first county/city LGBTQ Commission.

Sabrina Brennan's June 3, 2014 comments to the Board of Supervisors

Thanks you President Pine and Supervisor Tissier and your staff and all the LGBTQ leaders and straight lays for working together to establish the first county/city LGBTQ Commission.  

We have three LGBTQ families on my block in Moss Beach and we appreciate the support.

I'd like to say a few words about pervasive discrimination impacting the lives of transgender members of our community. And I'd like to note that anti-transgender bias in combination with racism is especially devastating.

Many transgender people live in extreme poverty and many experience homelessness.  

A recent Report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey found that a staggering 41% of respondents reported attempting suicide compared too 1.6% of the general population, with rates rising to 55% for those who lost a job due to bias.

It was reported that 51%, were harassed/bullied in school, and 61%, had low household income, or were victims of physical assault, and 64% were victims of physical or sexual assault.

These number are staggering. I'm hopeful the new San Mateo County LGBTQ Commission will find ways to improve the lives of transgender families.

Unfriendly Meeting Agenda: June 4, 2014

I'm disappointed the June 4, 2014 Harbor District meeting agenda includes Public Comment at the end of the meeting. Standard practice by the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and other public agencies is to hold Public Comment at the beginning of the meeting, not the end.

I'm also disappointed that Item 19 "Commissioner Agenda Setting" is not included near the beginning of the public meeting. With the board majority enforcing a self-imposed 10:00pm "hard-stop" it will be impossible for Commissioners to place items on a future agenda and impossible for the public to comment on items not included on the agenda.

It's unlikely the Commission will be able to hold Closed Session and cover all 19 agenda items before 10:00pm.  

Meeting Location:

  • Sea Crest School Gymnasium
  • 901 Arnold Way
  • Half Moon Bay, CA 94109

Meeting Time:

  • 6:00pm

Link to Agenda PDF

Link to Board Packet PDF  -file takes time to load

Please attend the meeting

From the Brown Act:

54954.3  (a) Every agenda for regular meetings shall provide an
opportunity for members of the public to directly address the
legislative body on any item of interest to the public, before or
during the legislative body's consideration of the item, that is
within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body,
provided that no action shall be taken on any item not appearing on
the agenda unless the action is otherwise authorized by subdivision
(b) of Section 54954.2.  [...]  Every notice for a special
meeting shall provide an opportunity for members of the public to
directly address the legislative body concerning any item that has
been described in the notice for the meeting before or during
consideration of that item.

Those two provisions taken together mean that all regular meetings must allow public comments on items not on the agenda, but special meetings only need to allow comments on items which are on the agenda.  Of course, any public-friendly agency will generally allow non-agenda comments at most special meetings.

Fishermen Unite Against Harbor Management

At the May 21, 2014 Harbor District meeting commercial fishermen from Pillar Point Harbor waited three hours outside the South San Francisco City Council chambers while San Mateo County Harbor Commissioners met in closed session. 

After waiting four hours Commercial Fishermen Steve Fitz was called for public comment. As Captain Fitz approached the podium to address the Commission the clock struck ten and Commissioner Tucker said, "meeting over." Before President Robert Bernardo adjured the meeting Commissioner Tucker got out of his chair, interrupted public comment, and announced an abrupt end to the meeting.

I responded by requesting that President Bernardo allow Captain Steve Fitz to address the board. The meeting was extended a few minutes and Captain Fitz read a letter from the HMB Seafood Marketing Association.

Letter from HMB Seafood Marketing Association →

Two articles published about the letter

Daily Journal - Samantha Weigel

Harbor improvement grant lacks fishermen support: Frustration boiling over about Pillar Point Harbor control, district decision-making

Half Moon Bay Review - Mark Noack

Harbor bid for grant money spurs mutiny

Fishermen waited for hours while Harbor Commissioners met in closed session

Commercial Fishermen Steve Fitz standing at the podium in South San Francisco

Video: Steve Fitz addressing the Harbor Commission on Aug. 7, 2013 & May 21, 2014