Posted on November 19, 2018
Work never ends on the waterfront.
The Port Authority Commission discussed two projects Wednesday night; a camera update, which neared completion, and dredging that continues to move at a slow pace.
About 20 cameras, placed on docks, the hurricane barrier and as south as Fort Taber, are plugged into a system that allows mobile monitoring from tablets or smartphones. The ability became possible within the last few months, according to Port Director Ed Anthes-Washburn. The update for the cameras, which were originally placed in 2008, is nearly complete.
“A lot of it is just security,” Anthes-Washburn said. “We have 24-hour security on the docks with people but obviously having eyes everywhere and having that security asset to look at multiple places at once makes the security much better.”
Anthes-Washburn said break-ins and “things disappearing” along the waterfront have decreased since the installation. But the use extends beyond crime prevention.
“It’s all public safety,” he said. “If someone fell in the water or if there’s a missing person, we can paint a picture of what happened.”
Footage from the security cameras lives for 30 to 60 days, Anthes-Washburn said, and it’s mostly used to go back and examine after something has been reported. New Bedford and Fairhaven police and fire as well as the Port Authority can access the footage.
“It’s a really good asset,” Anthes-Washburn said. “But we do want it to be more of a proactive deterrent.”
Dredging remains a priority for the port in not only generating jobs but also sustaining the nation’s most valuable fishing port.
Mayor Jon Mitchell compared dredging to the maintenance of a roof. While a strong roof allows for the opportunity to expand, it also protects every job that already exists under it.
“It’s important that we not forget that we’re doing the dredging to continue operating in the port,” Mitchell said.
The next step receiving aid from the state includes a new economic study by the Port Authority to show updated figures of the port’s value. Anthes-Washburn expects the study to be ready by early 2019.
In June, the Baker Administration awarded New Bedford $1.6 million for the design and permitting of Phase V dredging.
“As part of that, the state asked for an update on the economic plan so they can understand what the return on investment for this expenditure would be,” Anthes-Washburn said.
All parties involved from local and state officials are confident New Bedford will eventually receive funding for its Phase V dredging.
Phase V dredging involves about 25 docking areas. Some are in use and some aren’t. When dredged, the available water space would lead to nearly 400 direct jobs in the harbor and nearly 900 total, according to analysis conducted by Martin Associates, which will be updated with the new economic study.
The federal channel, which is maintained by the Army Corp of Engineers, hasn’t been dredged since the 1950s. The rest of the port was last dredged in 2014 in a $7 million project that raised the depth four feet to 28.5 feet. However, to be authorized by the federal government, the average depth during low tides is required to be 30 feet.
Source: SouthCoastTODAY
