The Harbors Committee continued its discussion of private moorings in Great Salt Pond, specifically focusing on the long waiting list. There are 290 mooring balls in the pond, with a waiting list of 688.“It’s no secret it’s almost impossible to get a mooring here,” Member Gary Pollard said at the meeting on December 9. He suggested that “in principle,” the committee ought to figure out how to give residents “a leg up over nonresidents.”
Member Carl Kaufmann agreed, saying “maximum priority” should go to island residents. The waiting list is divided into residents and nonresidents, with Harbormaster Kate McConville verifying that new moorings are issued in a 3:1 ratio of resident to nonresident. There are 225 residents and 463 nonresidents on the list.
Pollard pointed out that the definition of what constitutes a resident could use some work, suggesting that “in the spirit of the word,” resident should mean someone who lives on Block Island year-round. He proposed a three-tiered system of year-round people, second-home people, and nonresidents.
In its ordinances, the Town of New Shoreham defines a resident as someone “who resides full-time in the town.” There are exceptions whereby enrollment in college, or fulfilling military service
