mariners(coalitionsubcommittee( meetingofoctober17,2012 · 5" "...
TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: MARINERS(COALITIONSUBCOMMITTEE( MeetingofOctober17,2012 · 5" " MAUREY:(We"also"had"noproblems"–itwasagoodday.The"Coast"Guardwas"the"lead"agency"on"this"event,"and"we"assisted."""](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022071213/60294926308556672644d38e/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
1
MARINERS COALITION SUBCOMMITTEE Meeting of October 17, 2012
ATTENDEES:
Jim Acheson, Acheson Ventures Steve Blair, Supt., Canada Border Services Agency Jeff Bohm, St. Clair County Commissioner Dave Brown, Acheson Ventures Karen Czernel, District Director, House of Representatives Dave Dusellier, U. S. Customs & Border Protection Larry Krabach, Port Huron Power Squadron Gerald Little, U.S. Customs & Border Protection Bob Mattson, Port Huron Power Squadron Dennis J. Maurey, St. Clair County Sheriff Dept. – Marine Division Tom Rankin, Canadian Chief of Operations – Canada Border Services Agency Terry Ruff, U.S. Customs & Border Protection Kevin Stryker, Officer in Charge, U.S. Coast Guard Station, Port Huron
MEMBERS ABSENT: John Borkovich – Michigan DNR, Law Enforcement Division
Gary Calhoun -‐ U.S. Customs & Border Protection Tim Donnellon -‐ St. Clair County Sheriff
Rodney Forbes, Desmond Marine Brian Hawkins -‐ XPO, U. S. Coast Guard Station, Port Huron Adrian Palomeque – Lt., Waterways Mgmt. Division Chief, USCG-‐Det
GUESTS: Josh Sparling, Candice Miller’s office Brad Dunham, U.S. Customs & Border Protection (in Gary Calhoun’s absence)
Sandie DeHem, Mariners Coalition, Recording Secretary
DAVE BROWN-‐ INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS
Josh Sparling, Candice Miller’s office, Port Huron native, currently finishing Criminal Justice degree Brad Dunham – Active Assistant Port Director, U.S. Customs & Border Protection (replacing Gary Calhoun who is on extended TDY in London, England)
#1 – APPROVAL OF MINUTES BROWN: Asked for any comments or changes to the minutes for the meeting held on May 17, 2012. The minutes were accepted without change.
![Page 2: MARINERS(COALITIONSUBCOMMITTEE( MeetingofOctober17,2012 · 5" " MAUREY:(We"also"had"noproblems"–itwasagoodday.The"Coast"Guardwas"the"lead"agency"on"this"event,"and"we"assisted."""](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022071213/60294926308556672644d38e/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
2
#2 -‐ OUTREACH FOR CANADIAN BOATERS REPORTING IN TO CBSA UPON RETURN FROM TRIPS TO U.S. -‐ CBSA REPORTING ISSUES REGARDING U.S. BOATERS
RANKIN: This past year we ran some surveys on weekends to see what percentages of Canadian and American boaters report in. We found that U.S. boaters were reporting in to the Telephone Report Center at a high rate. However, only one-‐third of Canadian boaters who reported in to USCBP on the U.S. side reported in to CBSA when returning to the Canadian side. These surveys were done locally for a couple of weekends over this past summer. They indicate that the majority of Canadian boaters are not complying with the rules, and we would like some feedback from the stakeholder marinas to see if perhaps there is a problem with our reporting system, and if there is a way we can jointly educate the boating community. This issue will be of concern to the marinas, as clients may become a problem involved in enforcement penalty situations. These incidents could become difficult for marina operators as well, if this situation occurs on your property. We don’t want that. We want to educate these folks, and we are looking for marina operators to assist us in promoting compliance, specifically on the Canadian side, to avoid these difficult situations that we could be running into next summer. BROWN: This information is not encouraging, and I am actually very surprised at the number because the majority of boaters have Nexus and I-‐68’s. I’m not sure why they would not be reporting back in on their return. Sarnia Bay and Bridgeview Marina operations have a newsletter that will be going out shortly to our Canadian marina operations. We have approximately 850 boaters now. I will make sure that is clear in the newsletter that the results of your survey indicate only one-‐third of the boaters are reporting back in, and that the ramifications of not reporting back in could be severe beginning next summer. RANKIN: Not all of these folks are your clients. Some are residents using their personal slips. We will focus on those as well, but if you could assist us with your clients, it would be greatly appreciated. BROWN: It’s interesting that if they are reporting on the U.S. side they should know they have to report back in on the other side. There is obviously communication between authorities. RANKIN: Our goal is education. We want to let people know we will be attacking this situation more aggressively next year and expect to see compliance. ACHESON: Just a comment, not a solution – as one who goes to Canada several times during the summer, my biggest problem with Canadian Customs is in how to report the liquor. I also see that with my colleagues. We don’t have that problem coming back this way. I have a fully stocked bar, and know there are customs rules. Every time I call or go over it is stressful. I am tense about what I will be asked. Will I have to do an inventory? Will there be a fee involved? RANKIN: I understand that. Those are the laws. A visitor to Canada is allowed to bring in 40 ounces duty free per person per trip. If there is more than that, it is subject to duties and taxes. If you explain it is in your boat all the time and that you will not be consuming it, the officer may use some discretion in that regard, but I can see that it might be an issue.
![Page 3: MARINERS(COALITIONSUBCOMMITTEE( MeetingofOctober17,2012 · 5" " MAUREY:(We"also"had"noproblems"–itwasagoodday.The"Coast"Guardwas"the"lead"agency"on"this"event,"and"we"assisted."""](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022071213/60294926308556672644d38e/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
3
This issue I am describing is with our own citizens. The compliance is fine with Americans and other visitors. The problem is more our own people who have left the country and are coming back. BROWN: Back to Jim’s comment, in all the years I have been boating here, I don’t think I know of anyone getting being fined for additional liquor on their boat, especially one like Jim’s with a full bar. BLAIR: Not once this year was this an issue. If it’s your bar stock, it is not an issue. We understand it is not coming in to be left here. We have never made an issue of it. We examined a lot of boats this year, and we have never made an issue of the liquor. ACHESON: When I talk to Hamilton, it is a different story. BLAIR: They have to ask you. All we are asking is for your honest declaration, and make a determination from there. If it is bar stock, it shouldn’t be a problem. RANKIN: If you declare it up front, it is unlikely to be a problem. When folks don’t declare it, they could have a problem. When declared, there is no penalty applied. The client has the option to take the alcohol back to the U.S. instead of entering. DUSELLIER: When we are down in Marine City, we see large quantities of beer being transported back, as many as eight and ten cases in every trunk. If a Canadian is going back with it on their boats, they will have to pay, which they might not be reporting. We are supposed to collect duty too. We have an in-‐house rule, if it is less than $10, it isn’t worth our time. BROWN: As a sign of cooperation, in addition to the newsletter, we will put notices in marinas both in Sarnia and Port Huron to remind boaters that they have to report back in. RANKIN: Maybe we can prepare something for you to post. BLAIR: We have a fact sheet for boaters. It was distributed at our last meeting. I can provide that again. It includes good information on do’s and don’ts for boaters. KRABACH: How much alcohol are you allowed to take in as an American citizen? I may be there for a week, and I can’t get to an LCBO because we are on an island. How much, and does it have an effect on how long you are staying? RANKIN: The amount is 40 ounces per person. If you need more than that, you would have to go to LCBO. In general, the length of time is generally 24 hours. We allow a visitor to bring in the 40 ounces or a case of 24 beers. It is supposed to be for your own personal consumption. As long as you are here for the length of time necessary for you to consume the alcohol, which is considered to be 24 hours. DUSELLIER: On the U.S. side, each time you cross the border you can bring a bottle, not by day, but for each crossing. Some people get caught in our laws on both sides just because of ignorance. Unless it is something extremely violating, we are most likely to just say don’t do that again.
![Page 4: MARINERS(COALITIONSUBCOMMITTEE( MeetingofOctober17,2012 · 5" " MAUREY:(We"also"had"noproblems"–itwasagoodday.The"Coast"Guardwas"the"lead"agency"on"this"event,"and"we"assisted."""](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022071213/60294926308556672644d38e/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
4
CANADIAN RESTRICTIONS ON INNOCENT PASSAGE BROWN: With regard to another matter, I would like discuss reporting issues as it relates to U.S. boaters. We understand it is your responsibility to uphold this law. It is not my intention to “shoot the messenger” here. We want to get this law changed, and to that end, we have initiated a petition. The petition basically argues that once a boater crosses the “imaginary line”, it is necessary to report in to customs. It is my understanding that this law was apparently generated because of the 1,000 Islands in Kingston area. Apparently, a bureaucrat got involved and amended it. My objective is to get this law overturned or at least amended so it makes some common sense. Jim has also approached diplomats on the U.S. side to address this issue. RANKIN: There were no instances of concern in our area this year. KRABACH: I have a question about transit. Because the freighters keep moving, there is some confusion about crossing the “imaginary line” going back and forth. Do I have to report every time I cross that line? RANKIN: If you are in transit and you cross the “imaginary line”, but do not land on Canadian soil, you do not have to report in. We understand it is a big concern for boaters that the law will be enforced. We don’t police the waterways other than at designated reporting stations, those places where boats have called us from to report back in. In between those places, back on the water, is the responsibility of the RCMP. At times we join forces with them, but they would have to speak to this issue. Since there were no incidents this summer, I would interpret that as an area that is not of major concern to Canadian authorities. BROWN: It is my experience the RCMP also agreed with us on this issue. It’s good to hear there have been no incidents or concerns from you with regard to this issue.
#3 -‐ PORT HURON/SARNIA INTERNATIONAL OFFSHORE POWER BOAT RACE – SATURDAY, 8/11 & SUNDAY, 8/12/2012 BROWN: Asked Kevin Stryker for his comments regarding the race. STRYKER: The race went very well this year. One thing that did happen was that because of freighter traffic, the last race went over the time allotted on the permit by about twenty minutes, and that upset some boaters. Next year we will adjust the time on the permit to avoid this problem. Other than that, the race went very well. We had great support from all agencies. BROWN: Thank you. You had the ability to shut the race down and chose not to. Thank you very much on behalf of both communities. We agree that lengthening the time on the permit will avoid any problem next year. Again, thank you, we appreciate that you did not shut down the event.
![Page 5: MARINERS(COALITIONSUBCOMMITTEE( MeetingofOctober17,2012 · 5" " MAUREY:(We"also"had"noproblems"–itwasagoodday.The"Coast"Guardwas"the"lead"agency"on"this"event,"and"we"assisted."""](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022071213/60294926308556672644d38e/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
5
MAUREY: We also had no problems – it was a good day. The Coast Guard was the lead agency on this event, and we assisted. BOHM: I’d like to mention that the St. Clair race will be televised on Fox Sports on October 24th at 5 p.m., and the international race will be aired on Fox Sports October 31st also at 5 p.m. We did a press release on this today. This will be nationally televised. BROWN: We sponsored and agreed to that filming by Fox Network. There will be about a 40-‐minute session and shows both communities. This should be a nice highlight for both communities as well as the race community. I also want to take this opportunity to thank Steve and his team on the Canadian side, and Terry Ruff on the U.S. side of the border. You did an excellent job in getting drivers and guests from Point A to Point B. This was coordinated in an excellent and professional manner. BLAIR: You gave us the information we requested ahead of time which assisted us in doing a good job in dealing with issues as they arose. Having that information made our job much easier to do. BROWN: This was one of the main hurdles we had last year, clearing in advance who was coming over and when. Ed Smith and Julie from St. Clair orchestrated all the paperwork to announce who was coming back and forth. They did this in a fine fashion this year, and then we had Steve and his group who coordinated it so well. Once again, gentlemen, thank you. This is such an important factor to the race itself.
#4 – 2012 FLOAT DOWN BROWN: Are there any comments regarding the Float Down? MAUREY: This went well. The wind cooperated this year and everybody stayed on this side. There were not as many incidents. There were no problems on the shore either according to the police. A lot of people made it all the way down to Marysville. There were a lot of people. STRYKER: This is the first year the river was completely shut down on both sides. Going forward we will continue to ask for this as it eliminates many problems. We only stopped about 3 vessels from participating due to their makeup. We removed less than 10 people from the river because of hypothermia. There were a lot of people in the water that day, but we had very few problems. There was great support from numerous agencies. RUFF: There were several rafters on the Canadian side joining in. We are not sure if they came all the way over, but we were watching them. This is something to keep an eye on. In this case we are not sure if they just happened to be out rafting that day. BLAIR: A few people jumped in from under the bridge on the Port Huron side, but there were no incidents of anyone coming ashore on our side.
![Page 6: MARINERS(COALITIONSUBCOMMITTEE( MeetingofOctober17,2012 · 5" " MAUREY:(We"also"had"noproblems"–itwasagoodday.The"Coast"Guardwas"the"lead"agency"on"this"event,"and"we"assisted."""](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022071213/60294926308556672644d38e/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
6
#5 -‐ NEW MICHIGAN BOATING LAWS BROWN: The next item on our agenda is in regard to the new Michigan boating laws. We distributed a five-‐page summary of those amended laws to you which touches on the new laws that will be enacted on November 1st of this year. Dennis, could you comment on the material. (Attachment 1) MAUREY: I need to qualify this does not affect the federal agencies, these are Michigan laws. HOUSE BILL 4845 (H-‐2)
I have highlighted the pertinent changes to the current law in my handout. The highlighted area of that handout reads in part:
“The bill would amend Part 801 (Marine Safety) of NREPA to allow a child less than 12 years of age to operate a motorboat provided he or she has been issued and is in possession of a boating safety certificate, and meets all of the other conditions as specified in the act.
The bill would require anyone born on or after July 1, 1996, to have been issued and to be in possession of a water safety certificate while operating a motorboat on the waters in Michigan. This provision would go into effect on July 1, 2012.” (This actually takes effect November 1, 2012.)
Another change is you have to be 16 to operate a PWC. Previously the age was 14, and now it is 16 years. Because of a jet ski accident that resulted in the death of a young woman who borrowed a jet ski and was unfamiliar with how to operate it and ran into a dock, the age has now been raised to 16 years of age. HOUSE BILL 4846 (H-‐1)
“Currently, individuals are not allowed to operate a vessel on Michigan waters if they are towing or otherwise assisting a person on water skis, etc., unless a person capable of communicating to the vessel operator the condition of the needs of the person being towed is on board and positioned to observe the person being towed. The bill would amend Part 801 (Marine Safety) of NREPA to add an additional condition to individuals towing an individual on water skis, etc. by requiring an individual to wear the proper type I, type II, or type III personal flotation devices. Wearing an inflatable personal flotation device does not satisfy this requirement.”
It used to be that kids had to wear type I lifejackets, now it is a type III. I would prefer to see they wear a type I because kids would be face up in the water. ACHESON: Why are inflatables not included?
![Page 7: MARINERS(COALITIONSUBCOMMITTEE( MeetingofOctober17,2012 · 5" " MAUREY:(We"also"had"noproblems"–itwasagoodday.The"Coast"Guardwas"the"lead"agency"on"this"event,"and"we"assisted."""](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022071213/60294926308556672644d38e/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
7
MAUREY: Inflatables are impractical for wear on PWC’s because they are designed to inflate when wet, a frequent condition when using those watercraft.
BARGE AREA This section doesn’t affect us too much here. There have been a lot of problems downriver, and they are affected by this. There was a situation in Algonac in Anchor Bay three years ago, one of the barges was not lit and an accident occurred. HOUSE BILL 4848 (H-‐1) Basically, before we could only arrest for reckless operation. This gives us the authority to write a charge which will be enhanced by any previous violation. HOUSE BILL 5110 We have talked about this before. An officer is not allowed to stop for safety inspections any more unless we see a violation. We don’t think this will affect us a lot. Most of the time, when we stop someone, we check the life jackets anyway. The Sheriff’s Department no longer provides free vessel safety inspections. Only the Power Squadron and the Coast Guard Auxiliary now do that. BOHM: Will there be any boating classes offered by the Sheriff’s Department or anyone else? MAUREY: Not this year. Unfortunately, there is just no money in the budget. We spent all our money on patrols this year. I will try to do something in the afternoon, after school, but as far as putting deputies into the schools, there just is no money for that this year. We are supposed to have five hours of instruction. Sometimes in the past I could put four deputies into the schools. Instead, I will put out a memo to the kids and offer to have them come in for an hour and a half at school for a couple of nights a week. There are other options, for instance, they can self-‐study with the book, or take the test on-‐line. BROWN: Thank you, Dennis. Well done. Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I’d like to say that we did a quick survey on both sides of the border of the 146 new members from Canadian and U.S. operations. Out of that number, 46% have utilized the website for the Mariners Coalition group. This is good news. We promote our staff and give out our Mariner Coalition cards, and boaters access our website. Their comments indicate we have cleared up a lot of the misinformation, and that we assist boaters greatly in the Nexus process. In terms of any significant complaints, we have had very few. We can count them on literally one hand. We are achieving our objective when we started this coalition, which was to assist boaters on both sides of the river by providing a method of clarification of the ambiguity of the rules. Gerald and David, thanks, it is good to have you report back that it is working. KRABACH: Has the website now been updated? BROWN: I’ve spoken to Chris in IT, and I believe it is updated currently. As a result of this Mariners Coalition meeting, there are necessary updated changes required to our website as per the recent reflection from Tom Rankin. Therefore, these amended changes will be completed as soon as possible
![Page 8: MARINERS(COALITIONSUBCOMMITTEE( MeetingofOctober17,2012 · 5" " MAUREY:(We"also"had"noproblems"–itwasagoodday.The"Coast"Guardwas"the"lead"agency"on"this"event,"and"we"assisted."""](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022071213/60294926308556672644d38e/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
8
on our website. If you find anything when you are looking at it that needs to be addressed, please let us know. Even though we only get together twice a year, it is good to know we have this type of a group, and that we are going in the right direction. It is because of this team that we are able to do so.
#6 -‐ NEW AGENDA ITEM – ATTACHMENT 2 STRYKER: (Passed out USCG Flyer – Attachment 2). This information has just been passed out to me. It discusses the new Shiprider program that was just passed. You will see more information on this program next spring and summer. We will be riding along with Canadian vessels, working with RCMP and other agencies. They will also be on our boats and working in conjunction with us. It helps with working against the criminals when they are in hiding. During the winter months the education will be happening. I currently have six guys trained. RANKIN: This topic is getting a fair bit of press on the Canadian side, both locally and in the national papers. STRYKER: I just got this information this week. If you have any questions, please send them my way. DUSELLIER: Is this going to incorporate our air and marine? STRYKER: It is not just Coast Guard and RMCP, there are a couple of other agencies. There are a couple of guys in Marysville that are already trained. Everyone is going to a training facility in Charleston for a few weeks. I believe there is one marine agent that is trained now. This will be built upon. RANKIN: There is good surveillance on both sides of the waters. You have a surveillance monitor at Selfridge. We have a similar office based in Niagara Falls near St. Catherines, and an intelligence officer attached to Selfridge. DUSELLIER: As you now know those cameras are working for both sides. ACHESON: Most of us probably know, but the Michigan DNR now has two new inflatables. Unlike the Coast Guard and the Sheriff’s Department, the DNR is perceived by boaters to be the Gestapo. We have to get the DNR here to get them on the same mindset with us. I think it is important to get them on board with our organization. We want to minimize the hassling of boaters. The reason we started the Mariners Coalition is to encourage people to boat in our area. MAUREY: John Borkovich just retired. BROWN: Dennis can you provide us with the new contact name? Perhaps if you don’t mind, you could communicate directly with Sandie, and we will send him minutes from this meeting. I will make contact with him to get him to join us, and to get him on the same wavelength as this group. MATTSON: About the Coalition and the cards you have; we have made an effort that those are given out all our classes, even the advanced classes, and also, our vessel safety program that we do every
![Page 9: MARINERS(COALITIONSUBCOMMITTEE( MeetingofOctober17,2012 · 5" " MAUREY:(We"also"had"noproblems"–itwasagoodday.The"Coast"Guardwas"the"lead"agency"on"this"event,"and"we"assisted."""](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022071213/60294926308556672644d38e/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
9
year. We had about 160 participate this year. The cards are given out at that a time as well. By giving these cards out, we find that this helps them. BROWN: As part of our welcome package at all the marinas, I hear from both sides that our staff explains to our members what the Mariners Coalition is and why it exists. It is amazing how many people are taking advantage of this. It’s definitely working. That’s excellent news from you. Thank you for scheduling time on behalf of Jim and myself. We appreciate you taking time from your busy schedules to join us here to sustain the mission of the Mariners Coalition. Meeting adjourned at 12:25 p.m. Sandie DeHem Recording Secretary Attachments:
1. Five Page Summary – New Michigan Boating Laws 2. USCG Handout -‐ Shiprider Program
![Page 10: MARINERS(COALITIONSUBCOMMITTEE( MeetingofOctober17,2012 · 5" " MAUREY:(We"also"had"noproblems"–itwasagoodday.The"Coast"Guardwas"the"lead"agency"on"this"event,"and"we"assisted."""](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022071213/60294926308556672644d38e/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
![Page 11: MARINERS(COALITIONSUBCOMMITTEE( MeetingofOctober17,2012 · 5" " MAUREY:(We"also"had"noproblems"–itwasagoodday.The"Coast"Guardwas"the"lead"agency"on"this"event,"and"we"assisted."""](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022071213/60294926308556672644d38e/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
![Page 12: MARINERS(COALITIONSUBCOMMITTEE( MeetingofOctober17,2012 · 5" " MAUREY:(We"also"had"noproblems"–itwasagoodday.The"Coast"Guardwas"the"lead"agency"on"this"event,"and"we"assisted."""](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022071213/60294926308556672644d38e/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
![Page 13: MARINERS(COALITIONSUBCOMMITTEE( MeetingofOctober17,2012 · 5" " MAUREY:(We"also"had"noproblems"–itwasagoodday.The"Coast"Guardwas"the"lead"agency"on"this"event,"and"we"assisted."""](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022071213/60294926308556672644d38e/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
![Page 14: MARINERS(COALITIONSUBCOMMITTEE( MeetingofOctober17,2012 · 5" " MAUREY:(We"also"had"noproblems"–itwasagoodday.The"Coast"Guardwas"the"lead"agency"on"this"event,"and"we"assisted."""](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022071213/60294926308556672644d38e/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
![Page 15: MARINERS(COALITIONSUBCOMMITTEE( MeetingofOctober17,2012 · 5" " MAUREY:(We"also"had"noproblems"–itwasagoodday.The"Coast"Guardwas"the"lead"agency"on"this"event,"and"we"assisted."""](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022071213/60294926308556672644d38e/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
![Page 16: MARINERS(COALITIONSUBCOMMITTEE( MeetingofOctober17,2012 · 5" " MAUREY:(We"also"had"noproblems"–itwasagoodday.The"Coast"Guardwas"the"lead"agency"on"this"event,"and"we"assisted."""](https://reader036.vdocuments.net/reader036/viewer/2022071213/60294926308556672644d38e/html5/thumbnails/16.jpg)