Task Force Meets on Cape

By JULIA WELLS

MASHPEE - A chorus of Cape Cod politicians and residents told
a governor's ferry task force last night that they want relief
from the Island-bound traffic they believe is clogging their roads.

And leaders in the town of Barnstable demanded a full voting seat
for their community on the Steamship Authority board of governors.

"We have been the unintended victims of the growth and
prosperity on the Islands," declared Barnstable town council
president Roy Richardson.

"Barnstable needs a vote on the board. Times have changed, it
wants a vote and it should not be contingent on New Bedford being a
player," said Barnstable Rep. Demetrius Atsalis.

"We have been told that we are responsible for much of our own
traffic problems,'" said Falmouth selectman and newly
elected Bourne Rep. Matthew Patrick. "Well, that may be true, but
the growth we have in Falmouth benefits Falmouth. And you can't
say that because of that growth we should also put up with increasing
traffic to Martha's Vineyard. It just doesn't equate,"
he added.

It was public hearing number three for the governor's task
force, which is studying the problems surrounding ferry service to the
two Islands. About 150 people turned out for the session, held at the
Mashpee High School. The 11-member task force is chaired by the Hon.
Rudolph Kass, a retired state appeals court judge.

Last week the task force held a public hearing on Nantucket. The
first hearing was held in New Bedford. The final hearing will be held on
the Vineyard next week.

Last night the task force heard from the people of Cape Cod -
most of them residents of Barnstable or Falmouth. Many said a new SSA
port in New Bedford will give them relief by capturing traffic from
points west.

At the outset Mr. Patrick commended the task force for its courage,
and Judge Kass replied:

"Courage comes easily, Mr. Representative - figuring it
out comes much harder."

It was an apt statement for the evening, which went on for three
hours and revealed just how complicated the ferry issue has become for
the Cape and Islands port communities.

At times the testimony took on angry tones. As the hour grew late,
even the unflappable Judge Kass had a brief moment of exasperation.

"Well, what would you have us do, sink Nantucket?" Judge
Kass said after one particularly long rant from a visibly angry
Barnstable resident about what he claimed was excessive spending by the
boat line on the Hyannis terminal.

But the hearing also saw moments of diplomacy, especially from
longtime Cape and Islands Rep. Eric T. Turkington and newly elected Sen.
Paul O'Leary.

"I think some of these divisions have been exaggerated in the
press and I believe there is more of a community of interest
here," said Senator O'Leary. "I believe there is the
potential for consensus. It's clear that Barnstable needs to have
a vote, but the Islands need to preserve the majority," he added.
Mr. O'Leary, who by his own admission has only been on the job for
a few short weeks, also zeroed in on the subject of opening up more
ferry service from New Bedford. "To suggest that the Steamship
Authority should be seen as a tool for economic development is a
mistake. That isn't its mission, it isn't what it was
designed to do," he said.

"Rob O'Leary is quick study," began Mr.
Turkington. In a rare moment of humor in an otherwise heavy night of
serious testimony, Mr. Turkington praised Gov. Paul Cellucci for his
recent decision to take the post of ambassador to Canada. "He will
no longer have to deal with the Steamship Authority problem - the
governor is a wise man," Mr. Turkington quipped.

"Every port, every shipping concern and every interest group
has 50 years worth of Steamship Authority impacts and frustrations. This
is the most complicated issue I have ever encountered in my 16 years and
it is simply because there are so many stakeholders," Mr.
Turkington said.

The Steamship Authority was repeatedly portrayed as monopolistic and
insensitive to the needs of the mainland port communities. Barnstable
leaders described their long and tempestuous relationship with the boat
line. Falmouth residents described their town as one large parking lot
for the boat line, which now parks more than 3,000 cars in Falmouth in
the summer months.

More than once the boat line came under fire for its recent decision
to buy the New Bedford passenger ferry Schamonchi. After the decision it
was revealed that the SSA expects to lose between $600,000 and $900,000
on the operation this summer.

"They bought the Schamonchi knowing they were going to have a
$700,000 loss. If I had that kind of loss, I would lose my job,"
Mr. Atsalis said.

"The authority's mandate is not in question here, but
its accountability is," said Philip Scudder, vice president of
Hy-Line Cruises. Hy-Line operates six private passenger ferries to both
Islands, and Mr. Scudder spoke forcefully about the need to protect the
rights of the grandfathered private carriers. He described the private
carriers as an integral component of the public boat line.

"Hy-Line has become the other lifeline to Nantucket,"
Mr. Scudder said.

"Do you have freight?" Judge Kass asked.

"No, passengers," Mr. Scudder replied.

"Then it's a very limited lifeline, isn't
it," the judge returned.

Expanding the boat line board of governors was a prominent theme,
but few could agree on how to do it. An extra member or weighted vote
for the two Islands were among the suggestions.

The economic relationship between the two Islands and their
respective mainland port communities was also a topic for discussion.

"The economic impact that the Island contributes to the town
of Falmouth - I don't think that has been really
recognized," said Dan Flynn, the Vineyard member of the task
force.

With all due respect, I think it's minimal," replied Mr.
Patrick, the Falmouth selectman.

Others had another view.

"We support the Steamship Authority as a viable economic
engine, and it is one of the five largest employers in our town,"
said Falmouth selectman Pat Flynn.

John O'Brien, the executive director of the Cape Cod Chamber
of Commerce, said the entire issue needs careful study.

"The Islanders come over here and they buy cars and trucks and
food and clothing and health care services," Mr. O'Brien
said. He continued:

"There is a really complex relationship between the Cape and
the Islands that has grown up over time. And we don't make
anything on Cape Cod, so really everything gets trucked to us. What gets
shipped here by truck really requires more study, and we think there is
at least a $100 million relationship between the Islands and the Cape.
The great city of New Bedford has a legitimate economic development
need, but this steamship line was never meant to be an economic
development engine. If the government gets involved and makes this
decision for us, it could be a big mistake. I think we can solve this
problem ourselves."

The task force holds its final public hearing on Thursday night at 7:30
p.m. in the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School Performing Arts
Center.