Island's Boat Line Representative Urges County Board to Focus
on Large Issues

By ALEXIS TONTI

Growing tensions at the Steamship Authority were exposed this week
as the Vineyard boat line governor delivered an impassioned speech
defending authority management and describing dysfunction among the
board of governors.

After a lengthy discussion at a Dukes County Commission meeting
Wednesday evening, during which commissioners fired questions at
Vineyard SSA governor Kathryn A. Roessel, Ms. Roessel launched into an
emotional speech in support of SSA chief executive officer Fred C.
Raskin and his efforts to combat revenue shortfalls.

"I feel Mr. Raskin is under attack from a lot of directions,
but I want you to take a look at the totality of what he is
doing," Ms. Roessel told the commissioners.

She added: "We don't have a board [of governors] that is
functioning very well right now - half the board has checked
out."

In recent months the commissioners have pointedly questioned boat
line priorities and taken aim at SSA managers for issuing rash decisions
about security, pricing and advertising policies.

Ms. Roessel attended the meeting Wednesday to discuss advertising
policy, but the commissioners opened the conversation with fresh
criticism on other fronts.

The commissioners asked about the possibility of reinstituting
guaranteed standby and questioned a developing plan - eventually
held for further discussion after yesterday's monthly boat line
meeting - to move to a ticketless reservation policy.

The proposed policy would require passengers to present a
reservation confirmation number at the terminal on the day of sailing in
order to receive their tickets.

Several county leaders related stories about Islanders who already
have been told by SSA agents that they will not be receiving tickets in
the mail this summer, and asked why no one had been informed.

"How can the Steamship Authority implement a policy that
impacts such a broad range of people without advance notice, without
even your knowing about it?" asked commissioner Robert Sawyer.

"People don't know these policies exist or how they
work, and management doesn't know half the time either.
There's a real communication need here," said commissioner
Paul Strauss, adding: "We need to meet with you more
frequently."

"But half the time I can't help you because I
don't know about the policies," said Ms. Roessel.

Commissioner Roger Wey asked Ms. Roessel to revisit a plan that
calls for guaranteed weekend standby to begin this summer for 15 cars
per day.

"Fifteen cars is nothing. In Woods Hole, 15 cars can show up
in half an hour. What happens to people who show up thinking they can
get over? It will be chaos. If you limit it, you might as well not have
it," said Mr. Wey.

The lengthy discussion prompted Ms. Roessel to urge county leaders
to redirect their efforts to help shape SSA policy.

"I am delighted that you are getting involved, and I have
always relied on the collective wisdom of this group, but please, help
me deal with the really big issues facing the authority - not
standby or advertising or what price you pay when you travel on county
business. We have multi-million-dollar situations to deal with that are
much more important," said Ms. Roessel.

Talk turned to whether the commissioners wanted SSA management to
abandon the marketing program. Amid a flurry of questions and comments
about why the program has derailed, Ms. Roessel spoke in support of Mr.
Raskin's efforts to raise revenue.

The Vineyard boat line governor acknowledged the avalanche of
criticism that has been aimed at SSA management in recent months, but
stressed that Mr. Raskin's economic skills will see the authority
through difficult financial times.

"I have done everything in my power to hang on to the CEO. I
have been holding onto this guy with my fingernails ever since [he
started]. And people ask, why am I still supporting him?" said Ms.
Roessel.

"There are some really big rocks we have to think about, and
it has nothing to do with reinstituting standby or advertising policies.
So much energy has been misplaced at board meetings talking about how
many dogs should be on the Flying Cloud. . . .

"We would make half a million in advertising in our dreams,
but without the privatization of the Schamonchi this Island will pay
millions of dollars unnecessarily. He and his administration have found
a creative solution, a business-like solution [to increasing revenue].
It's smart," she said.

Since last summer SSA management has been at work on a complicated
plan to turn the passenger ferry Schamonchi over to a private carrier.
The plan is now close to completion and must be reviewed by the state
auditor to ensure it complies with the Pacheco Act, the state
anti-privatization law.

"They have done an incredible amount of work to get through
the Pacheco Act, and without that ticket prices will go to the
moon," said Ms. Roessel.

She then urged county commissioners to meet with Mr. Raskin and SSA
general counsel Steven Sayers to discuss union negotiations and the plan
to privatize the passenger ferry Schamonchi, which she characterized as
the most serious issues facing the authority today.

Returning to the subject of advertising, Ms. Roessel told the county
commissioners that a modest program with clear parameters would be a
good step forward.

"I think it's a bad idea to abandon [the program]. It
didn't get rolled out correctly, but I don't think that is
any reason to throw the baby out with the bath water," she said.

Ms. Roessel presented the commissioners with a revised advertising
policy for the Island and its mainland ports, but the commissioners
dissuaded Ms. Roessel from splitting with Nantucket on the issue.

The commissioners then voted to recommend that the authority put the
advertising program on hold until it develops a comprehensive plan that
is acceptable to all communities.

Subsequently, at yesterday's boat line meeting the advertising
plan was all but scrapped, with the board of governors approving only
two minor initiatives [see separate story].

As the two-hour discussion wound down, Ms. Roessel urged the
commissioners to send a letter to the state auditor on the subject of
the Schamonchi route.

"It's crunch time, and it wouldn't hurt to weigh
in with the auditor general. If this [privatization] initiative fails,
nobody will be running service to New Bedford. The Steamship Authority
can't afford to do it, and your fares will go through the
roof," she said.

But the commissioners voted against the motion, with the majority
saying they did not have enough information on the plan to comment.