The Chilmark select board considered two Menemsha dock disputes on Tuesday evening. The meeting highlighted differing approaches by the town harbormaster and harbor advisory committee to waterways regulations.

The first issue focused on a 2008 rule change that forbids one household to have two slips at the Menemsha charter dock.

Jennifer Clarke, a charter captain and slip-holder at the Menemsha charter dock, attended the meeting to appeal a recent decision by the harbor advisory committee. Mrs. Clarke’s husband, Lenny Clarke, had been on the wait-list for 25 years and recently received notice that he would receive a slip. But the harbor advisory committee stated that for the Clarke household to receive the new slip, Mrs. Clarke would be required to move her boat and business to the west dock.

Mrs. Clarke said she was unaware of the rule change at the time, and claimed the move from the charter dock would damage her business and upset recreational users of the west dock.

Mr. Clarke also attended the meeting. “I don’t want to make it difficult for you fine people,” he said. “I’m throwing myself at your mercy.”

Harbor advisory chair Jeffrey Maida held firm on the 2008 regulation.

“I think it’s very important to enforce the rules that are in place,” Mr. Maida said.

Harbormaster Ryan Rossi suggested a more nuanced approach.

“We need to make a decision based on ethics,” he said, emphasizing the lack of demand for slips at the charter dock.

The select board voted unanimously to allow both Clarkes to keep their slips, which board member Jim Malkin dubbed a “Solomon decision.”

“I don’t look at this as a bending of the rules,” added chairman Bill Rossi. “I look at a charter dock as a separate entity.”

The board also heard an appeal from Stanley Larsen, owner of Menemsha Fish House, after the harbor advisory committee asked the habormaster to investigate whether Mr. Larsen had plans to continue fishing with his vessel, which has recently remained dockside. Current regulations state that fishermen cannot leave fishing boats inactive for more than a year.

Mr. Larsen told the select board that his boat had been sidelined due to ongoing repairs, and that he planned to fish again in spring.

“There’s not many things better than riding your boat out on the ocean away from all these problems,” he said.

The select board voted unanimously to allow Mr. Larsen to keep his boat in the same spot until next season, with Ryan Rossi again emphasizing that there wasn’t demand for the space from another active fisherman. Mr. Rossi also said he would be happy to reintroduce a regulation change stating if there are no others waiting for a slip, then boats could remain inactive. He said the harbor advisory committee was not initially amenable to the proposal.

Also on Tuesday, town human resources board member Don Leopold presented his findings after looking into town operations, done at the behest of the board.

In his presentation, Mr. Leopold emphasized the high quality of town employees while outlining three major organizational hurdles: lack of process planning; an overly broad set of responsibilities for the town administrator; and a town structure composed of bodies and individuals with unclear and inconsistent roles.

“As an observer I would say that today’s meeting has really brought that to the fore,” Mr. Leopold said of the third item. “What are the roles of the department heads, what are the roles of the staff, what are the roles of the committees?”

Bill Rossi, Mr. Leopold and town administrator Tim Carroll resolved to meet again for further discussion on these issues.

The board also voted to appoint Michelle O’Connor to the Chilmark Community Center advisory committee.