Nantucket, Vineyard Plan For Summit To Air Concerns On Steamship Bill

The controversy over the proposed legislation to alter the Steamship Authority is still ramping up, as municipal officials on both Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard are planning something amounting to an island summit to address their concerns.

Leaders from both islands are preparing to meet together on April 11 in a joint session to air their displeasure with both the bill itself, which would impose new term limits on the Steamship’s Board of Governors, as well as the process by which it was filed by State Representative Dylan Fernandes and State Senator Julian Cyr. Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard officials fear that opening the Steamship Authority legislation could have unintended consequences, such as the potential for unwelcome amendments to get tacked on to the bill at the State House in Boston that could curtail the islands’ control over the ferry line. They are also displeased with the lack of public vetting the proposal received before it was filed, and a perceived rush to get it passed.

In a sharply-worded letter to the chairs of the state’s Joint Committee on Transportation, Nantucket Select Board Chair Jason Bridges and Nantucket County Commission Chair Melissa Murphy called the legislation itself “inappropriate” and criticized its filing as “rushed and non-transparent.” The town was never informed about the bill before it was filed, Bridges and Murphy wrote.

The letter was sent on March 21, days after the Select Board members discussed the legislation in open session and expressed their concerns.

Bridges told the Current over the weekend that the board’s strong reaction to the filing of the bill was warranted given the importance of the Steamship to the island community, and past experience in opening the legislation to changes.

“Because of that history - Nantucketers have long memories - it’s concerning,” Bridges said. “I explained to them (Fernandes and Cyr) that it’s not an irrational fear. It’s our lifeline. It’s our only highway for our livelihood, so we’re really sensitive about it.”

In an interview with the Current last month, Fernandes rejected calls for the legislation to be “paused” and said the flood of concerns from islanders had taken him by surprise.

“There are people who are stoking unfounded fears about this issue, and you see this happen a lot in all sorts of politics,” Fernandes said. “I don’t legislate based on unfounded fears, I do what is right by my constituents, and there’s been an outpouring of people requesting more accountability around the Steamship based on them failing at their job...Just two years ago, we passed Steamship legislation that was a big win for islanders. We’ve shown we care about this lifeline. Any suggestion there’s some ulterior motive , I find deeply offensive. I care deeply about islanders and ensuring they have a secure and safe lifeline, and frankly I have the legislative track record to prove it.”

Fernandes and Cyr filed the legislation in early February, citing a 2018 review of the Steamship Authority’s operations that was conducted in the wake of a series of problems on the Martha’s Vineyard route, including mechanical issues with one of its vessels, that resulted in more than 500 cancelled crossings.

The joint Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard meeting on April 11 is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Zoom. The meeting ID is 834 6695 8528 and the meeting passcode is 069503.