The Magens Bay Authority voted at its monthly meeting Friday to indefinitely table any discussion of a smoking ban/policy at the beach, saying the issue is sufficiently addressed in the park’s rules and regulations.
Board member Dayle Barry has pushed for a strategic plan around smoking at the beach over several meetings. He first made the proposal at a town hall meeting the Magens Bay Authority held in January 2024 and revisited the topic last July when he asked his fellow board members what information they require before they can say yea or nay to a ban.
“When someone’s behavior impacts my quality of health then I have a responsibility to make a change,” Barry said at the time. “What level of information do people need to make a decision? If there is no level of information, then that’s fine and we can move on.”
Pushback then was swift — with board member Jason Charles noting “we are not public health policymakers” — and it was again on Friday, with board member Kevin Rodriguez expressing exasperation that it was still a topic of discussion.
“Are we still discussing a smoking policy?” he said when Barry raised the issue. “We have exhausted this discussion. I don’t think we need to continue this discussion.”
Barry countered that currently there is no written policy regarding smoking, but his fellow board members said it is effectively covered in the park’s rules and regulations, which prohibit lighting up from the tree line to the water at the parks.
Rodriguez followed with a motion to indefinitely table any discussion of a smoking ban or policy, which was seconded by Charles and passed 4-1, with Barry the lone nay vote and board member Robert Moron abstaining. Member Katina Coulianos had an excused absence and did not attend Friday’s meeting.
The board also unanimously passed a motion by Charles to direct General Manager Monique Simon to solicit bids under the authority’s procurement policy for a trolley to be operated at Smith Bay Park to transport guests from the upper parking lot down to the beach.
Charles noted that the distance from the upper lot to the beach, where there is limited parking, is a trek that might be difficult for elderly patrons or those with a disability, or for people carting a lot of gear.
In the same vein, Charles also made a motion to construct six more parking spaces — two handicapped and four regular spots — at the beach at Smith Bay Park to increase accessibility.
The motion passed, with Moron abstaining and Barry voting against.
In other business, board member Cecile de Jongh, head of the finance committee, reported that nonresident visits to Magens Bay declined by 34 percent, or 100,002 people, from 2023 to 2024.
“Management believes that this is due to competition at Coki Point and Sapphire Beach. Neither destination has an entrance fee and it’s easier for the taxi cabs to pick up and drop off,” she said. “UVI also has tours at Brewers Bay and there’s obviously easy entrance and exit there as well.”
Committee members did a walk-through of Magens Bay last Wednesday and will do another next week “to basically see how visitor flow is going and how our amenities are, and to better plan and to see whether a visitor center is warranted,” said de Jongh, adding that the members “agreed that we need formalize our agreements with our tour operators … and we emphasized we need to have more clarity in our operations and revenue sharing.”
Board Chair Barbara Petersen noted that the board is reviewing requests for proposals for the taxi and water sports concessions at Magens Bay and expects that once that review is complete, they will be issued within 30 days.
In other business the board voted unanimously to indefinitely authorize the annual Rotary Sunrise Kids Triathlon to take place at Magens Bay.
Traditionally held each spring, the event was interrupted by the COVID pandemic but resumed in 2022, with this year’s competition scheduled for April 26. On that day, the road from the bridge onward will be closed from 7:45 to 10 a.m. for children to participate safely, Petersen said.
