Westport Board Puts Fisherman on Dock Probation
Select Board · Meeting of September 14, 2026
Westport Select Board puts fisherman on probation after dock bait-dumping dispute. The board voted 3-1-1 to place Ben Lovelink, owner of the fishing vessel Hard Labor, on one year of wharfage probation rather than revoke his dock privileges outright, after Harbormaster Bill Chase recommended a two-year revocation over an August 28 incident in which Lovelink's deckhand dumped bait into the water beside Westport Sea Farms. Co-owner Carrie Fennelly testified she sought no apology, just distance, telling the board "there is no respect of the dock." One member recused, citing a family member's past employment with the Fennellys.
Separately, the board voted 4-1 to direct Brewster Thornton Group Architects to proceed with cost estimates for converting the old high school into consolidated town offices, dropping affordable housing from that site after a developer said he would need 30 to 40 units to make the project work. The board also approved a $22,586.48 change order for the town dock feasibility study and a $2.7 million bill warrant.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 3,767 words
Source: the Select Board meeting of September 14, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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