Welcome to the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee

About Us

Mission & History

The Chicago Harbor Safety Committee was established on July 15, 2013 to provide a broad-based and proactive stakeholder’s forum, and to form a partnership between the private sector and government agencies, for identifying, assessing, planning, communicating, and implementing operational and environmental measures that ensure the safe, secure, efficient and balanced management, operation, and development of Chicago area waterways, meilleures croisieres, including the waters of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.

The purpose of the CHSC is to link all marine stakeholder interests in the Port of Chicago into a single forum and clearinghouse for issues relating to the use of Chicago Area navigable waterways, and thereby to balance safe, efficient, and environmentally sound waterways with the increasing demand for economic and recreational growth, and to act collectively on behalf of those interests, to include the following functions:

  1. Provide a proactive forum for identifying, assessing, planning, communicating and implementing those operational and environmental measures that promote safe and efficient use of the Chicago area waterways;
  2. Act as an education and resource network through which ideas, materials and procedures can be provided to persons interested in marine safety and operations;
  3. Promote the improved operational and environmental safety for Chicago area waterways.
  4. Act as a resource at the request of governmental bodies and legislators regarding issues related to marine operational and environmental safety;
  5. Promote and sustain the goals of marine and environmental safety;
  6. Ensure that marine safety and environmental measures are coordinated with security initiatives.

Mission

The mission of the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee is to provide a broad-based and proactive stakeholder’s forum, and to form a partnership between the private sector and government agencies, for identifying, assessing, planning, communicating, and implementing operational and environmental measures that ensure the safe, secure, efficient and balanced management, operation, and development of Chicago area waterways, including the waters of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.

Geographic Area

The geographic scope of the Chicago Area Harbor Safety Committee includes the Chicago River from the Chicago Harbor entrance jetties to the junction of the North and South Branches, the North Branch up to the Wilson Avenue Bridge at River Park, the South Branch to the junction of the South Fork, and a portion of Lake Michigan from the northern border of Chicago, at the Chicago-Evanston line, to the Illinois/Indiana border, extending out three miles from the Illinois shore, adjusted for the Illinois/Indiana border that extends into Lake Michigan.

Membership

How to Join

For information about how to join the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee, please write to us at info@chicagoharborsafety.com, describing your interest and whether you are inquiring on behalf of a particular organization (and identifying its name and your role in it) or as an unaffiliated individual. Please put “Membership Inquiry” in the subject line of your message.

Contact Us

For more information about the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee, please write to us at info@chicagoharborsafety.com, clearly describing the information sought and whether you are seeking to contact a particular individual. Please clearly identify the nature of your inquiry in the subject line of your message.

Stakeholder Member Organizations By Sector

Bareboat Charter Operators

Commercial Vessel Operators/Passenger (49- Passengers)

Commercial Vessel Operators/Passenger (50+ Passengers)

Commercial Vessel Operators/Barge & Towing

Civic/Neighborhood/Environmental Advocacy Organizations

Human-Powered Craft (Paddling & Rowing) Organizations

Merchant Mariners/Passenger, Barge & Towing

Recreational Boating (Powerboat & Sailing) Organizations

Shoreline Facility Operators/Business Owners/Developers

Government Agency Liaisons By Sector

Law Enforcement

Leadership

Officers

Board of Directors

Commercial Vessel Operators/Passenger (49- Passengers)
Al Skalecke, ALS Enterprises, Inc.

Commercial Vessel Operators/Passenger (50+ Passengers)
Robert Agra, Chicago’s First Lady

Commercial Vessel Operators/Barge & Towing
Don Campbell, Kindra Lake Towing, LP

Bareboat Charter Operators
Gary Feracota, Pinnacle Yachts, Inc.

Merchant Mariners/Passenger, Barge & Towing
Larry Dostal, International Shipmasters Assoc.- Lodge 3

Recreational Boating (Powerboat & Sailing) Organizations
Scott Baumgartner, Chicago Yachting Assoc.

Human-Powered Craft (Paddling & Rowing) Organizations
James Morro, Urban Kayaks

Civic/Neighborhood/Environmental Advocacy Organizations
Vacant

Shoreline Facility Operators/Business Owners/Developers
Scott Stevenson, Westrec

Government Liaisons

Chicago Fire Department

Chicago Police Marine Unit

Illinois Department of Natural Resources

Metropolitan Water Reclamation District

U.s Army Corps of Engineers

U.S. Coast Guard

Stakeholder Sectors:

Commercial Vessel Operators/Passenger (49- Passengers)
Board Representative 2015: Al Skalecke, ALS Enterprises, Inc.

Commercial Vessel Operators/Passenger (50+ Passengers)
Board Representative 2015: Robert Agra, Chicago’s First Lady

Commercial Vessel Operators/Barge & Towing
Board Representative 2015: Don Campbell, Kindra Lake Towing, LP

Bareboat Charter Operators
Board Representative 2015: Gary Feracota, Pinnacle Yachts, Inc.

Merchant Mariners/Passenger, Barge & Towing
Board Representative 2015: Larry Dostal, International Shipmasters Assoc.- Lodge 3

Recreational Boating (Powerboat & Sailing) Organizations
Board Representative 2015: Scott Baumgartner, Chicago Yachting Assoc.

Human-Powered Craft (Paddling & Rowing) Organizations
Board Representative 2015: James Morro, Urban Kayaks

Civic/Neighborhood/Environmental Advocacy Organizations
Board Representative 2015: Vacant

Shoreline Facility Operators/Business Owners/Developers
Board Representative 2015: Scott Stevenson, Westrec

Committees

The CHSC Charter contemplates an organization that utilizes a strong and vibrant committee structure to perform the work of the CHSC, bringing to bear on issues arising for CHSC consideration, and projects undertaken by the CHSC, both the appropriate stakeholder and government agency representation and technical expertise. Committee Chairs are appointed by the CHSC President. Committee members are then selected by Chair, whose responsibility it is in consultation with the President, to ensure that the committee is comprised of individuals who bring both appropriate representation and technical expertise to the task at hand. Committees ultimately report to the Board of Directors regarding proposals for the implementation of any action.

Standing Committees

No Standing Committees have been established at this time.

Ad Hoc Committees

Ad Hoc Committee on Communications/ Chair, Patti Lock, Tall Ships America
Ad Hoc Committee on Incident Reporting & Tracking/Chair, Fred Poppe, CHSC Treasurer
Ad Hoc Committee on Membership/Chair, Susan Urbas, CHSC Vice President
Ad Hoc Committee on Training & Education/Chair, Gary Feracota, CHSC Board of Directors
Ad Hoc Committee on Signage/Chair, Larry Dostal, CHSC Board of Directors

Meetings

Upcoming Meetings:

September 16, 2015: Membership & Board of Directors (Open to the Public)
9:00am - 12:00pm Trump International Hotel & Tower - Bridgeview Room

Past Meetings:

June 18, 2014: Membership & Board of Directors (Open to the Public)
March 19, 2014: Bareboat Operators

Breaking News & Important Announcements

*Membership & Board of Directors Meeting (Open to the Public)

September 16, 2015, 9:00am - 12:00pm Trump International Hotel & Tower

*CDOT Fall 2015 Inbound Bridge Lift Schedule

*USCG Sector Lake Michigan - Waterways Information Bulletin for Aug 23-31, 2015

Contact Us

For more information about the Chicago Harbor Safety Committee, please write to us at info@chicagoharborsafety.com, clearly describing the information sought and whether you are seeking to contact a particular individual. Please clearly identify the nature of your inquiry in the subject line of your message.