Town Board - Regular Meeting

I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Start with any public comments on anything that's not on the agenda or subject to a public hearing. Anyone in the physical audience? Okay, we'll put you on hold for a second then. Okay. Um, anyone on Zoom? Okay. Um, then we will move on to Panic Estary Partnership and we have Jo Novak with us today. Thanks for coming. Hi. How is everybody? Good.

Happy to be here today. Beautiful day. Um, so I'm going to jump right into my presentation. Um perfect you can go to the next slide please. Um so just a quick review um national esttory program we are officially um under legislation the bay national estary program locally estate partnership there are 28 programs around the country um next year's 40 years of the program at the EPA. So we're really excited and there's going to be lots of activities. We're going to have a paddle planned out here in Shel next year to celebrate. So lots of fun things going on. Um and so this means that we really are a catalyst for bringing federal dollars and state dollars to the region uh in a way that is very unique. Um I'll jump right into our program updates and um focusing on Shelter Island. So this year we launched next slide please. Thank you. Uh a water quality app. Uh I provided the QR code. This includes all of the bathing beach information for uh all of Summit County actually. Um it includes Summit County's marine water testing program. It includes all of the Goldbler lab, Dr. Chris Goldbler's testing sites as well as the three US geological survey sites around the estuary, one of which is at the Shelter Island Ferry. Um, so if you ever have any questions about bathing beaches or any of that information, you can just go to the app, click on it, and that's how we will be disseminating information in a more rapid uh real world way. Uh, so we're really excited about that. Um, we are moving forward with exploring 22 more sites for our eastern biconic blue carbon project. Um we had looked at a site in Manant Creek and a site um

adjacent to the South Ferry as possible sites in our first round of sight suitability assessment. Both of which were deemed not viable. Um in large part because especially Manant Creek shellfish won't grow there. Um neither will seaggrasses. And so we need a site that can really support uh shellfish, seaggrass and kelp to move these sites along. But we will be looking at 10 additional sites. We have requested funding uh from the federal government uh for a special project to do this. If that is not successful, we'll move on to looking for other um public funding to carry this out, but we really want to have some established sites on Shelter Island. We were disappointed that the two that we looked at originally couldn't move forward. Um so we're excited to look at 10 more sites um when funding comes in. Um, we have begun begun our shelter island title wetlands review. Um, we've contracted with doctors Beth Watson and Joe Mcclan at Stony Brook University. Um, I want to thank uh, Meg and Joe here at Shelter Island who helped us uh, review the RFPs that came in um, to choose a good team. They will be looking at all of the wetlands on Shelter Island and um helping us prioritize sites that will be viable for restoration and create um a document and some GIS plans on concept plans for how to move forward. This will be a stakeholderled process. We will work with the town and the communities uh as this moves forward. But we're very excited that will work will begin this summer. So that team is in place. If you have any questions, happy to take them on that project. It's been a long time coming. Michelle's wetland site review has been in our habitat plan for quite a few years. It's nominated by Jim Colligan a couple years ago. Um and so it takes

sometimes takes time to move public dollars into the correct places, but we got there and we're excited to have this team come out to Shelter Island. Um our USGS solute transport model is due um to be launched shortly. Uh the US Geological Survey as you know is a federal entity and so has experienced um some slowdowns in recent uh two years but um they are still working towards the end stages of this project. We move into some of our wildlife projects. Um we carried out a small terrap and turtle uh project in Orient State Park. uh by uh tagging uh some terapin turtle, what we found was what seems to be um an Orient state park and Cockals Harbor uh habitat range. Um so we are devoting $300,000 over two years to really hone in on this Coacell Harbor to Orient Point complex of both seaggrass and salt marsh to investigate how the turtles are using it, when they're feeding, when they're breeding. um again to inform some of our decisions about management and uh both seaggrass and wetland work that's done. Um so we're really excited about that. The picture shows us her name is Ginger. That is the teran turtle that um we work with over there. So that's exciting. Aew wife monitoring is underway. Very exciting. Um we do monitor a site um uh several sites around the estuary uh as the uh river herring and American eel come in through the entire watershed. Um we are in the we are approaching coming up shortly in the next month a horseshoe crab survey. We do uh host a site in Squire's pond. This is a New York State DEEC and Cornell Cooperative Extension program. So, we just really support them

with some sensor science in the site and our river otter survey is complete. We worked with Mike Boutini at SeaTac who carried out all of the work. This is his project that we funded. Um the picture that you're seeing is two otter playing and resting uh here on Shelter Island at Gardner's Creek from April of 2025. The river otter population has really expanded in this area and they were noted in Great Swamp, Plum Pond, Bass Creek, Sanctuary Pond, Dearing Harbor, Chase Creek, and Over Nurse Creek. So, Shel Island is they're thriving here and we're really excited. Again, all of this these wildlife aspects will play into the salt marsh plan as well, right? Because a lot of them utilize the salt marsh either for habitat for feeding or breeding. Um so very excited about that. Uh in the larger watershed we are doing some research projects. Next slide please. Um that are almost uh wrapping up or ongoing. Uh we have an aquaculture and community ecology project. Uh it is uh we're finishing phase two of that project. Uh the first phase which is complete looked at the ecological benefits of oyster cages. Um here you're seeing a picture of a top dog feeding on an oyster cage. Um it was really difficult. You know visibility in these waters is challenging. So um you know after a couple of trial and errors the team really has some great footage um of both daytime and nighttime um activity around the cages really supporting the claim. you know that aquaculturists know you know the oyster cages that they uh tend to support and increase ecology around the cages. So very excited about that when we have the full project complete. We will again be holding a seminar on that.

Um we are doing what they call an eosim modeling. Um this looks at 25 years of troll data for research troll data uh in the ponics uh which will look at changes in fish assemblages. What we're really looking to see here are what are our keystone species here in the ponics and how is warming waters changing um the assemblages that are coming. Um so we're really interested in seeing this. Um we're continuing to fund HAB's research. Um there's been some alarming um explosion of pads in certain water bodies in the past two years at numbers that we've ne we've never seen. Um PEP is in their fourth year of working with the Goldbler lab Goldbler lab on this path research. Um and it is really uh us continuing to fund this work that has led to this sort of groundbreaking work that's happening. So we will continue to be working on uh with the Goldler Lab on this. One of the things that they're investigating is um working on what reduction in nutrients will uh prevent a bloom, right? So, how much do we have to bring the level of nitrogen down to not trigger a bloom? So, it's both in water and uh lab-based research that's happening. um and while doing the research doing continuous monitoring um and that's how we found in some of our priority in bayamements these really alarming rates um of habs notedly PSP in Southold has been off the charts there human health implications to this so we're keeping our eye on this um with some of our match funds at New York State we continue to support the base gallop work that is ongoing um the alum lab at Stonyie Brook University leads leads the research in Bay Gallup

um recovery from the 2019 die- off. Um and we also host the PCOIC base Gallup technical advisory committee twice a year to make sure that um all of the scientists and decision makers are kept up to date with um the latest research that's happening. Um, and just a just a little bit of an update. Uh, we are working very hard to move all of our tools into a GIS database that's accessible and publicly friendly. Um, we are working on a shoreline model which will be rolled out over the next year and a half. We've contracted with the Virginia uh Institute of Marine Science to develop a model that will look at the entire shoreline and we'll classify it and will be sort of a first stop for site suitability of places where nature-based solutions are possible um as opposed to bulkheading the shoreline. So, right now what we have up and running is we have our nitrogen load reduction BMPPS. Uh here I've just zoomed in on an area of shelter island. All the green and blue dots um show you the different types of possibilities on a partial by partial level that both homeowners and the village uh sorry the town can take to uh reduce nitrogen whether it is uh an IIA system whether it is storm water management there are different types of actions that can be taken. So, that's a great resource for people people if they want to look at things that they could do on their property. Um, we have our critical lands protection strategy. Again, this is what will feed into our complete shoreline model. So, um, there's limited information in there now. We'll be updating that over the next year, but I do encourage you to visit the hardened shoreline map. We have the entire shorelines mapped with,

um, bulkheads, river events, and docks. Um, if you want to take a look at this, it was ground truth uh last year in the past two years. So, that's exciting. And our latest seaggrass map is available for you to look so you can see where seaggrasses are in Shelter Island. Um, and just on the next slide here, I have the QR codes for all of these projects so you can easily look at them um after this meeting and you can see what we have in our data hub. currently the data hub we are building and that will be our main um platform to launch all of these uh tools so that they're much easier to get. You know in 2018 we were running around with memory sticks and telling people to download things and we don't have to do that anymore. You can go right to this site and download the data if you want or just use the portal and play with it as we have it uh displayed. Um so does anybody have any questions on these projects? I'll just take a pause. Um before I continue,

I did. Yes. Going back to the eastern ponic blue carbon. Yes. You said that um Nantic Creek is not a good site and I just wanted to hear a little bit more about that because we do have the Manantekeepers um you know citizen uh science uh base looking at it. Um, and I'm just curious, have you been working with them at all or talking to them to see whether or not if any of their efforts could help you down the road to maybe include that as a site?

Um, so we have been working closely with them and um, all of the work that we did on site suitability, nothing left. Um, and even where some of the shellfish lived, the issue is the sediment is too soft and muddy. you're never going to be able to build a reef in there, right? You're not going to be able to to build up the shellfish. Um, and it was something that we couldn't continue to invest money in. I think that the work that they're doing now is much more um about education and about bringing people to the water and getting them excited and loving where they live, which is very important. Um, it's not necessarily going to achieve restoration targets that they hope to achieve. We had a very long conversation with them about, you know, things that could be done in that area and it's an area that we really think that probably needs to be dredged and an area that we are going to devote. We have and I'll talk about this a little bit uh shortly. Um, we do have a a staff member dedicated to doing uh nutrient reduction education with our communities and she's going to work with the creek keepers to specifically focus some more outreach to upgrade cess poolools and septic systems in that sub subwaterhed catchment there um to hopefully make a dent in this project. But there is so much legacy sediment that's been you know you're it's twofold. It's the groundwater pollution that's coming in, but it's also the natural effect of the sediment accretion, right? It has no place to go in there. So, it it wants to build up. It It wants to do that. So, to maintain more of open water channels, get some of that um legacy pollution out of there, it will require dredging. Unfortunately, those are sediments that most likely could not then be placed easily on another shoreline. So, you're looking at

trucking it off of Shelter Island, probably to New Jersey or Pennsylvania, and it becomes an extraordinarily expensive endeavor. Um, we did talk to them about that. They were disheartened. Um, but we're going to work with them on other things that they can do and if they want to continue the educational work that they're doing there, that's entirely up to them. Thank you. Sure. Did anyone else have any questions? the seaggrass maps. Yes, those are the the three locations that are highlighted. That's the extent of the seaggrass beds. No more trying to zoom in. If I zoomed out anymore, it would have been really tiny and you can't see it. I see.

So, you can see um these are probably the most robust seaggrass areas on Shelter Island, but um there are other smaller areas around Shel where there's seaggrass, but um it's a great it's a great map. you can zoom in quite a bit and and dig into it. Next year we're doing our next survey. So, we've committed to doing flyover flyovers and aerial imagery every 3 years. Okay.

Right. We hadn't done that in the past. We've completely upgraded how we're monitoring seaggrass. Um we have seaggrass net sites. One of those will be in Kos Harbor. That is where we go every year with a team of divers to physically monitor it um in a quantitative manner. Um in the past the work that we had been doing was really just presence absence. It wasn't giving us the correct data to make management decisions about the area. Um we're also working very closely with New York State DEEC who is working on segrass management areas throughout Long Island. Um, so we're excited to see what they come up with. Um, and I do believe that there will be a public comment period when they release their first set of potential seaggrass management areas uh for the comics.

Thank you.

Sure. Uh, okay. Next slide, please. Um, so I touched briefly on the shoreline model. This is really a much larger shoreline initiative um that not just creates a map but really looks at how we make naturebased solutions a viable option in the PCON. Um we've been working with Crant for two years now to develop specific town um tailored plans to get over the hurdle of permitting and communication between local entities and the state. Both DEC and DOS, you know, all play a role here. They all converge on the shoreline. Um Shell Island doesn't have trustees, but then other towns also have trustees. Um, and each town will have a specific plan tailored to themsel with the best way to go forward to streamline permitting and ex and improve resilience. Um, and our map-based features will be a shared resource with tools and data and guidance about decision- making. Again, this will be on a parcel by parcel basis. So you will be able to look at whether you're a homeowner, whether you're looking to acquire property, you know, whatever action you want to take, the tool will be available to you. We're excited about that and you'll hear much more about that in 26 and 27. Um, next slide, please. Um, and here we have, we'll be putting out, we're printing them now, um, metal signs that are about the size of a parking sign, um, with the QR code to our eelgrass maps that will be, uh, available to all marinas, both public and private, to put up around the entire watershed, um, so that voters when they go out, they know where the eelgrass

beds are. We are working with Noah to get them included onto the navigational charts. Um, we're on the list um of tasks that Noah has to do. So, when it becomes live on navigational charts, we'll let people know. We will just update the QR code and it'll go right to the navigational chart because we do recognize that's the easiest thing and things that voters use, but um you know, you can't just put your layers on there, but it doesn't like that. They have to approve it. So, it has been approved and it is on the list and whenever they get to that, we will um update our base map on here. But for now, it's that CGS map that I talked about and we will reach out when the signs are in uh about distribution. Um we are launching in the next couple of weeks actually with Suffach County a maintenance grant for people who have already installed IIA systems. Um providing them with additional annual maintenance of up to $500. they will have to apply every year, but to hopefully offset the cost of increased management for people that have um taken the leap and upgraded their systems, you know, we want to show them how much we support them and provide funding for maintenance going forward. Um and our nutrient um reduction specialist has been very busy um throughout all five east end towns um and has some and there's just a list on the left here of presentations that she did um already. There's two upcoming presentations in um Southampton uh shortly in May and the Shelter Island homeowners association she is working with to schedule as I said she's also working directly with the anti keepers to try and um hone in on that area to help them out. Part of this is doing

individual mailers. So, she mails out postcards directly to each home so that they receive both the information and an invite to the event so that even if they can't come, they have links to do it. She can walk people through the application process. She can tell them what they need to know. We're really trying to to make a big push to have people upgrade their systems. It's the number one thing people can do. Our homeowner rewards program is open. This gives homeowners $500 to um plant native plants in their garden to remove uh a portion of lawn or a portion of plants that were not uh prior to that native. Um so far this year we have 20 applications and six approved and you get your plants, you send us photographs of before and after and your plant list and we write you a reimbursement check. So, it's very exciting program, very popular. Um, and here's just a long list. Uh, next slide, please. Um, of some of our partnership, uh, programs that we do around the estuary, we try to work with all of our nonprofit partners. Um, there are quite a few of them on the east end of Long Island and Long Island in general. Um, and as a national asteroid program, we aim to not compete with them, but to be sort of the base that they can stand on and a resource for them as well. So, we reach out to all of them to do work. Um, I won't read that all out to you. You can read that yourselves. Next slide, please. Um, May 14th is when the horses crab season begins. So again, here is our place in Squire's Pond, but we urge you to reach out to the Cornell Cooperative Extension about placing on Shelter Island. Um, next slide, please. We also continue our monofilament fishing line recycling program. Um, here's a map of all the areas around the

watershed. This is places where, um, people that are fishing can, uh, leave their plastic line. Uh, any line that is cut, they can put it in here. we come around and we clean it up. Um 1,400 gram of mon monofilament fishing line was collected in 2025. Um and we'll start emptying the containers uh later this spring. If there are places that doesn't have one that you know is heavily used or you notice people dropping fishing line on the floor on the ground rather, please reach out and let us know because we can install them quite easily. Uh next slide please. Um our 2025 miniig grant uh we have three miniig grants. One will be a litter trap at the mouth of the river which we're very excited about. Um we're working with Baykeeper on doing that. There's one installed on the southshore that's been quite successful. Uh the Mcconic River is the origin of most of our larger plastic material that comes into the estuary. Um we're working on some storm water green infrastructure uh in Sag Harbor in Ninevea Beach and we're creating an onfarmm weather monitoring network uh working with the a stewardship group at Cornell Cooperative Extension. So we're excited to do that. That will help farmers make better, more honed in decisions about when they're fertilizing, when they will water. Um you know, if they have more precise weather updates, they can make better decisions. Um we are launching the 2026 miniigrant program uh in the fall. So we do this every year now. Part of our increased funding has allowed us to do this. So it's a great program and we've supported many many uh partners around the wershed. Some events that are coming up. Next slide please. We have EarthStock at Stony Brook University. We'll be at the

South Hold Town Expo and Repair Cafe. um the Shinnik Southampton and Shinik Hill CAC. There'll be a septic improvement um presentation there and then another one in Noyak the New York State Marine Educators Association conference at Stonyiebrook and we will be participating in Day for the Bay in Jamesport um by June and we will reach out with more summertime activities. And the last slide is just our UFGS station. Um I want to remind you we had reached out uh previously we've been trying to get the school. Um we had made a commitment to the fairy operator. He wanted us to put that there because he wanted it to be an educational tool. We've tried very hard to reach out um to the school to organize classes to come. USGS staff is willing to come out and lead a day of uh water quality science with the kids and it's been um challenging. So, if anybody has any ideas on how to get those teachers out there, we have given a Zoom presentation to the science teachers, but we really want to get those kids out there. So, if anybody knows a good contact and can help us out, that would be great.

Be happy to connect with you. That would be great. Thank you. And I think that's my last slide. Oh, no. I'm missing my presentation. There's a couple more.

Okay. Yep, that's fine. So, this just goes through our accomplishments. Um 24 to 25, we brought about $3 million to the region. Um implementing over 100 acres of wetland restoration. Uh 200 acres of digiminous fish habitat has been open through the system. Um we fund uh more than $500,000 of water quality work including the harmful algolooms work that I discussed. Um five sh we've produced five subwaterershed storm water installations in planning and implementation launched two uh online tools and we support local organizations through our annual May grant program. Next slide please. And so then I just want to do a review of our current funding. Um we are in the federal FY26 budget for 850,000. Uh federal time scales mean you get that money on October 1st. So we're really happy that Congress has supported us heavily. Um we are requesting uh from the federal government a million dollars in FY27. Um but you know we're not really thinking about a federal budget for FY27 yet. Uh but that is what our request is to our local elected officials. Um we received 750,000 from New York State. We are eagerly awaiting the final state budget because we increased to a million in the one house budget. So that was that's an increase for us. So the legislature is supporting us at the state level. Let's hope the governor does too. Um, and the federal investment includes the infrastructure and jobs act funding which hit the ground this year and that's about $1.7 million. So just a little breakdown of where um our public funding comes from is here. Next slide please. And so we look to the east end towns um as is allowable under the community preservation fund contribution every

year. And so here's a breakdown of what the 24 to 26 contribution looks like. This is the last year um of the three-year um pitch. I go to the East End uh May East End Supervisors and Mayors Association every year to talk about three-year um requests, right, that uh the towns are comfortable with. Again, this matches our federal dollars. Under the legislation, it could match both state and federal, but for right now, we're really content to have um equal pieces of the pie. So, federal, state, and local government contribution to the program. And I am requesting from Shelter Island $14,25 has which has been the contribution for the past two years as well. Um and here's the breakdown. It is based on the proportion um of each town CPF annually. And this is based on the 2023 numbers because that was you know when I pitched the 24 25 26. So we'll do this again in 2027 to the east end uh supervisors and mayors with 27 28 29. Next slide please. That's the last. Does anybody have any questions about the finances or questions about anything? There's a lot in here.

There is a lot. And I had to pull that down otherwise I'd be up here for two hours. This is great. I I have a question. Yes. What are the hard noise? Bulkheads. So, we looked at bulkheads, rock reetments, and ducks. On that topic, I know at one point you were talking to the state about trying to um make monies available. um so that towns could pro um purchase unh hardened short lines. Um have you gotten any further in those discussions?

Um so that was using bond act funding. Um and so that is really because we're not a land owner. The state felt that that's really something that should come down from a town if they want to do that through the state real estate um department. Okay. Any other questions from the board before I open it up to the public? Anyone from the public has any questions?

Pam.

Yeah. Hi there. Um, that was a wonderful presentation and I commend you for all of your scientific work and sharing the data with the world and getting the news out there. I I I I've followed you for many years and contributed to your organization and I just appreciate you coming and giving us this presentation today. It'll be interesting to see the 10 sites that you mentioned that you're interested in uh Shelter Island. And one in particular of concern for us is Real Point. Uh it's owned by the Ponic Land Trust and we've really been having trouble with a lot of erosion out there. Um I I don't suspect there'll be a breach of that point at any time soon, but it does seem to be another site that you might want to take a look at. And uh right off of Little Ram Island, there is a little nook in there uh headed toward the inner part of looking across to the marina. And I have seen horseshoe crab in that area for many years. So just if you want to make a note of that, you might want to take a look at that little section. There was a nature conservancy property on that side of Little Ram Island that's pretty well protected, too. So, but thank you very much. I really appreciate it. It was great.

Thank you, Pam. And my contact details are at the beginning and the end of this presentation. Um, if you could put that in an email, that would be really helpful. Sure, I'll be happy to do that. Thank you. Anyone else? Thank you for so much for coming in today. Thank you for having me everybody. Good to see you. Thank you Joyce. Appreciate all the work you guys do. Thank you.

Our next item on the agenda is talking about additional closure days for the recycling center. Ken, I see you turned your camera on. Um, do you want to start off the conversation on this?

Sure. Uh, I just wanted to start the conversation really. Um, it was something I was just thinking about uh and um about adding maybe having a couple uh of extra uh days for closures that would fall on holidays. Um, currently, I don't know if you're aware, but the recycling center is open uh all year around except for three days. We close on New Year's Day, Christmas Day, and Thanksgiving uh currently. And so, uh I was just wanting to take a look um at maybe an option to try to add some additional holidays uh for the men uh down there. Um, and so it's just it's a it's something I know is going to need uh a board approval. Um, I have spoken to some of the men. I did speak to the leadership of the union um and they would like to talk about it a little further as well um because they're you know it could be a contractual um you know issue for them. So, and they're, you know, entering into a new contract, uh, negotiation season here coming up. So, um, but I I wanted to propose I was going to propose, uh, uh, four days, um, that I've looked at, uh, the Martin Luther King Jr., uh, President's Day, Good Friday, and the 4th of July, um, as additional days. Um we're you're I checked neighbor you know our surrounding towns um and you know most uh like Southold is pretty close to us um as far as their hours of operation etc. They're open 7 to 5. Uh, and they're open seven days a week just like

we are. Um, except they they close uh they have 13 holidays that they close and they actually have three and a half day they have three half days uh that they use for they close at noon on Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving Eve, and New Year's Eve as an example. uh South Southampton also uh 13 days uh they're open seven days a week 8 to 4:30 um and they close uh they take 13 holidays they're closed those days and they also take a half a day for uh Christmas Eve and they take the day after Thanksgiving in addition to Thanksgiving. And then the last one was East Hampton. And East Hampton only takes five holidays, but they're also only open uh six days a week. They close on Wednesdays all year long. Um and again, their hours are pretty similar to ours, too. 7 to 5 generally. So, um I just wanted to, you know, throw it out there for conversation. And uh and like I said, it's my understanding that I mean I think this was proposed something similar to this was proposed about 15 or 16 years ago. Um so uh I know the I know the unit as a whole would like to talk about it. Currently, the highway the highway unit uh they're all part of the same HBA, but the highway department guys uh that don't man the recycling center, they have 13 holidays off as well. So, um I'm sure there's varying opinions as to who wants how many days or no days, but um I just wanted to recommend it from my standpoint. You guys have to review it obviously. Um, and it sounds like the union would like to weigh in on it as well.

When Ken and I discussed this, we looked at all of the holidays that are that the town is closed and there are 15 of them, so there's 12 that um the recycling staff aren't getting. Um, they do get um double time pay and they also get to take a different day off. Um, so if we were to close um for one day, we'd save three people. So, the savings would be 23 $2,300. We'll just say plus or minus a little bit. I use the lowest staff people. Um, but it's also just giving those people more time with their family on certain holidays. We, as Ken and I discussed it, we looked at Memorial Day and said Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day. Um, Veterans Day, I'm not so sure about, but Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day are three-day weekends for a lot of people. And so closing those days um might impact um the you know seasonal and second homeowner population who leave on those days dropping their recycling you know their garbage off um so didn't want to start with those days just because people might end up just leaving their garbage outside of the gate um and then you know raccoons overnight and um you know

I think that would be I think that would be more maybe the case for Labor Day honestly I think Memorial Day people are kicking off the summer and they're still here Um, I mean, I I don't know. I honestly don't know if that's a huge cons. I'm not a huge concern of mine that they're going to pile it up at the gate, but maybe they will. Um, you know, I was I'm trying to find, you know, this is this is an effort to, you know, also, you know, save money and also it's it's a two-fold thing because I think the guys, you know, I think many of the guys would appreciate having the time off for their families, especially on a day like Fourth of July when everything around here is kind of closed and people are having barbecues and we're having a parade this year. But um you know but I think I think the money the savings would be you know pretty significant you know across because if you have all those guys getting double time for 10 extra holidays a year and they get an additional compensatory time off as well. So that's something to consider.

Is there a reason that you didn't put in like um some of the winter holidays in here like Thanksgiving? they were to get Thanksgiving and Christmas and no um sorry the like you know like the Christmas Eve or Thanksgiving Eve or you know like the day after um I was just I was just curious if there was like just because I know that we have like less demand there right um yeah um right now the day after Thanksgiving we just made it a holiday for non-union staff so when we do contract negotiations we'll have to look to see whether or not the day after Thanksgiving becomes an HBA holiday.

Um, and Christmas Eve is only a holiday if it falls on Let me just look at this for a second. I think it falls if it falls on a Monday through Friday. Yes. Um, yeah. Just Christmas Eve is an odd one.

Yeah. And so and the and the contract, you know, the contract they get uh they have 13 holidays uh that are here. New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, and President's Day are all winter holidays that the that the union has in their contract. Um and then they but they also get Memorial Day, Labor Day, Good Friday, Fourth of July, um Columbus or Indigenous People's Day, also election day, Veterans Day, uh Thanksgiving Day, and then Christmas Day in addition to a a floating holiday.

Yeah, we could consider more of those days. Yeah, my biggest concerns were the ones that fall on my days after, you know, for holidays. Yeah. But it sounds like it's less concern for Ken, but And what did you guys What did you said you did? You think it was 2,300 per person or per day? Per day closed. Okay. So, if we close for 4 days, we'll have a budget savings of 9234. And that's not assuming that for the day that people get to take off in place of that holiday that the person covering isn't incurring overtime to work those that extra shift. Right. So So maybe even a little bit more.

So yeah, that's I'm being conservative on what the savings could be. It actually could be a little bit more interesting. Yeah. So maybe there's a dual benefit from a budget. Yes. This would obviously be part of contract negotiations with the the highway or no.

That we have to find out because the contract says how they get paid for working holidays, but I don't know if the contract says they have any say over which days the town closes. Um my my initial take on it was that the town gets to decide when we close things. Like we the town board get to decide when to close things. Um not contract. So, but we'll have labor council, you know, we'll talk to we'll talk to the union leadership and we'll talk a labor council who works with us for the contract negotiations to advise us. So, I guess we can't decide today, but um something to think about and

yeah, I'd be really interested to see what the what they have to say. Um I know we had designated two people to work on it's Ben and I for Yeah. Okay. All right. So, will task you too with meeting with if they want to meet with the board or if they just want to meet with C. Okay. So,

yeah, I think they I mean I I get the impression that they I mean they can talk to me for sure. Uh they might want to meet with the representatives of the board um after they uh I guess you know meet as a unit you know complete unit. Like I said I spoke to a couple of the um guys that work you know work at the recycling center. I spoke to Ron who's the foreman down there has been there for 28 years and he seemed to uh frankly he was in favor of taking all the days. So, you know, I think there's a there's a there's some other guys, you know, um that might not be, you know, I didn't I didn't pull pull the whole group, but I know the union leadership is talking to their to their union members about it. So, maybe they'll they can certainly reach out to me. Um, but I think they're gonna want to talk with Ben and uh and Meg.

Okay. All right. If we want since we're looking at Memorial Day, No, we're not looking at Memorial Day. July 4th would be the first one. So, we have a little bit of time because Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President's Day, and Good Friday all pass. So, July 4th and some of the winter ones. Okay. Yeah. It's not on fire yet. Nope. Okay. Okay. Um, that's it for me. If anybody has anything else, anybody else public?

All right. Uh, next topic then is change of zone application fee. So, we have gotten an inquiry from um someone's representative. Um I think we know what the zoning request changes, but what we are governed by is code section 133-37 under our zoning code application for change in zoning map or this chapter. And so, we do have a remedy for someone who wishes to appeal the zone that they're in or ask for a change. Um, it should be submitted in a form required by the town board together with the required fee. We've never set a fee. So before can submit an application, we should have a fee and we should have a form. So I understand the form is being worked on. We just need to decide what the fee would be. And when looking at surrounding towns, we have um Southampton at 2500, South Hold at 3,000, Riverhead, it's either 1,500 or 2500 depending on the size of the um dwelling that's being constructed. Not sure how that would factor, but anyways. Um, and I guess we don't we didn't look at East Hampton, so we're going to toss out their 2500 if everyone was

seems to work. All right. Um, we do have a special schedule for after the work session. And so

presuming that everyone would be in agreement, um, we preliminarily put that on there. So, be part of the special meeting today. Okay, that was a fast topic. All right. Um, all right. Next one is Sylvester Manor site plan review. So, you must excuse your I will see you guys on that. I'll be back in. Right. So, initially what I wanted to do on this topic was to review the resolution that we have. However, um I spoke to Reek Karen this morning and um there's um been an inquiry um by Sylvester Manor about some parking in a different area that wasn't originally in um the paperwork that we received as well as um another structure on the property that's residential use that needs um to be looked at for commercial use. Um, and because of that and the um fact that we have um segmentation rules that we have to abide by and Thomas can speak to those more than I can. Um, I think that what we need to do is reopen the public hearing to accept this additional information and inquiries so that we consider it all while we're considering the site plan review. Um, so I was going to suggest that myself and Thomas and Reed and representatives from Sylvester Manor have a sit down to talk about what's on the horizon and legally how this the concern for segmentation fits in. And if after that meeting we think that it needs to reopen the public hearing, we would do that on Monday.

Okay. Um, just to keep things moving. Um, but we could set reopening the public hearing on April 27th for a May 18th. Um, but you need to figure out the timing. Is the other property tied to this site plan? Like is it because they're using that building while they're renovating the manor? We need further information. Okay. So, yeah, I think that I think that's the case. Um, but since it's all part of bigger project, we do need to be careful. So, sounds good.

Okay. So, that was another fast topic. Um, we can bring Liz back in and we'll let me know if you want us to say, "Yeah, we'll reach out this afternoon." Yeah. Thank you. Thank you very much. See you soon. Right.

Yes. Yes. Could give you a heads up. Um temp board our reports. See you did what? 12 you all are double checking notes I guess tell the public about some job openings that we have um part-time senior office assistant wanted for the police department um it is 24 hours a week a part-time for clerk um position is also open 15 hours per week um that's a little bit more flexible it may be more in the summer and less in the winter um those are both on our own tone website you go to help people out if you go to I think it's under services under services we have jobs we are looking for a qual water quality improvement advisory board member a green options committee member community preservation fund advisory board member oh and back to paid positions um lifeguards have to be 16 years or older. There's certification reertification courses offered February through June. Um the town will cover the cost of certification or reertification for candidates who commit to working the summer season. So back to committees, uh island met um they take a hiatus over the winter. um in the Met on April 15th. See, they just they look to um what repairs and um interior, exterior, and property

wise that need to be um taken care of this year as they reopen. I have to double check. I think we um just for the town board um there is a termite contract that um needs to be authorized. So that should probably be on the agenda for Monday night.

They talked a little bit about like potentially some like events over the summer and kind of like working out that schedule, but they didn't come to like any like specific thing. So probably at the next one and just like I think they do the the reading of the constitution on 4th of July but then there's a parade so what are they you know so just we want to make sure they get that yeah a little like sorting out and that kind of thing also was tax day so I'm going to rely on your notes for that one.

Yes. Yeah. It's the Taylor's Island Foundation that does like the tail their benefit. They're looking to see what the the date is on that and whether it's going to be on the island or off the island. Yeah. Yeah, I think that's that's all that's all I had.

The planning board me uh meeting was very light. They introduced I mean Joey introduced and uh Scott Matthews the new member of the planning board did a great job and uh nice to have him on board. And as far as business it was very short. There was an somebody uh one of the applicants had asked for a six-month extension on their project. So really was a short meeting. I guess WAC met yesterday.

Yes. So um WAC is working on whole bunch of things. They are um letters have gone out to the certain areas that they're going to be testing. um for the the updated triangle testing. And so the letters are encouraging homeowners to apply to the county to get their water tested. Um and then if they do actually follow through with that, then there's a $100 rebate for the cost of that water test. Um and that information will be sent directly to the town of the county. Um it'll be giving us the information based on zone. So, we won't know the exact address with their results, but we'll know um the results for that area. Uh then we're working on um a know your water weekend in the summer where it's going to be a whole bunch offormational sessions and tables set up around town to talk to people about their water quality and getting water tested and um different uh water conservation practices and things that they could implement on their own. Then, um, we're updating the pharmaceutical disposal posters. So, um, it used to be you could bring your meds to the pharmacy. That's not an option anymore. Um, but there is a box at the police department where you can drop off old medications. And, um, at Town Hall and the police department, we have these very cool medication disposal bags. They're full of activated charcoal. You dump your medication in there, you add some water, you shake it up, and then you can throw it out. And the activated charcoal destabilizes the medications, and then they're inert, and it's not a problem if they, you know, when you throw them out. Um, the let's see, they some members of the water advisory committee went to a very interesting talk on microlastics and POS in

fertilizers and just about everything else. And so there's going to be anformational kind of email getting sent out to like specifically kind of the landscapers because um they're kind of like the target audience and it has a lot of recommended alternatives and different brands that don't include microlastics in their fertilizers and things like that. So it's kind of an educational outreach they're going to be taking. Um and oh and then the students from the school came in. They've been doing um saltwater intrusion testing for us. So residents have been bringing them water samples and they've been testing them for salinity. And so they came and did a presentation on their results. So there was a handful of properties that tested high for salinity. So over 200 um parts per million I believe. And so they had it all mapped out on a Google map for us and um they're going to continue doing that program. So in the summer they'll they'll do it again and um we're hoping that for the green expo we can have a little table set up and stuff. So that was a really great program and it was a good presentation by the students. So they they're enjoying it. So it's nice. Yeah.

Um and that's what I have for WAC. Um, the healthc care needs assessment survey is currently out. It's been out for about a week. We've had 162 responses so far and I have a whole stack of paper responses that I have to enter in. Um, so I would encourage everybody to take the assessment. Um, some of the questions I've seen on there is whether or not we're proposing to use taxpayer dollars to support this effort. And the answer is no. Um, at the moment that's not the goal. Um, we're looking to partner with other entities who would help support this. So, no, it's not a a taxfunded um endeavor. Um, but yeah, any feedback, all your feedback is very helpful and we appreciate it. So, we're going to leave that open for I think two more weeks to get, you know, responses. Um, it's on the website. It's on social media. There are hard copies of the survey at town hall, the senior center, the fit center, and the library. So, if you feel more comfortable doing a hard copy, please swing by any of those locations. Um, it was also in last week's reporter. So, there's a QR code in the reporter that you can scan. It takes you right to the survey. Um, and we would, you know, appreciate all of your feedback. Um, the other thing we had an irrigation subcommittee meeting. So, we're just waiting to hear feedback from everybody and then um we have a few more changes to make before we share it with some stakeholders and then hopefully can bring it back to the town board. So, that's in progress. The green options committee is looking for members. So, if you're interested, we would be happy if you join the green options committee. Um, we talked about

getting the tote bags for sale again. And what else did we work on in green options? We had we were talking about solar at the recycling center. I feel like there's something significant that I'm missing, but for now, that's all I got. Okay. All right, we are going to adjourn the work session and go into a special meeting to pass two resolutions. Favor

I um start off with the seat. So yeah. Um, how much of it should I read? All of it. Several pages. I think you just need the beginning and then the page. Skip the middle. Yeah. Like just the first whereas and then resolve.

Okay. Okay. All right. Whereas an application was submitted by Christopher D. Emar and Danielle K. Ferrera on November 17th, 2025, seeking to revise a wetlands permit issued to the applicants on January 28th, 2025, pursuant to chapter 129 of the Shelter Island Town Code in order to allow the following work. The rest of this is available online. I'm going to skip to the conditions. Uh the Okay. Resolve that the town board finds that the project meets the standard enumerated in the town code 129-5 as interelia the proposed project will not create a risk of impairing the function and value of the wetland and buffer diminish any wetland in size negatively impact the qual quality quantity and quality of the groundwater or create a net increase in the risk of storm water runoff and be it further resolved at Town Board finds that there are no practical alternatives which would allow the project to be constructed outside the regulated area and the applicants will voluntarily implement within 3 months of issuance of a permit permit adequate mitigation measures that will contribute to the protection and enhancement of the wetlands and wetland benefits. And be it further resolved that the town board hereby approve the issuance of a wetlands permit to legalize the demolition and perform the proposed construction, reconfiguration, and installation at 13 Dickerson Drive, Shelter Island, SCTM uh 700-18-3-35.2 as shown in the site plan for private residence 13 Dickerson Drive prepared by Jeffrey T. Butler, PE PC, dated April 9th, 2024 and last revised November

25th, 2025 will shall supersede and replace the wetlands permit issued to the applicants dated January 28th, 2025 subject to the following conditions. One, prior to the commencement of any construction activities, a continuous line of trenched in wirebacked silt screen maximum opening side USV uh number 20 shall be installed per the approved site plan. The silt screen shall be maintained, repaired, and replaced as often as necessary to ensure the proper function until all disturbed areas are permanently vegetated. The wireback silt fence shall be a minimum of 14 gauge wire with 6 in mesh spacing. The 36in post must be driven a minimum of 16 in into the ground and set no more than 10 ft apart. Silt fencing shall be recessed by trenchings 6 in into the ground. Two, applicants shall fully remove the pro shall fully remove from the property the existing deck on the seawward side of the dwelling which deck presently extends to approximately 36 ft of title wetland boundary. Three, the applicants shall prepare and submit a revised reveation plan in accordance with the recommendations made by the town's environmental analyst Theresa Mason and shall comply with the said revised reveation plan. This reveation plan shall result in a vegetative buffer extending at least 30 ft landward for the title wetland boundary. The final inspection shall be requested upon completion of all permitted activities and shall be undertaken by the town board or its designate. Four, the town board reserves a right by itself or through it designigny to require additional native reveation and/or other res restoration measures in the event that in final inspection it is determined that the goal of establishing that continuous healthy cover of native and natural vegetation within the designated reveative dome has not been achieved. Five, no fences shall be installed or constructed seawward of the landward limit of a vegetative buffer. Six, the storage and overwintering of docks,

ramps, floats, boats, and or other watercraft within the vegetative buffer and adjacent regulated areas strictly prohibited. Seven, any soils which are excavated from the site during the construction of the slab foundation for the house additions or other accessory structures and which cannot be utilized for the purpose of uh an IIA elevation or backfill of the abandoned septic system consistent with SCDHS requirements shall be exported off site. Eight, all ground disturbance, including the storage of construction materials, shall be confined to the limits of clearing and/or ground disturbance shown on the approved site plan. Nine, prior to the issuance of the certificate of occupancy, the town's environmental analyst upon written request from the applicant shall conduct inspection and vise the building department to whether the above conditions have been satisfied.

So much second. All in favor? discussion. Okay, discussion. Um,

I I don't want to impugn the integrity of the applicant, the their architect or the builder. But I think if you're planning on putting a second story on a house, you need to open up a wall. You can remove sheetrock and areas, whatever you need to do to check the structure. Um, I find it hard to believe that that wasn't done and that they were 2x4 construction as they maintain 18 in on center and it's not adequate. And I just think um the water side of the house there is a steep bank at the end and it's within 40 ft of that top of that bank, that block. And I believe that the house could be moved back out of the wetlands or it could be looked at to move back. And frankly, the board we didn't ask for practicable alternatives that would allow the project to take place. So I'm opposed on those grants as you know.

Further discussion. We'll close discussion. All in favor? I those opposed. Motion carried. Whereas pursuant to section 133-34.1 of the code of the town of Shelter Island, an application fee for a change in the zoning map shall establish by resolution of the town board. Now therefore, be it resolved that effective immediately, the fee for a zoning change application is hereby set to $2,500. So move. Second. All in favor? I. Motion carried. Make a motion to close the special meeting. Second. All in favor?

I. We'll go back into the work session. And I want to make a motion to go into executive session to cover contract negotiation and employment history of an employee. Second. So move. All in favor? My price.