ISLAND COMMUNITY BOARD
P.O. Box 464, Fishers Island, NY 06390
Tel: 631-788-7990 Email: ficommunityboard@gmail.com
Island Community Board Meeting Minutes
Monday April 10, 2017
5:30pm
Community Center Conference Room
Present in Room: Tom O’Neil (President), Zack Hoch (Secretary), Tim Patterson (Waste Management), Louisa Evans (Town Justice), Ace Ahrens (Ferry District), Sarah Porter (Year-Round), Candy Whitman (Year-Round), Liz Burnham (Year-Round), Meg Atkin (Year-Round)
On Phone: Dicky Riegel (Seasonal), Willard Soper (Treasurer), Matt Edwards (Walsh Park), Elizabeth McCance (Museum)
Absent: Tom Sargent (Conservancy), Chris Finan (Utility Company), Marc Rubinstein (IHP), Karen Goodwin (School), Nate Malinowski (Year-Round)
Approve Minutes:
Tom O’Neil motioned to accept minutes from the March 13th meeting. The board seconded and the minutes unanimously passed.
Treasurer’s Report:
Willard Soper declared the Island Community Board has about $6,000 in the bank. The Board received a $500 donation last month.
Fund Drive:
Currently there are about 450 ICB members with a goal to reach 750 this spring. With the Memorial Day fund drive approaching, the Conservancy has volunteered to donate five-gallon bottles of water. Dicky Riegel suggested manning a table by the post office to get people to sign up and board members should use personal contacts to disperse the Spring Letter and ask people to join and donate to the ICB. The ICB is asking each of its members to donate a minimum of $10 annually for administrative and communication fees.
ICB is determined to increase attendance at monthly meetings. Candy Whitman demands the island needs to be introduced to larger needs. She suggests blasting people with all information relevant to the ICB because our communication works. Liz Burnham stated credit must be given to the ICB with anything it is connected to. Sarah Porter suggested creating a Facebook page. Louisa Evans says face to face communications work best with most people.
Housing Update:
Matt Edwards stated Walsh Park and Fishers Island School are collaborating to get people off the Walsh Park housing waiting list. The committees are looking to start small, likely with duplexes but not apartments. The school is hiring an appraiser.
Tim Patterson stated Fishers Island Fire Department will be looking to add housing since not enough people are joining. Tim alerted the Board this will be expensive. Tom O’Neil stated the ICB can help orchestrate. Sarah Porter stated the Community Center gives fitness memberships to people in the Fire Department.
The Candy Sanger Project is slowly moving forward. Louisa Evans asked if landlords can pick anyone off the Walsh Park waiting list if they prefer a certain family as opposed to who is next on the list. Matt thinks that would be fine. Sarah Porter suggested matching family size with house size even if that means families swapping housing. Tim Patterson would like to see all homes insolated.
Garbage Update:
Tim Patterson stated Waste Management will use ground penetrating radar to assure nothing will interfere with the building plans. Currently they are in the process of applying for grants through the DEC. Louisa Evans would like plans to be made public before Memorial Day weekend.
Healthcare Update:
Candy Whitman stated herself and Louisa traveled to Long Island to meet with the NY Department of Health who has agreed to work with Congressman Zeldin’s office on a case to case basis. Though it is premature and unrealistic to access Connecticut doctors, they are willing to work with individual cases. People can send their individual cases to Candy Whitman by email at candace.whitman@alum.ptsem.edu . Candy fears people will wait too long so she asks anyone to send her their individual case soon. Names will be kept confidential.
Willard Soper reiterated we need to establish a group of ideally 25 people. If a small group could be formed to obtain Vision Care or something basic, obtaining health insurance further down the road becomes more likely. Forming a group is essential! Willard suggests surveying the island to see interest and ICB members could join the group. Candy stated Vision Care likely would be $5-10 a month and she will keep Dr. Ingram up to date. Willard volunteered to draft a vision statement.
Herrick Project:
A proposal has been made and sketches have been drawn to build a playground or small park by the Coast Guard building. Louisa stated the idea is to see something nice when arriving to Fishers Island by ferry. This project will cost nothing from the town or ferry. Lighthouse Works and the Ferry District have written letters of support. Ace Ahrens stated the Ferry District is not in position to contribute money and this will cause parking concerns.
Presentation to Southold:
Tom O’Neil and Louisa Evans will travel to Southold to meet with Scott Russell and present the sidewalk petition in attempt to acquire repairs to Fishers Island sidewalks. Louisa proposed sending links to the sidewalk studies and is hopeful that a surplus in the asphalting funds could be used for sidewalk repairs. Willard Soper noted liability insurance just increased $180,000. Damaged and unsafe sidewalks could cause injuries and the town could react to fear of lawsuits. The island and ICB must decide which sidewalks in particular need attention. Overgrown brush and weeds surrounding any sidewalk is the owner’s responsibility as well as damage created by machinery performing a job suggested by home owners. ICB must establish definitive issues. Tom suggested alerting Southold of the goals of each sub-committee. Scott Russell will and has attended previous events. Dicky Riegel and Willard Soper will help Tom O’ Neil complete the spring letter.
Meeting adjourned 7:10pm
