ISLAND COMMUNITY BOARD
P.O. Box 371, Fishers Island, NY 06390
Email: ficommunityboard@gmail.com
Note: There was no ICB Meeting in January 2024
ICB Monthly Meeting
Tuesday, February 13, 2024
5:00pm
Zoom Only
Participants: 78
Agenda February 13, 2024 with recording starting time
FI School – Christian Arsenault, 00:00:00
Town Update – Beth Cashel, 00:03:55
Library Update – Bonnie Benkard, 00:17:38
Waste Management – Mere Doyen, 00:25:13
Star Link Internet Update – Roe Granger, Wave Crest, 00:31:46
Utility Company Internet Update – Steve Head, 00:48:04
ICB Representatives: John McGillian (President), George de Menil (Vice President), Staley Sednaoui (Vice President), April White (Year-Round), Richard Miller (Seasonal), Linda Mrowka (Year-Round).
ISLAND COMMUNITY BOARD
P.O. Box 371, Fishers Island, NY 06390 Email: finy.southold@gmail.com
ICB February 2024 Monthly Meeting
Tuesday, February 13th, 2024
5:00 pm
Zoom Meeting
ICB Representatives: John McGillian (President), Staley Sednaoui (Vice President), April White (Year-Round), Richard Miller (Seasonal), Linda Mrowka (Year-Round).
Absent: George deMenil (Vice President)
Summary:
John McGillian opening the meeting and welcomed everyone.
School
Christian Arsenault encouraged community members to provide feedback on desired attributes for graduates of the Fishers Island school by participating in a brief survey available on the school website. He also provided an update on the bidding process and budget alignment for the renovation, which is coming into better balance.
Town
Beth Cashel shared that the town has decided not to pursue the Coast Guard building due to cost and suitability issues. She also provided details about the temporary office space using a trailer for the town police, including the ongoing efforts to connect a trailer to electricity and the need for a septic holding tank. Regarding zoning, she announced that a zoning committee has been formed, has met, and will eventually provide their feedback to the town. The next zoning meeting will be on March 28th. She also provided detailed progress updates on the DMV, the community housing transfer tax, the new hire (Kevin Carroll) for the Town Highway Department, and she mentioned March 1st as a deadline for tax exemption status if one qualifies.
Library
Bonnie Benkard, the new president of the Fisher’s Island Library Association, provided a comprehensive update on the library’s progress and future initiatives.
Waste Management
Mere Doyen presented the trial of new hours at the stations as a response to staffing challenges, with adjusted operating hours for the transfer station and composition to accommodate staff needs and provide lunch breaks. She also discussed the successful winter firewood program and the ongoing search for a new operations supervisor.
Blood Drive
Staley Sednaoui announced an upcoming (June) blood drive on Fishers Island, organized by the Connecticut Blood Center.
Starklink & FI Utility Internet Update
John McGillian introduced Roe Granger, who provided a discussion about the use of Starlink for internet access on the island. Jim Thompson and Steve Malinowski gave testimonials about the performance and reliability of Starlink’s internet service based of their personal experience. Steve Head, the telecom superintendent for Fishers Island Telephone Company, presented the company’s comprehensive plan to modernize its telecommunications services, detailing the upgrades made to the network backbone and the implementation of fiber-to-the-home deployment. He also delivered a detailed report on the fiber project, covering completed areas, upcoming infrastructure plans, and the timeline for completion.
John McGillian closed the meeting at 6:15 PM.
