FD brass to air it out at Monday's meeting

It might get hot at the Shelter Island Fire Commissioners meeting Monday night.

In the wake of a surprise write-in bid in Tuesday’s fire commissioner’s election, along with long-simmering tensions between the commissioners and members of the department, Chief John D’Amato plans to address concerns he has about the way decisions are made.

“There are no bad guys here,” Chief D’Amato told the Reporter about the commission members. But the day when Shelter Island could do as it pleased with its own rules has passed since the implementation of the state’s Open Meetings Law, he said. The law clearly states requirements for conducting open session and stipulates specific reasons why a meeting can be closed, such as for negotiations that could be affected by an open session or discussion about a specific employee.

But that’s something the chief doesn’t think the commissioners understand and he said it’s probably because few attend meetings, prompting commissioners to think no one cares.

But he cares, he said, both because fire department spending represents a large chunk of tax money and because he wants clearly defined policies to define his work and that of department members.

Also bound for the agenda is the surprising bid by write-in candidate John Beresky. Hampered by what many voters thought was a confusing ballot, Chief D’Amato for one said he thought Mr. Beresky, a 39-year-old New York City Fire Department member, would have done much better than the final official tally.

Mr. Beresky told the Reporter Monday he was mulling a bid to contest the election.

Another subject expected to surface Monday night will be a continuation of last month’s controversy over work that’s needed to shore up the Shelter Island Heights Firehouse. Commissioners were ready to award a contract for work in November, but firefighters raised questions about how three bids could be so different and seemingly based on three different projects. Commissioners caved and agreed to seek specifications for the project before proceeding.

The meeting at the Center Firehouse Monday is at 7:30 p.m.