Town set to license commercial waste haulers
A group of high school seniors and their teacher, Brian Dolger, attended the Town Board work session Tuesday to get a close up view of how their government operates.
Near the end of the meeting — one of the quicker work sessions — Supervisor Jim Dougherty said, “Brian, we should have your men and women in every week, we’re so well-behaved up here.”
The board came to a consensus on licensing commercial waste haulers and have scheduled a public hearing on the issue for Friday, May 9. A local law will most likely be enacted at the meeting.
The board had been wary of requiring licenses from everyone who hauls away waste even, for example, one person taking garbage for a nominal fee to the Recycling Center for a neighbor.
Town Attorney Laury Dowd drafted language that will define a commercial waste hauler as: “Any person or company who transports recyclables or nonrecyclable household waste within the Town of Shelter Island for compensation from more than 50 customers.”
The new law will affect the two commercial haulers servicing the Island, Shelter Island Environmental Services and Dan’s Carting and Recycling.
Jonathan DiVello, owner of SIES, who attended the work session, said he was fine with the idea of licensing and the definition of a commercial hauler. Commissioner of Public Works Jay Card Jr. suggested a new committee made up of the two hauling companies, representatives form town government, sanitation workers and local businesses to work together identifying issues and making recommendations to solve them.
Mr. DiVello said he was also on board with that proposal.
The board set a public hearing on North Ferry’s request to Suffolk County — the governing body regulating ferries — for a fare increase on Wednesday May 28. Mr. Dougherty said he had met with County Legislator Jay Schneiderman (I-Montauk), who represents the Island, who said there didn’t seem to be anything “controversial” about the request, which would affect most Islanders by raising rates about two percent a year over the current prices.
The public hearing will give Mr. Schneiderman a chance to hear Islander’s views on the proposal, Mr. Dougherty said.
The one question from the students at the meeting was asked by Thomas Fay, who wanted to know why North and South ferries couldn’t be merged to make one system with one price.
Mr. Dougherty explained that “in an ideal world that would help,” but in fact, they were two private, for-profit companies.
A new septic system will be installed at the Shelter Island County Club, but the timing is still up in the air when it will be completed. Mr. Card said the town will work with the club and perhaps get it done this summer or, at the latest, in the fall season.
Mr. Dougherty announced figures from the town clerk’s office on town receipts for April. The town took in a total of $78,800, compared to $67,000 for April 2013. Building receipts were $9,100, compared to $7,600 a year ago, and landfill receipts were off $400 from last April, totaling $18,700 this year.
The Waterways management Fund stands at $205,700, up $7,000 from last year.
