Shelter Island ZBA and Deer & Tick Committee fill slots
ZBA Chairman Doug Matz now has a full board to work with with Lynne Colligan replacing Patrica Shillingburg, who retired.
Three Islanders have been appointed to town committees, bringing both the Deer & Tick Committee and Zoning Board of Appeals up to full strength.
Lynne Colligan was appointed to replace Patricia Shillingburg on the ZBA and Henry Amann and Charles Tiernan were appointed to the Deer & Tick Committee, replacing the late Dr. Vincent DiGregorio, who died in February, and Steve Lenox, who resigned.
When Patricia Shillingburg stepped down from the ZBA in July after 15 years, she expressed the hope that her successor would be a woman. That has come to pass with the appointment of Ms. Colligan, who now joins Committee Chairman Doug Matz and members Philip DiOrio, William Johnston III and Neal Raymond.
Ms. Colligan’s term runs for five years. She is an English teacher in the Shelter Island School District. Ms. Colligan couldn’t be reached for comment on her appointment.
Committee Chairman Doug Matz said he was grateful for the service Ms. Shillingburg gave the ZBA for so many years and excited to have Ms. Colligan join the committee.
Mr. Matz added he’s looking forward to hearing her perspectives on the issues the ZBA faces.
Deer & Tick Committee Chairman Mike Scheibel is glad his committee is now at full strength and expressed optimism about the two appointees and what they would bring to the table.
Prior to the appointments, members had expressed a desire to have Beau Payne, an avid outdoorsman and hunter, join the committee, but while Mr. Payne said he would continue to attend meetings as his schedule allows and to bring what information he can to the committee from a hunter’s perspective, he couldn’t commit to joining.
When a current member of the committee encourages you to apply for a position because he knows of your interest in working to control the tick population on the Island, you respond positively, Mr. Tiernan said, explaining that he was “recruited” by member Jim Colligan. Mr. Tiernan is a trustee at Mashomack Preserve where Mr. Scheibel works as natural resources manager. He’s also an avid gardener with concerns about controlling the tick population.
He has a strong interest in water quality and has some concerns about the possible effect of the tickicide permethrin draining into surrounding waterways. Mr. Tiernan also is interested in discussing ways to increase culling of the deer herd.
Mr. Amman’s wife Angie has suffered from chronic Lyme disease since 1998, forcing both of them to become more knowledgeable about tick-borne diseases. He has studied entomology and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois.
He believes in the 4-poster program and said criticisms of its cost need to be weighed against the high cost of health care to treat tick-borne diseases as well as the emotional cost to patients who contract chronic Lyme disease.
“I’ve been lucky,” he said about his own encounter with ticks. He has experienced far fewer bites since implementation of the 4-poster program and hasn’t contracted any tick-borne diseases.
