Thiele announces $500,000 for Island projects
School and town officials gather at the American Legion Post with Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr., who secured $500,000 in state funds to be used largely on a new septic system. Pictured front, from left, are Academic Administrator Jennifer Rylott, Board of Education member Kathleen Lynch, Board of Education President Thomas Graffagnino, Board members Mark Kanarvogel and Linda Eklund, school business official Tim Laube; back, from left, Town Public Works Commissioner Jay Card Jr., Assemblyman Fred Thiele Jr., Town Supervisor Jim Dougherty, School Superintendent Leonard Skuggevik and Director of Physical Education and District Operations Todd Gulluscio.
Assemblyman Fred Thiele (I-Sag Harbor) arrived at the American Legion Hall Monday morning to let town and school officials know they haven’t been forgotten. He did so to the tune of $500,000 from the state. A portion of the funds will be used to install a new septic system serving the Youth Center in the Legion Hall and Shelter Island School.
Half the funds will go to the town to spend primarily on the septic system, but also have money left for critical road work. Commissioner of Public Works Jay Card Jr. will be able, he said, to purchase 2,800 tons of material to fix roads.
He described the targeted roads as “a little bit of a moving target,” explaining that he currently anticipates major work on portions of Midway Road, Smith Street and Dawn Lane.
But that could change if other roads deteriorate to the point where they must be given priority.
The school district gets the other half of the state money, and after paying for its share of the septic system, money will be used for projects to improve safety and security.
The plan for the new septic system is an installation on the southern side of the Legion Hall opposite the school, according to district business official Tim Laube. Then a pipe will be placed on the side of the school along Route 114 connecting the system, he said.
In 2015, Shelter Island received $49,500 in a 50-50 matching Suffolk County Water Quality Protection and Restoration Program grant to be used for the new septic system at the Legion Hall. What helped to qualify the town for that grant was the heavy use the property gets from the Legion and Youth Center activities.
But just as the Legion Hall gets heavy use, so does the school, so efforts began to create a project that would serve both buildings.
Mr. Card credited Town Engineer John Cronin with much of the work in pursuing the joint project. The design of the new school septic system hasn’t been drawn, but Mr. Laube hopes it would be “shovel ready” by next April.
Mr. Thiele called the money he secured for the projects the best use of state funds since decisions on its use will be made at the local level.
“It’s a wonderful thing that Fred has us in mind,” Supervisor Jim Dougherty said. He also had praise for Mr. Laube.
Mr. Thiele agreed, saying, “Tim was on the job for about 15 minutes when he showed up at my office.”
The value to the town to include the school in the new septic systems is that it will work most efficiently when there’s a steady flow, Mr. Laube said. The school is the building on the Island that gets the most use and improvements to its septic system would help to protect water quality, he added.
