Board candidates give their thoughts on qualificatons, issues
Here are the responses of the five council candidates running this fall for seats on the Town Board to a questionnaire submitted earlier this month:
List according to priority the five most important issues you see facing the town and explain how you would deal with them:
WILL ANDERSON
1. Land owners rights. I think it is important to maintain a Town Board that has the wisdom and willingness to reach solutions that guard taxpayer’s rights while protecting Shelter Island as a whole, with respect to socio-economic and environmental concerns. I believe I can provide valuable contributions to that aim;
2. The town budget. While I realize the economic chaos going on around us and the need to prevent wasteful spending, I also realize that the lowest budget may not be the most intelligent budget.
Ignoring infrastructure maintenance and tapping prudent reserves for the sake of a lower number may be a penny wise but a pound foolish. I offer a keen understanding of infrastructure issues and a good deal of experience with budget creation and administration. Continuing to make drastic cuts looks good but will lead to large unavoidable expenditures down the road. With a dwindling general fund, this Island needs an honest, well thought-out budget that does not include political agendas.
3. Water quality. Although the quality of our sole source aquifer is of the highest in our area, our Long Island neighbors have not been so lucky. I think it is important to glean what we can from their experience and prevent the same things happening here. I also believe that the Suffolk County Water Authority (a private company) would love to share our high quality H2O with the rest of Long Island. We must guard against that.
4. Unfunded state and county mandates. Shelter Island is an “island” to its own. Pushing back on mandates that cost us money and aren’t designed to fit Shelter Island is of great concern to us. With the help of the rest of the board, I will push back.
5. Preserving the character, history, resources and quality of life we Islanders have come to depend on. Each one of these Island assets will be a part of every decision I am a part of.
DAN FOKINE
1. Community. This word means different things to different people. Shelter Island faces an identity crisis, where one or more ways of life co-exist and depend on one another. I do not suppose to know the way to “solve” this issue. I can say, though, that I will work toward preserving a way of life where those of us who do live here can do so with dignity and whose families can continue to live here for generations to come. Solving these problems is a big challenge I am willing to tackle.
2. Business. Shelter Island and America is not like it used to be. No one can afford any more to close up shop for the winter. Our world today is one where we need to be constantly earning, growing our businesses, fighting to survive. Shelter Island businesses are our community’s backbone. Without them, our community will decrease and eventually fade away. The North Fork today enjoys a booming tourism season in all but the dead of winter due to their efforts, as an example. We need to help encourage that same energy in the defense of our local businesses and the people who depend on them.
3. Decreasing revenues. I have heard that the decreasing revenues of our tax rolls and a stagnation in the housing market has caused the town government great fear. Without taxes, many of the town’s services will be imperiled. This reality is not going to go away and the sooner we see this state as a long-term condition, the sooner we can address the long-term realities ahead. A decreased government and a decreased set of “expected” services may not be the worst thing for our Island and our nation. We as Islanders have an infinite ability to accomplish almost anything. When we rely on each other, our neighbors, our families, we realize that the things we have come to expect from government could have been done better, cheaper and with more morality when done by ourselves. This Island already displays an amazing amount of volunteerism.
4. Environment. So much of what I hear and see coming from our government today, both nationally and locally, revolves around sterile words like “real estate,” “easements,” “tax writeoffs,” “development rights,” etc. Though I do commend the Town Board in helping the 2-percent fund and am happy those lands are preserved (admit it, you’d be pissed if a giant house was built there), I feel like the board has missed the point. These lands should not just be “parcels” removed from the tax rolls but places where we as a community can take pride and responsibly enjoy. I believe that these town-owned lands should be examples of how invasive species can be replaced once more with healthy forests, meadows and coastlines. These lands are ours and through volunteerism and Island-wide coordination we deserve to have a part in their future.
5. Dependence. What I’m discovering in my campaign is that it seems that a job of a politician is to be a professional squeaky wheel, seeking outside funding wherever possible. Though I can’t say that this is not a smart idea and often necessary, I am beginning to see a negative side of that which is unsettling. After hurricane Irene, the Town Board made the decision to allow all brush to be brought to the dump free of charge. A perfectly fine idea at first glance. What I soon realized, though, was that this cost was being recorded and the town would, at the end of the disaster, seek reimbursement from FEMA.
When a government no longer acts morally, it becomes only a bureaucracy. I would have had a sign at the dump scales that read, “Every dollar you spend goes towards buying the much needed machinery we need to stay competitive!” To ask the federal government to pay for our community’s problems out of one side of my mouth and then to talk of home rule and push back against federal mandates out of the other side of my mouth is something I will not do as a leader.
PETER REICH
1. Our aquifer. It is important that we continue to preserve our aquifer through sound town code, zoning and open space acquisition. I believe water quality will be more of an issue for us ultimately than water quantity. This is going to be a hot topic in 2013 when the 10-year sunset on irrigation sprinklers use expires. I want to keep Suffolk County Water Authority off our island at all costs.
2. Our waterways. We wouldn’t be an island without our 42 miles of pristine shoreline. We need to keep the water clean and healthy in our three harbors and 16 creeks by controlling runoff from roads, fertilizers and pesticides and failing oil tanks and septic systems. MS-4 and our aggressive drywell installation and cleaning program are a start. We have baymen, bathers, anchored transient boaters, sailors, kayakers, waterfront property owners (423 docks), mooring permit holders (850), water skiers and now seaplanes all vying for the same bodies of water. Balancing fair and safe use of our waters is critical.
3. Balance. We are a diverse group who live on this Island! The Town Board continually gets requests from residents and special interest groups. By observing town code (and occasionally modifying the code through the public hearing process) and using common sense, the Town Board has to weigh legal ramifications, costs, beneficiaries and many other factors on a case-by-case basis. It takes a Town Board with experience and an understanding of the history of our Island to maintain the delicate balance between year-round residents, second-home owners, businesses, the wealthy and the not-so-wealthy, seniors and youths.
4. Volunteerism and community activism. If you live here, you know what that is. It is our strong sense of community and camaraderie, as shown when we honored our fallen soldier or as simple as helping an elderly neighbor move a branch out of their driveway. Our volunteerism has traditionally been incredibly strong: from the Fire Department and Red Cross Ambulance to the smallest organization or town Advisory Committee. This is a large part of what makes Shelter Island so special. Whenever an individual or family has a catastrophic event, such as their home burning down, an accident or major illness, we reach out and help. It’s not just friends and neighbors but also residents who barely know the impacted person. Volunteerism and our strong sense of community are what make us different from so many other towns. Unfortunately, I see this changing across the nation and this change is also slowly coming to our Island. Organizations and committees are having a harder time finding volunteers. Without all of the fine volunteers and community support, our taxes will suffer greatly. There are no laws alone that can change this. The Town Board certainly can’t do anything about this on its own. We need your help. Please sign up to volunteer or financially help an Island organization. Go out of your way to say hello to and welcome your new neighbor or the person who has lived in your neighborhood for 20 years and whom you have never met. We all need to work together to keep Shelter Island the special place it is.
5. Budget. Accomplishing the above four points, along with dozens of others, in a fiscally responsible manner is of utmost importance so we can all continue to live here. I am currently in the middle of my eighth town budget and all of these budgets have had no “fat” in them. Many new items that appear in the budget come from public outcry, such as the 4-poster program. We decided four years ago to do the three-year pilot program. The tick count, along with the number of cases of devastating diseases, has dropped considerably. We need to continue this program for the safety and health of our residents. We are also being bombarded with something over which we have no budgetary control: unfunded state and federal mandates, such as MS-4. I want to explore privatization wherever cost savings can be realized without impacting on level of service to the public. I want to continue bringing technology to the town wherever it can streamline operations. As a Town Board member, I help develop and vote on the budget but I am a taxpayer, too, and don’t want to see increases any more than you do!
PAUL SHEPHERD
1. Cost control. We need to continue to minimize infrastructure, head count and maximize productivity while not burning out the current employees. People need to remember that services cost money. Also, I am a big believer in repair before replacement whenever possible. Compared to the equipment we had when I was a boy here, most of our departments operate in a luxury unimaginable back just a couple of decades.
2. Obviously, we need to monitor water quality, in the bays and the aquifer. I think there are big changes coming there. We’ll just have to manage. New septic systems, once they are approved by the county, will reflect new technologies and current data on aquifer pollution, which is telling us that septic systems are the primary contributor to nitrates in the aquifer, not fertilizers. With an aging population, there is also the matter of pharmaceuticals … people taking a handful or two of them daily. Where do you think it all ends up?
3.The deer population will continue to challenge us. We will need to continue to work with all the tools we have to keep the ticks and deer from ruining our lives while keeping the solutions from ruining the hunting experience or the quality of the harvest.
4. The business community remains under pressure here. Their busy season is as short as the winter is long. I would hate to see us lose their services, the choices they offer us. Government should not make it harder.
5. We are forever in transgression of the Biblical edict against putting new wine in old bottles … as there seems to always be a new whine. We cannot expand our borders so the arrival of every new member of the community has us jostling each other like chickens on a roost. That is normal. The key is not to let the pecking get out of control.
IAN WESLEK
1. Housing. This is an upward battle but one that needs to be fought. If it is a change in zoning, private donations, or town-owned land, we need to continue to try and make life affordable here for young families and seniors. I will work hard to make this a reality.
2. Low taxes. Fiscal responsibility and sound financial planning will continue to be hard work. From the junior laborer to the supervisor, everyone needs to do their part in keeping our budgets balanced and costs down. My experience as a project manager, maintaining multimillion-dollar budgets, will help me do that.
3. Aquifer and environmental protection. Catching stormwater runoff and directly recharging it to the ground and water conservation are extremely important. The town has good laws on the books to help protect it. It’s up to us, as a community, to enforce these laws and make sure the people are educated. We also need to enact a stewardship plan to protect the town’s open space properties from invasive species.
4. 4-poster program/tick control. The results of the study have proven the program was working. It concludes that 30 units be deployed each year in order to maintain the current levels. We need to find a way through our budget and private funding, if necessary, to continue this program running.
5. Job growth. Every year it seems that local businesses close earlier each off-season. We need to explore more avenues to promote job growth.
How do you think the current Town Board has performed? The incumbent should list accomplishments for which he is at least partly responsible:
ANDERSON: I think as a whole the Town Board continues to function well. I would like to see improvement in the areas of expediency, transparency and ingenuity. I have also been disappointed by the apparent inability or willingness to assert the rights of the town and its interests. The Testa right-of-way settlement, for example. I am also not thrilled with the handling of the town budget, which is mostly a leadership issue.
FOKINE: Much of what my problems are towards the Town Board are illustrated above [in my list of priorities]. They seem to act sometimes without the foresight of who or what their decision will affect. The non-conforming debacle recently, where they offered their “clarification” of the non-conforming business rules, is a good example. All it did was enrage the business community who feels, rightly so, already threatened. Then after the new rules were thoroughly emasculated, the board had to be reminded by homeowners to follow up on their promise to form a business and homeowner committee to hash out a wording that actually worked — a committee that should have been formed before the whole fiasco. The town should have tread lightly and foreseen the impact of what they were about to do.
However, I don’t mean to attack these people. I am amazed at how much time they dedicate to the issues that they are passionate about. Committees, groups, meetings, fundraisers, research, etc., etc.
They do it all and more because they sincerely care about this Island. Then on top of that, they patiently deal with the myriad other aspects of running a government in an impossibly complex world. I have a lot of respect for them. Debate and conflict are never bad for the democratic system, especially these days.
REICH: During my two terms on the Town Board I have helped: institute the 4-poster program; create Bridge Street Park; construct the new highway barn; acquire the Legion Hall and relocate the Youth Center there; impose a geothermal ban to protect our aquifer; with initial fishing legislation by testifying in Supreme Court; secure a 90-percent funded grant for the new fuel depot; construct a new archives room at Town Hall; form an IT Committee, which oversees the 50-plus town computers; improve the way our moorings are managed with new database interfaced with GIS; physically inspect and get accurate coordinates for all 850 moorings in our waters; bring protected WiFi and presentation projector to Town Hall; stream town meetings on the web so they can be viewed from anywhere, anytime; research and form a committee to assist in the selection of new accounting software; develop and implement the new town seal displayed in the Town Board meeting room; prepare eight budgets, review hundreds of applications and acted on over 4,400 resolutions.
SHEPHERD: I think they’ve performed better since I started attending meetings. It’s not their fault if they operate in a vacuum of public input, though there is too much that goes on out of public earshot. As a citizen, I got more done than one might expect, working from the audience, actually. No brag, just fact. I had influence on nearly every piece of law that came out of there in the last two years, making some go my way, some go a better way and others go away entirely. Not to mention spearheading the fix on the Recycling Center debacle.
WESLEK: The current Town Board is doing their job. I really can’t complain as a taxpayer. From projects such as the Senior Center kitchen renovation to causeway development, they seem to get the job done. What I worry about is the length of time it takes to reach those goals. We need to explore ways to work more efficiently and as a team.
Why do you want to be elected and why are you well suited to the job?
ANDERSON: I think it’s time for my generation to step into a leadership role. Sitting on the sideline just isn’t good enough. My heroes live on Shelter Island and I think they did a fine job showing me how to be the man I am today. I am interested in sharing the return on their investment with Shelter Island. I left Shelter Island for about eight years. In that time, I gained valuable experience that I would not have gotten on Shelter Island. I worked my way into managing large commercial and industrial projects, including one with a $6-million-dollar budget. I have a long history of finishing what I start and I have the ability to listen. I believe the skills and ethics I have learned here and abroad coupled with my commonsense problem-solving approach make me an ideal candidate for service on the Shelter Island Town Board. My time away served to re-enforce my love for Shelter Island and the people on it, a love that strikes me so profoundly, at times, that I can’t find words. The more I get involved, the more I want to be involved.
FOKINE: I believe that the government is both our community’s “gatekeeper” and the steward of our collective ethics and ideals. It is often this board that decides which ideas are cultivated and which are discouraged. I believe that I have the energy, the common sense and the understanding of local issues to be on this board. I can promise my passion and my time. When new ideas and old traditions are brought before me and my fellow board members, you can trust that I will do my due diligence to ensure that the best interests of our entire community are considered.
REICH: I am running for another term because I love this Island and want to continue serving you. Change is inevitable, including on our Island. I have seen a lot of change since I first came here in 1964. I feel it is important to be proactive in planning for change so we can keep our environment healthy and our sense of community and camaraderie strong while remaining an affordable place for us all to continue living here. I ask for your vote on November 8 because I am level-headed, fair, honest and the candidate with the most experience.
SHEPHERD: My election wouldn’t be about me but would validate that which I have stood and fought for over the last two-and-a-half years. I am not about ego nor do I want to run people’s lives. I want to help make it so they can run their own with a minimum of aggravation from the town.
WESLEK: I want to be elected because I want to make a change. I am the only candidate that is married with three young children and I want them to be able to stay here in their adult lives if they choose to. People of my generation need a voice in our town government, someone who will listen to their concerns and continually try to make our lives better here. My military background allows me to be disciplined and to stay objective in dealing with the tasks at hand. My work as a project manager, building and maintaining budgets upwards of $10 million gives me the advantage of not having to learn something new. I am a team player and, as a business owner who employs local Shelter Islanders, realize that a unified, hardworking team atmosphere is what the board needs.
Please answer “yes,” “no” or “undecided” to each of the following questions and, in a single sentence, explain why you answered as you did:
1. Do you support the town’s latest proposed rules to limit development on the causeways?
ANDERSON: Yes. I think the rules go as far as the Town can go without taking the landowners rights away completely.
FOKINE: Yes. It is very strict and the creation of the specific causeway “zone” was wise, as these rules cannot be used as precedent elsewhere.
REICH: Yes. I do support the Town’s latest proposed rules to limit development on the causeways because they are in the Coastal Barrier zone and are extremely fragile from an environmental standpoint.
SHEPHERD: Yes. But we need to own it to remove uncertainty.
WESLEK: Yes. The causeway ecosystems are fragile environments, they need to always be protected.
2. Do you think non-conforming businesses in residential areas should lose their legal standing if they are not operated for two or more years?
ANDERSON: No. I think these businesses are an important part of Shelter Island life and I don’t want to see the option disappear.
FOKINE: No. They should be able to be resumed if “maintained” in some way or another.
REICH: Undecided. I think non-conforming businesses in residential areas should lose their legal standing if they are not operated after some amount of time greater than two years and await to hear the recommendations from the newly formed committee on this before deciding on an actual time frame.
SHEPHERD: Not necessarily. Life is full of complications, and the preservation of the character of the Island, as well as employment opportunity here, needs consideration, while also doing what is necessary for the neighbors to retain their quality of life.
WESLEK: Undecided. This is something that should be answered on a case by case basis.
3. Do you favor continuing the “4-poster” program?
ANDERSON: Yes, in conjunction with culling and to the degree that it is effective.
FOKINE: Yes. I am, though, against permethrin being used around properties as it only acts as a deterrent and not a actual solution to the tick endemic. The real solution will only come with a comprehensive approach utilizing lots of tick killing options, e.g. open burning, deer population control.
REICH: Yes. I am in favor of continuing the 4-poster program because test results demonstrate that it has been an effective tool in abating the tick population and reducing the incidence of devastating tick-borne diseases in our residents.
SHEPHERD: Yes. It works, but we need continued tweaking to better accommodate the hunters and control costs…
WESLEK: Yes. The final study showed that the program was effective. Now we need to continue to find a way to fund the program per the guidelines that have been set forth.
4. Do you favor allowing paved driveways in the Near Shore and Peninsular Overlay District if they include recharge systems?
ANDERSON: Yes, it is a better way to guarantee recharge.
FOKINE: No. They make a completely permeable asphalt now that people can use if they truly can’t stand gravel driveways.
REICH: Yes. I am in favor of allowing paved driveways in the Near Shore and Peninsular Overlay District if they include recharge systems because it will help recharge our aquifer and allow residents more rights in choosing what they want to do on their property.
SHEPHERD: Yes. And some may be able to use the natural recharging ability of our native soil.
WESLEK: YES; it is of the utmost importance that we catch as much water as possible and directly recharge it to our fragile aquifer.
5. Do you think that the town should do more to encourage affordable housing?
ANDERSON: Yes.
FOKINE: Yes. However it should not be the town’s responsibility to “create” housing, but rather make it easier for a private enterprise to do so, under the Town’s guidance
REICH: No. I am not in favor of the town doing more to encourage affordable housing as we already have a good committee and program in place which is helping people find needed housing.
SHEPHERD: Yes. But it’s the “how” that matters, since government is supposed to keep the way clear so we can do for ourselves, preserving opportunities for us, not providing for us outright.
WESLEK: Yes. This is an issue near and dear to me; it is something that should be worked on consistently until it becomes a reality.
6. Do you support more open-space preservation?
ANDERSON: Yes. However, I would like to see the funds refocused on more environmentally sensitive areas.
FOKINE: Yes, if it means people have access to it and we create a realistic stewardship program for each one.
REICH: Yes. I am in favor of more open-space preservation as it protects our aquifer, but only if purchase costs do not exceed what is in the 2% fund or the bond approved by the voters.
SHEPHERD: Yes. Open space pays back or saves something like $1.30 for every dollar invested, over time, so it’s a matter of what, not whether, to buy.
WESLEK: No, we should start a plan to steward the existing properties first before anything more is considered for purchase.
7. Should the town consider establishing a required site plan review process for commercial properties?
ANDERSON: Yes. I think it is fair that the community know how a commercial entity intends to affect it.
FOKINE: Yes. As long as it’s not used as a tool to prevent commercial enterprises.
REICH: No. I am not in favor of the Town establishing a required site plan review process for commercial properties because we already have a good zoning code which regulates B and B-1 zone activities.
SHEPHERD: Yes. I would like to see to it, however, that we keep it fair, reasonable and straightforward.
WESLEK: Yes. Since many commercial properties are in residential areas, a plan should always be in place
8. Do you believe the wetlands code has been effective in protecting wetlands?
ANDERSON: Yes, with few exceptions.
FOKINE: Yes. However the lion’s share of the damage to the wetlands was done prior to the wetlands code, so much of what is considered “wetlands” today is a bureaucratic absurdity.
REICH: Yes. I believe the wetlands code has been effective in protecting wetlands as evidenced by not allowing any new construction in the regulated area (less than 75’ from wetland line) and mitigation agreed to for disturbance or construction in the adjacent regulated area (75’ to 100’).
SHEPHERD: Absolutely. Compared to most places, we are in outstanding shape, environmentally speaking.
WESLEK: Undecided. I would like to see how many projects have required a wetlands permit and what the “hardship” was that made it necessary.
9. Do you think that “shoreline hardening” structures should be discouraged?
ANDERSON: Yes. They should only be considered where they are absolutely necessary.
FOKINE: No. People have the right to protect their houses built on the water, as long as the town is not expected to fix/maintain/protect them.
REICH: Undecided. I think “shoreline hardening” structures need to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis as some are superfluous while others are needed to protect private property/buildings and our creeks from shoaling in.
SHEPHERD: Yes. But it is essential to remember that it’s not the structures that are bad, but how they are situated, that causes shoreline hardening, so yes, shoreline hardening should be discouraged, but no, shoreline stabilizing structures should not be, since our shores are vulnerable to erosion, and by extension our bays vulnerable to its results.
WESLEK: Yes. With the exception of Shell Beach and the Ram Island Causeways, I feel our shorelines should remain as natural as possible.
10. Do you believe the state’s 2-percent cap on property tax increases is a reasonable limitation?
ANDERSON: No, I do not believe a consistent 2% tax cap is tenable.
FOKINE: Yes. But the uncontrollable increases in medical and pension funds for public sector workers forces the reductions in our budget to come out of services so we end up paying more for less.
REICH: No. At least this year I do not believe the state’s 2-percent cap on property tax increases is a reasonable limitation because of unfunded mandates and new budget line items such as taking over the ambulance service.
SHEPHERD: Yes. It’s largely bs anyway, as there are enough holes in it to allow us to do what we have to do.
WESLEK: Yes. It will be a tough job to maintain, but I feel it is doable.
11. Do you favor a two-year term (instead of four) for town councilpersons?
ANDERSON: No. Interrupting the continuity of government has too many negative side effects.
FOKINE: No. I can’t imagine doing this every two years, but I think the real question should be term limits, as professional politicians rarely serve the interests of the people.
REICH: No. I am definitely not in favor of a two year term for Town councilpersons because there needs to be some continuity on the Board and five new faces with no experience would be a disaster for the Town, not to mention that the pool of viable candidates would be reduced.
SHEPHERD: No. Not only does the job take time to learn, but I don’t want people taking a flier in politics, meddling for a short time and then bailing out, so the length of commitment is a good filter.
WESLEK: No. I like it how it is with no more than the possibility of two people rotating every two years. It is better for town government this way.
What do you intend to achieve if you are elected and how will you do it?
ANDERSON: I would like to improve transparency in local government by communicating more accurately and consistently with all of the parties effected by a particular issue. I would like to help ease friction between Island homeowners and non-conforming business operators by acting as a reasonable third party. I would like to help create a budget process that creates a more consistent result by considering more than just the next fiscal year. I will also push for bringing in the Suffolk County office of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services (FRES) support, which we already pay for, to help guide us to the most cost-effective solutions for operating the ambulance service that the town is about to acquire. The present town leadership seems to be stumbling on a problem that seems all too simple to me. Listening to people who are qualified and have done this before couldn’t hurt. Unfortunately, taxpayers were only made aware of this issue recently; it has existed for almost a year and there is a time limit on the budget that will bear the weight of this cost. I have heard some misrepresentations or misunderstandings that have left me disturbed by the present process. Another case for better transparency.
I will make myself available to you. I will listen to you and I’m not afraid to fight for you.
FOKINE: The first job of a town councilperson is to deal with the issues that arise in a fair and unbiased way that protects the traditions of our Island. Their own personal agendas and ambitions come second to that. So If I get elected, some of my many goals would be: to work with the Community Preservation Fund to create a trail club on Shelter Island that helps maintain the town properties; to improve the infrastructure of our Center to facilitate business; to try and create a better relationship with the Chamber of Commerce so that Shelter Island business can survive; to find a way to support our new ambulance service and deal with the inevitable challenges that will arise from this acquisition.
REICH: If I am re-elected, I intend to continue to serve with the same fervent dedication and passion with which I have served these past eight years in an effort to protect our environment and quality of life while keeping taxes as low as possible. I will do this by first listening to what residents have to say on the street, then by using a cross-section of the population as a sounding board on which to bounce ideas. I will first tap on the shoulders of residents with expertise in the given topic of discussion and then, only if absolutely necessary, bring in a paid professional for their services. I will try to keep costs down throughout the town by streamlining and improving operations through the uses of technology and outsourcing wherever beneficial. I will continue to look at problems from all angles to try and find the best solution. I will continue using spreadsheet analysis when comparing different options to see what is in the best interest of the town.
In sum, I want to be an instrument by which Shelter Island retains the many qualities which make it a very special place and having the honor of serving another term on the Town Board will afford me that opportunity.
SHEPHERD: Not a big fan of promises, especially election promises, but I can say that I want to continue to protect the individuals in the community from the government where I think it necessary. We talk a lot about community here but that is an abstract concept. Life is lived and loved on the individual level and it is the quality of that experience which I seek to ensure where possible.
The most important thing I want, then, and I’ve already had some significant success with it, is to make it a reflexive response for the Town Board to thoroughly think through new laws and revisions to old ones so as to make consideration of those most affected by them their number-one priority.
I want them thinking Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of all the good things they mean to each of us when they make the rules. This isn’t some country club or civic organization. It is a town in a state and country guided by constitutionally guaranteed rights and liberties. You think fair, you think Golden Rule, and you’ll likely avoid successful challenges to your laws.
So I’d like to leave the office and return to civilian life knowing I defended what I loved, what I believed in, with all my strength and whatever courage I could muster. To retain my self-respect and to perhaps gain the respect of others. In the end, that’s all that matters.
WESLEK: Housing, low taxes, aquifer/environmental protection, 4-posters and job growth are the five things that will begin my tenure as a Town Board member. Governing is a challenge, but one that needs to be taken on head first. We need a board that will open its doors fully and honestly listen to the people of Shelter Island; one that will work together for the benefit of its citizens and make judgments based on the facts that are in front of them. While I was in the military, I had men and women working with me from all parts of the United States. We were successful because we were a team, a team of highly trained individuals who made sure any one of us could do the other’s job. It made us 100-perecent accountable as a unit. I will bring this trait to the Town Board.
Finally, I will be ever mindful that it is an honor and a privilege to be selected by the people of Shelter Island as their councilman. I plan on leaving the challenges Shelter Island faces ahead better than I found them.
