Town Board: New irrigation brochure on the way

At its work session Tuesday, the Town Board continued to tweak the new irrigation law that regulates, for the most part, inground sprinkler systems.

An informal committee of Councilmen Peter Reich and Paul Shepherd along with Town Attorney Laury Dowd have drafted a brochure that explains the new regulations. The board discussed how, when and to whom the brochure should be distributed.

There are approximately 150 irrigation systems that have been grandfathered after a 2003 law banned the installation of new systems, and the owners of these will receive the brochure.

The informational pamphlet will be available sometime soon at the reception desk of the Town Clerk’s office and on the town’s website, but mailing it has yet to be decided.

Earlier, at a regular board meeting, a resolution was passed to charge $250 for an annual irrigation permit.

The board turned again to the issue of committee meetings where members are attending remotely, whether by conference call or by SKYPE. The discussion grew out of a report Mr. Reich was giving on Monday’s meeting of the Waterways Management Advisory Council. Mr. Reich said there were only three members physically present and two members were using SKYPE “but the video kept cutting out” which was “annoying.”

Mr. Reich reiterated that it was almost impossible to show members of any town committee charts and plans if they were attending via video. This was especially problematic with the planning committee and the Zoning Board of Appeals.

“It’s awkward and a little disruptive,” Mr. Reich said.

Councilman Ed Brown noted that the majority of Island residents are older people and committees must draw members from that pool. During the winter “a good part of the population is out of here,” Mr. Brown said.

And the other part wishes they were, Mr. Shepherd put in, to laughter from his colleagues.