Don’t drink the water? Political theater raises questions

Did he drink pond water? Yes, Supervisor Jim Dougherty said, he did.

Twice.

But Vincent Novak, who gave the supervisor a sample of water from Fresh Pond at Tuesday’s Town Board work session, said Mr. Dougherty merely put a paper cup to his lips and didn’t drink.

In a piece of political theater provided by Mr. Novak — who has been battling the town about water quality in Fresh Pond for years — a glass container of water collected Tuesday morning was presented to Mr. Dougherty and other members of the board work.

Before offering the water to sample, Mr. Novak said he wanted to correct the record that Mr. Dougherty had implied he had something to do with Fresh Pond was being monitored for quality. Mr. Dougherty agreed, saying  Mr. Novak, and not the town, had contacted authorities about blue-green algae blooms.

The blooms had dissipated by the time it was monitored by the authorities.

“But that doesn’t mean that signs of bacteria aren’t still in the water,” Mr. Novak said.

He made the case that children, pets and people with compromised immune systems should be warned about swimming in the pond, noting that swimmers will inadvertently swallow some water that could harm them.

Mr. Dougherty had announced last week that “the water’s fine, come on in,” Mr. Novak said. “If people want to swim, I don’t have problem. I have a problem of people not knowing” the potential harm in store for them.

Then he took a glass jar to the table where the board members sat, saying, “I thought you guys might like to take a drink of this since, if it’s good enough for kids …”

Mr. Dougherty was the only one to take the challenge, calling Mr. Novak’s bluff, pouring some water into a small paper cup.

“Don’t drink it,” Mr. Novak said. “Really.”

Mr. Dougherty put the cup to his lips. From about 25 feet away it was difficult to tell if he actually drank the pond water. After the meeting, the supervisor said he had, “two different sips and it was essentially tasteless, like water from my tap.”

But Mr. Novak said later that he had just pretended to drink it.

In other business: Councilman Ed Brown mentioned that many residents are concerned about traffic on New  York Avenue, especially in the summer months when the narrow road is filled with  vehicles exiting North Ferry along with walkers and bicyclists. He mentioned there had been talk in the past of making  New York Avenue a one-way road.

Police Chief Jim Read said that even though the road is maintained by the Heights Property Owners Corporation, enforcement and monitoring is done by the town. He said “consensus building” has been a problem in the past on the issue among Heights residents, but he was willing to discuss, along with Mr. Dougherty, the situation with Stella Lagudis, general manager of HPOC.

In another traffic issue, Chief Read asked board members to look at parking on Jaspa Road near route 114. There are several businesses clustered at the corner, and some residents have complained about parking on both sides of the road near Route 114, making Jaspa Road only a single lane at times.

There have been parking signs installed, the chief said, but residents have asked for an extended no parking zone there.

Mr. Dougherty announced that dredging at South Ferry is ready to proceed. If all goes well, the county will “set up” on September 15 and begin actually dredging on October 1.

“Proportionality” was on the agenda again this week, a  concept to amend local laws restricting the amount of square foot living space — heated areas of houses — on lots of various sizes.

A subcommittee to investigate the issue  has been set up by the board of Councilman Paul Shepherd, Councilman  Peter Reich , Councilwoman Chris  Lewis and Town Attorney Laury Dowd. Mr. Reich and Ms. Lewis were absent for Tuesday’s work session.

Ms. Dowd has drafted two local laws for the board to consider, one legislating a so-called “fragile zone ” on top of the present “Near Shore overlay zone” to achieve goals of plentiful and fresh water. Proportionality would be achieved, the proposed law states, by restricting new construction and reconstruction using a square footage formula created by Mr. Shepherd.

He and Emory Breiner, a planning board member and a candidate for a seat on the Town Board in November, crossed swords briefly, with Mr. Emory saying that last week the board decided to run the proposals past the Planning  Board and the Zoning Board of Appeals, which didn’t happen.

He also wanted to know “why this is on the agenda toady with two members” absent, and why he hasn’t received the latest draft proposals. He then mentioned that what he had read in the draft proposal on the proposed fragile zone  contradicted some Suffolk County Department of Health Services regulations.

Mr. Shepherd said the draft proposal was just that, and nothing had been decided.

“Sooner or later we decide if this matters or it doesn’t,” Mr. Shepherd added. “And if this [board] and the people decide it doesn’t matter, then I walk away from it. I’m not married to it.”

Mr. Breiner pressed on, trying to get clarification on proposed regulations.

Mr. Shepherd said, “We’re not done yet.”

“Well, maybe you should be,” Mr. Breiner responded.