Police, Town sign 4-year contract
Town officials have reached an agreement on a new four-year contract with the Shelter Island Police Benevolent Association.
The new pact gives Police Department officers a 3 percent raise this year and 2 percent per year through 2022.
Other contract terms remain basically the same as they have been, Supervisor Gary Gerth said at the February 8 Town Board meeting. Mr. Gerth described the negotiations as “very amicable.”
The raises are in line with what most town employees received for 2019.
REEL POINT
Bert Waife of Shelter Island Ground Tackle and marine contractor JBH of Peconic proposed that the Town Board allow him to use a single reef ball at Reel Point to determine whether installation of several of the concrete hollow domes that emulate reefs might prove to be an affordable means of shoring up Reel Point.
The Reef Ball Foundation, a nonprofit, aims at protecting ocean ecosystems by using reef balls to replace natural reefs that have been destroyed, and to foster aquatic habitats.
Mr. Waife promised Town Board members to provide information how reef balls might be placed to curb erosion at Reel Point by controlling wave action.
He further encouraged the Town Board to send representatives to meetings of the Suffolk County Marine Industry Revitalization Advisory Council where there are discussions about aquaculture leases that could affect Shelter Island waters. One lease being discussed could be in Smith’s Cove and could affect South Ferry boats, Mr. Waife said.
Mr. Gerth asked if Mr. Waife is interested in representing the town at such meetings. The issue has bee left open for further discussions.
SMOKE FREE
Paulette Orlando, community engagement manager of the Tobacco Action Coalition of Long Island, sponsored by the American Lung Association, appealed to the Town Board to ban smoking in outdoor spaces.
Second hand smoke is a class A carcinogen and banning tobacco smoking outdoors would go a long way to protecting nonsmokers who are otherwise exposed, Ms. Orlando said.
Even with less smoking today than in earlier years, it still remains a problem and is an even greater problem in Suffolk County than upstate, Ms. Orlando said.
In other actions, the Town Board:
• Reappointed Councilman Paul Shepherd to the Contractors’ License Review Board.
• Reappointed Edward Katta to the Community Housing Board.
• Agreed to a renewed contract with Cullen & Danowski for financial accounting services from June 1, 2019 through May 31, 2020 at a cost of $46,400.
• Returned a payment to Easton Porter Group of $14,018 after its application to purchase the Ram’s Head Inn was cancelled. The Virginia-based company had originally paid $15,086, but the balance had been applied for services rendered prior to the application being pulled.
