Shelter Island residents call for increased public comments at Town Board meetings

A recent Town Board work session included its usual opportunity for public comment at the start of the meeting, with criticism from several people about what they perceive is a reversal of the Board’s more open policy announced at the start of the year.

The decision to open meetings with public comments gave interested parties an opportunity to raise issues without waiting — sometimes for several hours.

Speakers praised the seemingly improved openness of this administration when it began, but condemned the decision to step back from that promised openness, especially the policy to refuse public comment on potential legislation.

Greg Toner, a member of the Water Quality Improvement Advisory Board and the Water Advisory Committee, said restricting comments in the early stage of developing legislation prohibits better legislation to be written.

Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams’ comment that she has adopted this policy to avoid becoming bogged down in disputes that hinder the Board from spending the time on legislation did not sit well with Mr. Toner, or several others who raised the subject. Being told that people could send letters commenting about legislation that the Town Board would consider wasn’t answer enough, Mr. Toner said.

Why aren’t the letters at least posted to the website where everyone could see various opinions, he asked?

They will be there at the time of a public hearing and will be read into the record, Ms. Brach-Williams said.

Others understood not spending time on lengthy questions and comments from the public, and said they wouldn’t mind being held to a three-minute rule the previous administration employed.

Stephen Jacobs and others said that by not taking public comments on proposed legislation early in the process, the Board is not only doing the electorate a disservice, but themselves as well, since improvements can be made to drafts at an early stage.

A number of other comments were concerned with whether there has been too much relaxation of environmental protections that are in place on the Island, and ongoing criticisms of the Planning Board, which has been handling wetlands applications, and will continue to do so with those already in the pipeline, before the Town Board takes back the authority for final decisions.