First Shelter Island Reporter Community Forum airs the issues

A gathering of about 100 Islanders packed the Shelter Island Presbyterian Church Parish Hall on Thursday, Sept. 26, to be part of the Reporter’s inaugural Community Forum.

Sponsored by Dime Bank, the event was titled, “The Future of Shelter Island: Water, Housing, Health Care,” and included a panel of experts — Gregory Toner, Elizabeth Hanley, Nancy Green and Town Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams — who fielded questions from moderator Charity Robey and the audience.

The audience was greeted by Times Review Media Publisher Andrew Olsen, who noted the forum was just one example of the Reporter’s continued commitment to the Island and its residents, and noted there would be more Reporter Forums in the coming weeks.

HOUSING

Elizabeth Hanley spoke first on the critical issue of affordable housing. A third-generation Islander, she attended elementary school here and had been a summer resident before moving back full time a few years ago with her husband and three daughters.

She currently chairs the Town Community Housing Board and served as Chair on the Community Housing Fund Advisory Board, which developed Shelter Island’s first housing plan. In 2022, Ms. Hanley founded and served as treasurer to the PAC that lobbied successfully for the .5% transfer tax to fund affordable housing in four East End towns.

Ms. Hanley opened by saying it was important to define what Islander’s “concerns are. What will affordable housing look like? How do we do it correctly? Where’s it going to be?” And to address the question that has driven public debate — sometimes loudly and acrimoniously — “Should we do it at all?”

Ms. Hanley said affordable housing isn’t just a Shelter Island issue, but has been debated in every municipality in the region and, in fact, across the United States.

As Ms. Robey mentioned in her introduction, according to Zillow, the lowest asking price for a house on Shelter Island averages out to $1.15 million, which would require an annual family income of $280,000. 

Ms. Hanley pointed out the price of home ownership makes it impossible “for working families and working singles to find a home … We’ve received feedback from the community concerned about the Town getting involved, and about rentals.”

She made an analogy of “kids who make a mess and you tell them they must clean it up. Well, we got into this mess by not thinking of zoning, and not thinking about year-round residents.”

More outreach to the community and a survey is on tap, Ms. Hanley said.

She had some good news, she said, that the Town has secured a $3.5 million grant to fund “accessory dwelling units”(ADUs), or spaces in existing properties where apartments might be created in either a main house or an accessory building.

Later, during an audience Q&A, Karen Kiaer noted that there are some 1,800 illegal accessory dwelling units on the Island, and Ms. Hanley said her committee is involved in outreach to those owning the units to help them bring the units in compliance with the Town Code.

Linda Hacker said types of ADUs have to be considered, that converting spaces into “elegant studios” that cost more than $2,000 a month in rent isn’t needed to solve the problem of affordable housing. Ms. Hanley agreed, but added, “We need everything — for families, for seniors for workforce housing … We’ll do what the community tells us to focus on.”

Ms. Brach-Williams had high praise for Ms. Hanley: “Liz and the committee have done an outstanding job, bringing energy and initiative” to overcome difficult obstacles.

WATER

Gregory Toner was introduced to speak about Island water issues. Mr. Toner and his wife Ms. Hacker built a house here in 2001 and have lived here full time since 2010. A member of the Town’s Water Advisory Committee and the Water Quality Improvement Board (WQI), Mr. Toner has a master’s degree in chemistry and has worked as a quality engineer for several food and cleaning product manufacturers.

Ms. Robey posed a question: “The Environmental Protection Agency in a recent report has said I/A systems show promise but have only been subject to limited installations, and more testing is necessary to determine their effectiveness. There is no evidence I/A systems improve drinking water, the EPA report said. How does your committee, and the Town Government as a whole proceed with this information?”

Mr. Toner described recent Town Board meetings where the EPA claim was aired as a “kerfuffle,” and that it was misinformation that the EPA had deigned the I/A(Innovative/Alternative) systems not effective in reducing nitrogen in the aquifer. He added that the true information had been lost in the weeds of statistics on nitrogen levels. The bottom line, he added, is, “The current I/A systems work. They are reducing nitrates …”

As for cost to install, the Town’s Water Quality Improvement Board “is the bank” for funding support for homeowners to pay for I/A systems, since 20% of the Community Preservation Fund goes for water quality and those funds flow to the WQI.

Regarding the Suffolk County Water Authority — a nonprofit public benefit corporation constituted under the New York State Public Authorities law — Ms. Robey said that at a recent Town Board meeting, “Town Engineer Joe Finora said some Islanders have expressed skepticism about greater involvement of the SCWA in managing Shelter Island’s drinking water. Currently, two neighborhoods, the West Neck Water District and Dering Harbor are using their services. What is the basis of this skepticism, and do you believe that SCWA should be invited to manage the water supply for additional areas of the Island, such as the Center?”

Mr. Toner said he’s aware of concerns that “the SCWA wants to get its talons in Shelter Island” and “somehow get the water to the South Fork” and “we’d lose our home rule over our water …” None of that, Mr. Toner said, is true. There are issues of cost for infrastructure and maintenance if the SCWA manages several water districts, or there’s one Island-wide district, Mr. Toner said.

Ms. Brach-Williams, speaking generally about water issues, said it’s not just nitrates that poison drinking water, but “there are emerging contaminants” that must be considered.

In the Q&A interaction with the audience later, Lisa Shaw, who was the driving force behind hiring SCWA to manage the West Neck Water District, put to rest the idea that Island water would be leaving under SCWA’s management. “New York State owns the water, it’s not a local decision.” And since SCWA has managed West Neck’s water it has run efficiently for everyone.

Aesthetics with SCWA management was also brought up by some in the audience, with the thought that an Islander looking out the window would be confronted by a structure and a SCWA sign.

Ms. Brach-Williams said one advantage of SCWA management is it “has hydrologists, experts on their staff” for monitoring and remediation. Audience member Stephen Jacobs, along with others, returned to the cost to individual homeowners to pay for infrastructure construction and maintenance of a water district. “There are grants, yes,” Mr. Jacobs said, but asked how much more will have to be paid by homeowners. There are problems with wells and pollution, he said, but there are alternatives such as filters.”

HEALTH CARE

Perhaps the liveliest discussion of the evening was on the issue of health care, presented by Nancy Green. A Reporter columnist, Ms. Green was a practicing social worker for 40 years, specializing in mental health issues and conflict resolutions. Initially a psychotherapist in private practice, she joined the U.S. Postal Service where she worked for 25 years, assisting with issues of violence and sexual and workplace harassment, and helped improve the organizational environment.

During COVID she sought to use her skills to help the Island through the crisis, becoming a founding member of the Shelter Island Health and Wellness Alliance, dedicated to creating programs to help Islanders.

Ms. Green began by asking people to be aware of a phone number — 988 — which is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, adding that many people are not aware of the three-digit number that saves lives.

She brought positive news: There was a 10% drop in overdose deaths last year from 2022. This was due to education on the crisis, but also the widespread use of Narcan, the overdose reversal drug. Ms. Green held up one of the small inhalers that can easily fit in the palm of a hand, and said, “Don’t leave home without it.”

(The Shelter Island Emergency Medical Services, as part of a pilot program run by New York State, became one of the groundbreaking EMS units in the state to employ Narcan inhalers.)

Ms. Robey asked, “Does the Town have enough resources — including Spanish speakers — to help the emotional and mental needs of Islanders of all ages who might be struggling? And can you be specific about programs that could be improved?”

Ms. Green said there are some resources, but not nearly enough. There’s a “wonderful part-time Town social worker,” but the part-time aspect is the problem; Alexandra Hakin is part time and extremely busy, Ms. Green said. “We need more hours” for a professional, and a dedicated space for the social worker.

Mental health issues on Shelter Island “are complicated, and mostly under the surface,” Ms. Green said, listing “depression, loneliness and an inability to cope.”

Speaking of the Latino population, she said that many families in the fall and winter months “don’t have work and are financially struggling.” She praised Ms. Hakim for her outreach by attending the twice-a-month food van sponsored by CAST (Center for Advocacy, Support & Transformation), which provides fresh food for those in need. Also, OLA (Organización Latino Americana) of Eastern Long Island is a positive resource for Islanders, especially younger residents.

Ms. Robey said, “We have a lot of retirees who have chosen to live on Shelter Island as well as people who grew up here and stayed. What would you say are the major problems that our senior population faces and what are some thoughts to help Islanders as they age?”

First, facts should be faced, Ms. Green said, citing statistics that, as of 2021, 36% of the Island’s population was 65 or over, compared to 17% in Suffolk County and New York State. About 8% of the Island’s population is over 80, which again is about double the numbers of the county and state.

“People are living longer and outliving their money,” Ms. Green said. “When do you leave? How can you stay?”

Carers for the elderly present a unique Island problem, she added. “It’s expensive, and carers also don’t want to come to the Island. And they can’t live here because it’s too expensive.”

The Senior Center is one of the shining resources of Shelter Island, but many older people don’t take advantage of it, she said. “Many people don’t want to use it and they lose their connections. Seniors are falling through the cracks,” and need resources, including therapy, but the Island is not equipped at present to provide the help needed.

QUESTION FOR THE SUPERVISOR

Ms. Robey asked Ms. Brach-Williams, “With the blockage by members of the Board to fill a vacant seat, the number of political yard signs being stolen and vandalized, and highly contentious public meetings, have you in your time in public office and before, felt a shift in attitude toward Town Government and Town officials?  Has incivility during Town meetings and work sessions become a hindrance to constructive discussion of issues?”

Ms. Williams said she became interested in politics two decades ago and fully participated over the years, and has seen a rise in more contentious attitudes. But, she said, it was a good thing to have people engaged in the issues. One result of the COVID pandemic was the use of remote access to Town Board meetings for residents, which is good and bad, she added. Good because more people are aware of policies and debate, but bad because “people have hidden behind Zoom” and as a result have not hidden their animosities.

“But we set an example of decency,” Ms. Brach Williams said, and emphasize always that people practice civility.

All in all, she added, tuning into meetings remotely is a good thing, allowing second homeowners to participate when they’re away, and providing access to those who for one reason or another can’t be present at Town Hall. “We don’t want to drop the hybrid meetings.”

Councilwoman Meg Larsen, who was in the audience, told the gathering about the updated Town website — shelterislandtown.gov — and to use it as a resource for upcoming meetings, agendas and other vital information about the government. To be up to date, Ms. Larsen said, click on the “Notify Me” tab to get messages, news and information.