Town Board reports: Shelter Island Health & Wellness Alliance seeks Town Committee status
A group of Islanders, who grew concerned about the mental and emotional needs of their neighbors during the COVID pandemic, organized the Health and Wellness Alliance, and have continued their work for the community ever since.
Now the members have expressed interest in becoming a formal Town committee. Deputy Supervisor Meg Larsen brought their concerns to the Town Board at the Oct. 1 Town Board work session and continued the discussion toward the end of the budget workshop on Monday morning.
Currently, the services that group members provide are a “needed niche” that hasn’t existed among Town committees, Ms. Larsen said. Later this month, group members will meet to work on drafting a mission statement required of all committees.
The group has worked on issues that Reporter columnist and retired social worker Nancy Green described to attendees at a Reporter forum last month. The group has been a resource for needed social services, including assistance with drug rehabilitation and overall mental health services.
If named a formal Town committee, members will have access to Town buildings for meetings and activities and a small budget to handle mailings and other efforts the group might undertake, Ms. Larsen told her colleagues at Monday’s budget session.
As an official Town committee, the group can also be eligible to apply for grant money for specific purposes.
School wants free FIT Center gym use: Hours allotted to students not enough
School officials want the Town Board to waive fees for students to be eligible to use the FIT Center — the Town’s gym — not just the few hours that are currently allowed.
Todd Gulluscio, Director of Athletics, Physical Education, Health, Wellness & Personnel, was at Tuesday afternoon’s Town Board work session to present the request, explaining the hours of 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. allotted to students don’t sufficiently enable students to access the equipment.
Most students are in classes during the early hours and after regular school hours, many are athletes who need to leave the campus for games.
Membership costs students $50 a year. Mr. Gulluscio, noting the equipment at the school isn’t available to all, said the request is to ensure all students who wish to use the FIT Center could do so.
There was no decision, but comments from the Board and Town Attorney Stephen Kiely appeared to suggest a free membership may not likely. “A nominal fee is warranted,” unless it’s contractually bargained, Mr. Kiely said.
Town Recreation Director Bethany Ortmann said while she likes the concept of students using the FIT Center, there are other ways to come up with the membership fee, such as reaching out to groups willing to pick up the cost for those families who can’t afford it.
A small fee keeps students accountable for the equipment they’re using, she said.