Three vie for one open seat on Shelter Island Town Board: Candidates outline views at forum

In a slightly more than two-hour discussion at the school auditorium Sunday, Oct. 13, three candidates for the vacant Town Board seat touched on a wide-ranging array of issues facing Shelter Island.

The League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, Shelter Island and the North Fork sponsored the forum with Islander Jo-Ann Robotti posing questions to the candidates.

The 2025 Town Board budget draft and taxes; water and wastewater issues, including a proposed mandate for I/A (Innovative/Alternative) septic system installation upon transfer of properties; the comprehensive plan draft; environmental issues; affordable housing; staffing; and even pickers at the Recycling Center were all addressed by Democrat Gordon Gooding, Republican Tom Cronin and Island Action Party independent Lisa Shaw.

No one is happy about a budget draft that showed a 10.2% increase, but two candidates — Mr. Cronin and Ms. Shaw — said they had spoken with Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams and understood that much of the spending reflects contractual agreements and increases in health insurance premiums along with some fixed, necessary expenditures that can’t be cut.

Mr. Gooding pronounced that taxes and spending are “out of control.” But at the same time, he called for more use of professionals to tackle planning, environmental protections and management.

To charges that hiring even one person would require a large investment, he said he wasn’t recommending hiring a full-time person or persons, but seeking consulting services, perhaps paying a professional who works in such a capacity for a neighboring town.

Mr. Gooding was critical of dependence on so-called “citizen scientists.” They are well-meaning, but professionals are critical to getting the answers needed to develop wise policies and laws. “Let’s get some help where we need it,” Mr. Gooding said.

Money has been wasted during the previous administration to push a central water treatment system for the Center, he said. Better advice from qualified professionals could have saved such expenditures, he added. He said Town officials have been able to find money when they want to do something and they should be able to find money for a planner.

He also said the Town needs an attorney who is dedicated to Shelter Island and its issues, a slap at Stephen Kiely, who was hired by the previous administration and continues to serve the Brach-Williams administration.

Mr. Gooding charged the Water Quality Improvement Advisory Committee with recommending spending in some “frivolous” ways.

“Money, money, money. I do not think we need a planner,” Mr. Cronin said.

Ms. Shaw wanted to know what role a planner would be expected to fill and said there are a number of residents on the Island with experience and talents that have been tapped, and others who could provide necessary expertise.

She then turned her attention to the Route 114 corridor in the Center, saying she would like to see “a lovely business district,” but predicted any attempt to take over any of the vacant buildings could turn into a “litigious nightmare.”

Mr. Cronin jumped in, agreeing that he’d like the Center to look attractive. But with the vacant buildings belonging to one person, he didn’t see a way for that to happen. His reference was to property owner Dan Calabro, although Mr. Cronin did not name him.

Ms. Shaw raised the issue of water testing, saying she’s pleased that it’s even being discussed. The Water Quality Improvement Advisory Committee funded water testing for Center residents who asked to participate. There have been similar requests from residents of Silver Beach and the Menantic Peninsula, but that remains under discussion.

The candidates didn’t disagree on money helping to pay for testing for those who can’t afford to pay the $100 fee. And no one favored an Island-wide water system.

“I have never ever advocated for a townwide water system,” Ms. Shaw said.

What she wants is Town officials to look at Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, which have dealt with problems similar to those on Shelter Island. Ms. Shaw has been the longtime head of the West Neck Water District Board and took a major role in negotiating the management contract with the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA). She also serves on the Water Advisory Committee.

She acknowledged that she once opposed bringing SCWA in, but has changed her mind.

At the same time, she’s not recommending that’s the right path for all Island neighborhoods.

Mr. Gooding pointed out the Comprehensive Plan draft currently being reviewed by the Town Board includes a call for an Island-wide water system. That recommendation should be eliminated from the document, he said.

Mr. Cronin turned his attention to the proposal being discussed by the Town Board to mandate installation of I/A systems upon transfer of a property to a new owner. Saying he is a strong advocate of property owners rights, he doesn’t want to impose such a mandate.

But he favors property owners being required to have their septic systems pumped out and serviced every five years.

Should the Town be responsible for mitigating water problems? It’s responsible for Town-owned public buildings in the Center, Town Engineer Joe Finora has said. It’s under a mandate from the Suffolk County Department of Health Services to take steps to provide potable water in those places.

No one was inclined to have the Town held responsible for paying for all remediation, but Mr. Gooding said if the Town gets involved in paying for all testing, it might have liability to pay for remediation where problems are identified.

Transparency was another subject on the table, with criticism of the Town Board closing the Capital Projects/Grants Committee to the public. That went hand in hand with complaints about a lack of enforcement. Why put more laws on the books when the ones already passed aren’t being enforced?

The question was posed: What do these candidates bring to the job they are seeking?

“Common sense,” was Mr. Cronin’s initial response. He’s a retired Island police officer who has run his own small business, understanding financial matters and management, adding that his knowledge of equipment needs would benefit the Town Board and help to save money. “We definitely need to listen to all sides” of issues to make good decisions, Mr. Cronin said.

In addition to her knowledge and experience with issues of water and contaminants that can affect it, Ms. Shaw said she brings tenacity, and  her ability to see projects through to completion would be her best assets as a Town Board member.

“I listen. I learn and I am flexible,” Ms. Shaw said, adding she’s passionate about maintaining the character of the Island.

Mr. Gooding said that as a business owner, he had developed financial, management and negotiating skills that have carried over to his leadership of the Community Preservation Fund Committee. His motivation to get involved in politics was concern about a plan that would have allowed placement of a septic treatment unit to treat Center wastewater at Klenawicus Airport, one of the Town’s preserved properties.

Early voting begins on Oct. 26 at the Community Center and runs through Nov. 3. Election Day is set for Nov. 5 at Shelter Island School.

The winner in November will take a seat on the Town Board once the vote has been certified by the Suffolk County Board of Elections. That person will serve a one-year term, completing Ms. Brach-Williams’ term in office as a Town Board member before she was elected supervisor.

That term will conclude on Dec. 31, 2025. In November 2025, that person and any others interested in a full four-year term would have to seek election for a term that would start Jan. 1, 2026.

The forum video is also available on the Town website under the services tab that leads to the YouTube channel.