Shelter Island Town Board night work sessions on tap

Councilman Gordon Gooding won over his colleagues at a special meeting on Dec. 17, convincing them to schedule a few work sessions on evenings instead of Tuesday afternoons.

While most Town Board work sessions will remain on Tuesdays at 1 p.m., eight will occur at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays with the goal of involving more community participation.

The Tuesday work sessions will occur at 6 p.m. on  Jan. 28, Feb. 25, March 25, April 29, June 24, July 29, Aug. 26 and Sept. 30.

The rest of the work sessions will continue at 1 p.m. on Tuesdays throughout 2025.

Regular Town Board meetings will continue on Monday nights at 6 p.m. and are scheduled for Jan. 6 and 27, Feb. 24, March 17, April  7 and 28, May 19, June 9 and 30, July 21, Aug. 11, Sept. 8 and 29, Oct. 20, Nov. 10 and Dec. 1 and 22.

Leaders of the Democratic and Republican Town Committees had approached Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams with a request for a change in meeting times with the aim of attracting more people to seek Town Board seats.

The majority of Town Board members through the years have been retired residents who had flexibility in their schedules to attend day and night meetings. Both party leaders related their difficulties in recruiting candidates for office.

The difficulty in switching to night meetings has largely been dictated by use of the Town Hall meeting room by Town committees on many nights, Ms. Brach-Williams said.

But this time, at Mr. Gooding’s urging, members finally settled on eight nights that can work without having to displace committees.