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No change in timing of septic grants to Shelter Island homeowners

A question from the Water Quality Improvement Advisory Board (WQI) met with resistance from Town Board members last week about changing the timing on payments to residents who receive local grants to offset costs of installation of Innovative Alternative (I/A) septic systems.

Most grants from Suffolk County, New York State and the Town WQI account are paid to contractors directly. But the State and County grants pay only for installation of an I/A system, while local grant money could also cover added expenses like a need for a new well to comply with Suffolk County Department of Health Services to allow required distance between the existing well and the new I/A system.

That money could go directly to the property owner who incurs the charges, but may have to wait months or even years for the local grant. The State and County will pay the contractor directly upon issuance of an inspection certification letter. The Town policy is not to pay any money until a green stamp is received and that could take months or years after the issuance of the certification letter.

The query from the WQI Advisory Board was whether the Town Board might agree to abide by the practice of payment based on the inspection certification letter instead of the green stamp.

Without a change, local grant recipients can find themselves having to bear expenses themselves for an indefinite period of time.

Waiting for local grants to come through, property owners could be bearing $15,000 or more until they receive reimbursements, Matt Sherman of Sherman Engineering & Consulting told Town Board members.

Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams said she would have liked to consult with Senior Building Inspector Reed Karen for input, but bowed to advice of her colleagues. Councilmen Benjamin Dyett and Albert Dickson argued there are enough issues pending on the Town Board’s agenda without adding another to the list.

Is it a dead issue? Maybe not, but it’s unlikely to be addressed further anytime soon as the Board agreed to tell WQI members they won’t be proceeding further right now.