Shelter Island Town Board acts to allow piercing tax cap

The Town Board took the official step Monday night required by a government entity that expects to pierce the state-imposed 2% tax cap. Town Board members unanimously voted for a resolution declaring its 2026 spending plan is expected to pierce the cap.

Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams’ initial draft budget proposal showed a 2.2% increase in spending with a proposed budget of $17.5 million, of which $13.026 million would come from taxpayers.

Plans call for a public hearing on the budget to be held either Nov. 5 or 6, requiring a legal notice to be published in the Oct. 30 edition of the Reporter. 

Middle Har-Bay Road

Another vote taken Monday night makes Middle Har-Bay Road in the Rams an official Town-owned landing. Residents in the area have been lobbying for the action for years. With Monday night’s vote, it is finally recognized by the Shoreline Access Task Force.

Fresh Pond

The Town has received a check for $18,992 from the Fresh Pond Neighbors Association as a reimbursement for invoices from Solitude Lake Management for engineering and professional services cleaning up Fresh Pond. The Neighbors Association hopes to have sufficient money for the final step in solving the problems for years to come.

Peconic Estuary Partnership

The Board approved two payments of $14,250 each to the Peconic Estuary Partnership — one for 2024 and the second for 2025. Why wasn’t the payment made in 2024? The. Town never received an invoice, Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams said.

Town Board work session

At Tuesday afternoon’s work session, members discussed raising rates during the off season for dock privileges at Dering Harbor Town dock, the Congdon Creek Town Dock and Dickerson Creek. The only fee that likely won’t be raised is for docking by commercial fishermen who pay $350 each year to use any of the sites.

Bayman Bert Waife made the case for himself and his colleagues, saying a fee hike would likely prompt many of his fellow fishermen to leave the area. While it’s true that other docks can charge $1,000 or more for dockage, they have amenities that aren’t available at Dickerson or Congdon docks.

Costs have gone up for the commercial users, Mr. Waife said; the only thing that hasn’t increased is the amount they are able to charge their customers. The Town Board talked about raising the $500 fee, which hadn’t been raised in eight years, for recreational boaters at those docks to $750 or $1,000. At Dickerson Creek, they were inclined to keep the fee at $375.