How Fair Harbor Works
(by Eugene Levy, President FHCA)
The purpose of this paper is to
describe to Fair Harbor owners and renters the various government and
private institutions that have a role in the care and maintenance of our
community. Hopefully this will help explain why some things seem to work
while other matters seem to be beyond anyone s control. This paper will not
discuss the various state and federal agencies which are involved in beach
and dune issues but will focus on the organizations that provide local
services.
Fair Harbor is a hamlet in the town of Islip, as is
Kismet, and Dunewood. Our freedom to act on local matters is based on
Islip's willingness to delegate limited authority to local officials. All
police authority is the responsibility of Suffolk County (Suffolk County
Police Marine Bureau), and local laws are completely controlled by the town.
There are no special Fire Island or Fair Harbor laws or rules. However there
are some Town of Islip laws which directly effect Fair Harbor; no fires on
the beach, no open liquor on the docks or walks, no garbage pickup before
6:30 AM, no construction on weekends, etc.. However we are still in a very
different position than Saltaire or Ocean Beach which are incorporated
villages with a real local government. Understanding this fact is critical
to understanding all that follows.
Except for Police protection which is the responsibility
of Suffolk County we are entitled to the full range of municipal services
which Islip provides to its mainland residents. In practice this is not the
case, Islip has always minimized its support for Fire Island probably
because in Fair Harbor as an example while there are over 400 homes there
are very few voters registered to vote in Islip elections.
What has happened is that whenever a purely local need
has arisen Islip has allowed Fair Harbor and other communities to establish
special taxing districts which may levy property taxes on local property,
and use the monies raised for specific local activities. In some cases local
residents have an active role in directing these activities, in other cases
the districts operations are completely controlled by Islip which then looks
to the local community for informal direction and advice. In some cases
Islip appoints a deputy commissioner after consulting with the community.
The deputy commissioner has a major role in determining spending priorities,
for the district but the final authority remains with the commissioner who
is appointed by the Islip town board.
What follows is a description of these special
districts, and the various Fair Harbor community organizations which provide
other services to the community. Currently Fair Harbor has the following
taxing districts; Fire, Garbage, Water, Beach Erosion, Life Guard, Medical
and Dock. In addition the following private organizations exist in Fair
Harbor; Community Association, Events Committee, Swim Club and Yacht Club.
Note that all of the officers and members of the
organizations described in this paper get no monetary compensation. They
work for free and work hard for the good of the community.
Taxing Districts
Fair Harbor Fire District
Was established in 1931 and is responsible for
providing the facilities necessary for fire protection in Fair Harbor.
Dunewood and Lonelyville each has it's own Fire district, but they have
reached an agreement which results in contributions to the Fair Harbor Fire
District in return for fire coverage. Our district has five commissioners
elected by Fair Harbor registered voters. Each commissioner services for
five years, and the terms are staggered, so each year one commissioner is up
for election. There are roughly 60 registered voters in Fair Harbor.
Although there is a provision in the law for absentee ballots it has not
been implemented by the district so voters must vote in person in December
to elect the commissioner. The district provides free ferry service and
lunch as an accommodation to the off island voters. There is a chairman
selected by the commissioners, and they also appoint a secretary and a
treasurer. Decisions are made by a majority of the commissioners. The
commissioners need not be members of the Fire department.
The Fire District owns both the new fire house and the
old fire house (community center). It also owns all the bay front land east
of the ferry dock to the second jetty, which makes up the bay beach, the
playground, and sail boat area. It also owns land west of the town dock
which is used for the wagon stand. In addition it owns a small piece of land
Central Walk and Elm. The district has no debt.
The district buys and owns all of the fire fighting
equipment used by the Fair Harbor Fire Department. The district is
responsible for the maintenance of all equipment, both fire houses, and
insurance coverage for all building and equipment.
The Fire District is not subject to oversight or
control by the Town of Islip. It has the power to raise or lower taxes, and
to spend the money raised in any manner that can be represented as being
part of its charter as set forth in the state statutes. It is the only
district with no direct Town of Islip oversight and control. It is the
single most powerful entity in Fair Harbor.
Fair Harbor Fire Department
This is a volunteer department which
was established by the Fire District in 1931 and provides fire protection
for Fair Harbor and Dunewood and Lonelyville per the agreements made between
the various fire districts. It has a Chief and three Assistant Chiefs
elected by the members of the department. The Fire District must approve the
choice of Chief, and must approve any changes to the bylaws of the
department. The organization is open to anyone who is willing to devote the
time necessary to become a trained fire fighter. The organization also has a
woman's auxiliary which raises money via a variety of events (pancake
breakfast, etc). The department gets no direct financial support from The
Town of Islip.
Fair Harbor Garbage District
This district is responsible for
garbage collection in Fair Harbor. There are no elected Fair Harbor
commissioners and the district is controlled by the Town of Islip. Every
three years the contract for collection is put out for public bids. The
terms of this contract (# of collections, days of the week, etc) are subject
to comments by Fair Harbor residents.
Suffolk County Water Authority / Fair Harbor Water District
This district is responsible for water
in Fair Harbor. There are no deputy commissioner, the district is controlled
by the Town of Islip. The district owns property on the south east corner of
Central and Cranberry, this property has a building which contains the well
head for our water supply. They also own the brick pump house in front of
the old Fire House which houses the secondary pump.
Although we get our bills from the Brentwood Water
District which is another Islip water district they are two separate legal
entities with the same commissioner. The management of the Fair Harbor Water
District has been delegated to the Brentwood Water District by the Town.
Dock District
This district owns and maintains the
public dock. This is not the dock used by the ferry service. The ferry dock
is privately owned by the ferry company. This district has a deputy
commissioner who is proposed by Fair Harbor residents. In addition there is
a dock master who is responsible for the day to day operation of the dock.
Note that the public dock is not available to boaters on an overnight basis,
and can only to be used by boaters for temporary docking. Repairs and
maintenance of the dock are paid for by a bond issue which is repaid by
local taxes.
Islip Life Guard District
The town of Islip established a
district which is responsible for providing life guard service to all of the
Islip town beaches on Fire Island. This includes; Fair Harbor, Kismet,
Atlantique, Dunewood and part of Seaview. It does not include Lonelyville
(which has no life guards) or Saltaire and Ocean Beach (which supply their
own). There are no deputy commissioners. This district owns no land in any
community. This district hires the life guards and supplies them with all
equipment necessary to insure the safe use of our beaches.
Fair Harbor/Dunewood Medical District
This district is responsible for
providing seasonal medical coverage for Fair Harbor and Dunewood. It has a
deputy commissioner. It owns land adjacent to the old fire house (east)
which consists of the doctor's residence, and the building used as the
doctor 's office. This district is responsible for hiring doctors and
defining their skill set, responsibilities and schedules. It also supports
tick and mosquito control activities.
Beach Erosion Control District
This is the most recently established
district; it was founded in 1991 to maintain the existing dune system. Its
role was expanded as a result of the storms in 1992 to include repair as
well as maintenance of the beach and dunes. It is responsible for creating
and maintaining the dune area, and retiring the bond ($1.8 million) raised
to pay for the rebuilding of the dunes. The bond should be retired in 2003
if no additional repair is required, at which point only maintenance
functions will continue. The district has a deputy commissioner appointed
for a two year term. It also has a local advisor board of four members. The
deputy commissioner and the local board have primary responsibility for
evaluating a proposing alternatives if beach scraping or replenishment are
required to protect the dunes.
Private Organizations
Fair Harbor Community Association
A predecessor organization, the Fair
Harbor Property Owners Association was formed in 1932. The current
organization was established in 1977 and attempts to represent all Fair
Harbor residents in dealing with the town of Islip, and also supports
community activities which are outside of the direct responsibilities of the
districts. The FHCA is very active in many aspects of Fair Harbor Life. The
FHCA also publishes a biannual directory. Any Fair Harbor resident or renter
may join the association. The organization has a board of 8 members and a
Chairman who is responsible for administrative functions. Board members are
elected for three year terms.
The FHCA owns no land, and has no official
governmental role and cannot establish or enforce any laws. It has however
played a key role in organizing the community, and the establishment of many
of the special districts was the result of FHCA activities. The Town of
Islip looks to the FHCA to make recommendations when appointing deputy
commissioners for the special districts.
Fair Harbor Events Committee
This organization was established in
1988 and helps out with the Bay beach, and the summer movies held in the old
fire house . The Fire District provides access to the bay area (playground
and beach) for use of Fair Harbor residents. The Committee is responsible
for equipping the beach, and maintenance of the wind surfing area. The
organization raises funds from rental of sail boat privileges on the bay
beach, and donations from the FHCA.
Fair Harbor Swim Club
The swim club is run by a Fair Harbor
volunteer. It uses fees from swimming lessons and donations from the FHCA to
hire the instructors and arranges the class schedules. It also hires the
life guards and swimming instructors. Every child in Fair Harbor can make
use of this instruction at minimal cost. Note that The Islip Life Guard
District and the Fair Harbor Community Association has nothing to do with
the Fair Harbor Bay beach.
Fair Harbor Yacht Club
This organization was established in
1955 and is responsible for the private boat dock west of the Fair Harbor
dock. The organization is open to all Fair Harbor property owners who have
boats. Membership is limited to 38, the number of available slips. The
organization owns the dock, and the leases land on which it is built from
the Town of Islip. It is solely responsible for the maintenance of these
facilities. The organization has a Commodore who is elected by the members
and acts as the administrator for the club. The membership fee is $150/year.
There is roughly a five year waiting list for slips. Individuals on the
waiting list have to pay regular membership dues.
Observations
As you can see the are a number
of organization both official and unofficial which have a role in providing
services and maintaining Fair Harbor as a viable community. It s clear that
we depend on the good will and competence of the Town of Islip for many
services. Some services such as sidewalk repair and brush control remain the
direct responsibility of the Town of Islip and all we can do as individuals
and as a community is demand that these services be provided in a timely and
efficient manner. The biggest single problem in getting Islip to listen to
our problems is that not enough property owners are registered Islip voters.
Only when Fair Harbor represents real voting power and makes meaningful
contributions to the local election campaigns will the elected officials pay
serious attention to our unique needs. Keep in mind that all of Fire Island
represents only a small part of the Town of Islip's tax base is it is
unlikely the Town is ever going to give Fire Island's unique problems top
priority.
The Town of Islip has been more than willing to allow
Fair Harbor to establish special taxing districts for whatever purpose we
choose. Clearly this is a double edged sword. It is unreasonable and unfair
to be taxed twice to get services which Islip should be providing from our
basic property taxes.
Over the years Fair Harbor has been able to address
most of it s problems through a combination of public and private
organizations and will continue to do so in the future. When new problems
occur it is sometimes difficult to determine which of the existing
organizations can (the districts have fairly strict charters) or should
(private organizations with limited membership should not have to support
services which affect everyone in the community) deal with the problem. This
sometimes makes it appear that nothing is being accomplished. Unfortunately
this is the reality of our peculiar form of semi government, and is unlikely
to change.
1999 Roster
Fire District Commissioners
Robert Fuches
Neil Rudikoff
Mark Lane
Howard Gursky
Micheal Goodman
Fire Department Officers
Scott Cheveney Chief
Peter Clock 1 Assistant Chief
Robert Kerr 2 Assistant Chief
Brendan Reynolds 3 Assistant Chief
Dock District
Claire Walsh Deputy Commissioner
Bob Locherer Dock Master
Medical District
Alma Blitz, Deputy Commissioner
Beach Erosion Control
Erica Feder, Deputy Commissioner
Board of the FHCA
Eugene Levy Chairman
Betty Ferguson Treasurer
Dan Schube
Johannes Banck
Patricia Rudikoff
Suzanne Burns
Michele Fischer
Bunny Fortier
Andy Lippman
William Newman
Claire Walsh, Boardmember Emeritus
Members of the Events Committee
Claire Walsh
Mark Lane
Rita Reynolds
Swim Club
Jane Westerfeld
Yacht Club
Bob Schweizer, Commodore
1/27/99 HFHW14 |
