POENB Minutes
Wednesday, July 2, 2025
The meeting was held in person at Price’s Bend Beach from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm.
The Pledge of Allegiance was recited followed by a roll call of officers.
Officer Roll Call
- Tom Kehoe – President
- Steve Neuf – Vice President (ABSENT)
- Sally Neal – Treasurer and Recording Secretary
- Nancy Regan – Corresponding Secretary
- Paul Dippolito – Assistant Vice President
- Michael Ien Cohen – Assistant Vice President
- Heather Warrington – Assistant Vice President
Attendance
There were 15 members physically in attendance, not including six officers.
Tom Kehoe’s motion to accept last month’s minutes as published on the POENB Website was seconded.
Correspondence – Nancy Regan
The Board received 16 separate emails and texts since POENB’s member meeting on June 4, 2025. This correspondence has been consolidated and organized by topic.
Beach Reservations – The Board received several inquiries about reserving the PB or VG beach for a private party. For example, Is X date available; how do I make a request; how much does it cost to reserve the beach; and what actions must I take to reserve the beach – pre and post usage? Responses were provided by Steve Neuf and/or Heather Warrington.
PB Parking
- Passes – Several members wondered when they will receive their PB parking passes. Given administrative costs, members will not receive PB parking passes in 2025. The Board is investigating installing a security gate to protect the PB property from non-members and non-residents illegally parking at PB. (See additional details in the PB Security Gate section of the minutes).
- Overnight Parking – A member asked whether he could park his car in the PB parking lot while on a boat trip. Tom Kehoe advised the member that overnight parking is prohibited.
Watercraft – The Board received multiple questions about watercraft assignments. Michael Ien Cohen responded.
PB Beach Security – Several members sent photos of individuals using and abusing Price’s Bend. Additional activities were recorded via security cameras. These actions included, but were not limited to, (1) non-members and non-residents dumping (household goods, personal garbage, moving boxes, and animal waste), (2) non-members and non-residents using kayak racks and launching boats, and (3) members, non-members and non-residents bringing dogs (leashed and unleashed) and allowing them to romp and defecate – which is especially egregious when defecation occurred after POENB paid for beach grooming services from Herman Lindau & Son. (see Board’s planned actions in the PB Security Gate Section)
Beach Maintenance – Members identified issues in need of attention and asked when promised actions would be completed. Several noted that property standards appear to have deteriorated. PB issues in need of immediate attention included: shrub trimming, beach grooming, filling in divots and reseeding, removing poison ivy, cleaning the area around the kayak racks, replacing broken/missing rails and posts, and replacing one of the grills. They also asked whether the shrubs will be trimmed by July 4.
At VG, issues included shrub trimming, trimming small trees and replacing a bench.
Steve Neuf told members that as the Board member in charge of beach maintenance, he was in regular communication with the landscaper, Ted McCarthy. Steve affirmed that the PB landscaping issues would be addressed promptly.
Commercial Correspondence
- The Board received a quote from Sadler Sports and Recreation Insurance Company about providing additional General Liability insurance for an event that will be sponsored by POENB on September 6, 2025. This coverage is not provided by POENB’s current provider.
- For the past 12 years, Nick Cavuoto has coordinated and communicated the terms, conditions and costs of Sweezy’s oil buying program and has also acted as an intermediary between Sweezy and the 120 to 150 members who have chosen to participate in Sweezy’s residential home oil buying program.
Nick also regularly surveyed participants about their experience and satisfaction with Sweezy and circulated this feedback to both other participants and Sweezy.
POENB is deeply grateful for the countless hours that Nick has dedicated to negotiations and transparently communicating options and feedback.
To broaden provider choices, Lewisy was also asked to provide a quote for the Home Heating Oil Buying Program.
During the past month, there have been multiple exchanges between POENB and Lewisy and POENB and Sweezy regarding the terms, conditions and cost of their offers. The offers from the two firms are posted on POENB’s website (eatonsneck.org)
Social Committee (Paul Dippolito, Heather Warrington, and Michael Ien Cohen)
4th of July Parade
- The annual 4th of July parade will start at the ENFH at 10 am. The ENFD is the lead organization for the parade and is supported by POENB.
Many local fire departments bring their trucks and lightly sprinkle adults and children along the parade route. The ENFD has stated that the use of projectiles and water balloons are strictly prohibited given safety issues. Water balloons also pose environmental issues since remnants pollute (take a long time to decompose, clog drainage systems, and harm wildlife, if ingested).
The parade will proceed along Eaton’s Neck Road and end at Price’s Bend. There will some brief remarks by ENFD Chiefs, POENB’s president, the USCG commandant, and local politicians.
After the remarks at PB, around noon, there will be a community BBQ (held at the ENFD) that is free for all residents and their guests.
At the BBQ, POENB will be selling high quality merchandise: a navy blue baseball cap (Eaton’s Neck 1799 logo) for $25 and EN tumblers for $20. The caps have proven to be especially popular given the first lot of 50 caps sold out very quickly. All profit made from the branded merchandise is plowed back into POENB operations.
POENB accepts both cash and Venmo for all merchandise sales.
- Movie Night
POENB is sponsoring a movie night on Friday, July 18,2025 at PB. This free event for members and their invited non-resident guests will start between 8:30 pm and 9:00 pm.
Michael Ien Cohen is generously contributing his big Hollywood screen and commercial grade equipment to present the 50th anniversary edition of Jaws.
Prior to the movie, there will be trivia games and a 50/50 raffle. Soft drinks and snacks will be sold at nominal prices. Adults are welcome to BYOB.
- Other updates
- Jones Drug Store has signed up to sponsor POENB social events. Sponsors help defray the cost of social events.
- Paul Dipolitto is exploring selling coupon books to Northport and East Northport vendors. Members can use the coupon books to receive a small discount on services and merchandise.
- The Social Committee is considering a Thanksgiving Pie Drive to increase revenues. Details to follow closer to the event date.
- Merchant Discount Program
To increase the value of POENB membership, Michael Ien Cohenis signing up local vendors who will offer discounts on their products and services. Each POENB member will receive a plastic card to present to a local merchant for a discount. Michael Ien will formally roll out the program once he has signed up 20 vendors.
Fireside Chat with TOH Supervisor Ed Smyth – Tom Kehoe
On June 17, 2025, Ed Symth participated in a fireside chat, moderated by John Ballow, about various issues impacting Eaton’s Neck including (1) the Bevin Seawall, (2) conditions at Hobart and the need for more beach security and enforcement (3) road conditions, especially flooding near Steers Beach, (4) severe west shore beach erosion (from USCG to Hobart), (5) water quality in Huntington Bay, (6) EN drainage problems/flash flooding, and (7) LIPA. Approximately 100 people attended the 90 minute event. Tom hopes to make this fireside chat an annual event. John Ballow documented key take-aways and promised action items and will communicate them to Supervisor Smyth and his team.
Treasurer’s Report – Sally Neal
The Treasurer’s Report (see page X) includes the Income Statement for the period January 1, 2025 to July 2, 2025 and a partial Balance Sheet as of July 2, 2025. Please note, given space limitations in the Changing Tides, some financial statement line items have been aggregated.
Total Revenue was ~ $75,000.
The largest revenue items were:
- Membership Dues ($64K)
- Watercraft Fees ($4.1K)
- Social Income – including merchandise sales ($3.6K)
- Donations ($1.3K).
Since the early bird payment discount ended on March 31, membership has slowed.
As of July 2, POENB had 229 members (an increase of 9 from June 2025); that means only 57% of eligible property owners (229 of 405) have elected to join POENB.
POENB’s breakeven budget was based on 245 members and a ratio of 45/55 special to standard members.
Therefore, from a budgeted membership revenue perspective, POENB is BEHIND by 15 members and is also OFF in terms of the ratio between special /senior and standard members
Currently, the senior/special to standard ratio is 60/40 while the target ratio is 45 senior/special to 55 standard.
To meet the 2025 membership revenue budget, POENB needs to obtain more standard members. If you haven’t joined yet, please consider doing so.
Total Expenses were $15.5K
- Changing Tides $3K
- Social – including merchandise expense – $5.5K
- Beach expenses – landscaping, security, utilities – $7K
Net income for the period ended July 2, 2025 was $60K. As of July 2, 2025, POENB had approximately $85K in cash.
Membership – Sally Neal
Last month, several new members wondered why more residents didn’t join POENB given the cost benefit trade-offs. Members noted that the safety, security and public welfare advocacy activities were worth “the small annual fee.” They believed the two private beaches added value to all homeowners – whether or not the property owners “used the beaches” or “went to the social events.”
To provide a verifiable fact base as to why residents do not join POENB, Sally reviewed information published in the Changing Tides, copies of POENB surveys, and the output from informal focus groups available in the POENB archives for the period 1970 to 2025.
Based on these documents, Sally identified and communicated eight (highly related) reasons eligible residents gave for not joining POENB, Inc.
These eight reasons engendered significant and prolonged discussions among the meeting attendees.
- One long-term member noted how the reasons seemed not to have changed at all since the early 1980s.
- Another member commented that while the rationale provided was “accurate” (meaning the comments reflected what eligible POENB residents had said), the member did not believe that reasons were valid – meaning they were not supported by objective truth but rather were based on “myths” and “half-truths.” This member suggested that prior to publishing the reasons in the Changing Tides – the “counterpoint” (the “full truth”) to the stated rationale (“the myth”) also be provided.
- Another member and former Board member stated that residents may not understand that if POENB cannot properly maintain and preserve the beaches, ownership will revert to the TOH. This member stated that even if residents do not “use” the two beaches for swimming, boating and sunbathing, the beaches increase the property values of all residents in the POENB. Why? Because this “private beach” amenity – never mind the public safety and security public advocacy work and social activities – make a home in EN more valuable than an identical home that is NOT located in EN.
- Another member remarked that a goal of 100% of eligible residents becoming members was completely unrealistic. Based on voluntary organizational benchmarks, an eligible resident participation rate of x > 70% is considered “extraordinary” and “phenomenal.” By objective standards, POENB’s budgeted participation rate of 60% (245/405) and current participation rate of 57% (229/405) would be considered “superior / very strong.”
The Board decided to identify and document the counterpoint to the rationale provided for “not joining” and then, at a later date, publish both the reason for not joining and the missing / correct fact base to refute the reason for not joining POENB (if a logical, fact-based argument can be made).
Not all reasons for not joining have a counterargument. Some reasons are based on a person’s personal preferences – for which there isn’t a credible and compelling argument.
PB Security Gate – Sally Neal
Recently, several members have expressed their annoyance with residents who use the beaches and benefit from the social welfare activities yet do not pay the nominal membership fees. Members also noted that non-residents have been photographed dumping garbage at PB and parking in the PB lot and walking to Hobart.
As identified in the Correspondence section, the illegal use and abuse of the PB beach appears to be increasing.
The Board is investigating (1) erecting a commercial security gate at Prices Bend, (2) hardening the perimeter by planting additional thick shrubs to make to more difficult to enter the property on foot, (3) putting up larger “Private Property / No Trespassing” signs in more locations on the property, and (4) taking legal action against trespassers to preserve and maintain the property for members.
POENB, Inc. is the sole and exclusive owner of the two beach properties and has the same enforcement rights as any property owner in NYS.
A working committee of five members has been formed. POENB has received “rough” estimates for the security gate from four vendors. The Committee will be working on financing options given the cost of a security gate. To date, several members have pledged to match donations up to $6K dollars to a gate/better security.
Please contact the board if you (1) would like to financially contribute – so that POENB is eligible for the existing member “matched pledges,” (2) serve on the working committee, and/or (3) offer to help with the construction and plantings. Ideally, the Board would like to improve the security at PB in Q4 ’25.
Next Meeting
Next month’s meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at 7:30 pm at the EN Firehouse. The meeting will also be available via Zoom. All members are encouraged to attend.
