POENB Minutes for Wednesday, June 5, 2024

The meeting was held in person at the Eaton’s Neck Firehouse and also on Zoom from 7:05 pm to 8:30 pm.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited followed by a roll call of officers.

Officer Roll Call

• Tom Kehoe – President
• Ryan Schaefer-Walker – Vice President and Treasurer
• Yvonne Lambertson – Assistant Vice President (Technology, Web and Communications) 
• Steve Neuf – Assistant Vice President (Engineering and Special Projects)
• Sally Neal – Recording Secretary
• Nancy Regan – Corresponding Secretary
• Anthony Fusaro – Assistant Vice President

Attendance 

 15 members and 7 officers were physically in attendance. Four also dialed in via Zoom.

Tom Kehoe’s motion to accept last month’s minutes as published on the POENB Website was accepted.  

The June issue of the Changing Tides will be a combined May/June issue. The May minutes were posted on the POENB website and members were linked to those minutes via an eblast. 

Membership – Gene Caputo

As of June 5, 2024, 230 EN (out of 419 or 55%) homeowners have chosen to become POENB members. The total number of members is slightly less than last year at this point in time.  Of the 230 members, 127 (55%) were seniors and 103 (45%) were standard members. The majority of members pay their dues via paper check. 

Treasurer’s Report – Ryan Schaefer-Walker

The Treasurer’s Report (see details on page 2)

Revenues for the period were $61.5K of which $52.3K was from membership dues, The remaining revenue was attributed to watercraft fees, Changing Tides ads, social fees, and beach rentals.  Expenses were approximately $24.6 K. The majority of which were spent to clean and maintain the beaches.  Net income for the period was approximately $37K

As of June 5, POENB had roughly $63K in all of its bank accounts. 

Social Committee – Tom Kehoe

• Light Beach Clean Up, Meet Your Neighbors and Community Service Event   was held Sat, May 11th at 10 am.  PB attendance was very light; at VG, one person showed up.

• Partí Gras – took place at PB on Sunday, May 26th at 3 pm. Although attendance was less than in prior years, participants thoroughly enjoyed the event. Thank you to all the volenteers and ENFD that made this event happen

• Community Garage Sale – will occur on Sunday, June 9th from 10 am to 3 pm

• Fourth of July Parade  

POENB and the ENFD have jointly sponsored a 4th of July parade for decades.  It’s one of very few community sponsored parades on LI and the only 4th parade in the TOH.   This fun, patriotic event traditionally consisted of residents making Americana floats (using bicycles, cars, and wagons), a convoy of antique cars and old and new fire trucks, speeches by local politicians and a free hamburger and hot dog BBQ at the conclusion.

This year, the parade will start at the firehouse at 10 am and then wind its way down to PB.   It will conclude with some brief words by representatives from the TOH, POENB, and ENFD.  Active service members from the EN USCG will serve as color guard.

Shortly after the speeches have concluded and once the grills and food are ready,  a free BBQ (hamburgers and hot dog) will commence. 

POENB and ENFD are looking for volunteers to help transport the BBQ food and grills (stored at the FH) to PB.  Please contact the POENB board if you’re interested. 

However, given prior year issues with aggressive water battling and significant balloon debris littering the parade route, this year the ENFD and POENB have agreed to: 

1. BAN ALL water fighting – NO water guns, NO water balloons, and NO water launchers (lacrosse sticks or “aquazookers” or the like) on the parade route
2. ENCOURAGE residents to create “FLOATS” that use them to march in the parade– decorate bikes, cars or wagons with (1) red, white and blue streamers, stars and balloons (filled with air), (2) the American flag, or (3) pictures of George Washington, other founding fathers, or the Statue of Liberty.  To spark ideas, pictures of prior year floats will be posted on the POENB website and Facebook 
3. HOLD the BBQ at PB vs at the firehouse as was done in past year 

Correspondence –  Tom Kehoe and Nancy Regan

Asterisk items are further discussed in other sections of these minutes.   The Board received emails and letters about: 

• Beach Clean Up Participation – Only 1 person showed up to beautify VG and attendance was sparse at PB
• Feedback on Road Improvements & TOH Safety  (solicited by John Ballow & Bob Dennis): (1) re-pave Worchester Ct, London Ct, Peterborough Dr and Birmingham Dr and (2) use signage to better control speeding on Birmingham and EN Road
• Beach Security, Beach Usage, Beach Rules and Beach Maintenance*
  1. Concerns about limited access security at both beaches
  2. Observations of non-EN residents “trespassing” /“wandering” from Hobart to PB and fishing, urinating, and dumping garbage
  3. Comments about dogs (unleashed and leashed) on both PB and VG defecating on the beach without owners picking up their dog’s waste
  4. Questions regarding the definition of a “guest” (per the Beach Rules) and the need to accompany any permitted guests, and
  5. Observations about fishing at both beaches which is a violation of the Beach Rules 
  6. Concerns about the durability of VG stairs
• 4th of July Parade * – Need to communicate prohibition against water fighting 
• Watercraft – Various emails regarding stickers and spots for watercraft
• Official Letters *
  1. From SC Dept of Health regarding VG beach closure for bathing until further notice given high levels of bacteria
  2. From Andre Sorrentino, Highway Supervisor about the TOH accessing VG to examine and make changes to alleviate flooding on Westview and Carlisle
• Status of follow ups from prior minutes
  1. Installation of dog waste disposal (DOGIPOT)
  2. Abandoned / unclaimed watercraft 
  3. USCG – status of possible closure of EN station

Beach Report – Tom Kehoe and Steve Neuf

• VG – stairs

As discussed during prior meetings, the VG stairs are rickety. Tom Bishop made a temporary repair but a permanent solution is needed. Steve Neuf is conducting additional due diligence on three bids from three different vendors and will make a recommendation (see list below). 

• Option 1 replace the existing stairs with Grade 3, Ground Contact, pressure treated (PT), kiln-dried after treatment (KDAT) lumber.  
• Option 2 move the existing location of the stairs and then install stairs made of stone.  
• Option 3 use Trex, a composite material made of recycled plastic and wood to replace the existing stairs

If the repair cost is less than the current threshold for a board-only decision, the board will deliberate and take action.  However, if the cost exceeds the board-only authority, the recommendation will be presented to members for a key vote. 

• Beach Rules

The beach rules are available on the POENB website.  A discussion ensued at the meeting that many members and non-members are not fully aware of the rules.  

For example, the beach rules state that 

• Only members (in good standing – meaning dues paid in full) and their immediate family (since the membership “unit of account” is a residence) may use the POENB beach properties
• Guests are not permitted at any time (accompanied or unaccompanied), except at selected social events, and  
• Dogs are not permitted on the beach at any time.  

Given the lack of knowledge or confusion about the Beach rules, the Board is proposing the following actions

1. Re-publish/socialize/communicate the existing beach rules
2. To Review and update the beach rules

Public Safety – Tom Kehoe and Phil Cuiffo, Sr.

• Bevin Seawall – Tom Kehoe 

As discussed in prior minutes, there are three options:

1. Wait for a catastrophe to occur – meaning the Seawall is breached and EN residents living at or above Bevin are unable to exit by land.  This is the most likely option from a timing perspective. 
2. Support VOA’s efforts to “go it alone” – which is an operational and financial long shot since it might cost $30 million and 10 years to execute.  
3. Exert political pressure on the Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE) to fix the wall – Since 2015/2016, discussions between the ACOE and VOA have ceased. To move ahead, the ACOE requested that VOA (1) pay 30% of cost to build the wall and 50% of on-going maintenance costs in perpetuity and (2)  provide 5 public access points to beaches in VOA

On May 15th, representatives from the Eaton’s Neck Community Working Group (ENCWG), the TOH, the VOA (Mayor Leticia), the ACOE, and the offices of SC Legislator Bontempi, NYS Assemblyman Brown, NYS Senator Mattera, US Rep. LaLota, and US Sen. Schumer met to discuss the path forward.

The public officials noted that the storm on April 3rd was a “real eye opener” and increased their sense of urgency to “fix the situation” – because while the storm wasn’t “severe,” Asharoken Avenue was closed for several hours. 

Another in-person meeting among stakeholders is scheduled for July/August. 

A reporter from Newsday also interviewed several POENB members about their perspectives on the Seawall.  Specifically, the reporter found it curious that although nearly 2,000 people and 500 homes would be negatively impacted if the wall failed, no one has formally canvassed this constituency and asked for their input. 

• Community Watch Group – Phil Cuiffo, Sr. 

Phil and other members of the Community Watch Group met with TOH officials about the current lack of details provided about the TOH’s use of more “high tech” solutions to monitor access and usage of Hobart Beach.  

Rather than have a booth attendant, TOH residents will obtain and affix a beach permit sticker to their car.  Once a day (time TBD), TOH cars with “sticker readers” will scan cars parked at Hobart.  The TOH will send a ticket to the registered owner of a car parked at Hobart without the required sticker.  

Phil and others questioned the feasibility of this new process since:  (1) there are a limited number of TOH vehicles that have “sticker readers,” (2) heavy beach usage times may not be synchronized with sticker scanning times; and (3) cars without stickers are not asked to leave the lot immediately.

The POENB representatives also asked the TOH officials why the TOH issued beach stickers for only 4 months while the Town of Smithtown issued “year-round” beach stickers.  No rationale was provided. 

Historically, vandalism and trespassing at Hobart have been issues. Of the 8 beaches in the TOH, Crab Meadow is the “flagship” while Hobart is the leaky dinghy in terms of resources, amenities and attention received.  Lax enforcement of existing rules has made matters worse – (1) while a tall gate exists at the entrance to Hobart, it is rarely closed and (2) violators are rarely told to stop fishing, using the beach post dusk, and sleeping at Hobart (in cars in the parking lot and/or camping the beach). 

While fishing (day or night) is expressly prohibited at Hobart, people (often at night) come from the Rockaways, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Rockland County to fish.  Hobart was even identified as a “prime” fishing spot in a NY fishing magazine.

Issues at Hobart have routinely negatively impacted PB. 

Several members who live near PB have notified Board members, both verbally and in writing, that they’ve observed an alarming uptick in the number of trespassers at PB.  Persons may be EN residents but not members or they may be non EN residents.  Trespassers have been observed urinating and allowing their unleashed dogs to run and defecate freely.   

A discussion ensued about action that could/should be taken to BOTH improve security at Hobart and at PB (and VG).  

• One member noted that in prior years, the TOH created a paid position for a “night watchman” at Hobart.  
• Another member suggested reminding TOH about the need to open and close the Hobart beach gate (at dawn and dusk respectively)
• Another suggested that POENB install a gate at both PB and VG beaches to physically prevent access by non-members.
• Another member wanted to know how non-members are entering the POENB beaches.  Are they using a car or simply walking on?  The answer may determine the type of gate needed – if a gate was installed.   If cars are used, there may also be a need for “no parking” signs in selected sections of the street near the beaches. 

New Business – Tom Kehoe

• Flooding and TOH

As discussed in the correspondence section, the Board received a letter from Andre Sorrentino, the TOH Highway Supervisor asking for permission to access the VG to assess, plan and potentially correct flooding issues.  A subset of board members are reviewing the letter to understand the request and potentially provide feedback on a solution. 

Members noted that several areas in EN are subject to flooding and recent TOH  “fixes” have not worked once they were implemented (and may have made matters worse on selected properties). 

• Tick Lecture

Bob Pisacani. suggested inviting Moses Cúcura (entomologist) of SC, Dept of Public Works, Division of Vector Control to talk to members about the mice, mosquito and tick population in EN and actions residents can take to avoid tick bites.  Members agreed that Moses will be invited to speak at the next meeting on Wednesday, July 10, at 7 pm

Next Meeting

Next month’s meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, July 10, 2024 at 7:00 pm.