POENB Minutes Friday, March 3, 2023 

The meeting held in person at the Eaton’s Neck Firehouse and on Zoom began at 7:30 The Pledge of Allegiance was recited followed by a roll call of officers. 

Officer Roll Call 

Frank Pasquale – President /Ryan Schaefer-Walker – Vice President/Anthony Fusaro – Treasurer/Yvonne Lambertson – Assistant Vice President (Technology, Web and Communications/ Steve Neuf – Assistant Vice President (Engineering and Special Projects) /Sally Neal – Recording Secretary 

Attendance/Motion to Accept Minutes 

There were 12 members physically in attendance, not including the six officers. Ten people also dialed in via Zoom. Frank Pasquale’s motion to accept last month’s minutes as published on the POENB Website was accepted. 

Treasurer’s Report 

Anthony Fusaro provided the Treasurer’s report (see details on page 2) that included the Income Statement for the period January 1, 2023 to March 3, 2023 and account balances as of March 2, 2023 for three balance sheet line items. 

Beach Committee Report 

President Frank Pasquale reported that 30 yards of wood chips were delivered to both VG and PB. These materials will be used during the month of April (date TBD) to shore up the bulkhead at VG and for general purposes at PB. Volunteers are needed, along with their pick-up trucks and wheel barrows, to quickly and efficiently spread these wood chips. 

In addition to spreading wood chips, Frank stated that there are two more opportunities to help clean and beautify our beaches. Two volunteer days will take place in May. The specific dates selected will be announced in April. 

Social Committee 

Vice President Ryan Schaefer-Walker stated that while the full 2023 social calendar is currently being finalized, two event dates have been confirmed: 

• April 1st – Easter Egg Hunt 
• April 15th – Casino Night from 7 pm to 11 pm 

Flyers announcing the details of these two events will (1) be distributed to resident’s mailboxes, (2) announced in the Changing Tides and (3) available on the POENB’s website https://EatonsNeck.org. 

Update on Repairing/Replacing the Fence at PB 

During February’s POENB meeting, several members expressed their dissatisfaction with (a) the split rail fence’s aesthetic appeal, (b) its utility as a security device, and (c) its ability to properly mark the boundaries of the beach property. 

Frank Pasquale stated that he would ask three vendors to provide quotes on each of the following three options (e.g., each vendor must bid on each option) 

(1) Repair selected sections of the fence – use salvageable parts where possible. 1

(2) Replace the fence in its entirety with another wood fence – dismantle the existing fence, re-use salvageable posts and cross members, and construct a new fence using durable wood. (3) Replace the fence in its entirety with one made of PVC – dismantle the existing fence, sell or repurpose salvageable wood, and install a new PVC fence. 

Additional detail on the condition of the fence and member’s perspectives on the purpose of the fence are described in the February Meeting minutes which are available at eatonsneck.org , Click About POENB then Recent Communications 

To expedite the decision-making process, Greg Hodges and Phil Cuiffo volunteered to prepare a written report that will: 

• Identify the key question (e.g., How to cost effectively and operationally efficiently improve the aesthetics, demarcation, and security of the PB property?) 
• Describe the current situation (e.g., large portions of the fence and hedge are in disrepair; PB is unkempt, poorly marked and insecure) 
• Describe each option (see above) 
• Identify for each option – vendor’s name, cost, and pros and cons 
• Propose a recommendation with the selection rationale – which also addresses installation timing, given cost considerations 

Labor typically represents ⅔ of the total cost of installing a fence. Therefore, Greg and Phil will disaggregate the quotes into materials and labor since it may not be practical to fully rely on POENB volunteer labor. Phil and Greg’s report should be available for member review and a “key vote” at the April meeting. 

New Business – PSEG Update 

John Ballow and Frank Pasquale summarized recent interactions with Public Service Enterprise Group Long Island (“PSEG”). 

Recent Power Outage 

At approximately 8:15 pm, on Friday, February 3, 2023, during a period of unseasonably cold ( 8 F) and windy (40 mph) weather, residents of Eaton’s Neck (“EN”) were without electrical power supplied by PSEG for approximately 18 hours. 

Many homeowners experienced frozen / burst pipes as temperatures in their homes plummeted. PSEG’s messages told residents to expect that electricity would be restored on a “rolling two-hour basis” (e.g., text message at 1 am stating that power would be restored by 3 am. At 3 am, PSEG stated that power would be restored by 5 am, etc.). In addition to physical damage to homes, there were health and safety concerns especially for people without access to independent back-up power sources (e.g., generators, solar battery packs). 

Unfortunately, power outages on EN have become a somewhat routine event and appear to be caused by old, rotting trees and branches between Bevin Road and the Firehouse that fall on the overhead power lines. 

Recent Eaton’s Neck Community Actions 

In response to this latest power outage, John Ballow, decided to formally organize an Eaton’s Neck Community Working Group (ENCWG). 

The name of the associations, their representatives, and the number of “meters” or buildings/homes in the association’s area include: 

• POENB – Property Owners of Eaton’s Neck Beach – Christine Ballow, John Ballow, Frank Pasquale, Sally Neal (419) 
• ENFD – Eaton’s Neck Fire District – Philip Whiter, Commissioner, Peter Hluboky, Chief (1) 3. EHC – Eaton Harbors Corporation – Margaret Law, Tor Vincent (168) 
• NCRA -North Creek Road Association – Frank Moschella (38) 
• Stargazer Residents – Tom Burke (5) 
• OOW – Old Orchard Woods Residents – Lori Spiegel (5) 
• USCG – US Coast Guard – Ellen DaSilva, Civilian Liaison (~10) 
• VOA -Village of Asharoken – EN Residents – Philip Quarles (100) 
• The ENCWG decided to use its collective voice (a total of ~736 homes) to discuss immediate, short term and longer-term solutions that PSEG can implement to provide EN residents with reliable electrical power. Under John Ballow’s leadership, the ENCWG has: 
  • Started a Change.Org Petition to New York Public Service Commission (NYPSC) – 638 signatures as of March 1, 2023. URL is https://Chng.it/GvQ82chhLs 
  • Contacted the PSEG call center to register complaints about the duration and frequency of power outages on EN, and in particular the inaccurate messaging the night of February 3-4, 2023. 
  • Contacted or were contacted by local and state government representatives including 
    • US Representative Nick LaLota 
    • NYS Assemblyman Keith Brown 
    • NYS Senator Mario Matera 
    • Town of Huntington (“TOH”) Supervisor Edmund Smyth 
    • TOH Deputy Supervisor John T. McCarron 
    • TOH Councilman Dave Bennardo 
    • TOH Councilwoman Joan Cergol 
    • TOH Councilman, Eugene Cook 
  • Organized a 75-minute information sharing meeting on Wednesday, March 1, 2023 between representatives of the ENCWG and the following representatives of PSEG 
  • David Lyons, Executive Director-Special Projects; Interim President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) ○ Stephen M. Collins, Customer Operations Analyst, Customer Experience, QA Electric 
  • Kim Kaiman, Senior Manager External Affairs 
  • Matthew Otto, Manager Distribution Operations Western Suffolk 

March 1, 2023 PSEG – ENCWG Meeting Key Take-Aways 

1. On Friday, February 24, 2023, John Ballow (POENB), Stephen Collins (PSEG), a TOH arborist, and a PSEG arborist assessed the health and status of trees and poles between Bevin Road and the EN Firehouse. This “Outage Patrol” identified 44 issues that needed to be resolved. PSEG sorted these issues into three categories: 

a. Immediate 

b. Short-term and 

c. Longer term. 

2. PSEG said that “immediate bucket” items were “fixing” poles, trees and vines and implementing better controls over customer messaging. 

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a. Poles – Remove/replace or reinforce 8 poles. Add or repair animal guards around wires, transformers, and switches 

b. Trees – Trim/remove 14 trees deemed “hazardous.” PSEG is responsible for 11 trees while the TOH is responsible for 3 trees. PSEG’s vegetation management program requires that branches and trees be trimmed and/or removed if they are within a 10’x10’ space around the top wire power lines and poles and a 6’x6’ box around the lower wire power lines 

c. Vines – Mechanically or chemically (herbicide) remove vines on poles, wires, or nearby trees that impact service. 

d. Messages – Apologized for inaccurate information disseminated; updated in-house systems so that PSEG employees no longer need to manually review reports and override auto generated notifications. 

3. Executing changes to poles, trees and vines requires both (a) homeowner permission and (b) NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) approval (because some poles, trees, and vines are adjacent to areas designated as a “tidal wetland”). All homeowners have provided permission for PSEG and the TOH to take action. DEC approval is expected in 2 weeks. Therefore, all items in the immediate bucket should be completed by early April. 

4. PSEG stated that short term category issues (expected to be done by mid to late April) are to develop a preliminary list of options including a cost analysis, project timeline, and pros and cons of each option. Current potential options include 

a. Reinforcing the current overhead system 

b. Installing a hybrid system of overhead and underground wires 

c. Installing a completely underground system, and 

d. Taking a more proactive approach to increase response time, if and when an outage occurs (e.g., strategically placing “hero kits” (filled with necessary supplies) along EN Road, using the same crews to respond to issues so that they are familiar with the area and are incented to both fix the current issue and prevent future issues, and using Hobart Beach or EN Firehouse as a staging area). 

5. In the longer-term category, PSEG stated that by the end Q3 2024, EN should experience improved capacity given the installation of three new, underground lines/circuits from the Elwood Substation (near the LIRR tracks on Elwood Road. However, this upgrade will do nothing to enhance the resilience of power provided to EN because the new underground lines only extend three miles from the substation and Bevin Road and the Firehouse are approximately 5 and 6.5 miles, respectively, from the substation. 

6. Currently, all of the electricity to EN is supplied above ground – via wires on poles. If a pole/wire is knocked over/down, the supply of electricity is stopped. Per PSEG, in Suffolk County, three poles A DAY are knocked down due to traffic accidents. 

7. PSEG stated that electricity provision to EN is different from other communities on Long Island because (a) EN does not have a parallel delivery system (both aboveground poles and underground wires) and (b) EN uses a radial (vs. a “loop”) distribution system. 

a. In a radial distribution system, one power source is used to send electricity out from the substation to the service area. The electricity then terminates at a designated endpoint (e.g., end of EN Road). 

b. A “loop” distribution system, as the name implies, allows electricity to loop or circle around the service area before returning to its original point. The loop is usually tied into an alternative power source. By placing switches in strategic locations, the utility can supply power to customers from either direction. If one source of power fails, the provider can automatically or manually switch the power to the other source.  While the loop system is more expensive than the radial because more switches and conductors are required, it is more reliable and outages, if they do occur, are typically shorter. 

8. PSEG noted that there are two underground delivery mechanisms: (a) Direct Burial and (b) Conduit (neither of which EN has) 

a. In a direct burial method, the power lines are buried in the ground. While less costly to install, issues may include vines or tree roots growing into the wires and difficulty “finding” the source of the “fault.” A technician needs to painstakingly walk the line to determine the exact source of the fault. Direct burial wires have an expected life of approximately 30 years. 

b. In the conduit method, the wires are enclosed in a pipe that is buried in the ground. The container protects the wires from water, vines, and burrowing animals. At strategically chosen locations along the pipe, (a) a manhole is created to allow technicians easy access to the wires and (b) an on/off switch is installed so that power can be turned off between the “nodes” where a fault exists. While the conduit method is more expensive to install, it is easier to fix if there’s a problem. ConEd uses the conduit method for NYC. The conduit method, when coupled with a loop distribution system, is highly reliable. 

9. PSEG monitors and records outages. Outages lasting less than 15 seconds are termed “momentary” outages while outages lasting longer than 5 minutes or longer are termed “sustained” outages. 

10. PSEG requested that individual homeowners report their own service problems directly to PSEG rather than rely on one neighborhood representative to do so. When a customer reports an issue (via a phone call, text message or email), PSEG is able to identify the “meter” (house) where the problem is occurring. 

11. PSEG agreed to provide local outage reports over the past 12 months indicating the frequency, duration, and cause of the outages. 

12. PSEG conducts its vegetation management program (tree trimming and vine removal) every 4 years. EN had its trees and vines examined and pruned in 2020. Routine vegetation management activities currently scheduled for 2024 may occur earlier given recent issues. 

13. It is unclear which organization’s budget (TOH, Suffolk County or NYS) would fund any necessary electrical upgrades for EN. However, prior to determining the funding source, PSEG first needs to propose an infrastructure remediation plan for EN and then LIPA needs to approve PSEG’s proposal. 

14. John Ballow stated that local politicians (Brown and Matteo) were unaware that EN was without power for 18 hours until they read about it in Northport Observer. 

Next Meeting 

Next month’s meeting originally scheduled for Friday April 7, 2023, will be held early on Friday, March 31st at 7 pm since April 7 is Good Friday and April 7 occurs during Passover (April 5 to April 13). 

The meeting adjourned at 8:40 pm.