The meeting was held in person from 7:00 pm to 7:40 pm at the Eaton’s Neck Firehouse.
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 (absent)
- Yvonne Lambertson – Assistant Vice President (Technology, Web and Communications)
- Steve Neuf – Assistant Vice President (Engineering and Special Projects)
- Sally Neal – Recording Secretary
- Nancy Reagan – Corresponding Secretary (absent)
Attendance
Approximately 14 members, including officers, were in attendance.
Frank Pasquale’s motion to accept last month’s minutes as posted on the POENB website and in the Changing Tides was seconded and the minutes were approved.
Special Presentation – Don McKay
Don MacKay is running for the Huntington Town Board on the Democratic ticket. Don stated that he is very familiar with Eaton’s Neck and our issues (e.g., electrical power, Bevin Seawall, public safety and maintaining our beautiful beaches) since he grew up on Lemington Court.
Don said that he has worked for the Town of Huntington (TOH) for 20 years and believes that the TOH needs to fully engage with and put “unrelenting pressure on” the Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE) and that, if elected, he will serve as an “outspoken advocate” for Eaton’s Neck/TOH with the ACOE.
He noted the while “Eaton’s Neck Citizens group” has been effective in holding PSEG accountable for the reliability of electrical service provided to the Neck and continues to help educate and advocate for a permanent solution to the failing Bevin Seawall, he does not believe that it is the public’s job to spearhead efforts on public safety. It’s the “job of elected officials” and, to date, in his opinion, these TOH elected officials have not been responsive, proactive, or problem solvers.
Don said that if elected, he would be a strong and consistent advocate for implementing common sense solutions – and sooner rather than later, regarding the Bevin Seawall. He concluded his brief remarks by asking for the vote of Eaton’s Neck residents. The election is Tuesday, November 7th (6 am to 9 pm).
President’s Report – Frank Pasquale
Frank stated that he as well as many others had fun at the Endless Summer Event on September 7th. The picnic bench has been moved back to its typical location and the swings at VG are now operational.
He then provided a brief update on two public safety issues.
- PSEG – EN had not been subject to an electrical power outage for several months until one occurred on Saturday, September 16th. Strong winds resulted in a pole partially collapsing near the 240 section of Asharoken Avenue. Members may receive a survey from PSEG asking them to articulate their satisfaction with PSEG’s response (e.g., communication regarding outage, duration of outage, etc.).
That said, PSEG told the POENB Board and others that it is making good progress on three projects designed to improve the reliability of electrical power to Eaton’s Neck. All three projects (details of which are provided in prior issues of the Changing Tides) are on track for completion by Q1 ‘24.
PSEG has provided additional detail on the status of these efforts on its website. https://www.psegliny.com/reliability/EatonsNeck.
If members have further questions, they are asked to call PSEG Long Island Customer Service at 1-800-490-0025 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
- Bevin Seawall – As discussed previously, the Bevin Seawall is rapidly deteriorating and John Ballow, as Eaton’s Neck representative, is working with multiple impacted stakeholders to:
- Further educate local, state, and federal politicians of the public safety hazards to the 2,000 residents living north of Bevin Road (inability to access fire, police, and health services), and
- Provide a fact base to help politicians (Village of Asharoken (VOA), Town of Huntington (TOH), Suffolk County, and NYS) collaborate with NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and the US Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE) on solutions and funding.
As discussed in last month’s edition of the Changing Tides, the VOA has secured two $1 million grants.
- The first $1 million is an earmark from Sen. Schumer to substantially repair several hundred feet of collapsing sheet steel.
- The second $1 million is a hazard Mitigation Grant to prepare an engineering solution to permanently restore the seawall and the beach.
- Both grants have a local share meaning that VOA (ideally with NYS) must fund $250K of the first $1 million grant and $107,600 of the second $1 million grant.
The VOA believes that a necessary, first step to both access and appropriately use the funds is to issue an RFP (request for proposal) to qualified firms to bid on this engineering design study.
Per the Mayor’s Report for the VOA dated October 3rd, Deputy Mayor Pam Pierce and Mayor Greg Leticia met with Director James Ahrens and Ed Parrish from the Town of Huntington Engineering Department to discuss how the VOA and TOH could work together to create the needed RFPs for the two seawall grants. The TOH shared several sample engineering RFPs with Asharoken that could be used as a template.
VOA Mayor Leticia also met with Tony Zalak from JRH Consulting to explore the type of assistance JRH Consulting could provide the VOA regarding the two seawall grants. JRH was highly recommended by the Village of Northport.
Finally, Mayor Leticia met with Haugland LLC, a major construction company, to get their opinion on the seawall and how to best use the $2,000,000 in grant money. Haugland told the Mayor that in order for the VOA to get substantial funding for a major reconstruction of the seawall area it must first create a comprehensive plan. Haugland also offered to do some drone surveying of the seawall area to help assess how much material will be needed for reconstruction.
After the RFP is issued, bids are obtained, a vendor is selected, and the engineering study to design a permanent solution to ensure the safe and secure access of residents who live beyond the Bevin Seawall is completed, the VOA plans to “re-engage” with the Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE), and the NYS DEC about construction funding and responsibilities.
Treasurer’s Report – Ryan Schaefer-Walker (on behalf of Anthony Fusaro)
Ryan provided highlights from the Income Statement for the period January 1, 2023 to October 5, 2023 and three Balance Sheet line items as of October 5, 2023.
While income from beach usage, membership, social events, and watercraft spaces were robust and in line with prior years, net income decreased from the prior period given expected increases in seasonal beach expenses (e.g., split rail fence at PB, new beach security camera at PB, Partí Gras, Endless Summer, the 4th of July parade and utilities).
Income Statement
Income
Beach Usage/Rental Fees $840.29
Changing Tides Ads $0.00
Interest Income – Bank 0.07
Membership Dues
Senior $20,666.72
Standard 31,542.99
Total $52,209.71
Social Events
4th July $935.00
Parti Gras 4,935.82
Endless Summer $1,630.00
Total $7,510.82
Watercraft Income $638.50
Total Income $61,199.39
Expenses
Bank Charges & Fees $60.00
Beach Expenses 13,811.51
Beach Improvements 6,604.29
Beach Security Expense 3,471.89
Changing Tides Expense 2,515.94
Meeting Expenses 10.85
PayPal Fees 921.71
QuickBooks Payments Fees 16.74
NY State Sales Tax 26.67
Social Expenses
4th July Parade $1,500.00
Egg Hunt 490.70
Endless Summer 2273.42
Parti Gras 4,280.23
Total Social Expenses 8,544.35
Software/Website Expenses 362.09
Utilities
Prices Bend $267.67
Valley Grove 157.61
Total $425.28
Total Expenses $36,771.32
Net Income $24,428.07
Balance Sheet Items as of October 5, 2023
- Operating checking account balance $ 40,737.59
- Beach Infrastructure Fund checking account balance 2,000.00
- 50/50 Savings account balance 640.14
- PayPal Bank 1,094.80
- Petty Cash 200.00
- Total Cash $44,672.53
Other Business
Watercraft – Yvonne Lamberston
Yvonne reminded members that 2024 is a re-assignment year. That means that all existing watercraft must be removed from the beaches no later than December 1st. All watercraft spots will be re-assigned in 2024. The assignment period is two years.
Social Events – Ryan Schaefer Walker
The annual Halloween Parade is scheduled to occur on Friday, October 28 at 12 noon. The parade is expected to start and end at the Fire House. After the parade, pizza and soft drinks will be served and members of the ENFD will provide a fire safety educational event. Please see the POENB website (POENB.org) for additional details.
On Thanksgiving Day, POENB will host the annual “Turkey Trot.” The course is approximately 3 miles long, starts and ends at the firehouse, and includes a loop around Hobart Beach and past Price’s Bend beach. While some participants run, others walk, stroll, or even ride bikes. All are welcome to join in this event, prior to enjoying the rest of their Thanksgiving Day. The tart time, exact course and other details will be posted on the POENB website and in the November edition of the Changing Tides.
New Business
Beach Maintenance – Steve Neuf and Frank Pasquale
There was a spirited discussion about the need for continued improvements at both Price’s Bend and Valley Grove as well as the need to use 3rd party contractors to make these repairs and improvements rather than rely on POENB volunteers.
Potential repairs/improvements at Price’s Bend
- Complete the split rail fence. As discussed in prior issues of the Changing Tides, approximately one-half of the fence was replaced and the remaining fence was bolstered with salvageable wood removed from the “new fence” area. A well maintained fence is important because it (a) mark the confines of the POENB property (and may prevent potential encroachment from neighboring properties), (b) improves the aesthetics of the beach, and (c) acts as a security barrier.
There was a disagreement as to whether the remainder of the PB fence needed to be replaced. Some argued that it still had a sufficient amount of useful life while others believed it needed to be replaced in 2024.
- Relocate and update the showering and rinsing facilities. The current shower and hose are in an inconvenient location. It is not close to the parking lot and it is surrounded by sand, weeds and poison ivy. Potential future improvements include (a) installing a new cement slab for the shower, (b) updating the shower enclosure, (c) moving the location of the facility.
- Determine the nature, extent and timing of the landscaping required and more pro-actively ensure that the requirements are routinely met by 3rd party providers.
Potential repairs/improvements at VG
- Fix, replace or reinforce the wobbly steps leading down to the beach.
- Install a security camera at VG – similar to the one at Price’s Bend
- Determine the nature, extent and timing of the landscaping required and more pro—actively ensure that the requirements are routinely met by 3rd party providers.
These suggested improvements led to the following discussions and comments
- PB and VG are two different facilities with different maintenance and improvement requirements. PB is a traditional beach property while VG is a beach and garden (more grass and plants). As a result, POENB should separately, and more specifically, describe the landscaping activities needed and the quality thresholds desired for each facility.
- Given the number of potential improvements that could be made, it may be useful to conduct another member survey to help prioritize and plan beach improvement projects at both beaches. This survey will also help the Board better estimate 2024 member dues and beach improvement budgets.
- As described in the POENB by-laws, there are five permanent committees: (1) Membership, (2) Beach, (3) Planning and Zoning, (4) Social Activities, and (5) Nominating. Committee Chairs are responsible for overseeing the quality of the services provided by 3rd party vendors and determining that POENB is getting value for money.
- Frank Pasquale noted that currently POENB does not have a Beach Chair for Price’s Bend. That means that in the recent past, one or more members of the Board had to perform some of the Beach Chair’s duties while other Beach Chair duties were not performed (given Board Member’s time and attention considerations).
- Given that POENB’s runs a net surplus, there should be money available to make improvements.
- Historically, POENB has relied heavily on volunteers for leading public safety and security issues, maintaining the beaches (spring clean ups), building/repairing boat racks, and executing multiple financial, administrative, communication and social activities. However, several people stated that this “all volunteer” force, specifically for physically intensive labor projects (beach clean ups, maintaining boat racks) is no longer feasible. Additionally, as with other not-for-profit organizations, POENB often relies on less than 20% of the members to conduct 90% of the volunteer activities. Therefore, members stated that POENB needs to transition selected activities from volunteers to paid, 3rd party contractors.
Eaton’s Neck Watch Group (ENWG) – Phil Cuiffo
ENWG is continuing to meet with various TOH (Parks and Recreation) and Suffolk County (SCPD) officials about activities at and around Hobart Beach.
Hobart issues identified previously include (1) persons casting fishing lines very close to where people were swimming, (2) surf cast fishing in the bird sanctuary area, (3) non-TOH residents using Hobart (e.g., both a NYS driver’s license and car registration with a TOH address not or selectively enforced), (4) individuals parking and sleeping in their cars overnight on streets near Hobart Beach, and (5) a dearth of garbage cans.
Both the TOH Park Rangers and SCPD have been making routine patrols to and around Hobart Beach. Members are asked to call 911 if they see any unusual and suspicious activity. SCPD will make a judgment call as to which agency/PD force and how soon the issue should be investigated.
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:40pm. The next meeting is scheduled for November 3rd.
