HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/22/2005
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Fishers Island Civic Association
Winter Quarterly Meeting
January 22, 2005
1 :00 pm at the Fishers Island School
Heather Burnham, President of FICA, called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone to the
meeting, despite the weather conditions. She announced that Southold Supervisor Josh Horton would be
coming to Fishers for a meeting on February 4th. If anyone wants any information on his visit, please
contact Mere Harr at the Island Office. She then handed the floor to Di Shillo for an IHP update.
Di Shillo was speaking on behalf of the Island Health Project and their Board. She announced that IHP
has decided to start searching for another doctor after September 2005 with the assistance of Sound
Medical in Groton. Dr. Hand's contract expires in September and will not be renewed. IHP is grateful
to Dr. Hand for all that he has done for the Island and they look forward to working with him throughout
the summer. She then updated the group on the new doctor's office project. She stated that the building
was granted approval by the Suffolk County Health Dept. and Zoning Board. They still need Planning
Board approval and then they can apply to the Building Dept. for their permit. Allie Reardon will attend
the February 14th Planning Board meeting and will submit the building design to the Architectural
Review Committee and will be available for questions on behalf ofIHP. Di said that it is still too early
to give an estimated time line but they are headed in the right direction and will keep the community
posted as they move forward. She then thanked everyone and asked that any comments and questions
be sent to Kandi or Susie. Di can provide that contact info.
. Heather welcomed John Spofford-Chairman, Island Community Board (lCB) to the podium to present
recent activities of the Community Board. He reported that the ICB has been meeting regularly on the
first Friday of each month and the attendance has been pretty good. Having the opportunity for these
different organizations to come together and sit around a table once a month has been beneficial and
educational for everyone involved. ICB has created a newsletter, The Fog Horn and has been working
on an updated island website. The newsletter will be placed at various locations around the island on a
monthly basis and was also available at this meeting. It will be included with the minutes of this
meeting for those off island. He mentioned that Mere Harr would be presenting more details on these
efforts later in the meeting. Another issue that the ICB has been working on is exploring the possibility
of a health insurance plan for the Island. John has been working with someone in New London on
setting up a group policy for the Island. He added that the more people in the group, the better. John
brought everyone's attention to the newly written ICB election process. A more detailed outline can be
found in the newsletter and will be eventually posted on the website.
Comment: Dr. Hand mentioned that many of the summer employees that come to the Island without
insurance. He said that without insurance the bills could be bad. Some seasonal employees come with
school insurance, which is often not enough. He thinks that when the clubs and others are hiring they
should look into the insurance plans of their employees. John said that was a good idea and that they
will follow up with the clubs and see what they can do to address this issue.
Comment: Bobby Brooks asked when is the deadline for this insurance? When would this be made
available? -John said that several more months are likely needed to get this to get set up. He then asked
for any help or tips that people may have.
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Comment: Pierce Rafferty asked whether anyone with existing plans has shown him theirs so they could
compare plans? - John said that he had been collecting plans. They have looked at Z&S's plan and
several self-employed individuals' as well.
Comment: Dr. Hoch asked if this would include supplemental insurance? -John assured her that, yes,
the plan will hopefully be a full tilt plan with prescription benefits, supplemental insurance, etc.
Comment: Pat Schiestl asked when and how will they get the word out and will there be numbers to go
with? -John said that the insurance woman he has been working with would be coming out to the Island
for a meeting or series of meetings after they get the concept solidified. Additional details will be made
public as he learns them. More information will be in coming issues of the newsletter as well.
John then concluded by thanking everyone for their attention and comments and handed the floor to
Mere Harr to make an announcement about the newsletter and website.
Mere referred to the mission of the Island Community Board as the primary reason that the newsletter
has been created. There is an obvious need to share current information. The newly launched
newsletter is called The Fog Horn and will provide updates on the successes of the ICB and other Island
organizations, as well as include a monthly island calendar. The first issue is available to everyone at
the meeting. Future issues will be mailed out to those off island as well. The name of the newsletter
was chosen with the help of the school kids. She stresses that this is a first attempt and that the hope is
to solicit input and help from the community to strengthen future issues. The newsletter addresses
ICB's goals of better communication and easier exchange of information. This also ties into the new
Fishers Island website. Additional information can be found in The Fog Horn, but what is happening is
that the Utility Company is upgrading their Internet service by switching Internet providers to a
company in Groton. This change will hopefully bring a better service to the Island and with that will
also come a new front page for fishersisland.net. Mere thanked Andrew Benkard for his pro bono work
for the ICBIFICA and his design of a new and more functional home page for the Island. When the
service provider changes happen, the new website will go live. Eventually the newsletter will be made
available on this site and there will continue to be other improvements to make it more usable and fresh.
Mere asked for questions and getting none, handed the floor back to Heather. Heather then introduced
Sara McLean for an update from the Community Center Committee.
Sara took the floor and stated that she would be speaking on behalf of Chairwoman, Judi Imbriglio and
the rest of the Community Center Committee. The Community Center project has evolved from the
initial discussion of a new building to currently looking at a renovation project with several potential
locations. She mentioned that there is a good summary on the project in The Fog Horn. The committee
is exploring the possible use of Building 98, which could include moving the bowling alley along with
the basic elements already defined as needs for the Center. This could eventually give a campus feel to
the greater school area. She also mentioned that some consideration is being given to the use of the
movie theater building as well.
Comment: Jack Hand asked ifthe group had considered the air quality issues in the movie theater. He
said that there are mold and bird dropping problems. He said he had asked the building inspector from
the Southold Health Department to come inspect it, but they had never made it out here. He said that the
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status of that needs to be considered. -Sara agreed and stated that it would be looked into before any
decisions were made.
Comment: John Spofford added to the discussion that the Committee is having Chandler, Palmer and
King come to Fishers and help them come up with some ballpark figures on the renovations of both the
Movie Theater and Building 98. Any and all existing problems with the two buildings will be addressed
in these estimates. These numbers will help guide the next steps. The committee is aware that either
project will be expensive to undertake.
Comment: Di Shillo asked what the parking situation would be like at Building 98? -Sara responded
that the basketball/tennis court area across the street that the school owns could be used if the school and
the Town decide that they are too much trouble to maintain which has been an ongoing issue.
Comment: Louisa Evans added that the Town is looking to relocate the tennis courts because they were
built on top of some old slabs and those slabs move each year with the freeze/thaw cycle creating the
need to continually resurface. She added that the school owns the land on which they sit and the Town
rents that and maintains the courts. She knows that the Town would rather move them than continue to
repair them and suggests that the committee look into this.
Sara thanked everyone for their attention and comments and handed the floor back. Heather announced
that Chippy was unable to make the meeting due to the weather and moved on to the next agenda item,
an update on the school from Jeanne Schultz, school superintendent.
Jeanne Schultz began with a report on the school construction project that has been going on since the
fall. They are a few weeks behind schedule and still have final punch lists and clean up. The earliest
Math and English can move in is the last weekend of January and Science the following weekend. The
new space will be available for the community to view at an open house after all is complete. She then
reported that the N.Y. State Regents exams and Midterms are next week. Last year's regents and
assessments came out very well and the school graduated six seniors, all of whom were accepted into
their first choice college (Rochester Inst. of Technology; Johns Hopkins; Penn State; Fisher College;
Boston and U Conn). This year the school has four seniors, two who are already accepted into the
college of their choice. In addition, two students were recently accepted into the National Honor
Society. Jeanne reported next that Mr. Fitzgerald, the Music Director will be retiring in June and that
everyone should make an effort to attend the school's spring concert, spring musical and graduation to
see him off and wish him well. Some of the special projects for this fall included Project Oceanology,
Cross Country, Basketball and the CT Science Fair. Grades K-12 were all involved in a music event
that was sponsored by Island Concerts and IPP. These groups are also sponsoring a literature/theater
event for the fifth and sixth grades that will culminate in an evening program at the school on February
10. Cynthia Riley has been instrumental in providing these programs. Jeanne noted that with
everything that has been going on in Cynthia's life, she still has managed to help Island kids and
thanked her for her work. She reported on the activities of Mr. Weil' s construction classes including a
skate board ramp, a robotic monkey with help from James Hall, and a skateboard building project as
well. Lastly, she reported that the PTO has been very successful and active under the leadership of Gail
Cypherd. They have started milk and hot lunch programs that are welcomed by parents and students.
She closed by stating that the school is humming and there is an ongoing focus on student academics
and opportunities.
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Heather thanked Jeanne and invited Jack Hand to make his statements.
Dr. Hand approached the group and referred to Di Shillo's earlier statements regarding his contract with
IHP. He mentioned that without Kandi and Susie there, he felt uncomfortable but would take this
opportunity to tell his side of the story. Heather reminded him and the whole room that IHP will be
given the opportunity to respond via an attachment to the FICA minutes. Dr. Hand thought that a public
discussion in May might be better and Heather pointed out that either way, their responses would be
captured in the minutes if they so desire.
Dr. Hand said that as far as he knew the decision to not renew his contract had been made via a
telephone poll and not at a regular meeting. Sara McLean corrected him and Di Shillo backed her up in
saying that this decision was concluded upon after several full meetings of the IHP Board. Dr. Hand had
not heard this. He then presented his list of issues that he thought were considered unsatisfactory about
him by the IHP Board.
1. IHP had asked him to take over the running of the EMTs (both the clinical and
administrative aspects) and he wouldn't. He cited the 'Field Medical Director'
designation offered by the State of New York as a designation that is available to any
doctor, but few have it and it is not legally required. He said he has grave reservations
that a doctor you can hire at Sound Medical and here should be running an EMT
program. There are also malpractice problems that could arise for him, IHP, and
Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
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2. IHP asked for extended summer hours and he disagreed with these additions on the basis
that the same number of people he could serve within present hours of operations (9-12,
six days a week in the summer) would be distributed throughout the day. IHP suggested
adding the hours of2-5pm, six days a week to his schedule. He felt that this would be
superfluous, because he could see 15-18 people in the morning hours, or 15-18 people all
day, they would just schedule differently based on his hours of operations. He noted that
part of the charm of working/living here is the ability to do whatever he likes in the
afternoons and be available for emergencies.
3. IHP wanted him to keep regular (winter) business hours on Tuesdays and Wednesday
afternoons after he returns from Sound Medical. Again, he felt this would be superfluous
and that on the occasion that someone has requested service on these days in the past they
have been seen. As far as he knew there has never been an emergency that was not seen.
4. He said that a week before his most recent contract was to be signed, IHP asked him to
take a $10,000 pay cut. He said that Kandi and Susie suggested that IHP was in financial
difficulty. Dr. Hand said that this was unacceptable. He said he was then asked to defer
payment of this money until the end of his contract in order to collect bank interest on it.
He stated that he has the money now and is glad that he got it when he did.
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5. Dr. Hand next cited a conversation he had in a meeting in late November with IHP Board
member, Dr. Marc Rubenstein. He stated Dr. Rubenstein asked him how old he was and
long he intended to keep working before he retired. He responded he was 68 and his wife
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was 66 and if his good health continued, he would probably work till 70 or 72. He said
that Dr. Rubenstein made a comment to the effect of; "That may not work into our
plans". Dr. Hand speculated this was potentially subtle age discrimination. He said that
if it were, it would have to be adjudicated.
Dr. Hand continued his comments by referring to his statements made at a recent Senior Luncheon,
where he asked the attendees if they had been consulted about this. He said that he is the primary care
physician for many of the elderly people on Fishers. He indicated that he enjoys working with the
people on the Island and feels that this relationship has been a good doctor/patient relationship. He
addressed a few miscellaneous comments next. He wanted the record clear that he did not request the
present house he lives in. Its purchase was an independent decision by IHP as an attraction to any island
doctor in the future. Then he commented on the weekends he works and stated that this is the most he
has worked since his internship. He added that the Board would have a hard time finding a full time
doctor who would want to work this schedule. Finally, he asked that all comments for Kandi, Susie or
himself be put in the mail. He said that he was coming to terms with this decision, although he felt that
this had come out of the blue on the 15th of December. He also hoped that he could continue to have
good relationships with the Island until he leaves in September. He thanked everyone and sat down.
Comments: Cynthia Riley stated that Dr. Hand was their primary care physician and that with
Ed's health this change does not occur at a good time for them. She thanked him for his good
work.
Miggie Bryan said that Dr. Hand was generous with his time and visits the elderly at their
homes, not a lot of Doctors do that.
Di Shillo also added that Dr. Hand was her family's primary care physician and that he had done
a good job. This was not an easy decision to make.
Stella Travers said that Dr. Hand was responsible for saving both her and her husband's lives and
that they were both very happy with him and sad to see him go.
With no more questions, Heather Burnham thanked everyone for their attendance and there being
no further questions, the meeting was adjourned at I :50 pm.
Respectfully submitted.
Meredith Harr, Secretary
Fishers Island Civic Association
January 22, 2005
NOTICE OF REGULAR QUARTERLY MEETING:
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A Regular Quarterly Meeting of Member of Fishers Island Civic Association will be held at 4:00 pm on
Saturday, May 28, 2005 at the Fishers Island School.
FISHERS ISLAND CIVIC ASSOCIATION
P.O. BOX464
FISHERS ISLAND, NY 06390
TELIFAX 631-788-7990
E-MAIL: ticivicassoc(aJ.tishersisland.net
MEETING MINUTES -January 22, 2005
PLEASE NOTE:
FICA'S NEXT QUARTERLY MEETING WILL BE
SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2005
AT THE FISHERS ISLAND SCHOOL AT 4:00 P.M.