How Fair Harbor Works
The purpose of this page is to describe to Fair Harbor owners and renters the various government and private institutions that have a role in the care and maintenance of our community. Hopefully this will help explain why some things seem to work while other matters seem to be beyond anyone's control. This page will focus on the organizations that provide local services.
Fair Harbor is a hamlet in the town of Islip, as is Kismet, and Dunewood. Our freedom to act on local matters is based on Islip’s willingness to delegate limited authority to local officials. All police authority is the responsibility of Suffolk County (Suffolk County Police Marine Bureau), and local laws are completely controlled by the town.
There are no special Fire Island or Fair Harbor laws or rules. However there are some Town of Islip laws which directly affect Fair Harbor; no fires on the beach, no open liquor on the docks or walks, no garbage pickup before 6:30 AM, no construction on weekends, etc. However we are still in a very different position than Saltaire or Ocean Beach which are incorporated villages with a real local government. Understanding this fact is critical to understanding all that follows.
Except for Police protection, which is the responsibility of Suffolk County, we are entitled to the full range of municipal services, which Islip provides to its mainland residents. In practice this is not the case, Islip has always minimized its support for Fire Island probably because in Fair Harbor as an example while there are over 400 homes there are very few voters registered to vote in Islip elections.
What has happened is that whenever a purely local need has occurred Islip has allowed Fair Harbor and other communities to establish special taxing districts which may levy property taxes on local property, and use the monies raised for specific local activities.
In some cases local residents have an active role in directing these activities, in other cases the districts operations are completely controlled by Islip, which then looks to the local community for informal direction and advice. In some cases Islip appoints a deputy commissioner after consulting with the community. The deputy commissioner has a major role in determining spending priorities, for the district but the final authority remains with the commissioner who is appointed by the Islip town board.
What follows is a description of these special districts, and the various Fair Harbor community organizations which provide other services to the community. Currently Fair Harbor has the following taxing districts; Fire, Garbage, Water, Beach Erosion, Lifeguards, Medical and Dock. In addition the following private organizations exist in Fair Harbor; Community Association, Events Committee, Swim Club and Yacht Club.
Note that all of the officers and members of the organizations described in this page get no monetary compensation. They work for free and work hard for the good of the community.
Taxing Districts
Fair Harbor Fire District
Was established in 1931 and is responsible for providing the facilities necessary for fire protection in Fair Harbor. Dunewood and Lonelyville each has its own Fire district, but they have reached an agreement which results in contributions to the Fair Harbor Fire District in return for fire coverage.
Our district has five commissioners elected by Fair Harbor registered voters. Each commissioner services for five years, and the terms are staggered, so each year one commissioner is up for election. There are roughly 70 registered voters in Fair Harbor. Although there is a provision in the law for absentee ballots the district has not implemented it so voters must vote in person in the December election. The district provides free ferry service and lunch as an accommodation to the off island voters. There is a chairman selected by the commissioners, and they also appoint a secretary and a treasurer. Decisions are made by a majority of the commissioners. The commissioners need not be members of the Fire department.
The Fire District owns both the new firehouse and the old firehouse (community center). It also owns all the bay front land east of the ferry dock to the second jetty, which makes up the bay beaches, the playground, and sail boat area. It also owns land west of the town dock, which is used for the wagon stand. In addition it owns a small piece of land Central Walk and Elm. The district has no debt.
The district buys and owns all of the fire fighting equipment used by the Fair Harbor Fire Department. The district is responsible for the maintenance of all equipment, both firehouses, and insurance coverage for all building and equipment.
The Fire District is not subject to oversight or control by the Town of Islip. It has the power to raise or lower taxes, and to spend the money raised in any manner that can be represented as being part of its charter as set forth in the state statutes. It is the only district with no direct Town of Islip oversight and control. It is the single most powerful entity in Fair Harbor.
Fair Harbor Fire Department
This is a volunteer department, which was established by the Fire District in 1931 and provides fire protection for Fair Harbor and Dunewood and Lonelyville per the agreements made between the various fire districts. It has a Chief and three Assistant Chiefs elected by the members of the department. The Fire District must approve the choice of Chief, and must approve any changes to the bylaws of the department.
The organization is open to anyone who is willing to devote the time necessary to become a trained fire fighter. The organization also has a woman's auxiliary which raises money via a variety of events (pancake breakfast, etc). The department gets no direct financial support from The Town of Islip.
Fair Harbor Garbage District
This district is responsible for garbage collection in Fair Harbor. There are no elected Fair Harbor commissioners and the Town of Islip controls the district. Every three years the contract for collection is put out for public bids. The terms of this contract (# of collections, days of the week, etc) are subject to comments by Fair Harbor residents. Tony’s Barge currently holds the collection contract.
Fair Harbor Water District
This district is now a part of the Suffolk County Water District. The district owns two properties in Fair Harbor. One on the southeast corner of Central and Cranberry; this property has a building, which contains the well head for our water supply. They also own the brick pump house in front of the old Firehouse, which houses the secondary pump.
Although we get our bills from the Brentwood Water District, which is another Islip water district, this is simply an artifact of history.
Dock District
This district owns and maintains the public dock. This is not the dock used by the ferry service. The ferry company owns the ferry dock. This district has a deputy commissioner who is proposed by Fair Harbor residents. In addition there is a dock master who is responsible for the day to day operation of the dock. Note that the public dock is not available to boaters on an overnight basis, and can only to be used by boaters for temporary docking. Repairs and maintenance of the dock are paid for by a bond issue, which is repaid by local taxes.
Islip Life Guard District
The town of Islip established a district, which is responsible for providing lifeguard service to all of the Islip town beaches on Fire Island. This includes; Fair Harbor, Kismet, Atlantique, Dunewood and part of Seaview. It does not include Lonelyville (which has no life guards) or Saltaire and Ocean Beach (which supply their own). There is no deputy commissioner. This district owns no land in any community. This district hires the lifeguards and supplies them with all equipment necessary to insure the safe use of our beaches.
Fair Harbor/Dunewood Medical District
This district is responsible for providing seasonal medical coverage for Fair Harbor and Dunewood. It has a deputy commissioner. It owns land adjacent to the old firehouse (east) which consists of the doctor's residence, and the building used as the doctor’s office. This district is responsible for hiring doctors and defining their skill set, responsibilities and schedules. It also supports tick and mosquito control activities.
Beach Erosion Control District
This is the most recently established district; it was founded in 1991 to maintain the existing dune system. Its role was expanded as a result of the storms in 1992 to include repair as well as maintenance of the beach and dunes. It is responsible for creating and maintaining the dune area.
The district has a deputy commissioner appointed for a two-year term. It also has a local advisor board of four members. The deputy commissioner and the local board have primary responsibility for evaluating alternatives for protecting the dunes.
Private Organizations
Fair Harbor Community Association
A predecessor organization, the Fair Harbor Property Owners Association was formed in 1932. The current organization was established in 1977 and attempts to represent all Fair Harbor residents in dealing with the town of Islip, and also supports community activities, which are outside of the direct responsibilities of the districts. The FHCA is very active in the maintenance and management of the bay beach area. The FHCA also publishes a biannual directory.
Any Fair Harbor resident or renter may join the association. The organization has a board of 8 members and a Chairman who is responsible for administrative functions. Board members are elected for three-year terms.
The FHCA owns no land, and has no official governmental role and cannot establish or enforce any laws. It has however played a key role in organizing the community, and the establishment of many of the special districts was the result of FHCA activities. The Town of Islip looks to the FHCA to make recommendations when appointing deputy commissioners for the special districts.
Fair Harbor Events Committee
This organization was established in 1988 and is responsible for the Bay beach, and for summer movies held in the old firehouse. The Fire District provides access to the bay area (playground and beach) for use of Fair Harbor residents. The Committee is responsible for equipping the beach, and maintenance of the wind surfing area. The organization raises funds from rental of sailboat privileges on the bay beach, and donations from the FHCA
Fair Harbor Swim Club
A Fair Harbor volunteer runs the swim club. The club uses fees from swimming lessons to hire the instructors and arranges the class schedules. It also oversees the bay beach lifeguards. Every child in Fair Harbor can make use of this instruction at minimal cost. Note that the Islip Life Guard District has nothing to do with the Fair Harbor Bay beach.
Fair Harbor Yacht Club
This organization was established in 1955 and is responsible for the private boat dock west of the Fair Harbor dock. The organization is open to all Fair Harbor property owners who have boats. Membership is limited to 38, the number of available slips. The organization owns the dock, and the land on which it is built. It is solely responsible for the maintenance of these facilities. The organization has a Commodore who is elected by the members and acts as the administrator for the club. The membership fee is $150/year. There is roughly a five-year waiting list for slips.
Observations
As you can see there are a number of organizations both official and unofficial which have a role in providing services and maintaining Fair Harbor as a viable community. It is clear that we depend on the good will and competence of the Town of Islip for many of our services. Some services such as sidewalk repair and brush control remain the direct responsibility of the Town of Islip and all we can do as individuals and as a community is demand that these services be provided in a timely and efficient manner.
The Town of Islip has been more than willing to allow Fair Harbor to establish special taxing districts for whatever purpose we choose. Over the years Fair Harbor has been able to address most of it's problems through a combination of public and private organizations and will continue to do so in the future.
When new problems occur it is sometimes difficult to determine which of the existing organizations can (the districts have fairly strict charters) or should (private organizations with limited membership should not have to support services which affect everyone in the community) deal with the problem. This sometimes makes it appear that nothing is being accomplished. Unfortunately this is the reality of our peculiar form of semi government, and is unlikely to change.