Click 
to view the entire meeting or click any video icon below to jump to that section of the meeting.
New Shoreham Town Council Meeting
Town Hall, 16 Old Town Road, Block Island
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
4:00 PM
Present: First Warden Keith Stover, Second Warden Nancy Dodge, Town Council members Margaret O’Neill, William McCombe, and Tristan Payne. Also present were Town Manager Amy Land, and via Zoom, Town Solicitor James Callaghan. Town Clerk/Director of Administration Millicent Highet was present for the recording of minutes.
First Warden Stover called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.
1. Receive summer wrap up from Harbors, Police, Public Works, and Recreation
Summer updates were presented.
· Harbors – Harbormaster Kate McConville reported the following:
o Block Island was awarded “Best Harbor in the US” for a second year in a row.
o The department lost four core staff members, making this year a growth year.
o Old Harbor Dock Master Josh Moore did great job this year, as he’s done over the past 15 years.
o The weather incident of July 3rd was the most significant event of the summer. The team did a great job. There were no injuries, but a lot of repairs needed.
o There were two noise complaints in New Harbor, and one noise complaint in Old Harbor.
o 22 notices of violation were issued by the department: 4 for shellfishing, and 18 for speeding etc.
o The patrol boat had a transmission problem that put it out of commission for the summer. It will be up and running for the spring.
o The summer office is in the shack. There are a lot of competing needs. She asked that the Harbors facility not be placed on the back burner.
o Planning for the New Harbor dredging project will take place this fall, with dredging taking place next fall.
o Old Harbor dredging is the biggest issue. She is hoping to piggyback on the Ballard’s Marina dredge, and is currently working on costs.
o Required upgraded electrical pedestals in Old Harbor are being replaced a few at a time, year over year.
o Shellfishing is extremely busy. The Shellfish Wardens this year were seasoned, having worked in the job over four years. Shellfishing warnings usually educate and alleviate problems.
o The Shellfish Commission is very active.
o The Harbors Committee is reviewing the Harbor Management Plan.
o She is requesting 2 new street lights and cameras for Old Harbor.
· Police – Police Chief Paul Deane reported the following:
o It was a busy summer of visitors displaying mostly good behavior.
o There were five full-time and one part-time community service officers. He spread them out between Old Harbor, Bridgegate Square and New Harbor.
o A Block Island School senior will be doing an internship with the department as part of their senior project.
o Dispatch has been terribly short staffed, down two, with only three dispatchers left. The staff has been phenomenal, covering all hours. CSO’s even pitched in to do some dispatch.
o They will be training a summer/shoulder season dispatcher.
o A new full-time year-round dispatcher will begin next week, though they are still short-staffed.
o Phil Trudell the new full-time year-round Officer, had his first training summer.
o Joe DeMatteo has been picking up extra duties and responsibilities in the department. Tom Pernell has been strong and consistent, with night patrol over many years.
o Seasonal Officers are extremely had to find.
o There were no major incidents on July 4th, even with the large underage beach party. Strategies will be implemented next year to deter to underage partiers.
o There were two major events: the plane crash and the house explosion. Fire and Rescue volunteers are extremely responsive, skilled and professional.
o Summer calls for service have trended down from last year.
o There were six arrests, down from previous years.
o The parking fee software program was implemented at the beginning of August. The online payment worked beautifully.
o There were 21 moped crash reports.
o Establishments with outdoor entertainment licenses worked very well with the police.
o Open containers and general behavior are trending in the right direction.
o There was one low-speed vehicle (LSV) accident. There have been no other problems with LSV. Families are choosing LSVs rentals over mopeds.
· Public Works – Public Works Director Michael Shea reported the following:
o The road crew is down to two employees. The staff takes a lot of pride and care in the work that they do.
o He pitched in and helped with the Highways Department when he could, to help with the short staffing.
o July 4th was the largest cleanup with 3000 lbs. of trash.
o Early morning cleanup takes place on the beaches, bluffs, and downtown with no major issues.
o The Town maintains the bluff area for the DEM. There were multiple repairs on the stairs from wear and tear.
o There are plans for upcoming DEM conversations regarding the bluff area: stairs, beach access, etc.
o Mansion Beach bathrooms have been getting exponential use. They were upgraded with an extra solar panel and batteries. The pump burnt out and was replaced. A second pump will be added.
o With such a dry summer, the need for mowing and washout cleanup and repair were minimal.
o It is difficult getting anything done with the crowds. All work must be completed in the early morning hours.
o Garbage at the transfer station in July and August is at max capacity. There is no room for a breakdown or complication. 1300 tons of trash was shipped in 100 trips in July and August. The composting program is going very well.
o The Thomas property housing consumed many hours to get it completed by summer end.
o There was a water leak on Connecticut Avenue requiring ripping up the new pavement. The area will be repaved while Lynch is here this week.
o The road cuts on West Side Road at the O’Brien property will also be repaved this week.
o Cemetery: the Cenotaph monument was installed in June; there were 16 interments between June and August.
o He has been working with GZA on the Corn Neck Road project and with Safe Streets for All.
· Recreation – Recreation Director Dave Sniffen reported the following:
o This was the busiest summer at the Town beach, due to the beautiful weather in July and August.
o There were seven lifeguards on staff throughout the season.
o Camp Block Island was busy.
o Soccer Camp had 47 attendees over 2 sessions.
o The water exercise program was very successful.
o The adult summer leagues included softball, soccer, and beach volleyball.
o A soccer tournament was held bringing teams from the mainland and island teams together.
o The triathlon had 480 participants, selling out year after year.
o His Capital Budget includes replacement or refurbishment of the Ball O’Brien Park playground equipment.
o Looking at the cost of maintaining the Heinz Field baseball field vs. the use it is getting, as there has not been a baseball program at the school in a number of years.
Amy Land and the Town Council thanked the department heads and their staff for all of their hard work.
2. Discuss deer hunting:
a. Mitigation strategies suggested by the DEM:
i. Deer counts
ii. Weekend/ holiday hunting
iii. Expansion of the season
iv. Bounty amounts
v. Simplifying local regulations (Police sign-off, land-owner permission)
vi. Opening Town and/or conservation land
Deer mitigations strategies were discussed. Joe Loya, representing BIRA, stated that the Town should embrace some of the mitigation strategies, such as weekend hunting, to show good faith.
Chris Blane suggested bringing a refrigerator truck to the island for the hunting season, using a Lyme Disease vaccine on deer and increasing the bounty for a doe to $200. He spoke against allowing weekend hunting.
Heather Hatfield explained that Martha’s Vinyard has started a pilot program to introduce genetically modified mice that cannot carry Lyme and would potentially break the cycle.
Mr. McCombe spoke adamantly against broad weekend hunting. He stated that he would be in favor of a managed weekend hunt.
b. Items to pursue with the DEM: baiting, driven hunts, sharp-shooting
Mr. Stover explained that he believes the prevalence of Lyme Disease and Alpha Gal Syndrome to be public health issue and extreme measures should be pursued to reduce or eliminate the deer herd. He suggested closing off areas on weekends for baiting or a driven hunt. He noted that it would require a significant ongoing effort and sacrifice. He suggested meeting with the Department of Health, the DEM and possibly seeking legislation to give the Town leeway and flexibility to reduce the herd. Ms. Dodge stated that the Council has been dealing with the deer population as a public health issue for thirty years. Ms. O’Neill spoke in favor of working toward elimination.
Police Chief Deane, who is an avid hunter, explained that deer management, sponsored by DEM, is not working and elimination needs to be sought. Joe Loya representing BIRA spoke in favor of elimination.
It was suggested that legislation be sought for Block Island to manage deer.
Mr. Payne made a motion to adjourn at 5:40 p.m. The motion was seconded by Ms. Dodge and carried.
Ayes: 5 (Stover, Dodge, O’Neill, Payne, McCombe) Nays: 0
Millicent Highet, MMC
Town Clerk
Date Approved: November 17, 2025