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 focuses 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 that 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 that 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 can 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 that 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 receive no monetary compensation. As volunteers, they work for free and work hard for the good of the community.

Taxing Districts

Fair Harbor Fire District
The FH 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 their own Fire District, but they have reached an agreement that 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 serves for a term of five years, and the terms are staggered, so each year one commissioner is up for election or re-election. There are roughly 70 – 150 registered voters in Fair Harbor and recently, the FH Fire District has allowed registered voters to vote by absentee ballots for their 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 beach, 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 FH Fire 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 buildings 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
The FHFD is a volunteer department, established by the Fire District in 1931, to provide fire protection for Fair Harbor, and to Dunewood and Lonelyville per the agreements made between the various fire districts. It has a Chief and three Assistant Chiefs who are 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 FHFD is open to anyone who is willing to devote the time necessary to become a trained fire fighter. The organization also has a women'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 Garbage 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 is on the southeast corner of Central and Cranberry, which has a building that 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.

Fair Harbor Dock District
This district owns and maintains the public dock, the dock next to the one used by the ferry. The ferry company owns the ferry dock where you board the ferries. 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 local taxes.

Islip Lifeguard District
The town of Islip established this 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 lifeguards) or Saltaire and Ocean Beach (which supply their own). There is no deputy commissioner and the district owns no land in any community. The 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 and owns land adjacent on the east to the old firehouse. This land 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, 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 advisory 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. It 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, hosts the annual community barbecue, runs the Pine Walk Fair, maintains the website, and publishes a bi-annual directory.

Any Fair Harbor resident or renter may join the association. The organization has a board of eight members and a Chairman who is responsible for administrative functions. Board members are elected for three-year terms.

The FHCA owns no land, has no official governmental role, and cannot establish or enforce any laws. It has, however, played a key role in organizing the community and in establishing many of the special districts. 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 Events Committee is responsible for equipping the beach and the maintenance of the wind surfing area. The organization raises funds from the rental of sailboat privileges on the bay beach and from 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 Lifeguard 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, and 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, that 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 its 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 (the districts have fairly strict charters) can or should deal with the problem. (Private organizations with limited membership should not have to support services which affect everyone in the community.) This sometimes makes it appear that nothing is being accomplished. Unfortunately, this is the reality of our peculiar form of semi- government, and it is unlikely to change.