Photo: FIshers Island Ferry District/W. Bloethe
It’s time to lay down the law with a government board that doesn’t seem to want to follow the rules, according to Southold Town officials.
The Fishers Island Ferry District keeps seeking payment on invoices for contracts that have not been ratified by the Southold Town Board. Without ratification by the town board, the town — which writes the checks — cannot legally pay the invoices. The district keeps sending invoices in on the last day, preventing the town from “properly vetting them,” according to Supervisor Scott Russell.
Sometimes the ferry district awards contracts without going out to bid as required by state law, Russell said.
Last week the town board had to hold a special meeting to ratify resolutions approved Nov. 13 by the Fishers Island Ferry District Board of Commissioners concerning repairs of the 37-year-old passenger ferry MV Munnatawket, one of two ferries operated by the district.
The Munnatawket needed replacement of a thruster device, which the district purchased from Thrustmaster at a cost of $24,200. The district also contracted with a company called Fairhaven to haul the 144-foot ferry boat for repairs at a cost of $4,000.
These things are coming before the town board “after the fact,” the supervisor said.
No one answered the phone at the ferry district office during regular business hours and a voice mail message seeking comment was not returned.
Russell expressed his exasperation to the town board at Tuesday’s work session.
“We’ve met with them and don’t seem to be getting anywhere,” he said. “This board needs to make a decision to not pay these bills. They’ve got to follow the law. We can’t wait any more.”
Justice Louisa Evans, the Fishers Island representative on the Southold Town Board, said the ferry district commissioners have no government experience and need assistance. The town should ask the commissioners how it can help them.
“We’ve given them help,” Russell said.
There’s a procedure that they need to follow, town comptroller John Cushman told the board. “They need to have their attorney sign off on it, then the commissioners and then the town board,” he explained.
“You’re getting contracts weeks or even months after they are implemented,” Cushman said.
“They don’t follow the town’s procurement policy,” Russell said.
“There are procedures — A to Z,” Councilman William Ruland said. “You follow the procedures. It’s not fair to have a bunch of invoices show up on the last day, so not enough time to vett them properly. The chief financial officer of the town is saying he’s had enough of this.”
Evans said the town should meet with the ferry district commissioners again and “lay it out” for them.
“We have met with them,” Russell answered. “I don’t think we should sign off on any contract until it’s signed off by their attorney. For example, we had an invoice that didn’t match their resolution that didn’t match the contract. It had three different figures.”
“They can’t run their district the way they’re doing it now, obviously,” Councilman James Dinizio said.
Ruland suggested the town give the ferry district commissioners a “list of concerns” and tell them “this is what you have to do immediately.”
“And if they don’t, we don’t pay the bills,” Russell interjected.
“Lay out your expectations,” Cushman told the board. “One, follow the law. Two, hire a manager. And three, any action they take needs to be ratified by the town board before the Town of Southold will pay any invoice or employee.”
Russell pressed his point again. “I’m looking for authority to say, ‘We’re going to develop a punch list and if you don’t comply, we’re not paying anything,’” he said.
The board asked Cushman to develop a “punch list” and agreed it will then sit down with the ferry district commissioners and give them the ultimatum the supervisor wanted.
