Outgoing Saltaire Mayor Hugh O’Brien was praised for his long service to the village in his final meeting as mayor on Aug. 22. O’Brien lost his bid for reelection on Aug. 14 to Trustee Susan Skerritt. She received 292 votes to O’Brien’s 80. She began her term as mayor on Labor Day, Sept. 7.
Skerritt thanked O’Brien for his years of service, saying he knows the Village’s people and traditions. She called O’Brien “a walking encyclopedia of village history.”
“I hope you will continue to be actively involved and provide support and guidance,” Skerritt said.
O’Brien, a longtime community columnist for Fire Island News, was elected mayor in May 2022. He was first elected Village Trustee in 1987, according to a Fire Island News article in 2022. The article said he was the longest-serving Village Trustee in Saltaire history. O’Brien has also been the village’s longtime representative on the Fire Island Association. O’Brien’s father served as Saltaire’s mayor from 1968 to 1970.
“It’s been a great honor for me,” O’Brien said at the meeting. “I’d like to think I left the village a little bit better than when I found it.”
Skerritt was sworn in as mayor by Village Administrator Mario Posillico. Frank Wolf and Christopher Valente were sworn in as Village Trustees.
In other news from the meeting, the Village Trustees passed a pair of local laws to keep bicycles from encroaching on public walkways in the village. They amend Chapters 52 and 55 by increasing the required width of new bicycle racks to 8 feet, up from the current 6 feet. The total square footage for new bike racks increases to 120 square feet, up from the current 90 square feet. The new laws don’t require changes in the size or width of existing bike racks. The laws took effect on Sept. 1.
The Village Trustees also voted to accept a report from the Planning Commission, chaired by Kathryn Woods, that studied the current and possible future uses of village-owned land and buildings. O’Brien called the report “a really incredible report” and “an exceptional piece of work.” The report took 10 months to complete and included input from Planning Commission members, Village leadership, and homeowners.
“This review represents an initial phase of the Board’s initiative to develop a new long-term capital investment plan,” the report reads in part. “It is intended to provide foundational data and a strategic framework for decision-making. The report outlines key priorities for municipal resources, evaluates options for modernizing infrastructure, and identifies how Saltaire’s scenic and environmental assets can be sustained for future generations.”
Village Trustees also approved the Aug. 8 election of line officers for the Saltaire Volunteer Fire Department, including Chief Josh Raeben, 1st Assistant Chief Jarrod Bernstein, 2nd Assistant Chief Douglas Kunreuther, and Auxiliary Member Costanza Valenzuela. Administrative officers, who do not require Village Trustee approval, were also elected. They are President David Basche, Secretary Maddie Medenica, and Trustee Seth Meisel.
The ceremony to dedicate a bench in memory of the late Dr. Bob Furey took place on Aug. 29. Furey, who served as Saltaire’s primary care physician for 43 years, passed away in December. His 90th birthday would have been on Aug. 14. O’Brien called him “one of the most important people in the village’s history.”
