High Profile: Town of Shelter Island Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams

While Shelter Island may seem like a sleepy, little town, Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams would likely beg to differ. In office since Jan. 1 of this year, Brach-Williams is busy every day with meetings, signing paperwork and generally making sure everything stays on track. While this is her first year in the top job, she also has been deputy town supervisor and a councilmember.

Brach-Williams, who was born in Buffalo and grew up in Rochester, moved to Shelter Island with her then husband, who was a lifelong summer and weekend resident. She was approached repeatedly about going into town government but finally threw her hat into the ring in 2015.

“I figured ‘What the heck,’” says Brach-Williams of applying for the vacated council member position. She was one of seven applicants and wasn’t successful, but it spurred her to take up the government mantle. She spent seven years on the Town Board and six of those years as deputy supervisor before successfully running last year for town supervisor.

“Being town supervisor is the same as it would be for other towns, just smaller in scale,” Brach-Williams explains. “You spend more time rolling up your sleeves because your staff is smaller and there are a lot more hands-on things you do.”

She laughingly mentions that she was particularly surprised how many checks and other documents she personally has to sign.

“I also get a more granular understanding of things,” Brach-Williams says. “I approve everything on the agenda. And the number of emails… For the most part, residents go about their business and don’t come to meetings unless it relates directly to them. We do have a small contingent who come to every meeting. They’re super engaged.”

Brach-Williams knows that not everyone has the interest or time to come to every meeting, but does appreciate those who do. While most of the job of serving her neighbors is rewarding, some parts are actually fun.

“I like the goodie pile,” Brach-Williams says of the process of allowing residents to retrieve materials from demolition sites. “I had an accounting firm, but had to close it because this is a full-time job. I had a conference room table and a desk that I didn’t want to just throw away, so I took it to the goodie pile. Then, I went into the school one day and there was my conference table. We have a reuse/recycle mentality here.”

While not everyone is 100% on-board with the changes to the goodie pile, it is popular and is in keeping with Shelter Island’s independent nature.

“We tend to be more self-sufficient,” Brach-Williams explains. “We’re more New England than we are Hamptons. We’re OK that not everything is open in the winter and that the ferries stop earlier.”

Brach-Williams says most residents are not upset with what they can’t do year-round because of all the things they can do – hiking, biking, sailing, enjoying the local restaurants and being neighborly.

Shelter Island, which usually has about 3,000 residents and stretches to around 10,000 during the high season, has three types of residents: year-round, weekenders and seasonal.

As town supervisor, she has to consider the needs of each population.

“It can be hard on businesses during the off-season, but there still is much to see and do during the off-season,” says Brach-Williams, who is particularly fond of biking around the island and hiking in Mashomack Preserve. “It has hiking trails from one mile to 12 miles. The Nature Conservancy is one-third of our land mass. And, because we are an island, there are lots of beaches and water sports like sailing.”

She recommends grabbing lunch at one of the local restaurants and taking a walk on the many trails or a bike ride and enjoying lunch with a view.

If you’re into history, she’d recommend visiting the History Center and walking on the grounds of Sylvester Manor, which was the last working plantation on Long Island. Now, it offers fresh produce, programs and walking trails.

“Living on Shelter Island year-round is all about striking a balance,” Brach-Williams explains. “There is lots to do, but it is at a different pace.”

It is not all walks and bike rides, as the Chamber of Commerce works to expand the shoulder season. They also are looking at rezoning options to provide more affordable housing.

“Our young people can’t afford to buy a house here and we want to make it easier for them to remain on Shelter Island,” says Brach-Williams, who has two daughters, one living in Los Angeles and the other in Chicago. “We don’t want to make it hard for businesses to get started, and we don’t want to make it difficult for young people to stay on Shelter Island.”

Brach-Williams says the important thing in both cases is to maintain the balance between what is needed and what already exists.

“While not everyone is 100% behind the idea, we are looking at zoning variances to provide rental housing and also trying to make sure those wanting to start a business don’t run into too many overreaching obstacles.

“It is challenging, and can be frustrating, but I am enjoying the challenge of trying to run good government,” says Brach-Williams, who already has decided that she will run for re-election after her two-year term ends.

Todd Shapiro is an award-winning publicist and associate publisher of Dan’s Papers.