Elected in 2015, Rick Drew has missed just one trustee meeting, and that was due to circumstances beyond his control. “I make a priority of being part of the trustee process,” he said. “I ran on that platform six years ago, and I really tried to honor my word, because at that time a lot of trustees weren’t showing up at meetings.”
Along with regular participation, “the bigger vision for watershed management, for clean water, remains a top priority,” Mr. Drew said. He is employed by Seacoast Enterprises, which operates several marinas. Public interest in boating and water sports “has exploded with Covid,” he noted. “Having a background in marine services, being very knowledgeable about all our harbors and waterways, understanding how the mooring grids are laid out, understanding how docks should be built and how they can minimize impacts on the environment, is really important.”
Like his colleagues, Mr. Drew was disappointed in the court decision that the 4,000-foot stretch of ocean beach on Napeague known as Truck Beach belongs to upland property owners. “The fact that there was no discussion and no decision regarding the trustees’ longstanding easement on the beach to fish is a travesty of justice,” he said. “That would be something I would work very hard to try to rectify, to make sure we get access back.” As with other issues, “If the trustees don’t provide a lot of leadership, it probably isn’t going to happen.”
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