Shelter Island volunteers could get pension

Shelter Island officials want to create a pension benefit for their long-term emergency medical service volunteers, and have scheduled a special referendum in August to allow them to institute the plan, which would be paid to the volunteers after they reach age 65.

Under the proposal, volunteers would get $360 a year for each year after 2011 they accumulate enough service reward credits for their work, and $240 a year for up to five years of similar volunteer work before that time.

To qualify, they would have to earn at least 50 points a year, based on a system which awards points for various ambulance work activities.

Town officials say the cost of the program would be about $100,000 a year, or about $5,000 per volunteer, and would drop to about $3,000 per volunteer after five years when the prior service costs before 2011 are fully funded.

Voting on the referendum, which was authorized last week by the town board, will be on Aug. 3 from noon to 9 p.m. in Town Hall.