"Our decision has absolutely nothing to do with anything that is going on in the federal government," Oyster Bay town supervisor Joseph Saladino said.
"If our residents have to pay, they have to pay," Saladino stressed. The passes aren’t cheap. Bay residents must cough up 20 bucks to access the beach for a day if they don’t buy the $60 seasonal pass. Non-residents have to pay $50 to $60 per day to sit on the beach, and have limited ability to visit the Atlantic’s waters on weekends.
In late December, the Obama administration sanctioned dozens of Russian officials along with two properties where Russian emissaries vacationed: one in Eastern Shore, Maryland, and one in Oyster Bay.
The mansion formerly belonging to Russian officials in the Upper Brookville village of New York called the Elmcroft includes 27 rooms and 11 bathrooms.
The town supervisor said in response to requests for 116 free passes for Russians, “nyet.” He offered them the ability to buy passes at the resident rate.
