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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB-08/02/2022 PH 1 COUNTY OF SUFFOLK : STATE OF NEW YORK TOWN OF SOUTHOLD -------------------------------------------------- TOWN OF SOUTHOLD SPECIAL TOWN BOARD MEETING -------------------------------------------------- Southold, New York August 2 , 2022 9 : 00 A. M . B E F 0 R E : SCOTT A . RUSSELL, SUPERVISOR LOUISA P . EVANS , JUSTICE JILL DOHERTY, COUNCILWOMAN BRIAN 0 . MEALY, COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI , COUNCILMAN SARAH E . NAPPA, COUNCILWOMAN August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 2 Enact Local Law Chapter 17 , CPF SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : I am going to invite anybody who would like to address this particular Local Law to please feel free? MR . DAVID LEVY : Good morning, Supervisor and good morning, Members of the Board . My name is David Levy . I live in Laurel . The Southold part of Laurel . Just to be in ( inaudible ) I met with Councilwoman Doherty this morning . My wife and I are retired out here . In my case, it was after a career of 45 years . First covering governmental in every level , for radio and newspaper operations . Then going into government service myself at every level of government, with the exception of the County in Nassau . And I also spend some time as an elected official . Always in the legislative position . So I know what you ' re up against . I also know and I will be making reference to this in the next couple of minutes . I am going to admit something that almost no one in August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 3 the legislative position has ever admitted . And that is , it ' s impossible to read everything that comes before you that you have to make decisions on . I am going to say that because one of the things that I am going to do is stress that if anybody here has not actually read the enabling legislation that we ' re working on today, do so because there is a lot of stuff in there that has not been looked over . In fact, some of the sponsors of the legislation and people who have supported, have said things that are exactly the opposite of what is true . There are two points that I want to make . Before I do either of them, I want to tell you I am absolutely aware of the severity of the Affordable Housing crisis here . I encountered it during the three summers my wife and I were out looking for homes . So I don ' t want anybody to think that I don ' t understand the severity of that crisis . I am here to make two points . One is to ask you to delay putting this on the August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 4 ballot . And the other is to explain some of the problems of the bill . And by the way, if you want to interrupt me along, I would be happy to -- I will try and not to take up too much time . First, I am surprised to be here because if you believe the press accounts , the Board was moving towards my position or to put it another way, my position towards the Board ' s position . It would appear as though we were going to let this election slide so that our fully developed plan or a plan, could be developed so that when the public went to the polls on November 8th, they would have some idea on what they were voting on, which I don ' t can possibly be the case in moving forward today . I understand that you have hired a consultant but there are 98 days between now and Election Day . And having worked in government for 35 years with consultants , I am telling you that there is no way that you are going to be able to put together a committee and have a August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 5 plan developed, review the plan and educate the public as to what it contains in 98 days . It took this Board more than 98 days to hire a consultant . And I am not sure what the standard is because all of the quotes that I read from the Supervisor and the members of the Board going back, seemed to indicate that we needed to have a plan before we ask the public to vote on it . And then all of a sudden we have adopted some other standard . It seems to be, and I have made some notes here, if the local paper is correct, it quotes the supervisor as having by the time the proposition has ended to the ballot, the public might have an idea of where we ' re going . I want to contrast that to a couple of weeks ago, and again, I wasn ' t here . So I am relying on what the newspaper said . It was a meeting here about the proposal by Mr . Goggins to do some development over by prime Depot Lane . And there was confusion about what he was proposing and it came out in August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 6 a meeting, that there is even confusion about the Town ' s own procedures are with respect to applying for Affordable Housing . And I believe it was Councilman Doroski who said at the time , we really need -- these are the words , a fully detailed plan . So that we know, the public knows what we ' re dealing with . Why would we not insist on that here? For those reasons and I don ' t think you can possibly come up with a plan in 98 days can tell the public what it is . I would urge you to -- not to defeat this resolution, but to table it . That ' s first . About the bill itself . This is the opposite in some ways of a Robin Hood Plan . This bill -- and I know that Supervisor Russell agreed with this at one point, because he wrote about it and spoke about it . Back when the original bill was introduced in Albany, actually 3 1 /2 years ago, that the income limits and the sale price for homes were ridiculous . I would ask the Board, to the extent that whatever plan August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 7 you come up with involves using single-family homes . What would be a reasonable cost of a home to make an applicant eligible to buy it under this plan? How expensive should an affordable home be? And I don ' t ask that rhetorically . I am just asking if there is any ideas ? Because most people are shocked to find that this bill allows people to come and get assistance from the community housing plan for a house that costs up to $ 1 . 2 million dollars , which is ridiculous . It also sets income limits , which are too high . It allows you to apply for the program if you are in a family of two . If you make up to like something, $ 174 , 000 . If it ' s a family of three, I think it ' s like $230 , 000 . So imagine this , imagine we have two families . One is a family that owns a home in the Town of Southold . They have owned it for a long time . They ' re senior citizens . Over the years their home has increased in value to $ 600 , 000 . They have income of August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 8 $ 100 , 000 , including their Social Security . And they go to sell the house . Elsewhere, another family is looking at a $ 1 . 2 million dollar house . And they earn $200 , 000 a year . Everything about the second family is dealt with what the first family had . Now you have the home involved and the value of their income . Senior citizens with a $ 600 , 000 house are going to have to pay $200 , 000 into a community development fund . Actually, the purchasers are going to have to pay it . COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : That ' s a key point -- MR . DAVID LEVY : But it ' s not a key point . And the reason it ' s not a key point because when you do a deal , there is a certain amount of money in the deal . There is a certain amount of money that they -- a buyer can bring to the table at closing . And it doesn ' t matter who pays it because if the seller -- if the buyer pays it, that is $200 , 000 he could have given to the August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 9 seller . It ' s really coming out of the seller ' s pocket . Just like -- just like as interest rates go up, home values go down . As taxes on the deal go up, the home value goes down . So the fact that it ' s actually the buyer who writes the check, doesn ' t matter . It ' s coming out of the seller ' s pocket . That person is going to be out $2 , 000 while the person making two grand and paying $ 1 . 2 million dollars for the house is going to get a subsidy especially funded by those $2 , 000 . And I think that is awful . A couple of other issues with respect to the bill . We have been told that the bill does not take any money out of the Community Preservation Fund . Even preservationists said that they didn ' t want this to have any impact in the Community Preservation Fund . In fact, it doesn ' t take money out of the fund, but it reduces the amount of money going into the fund because coupled with this , is a reduction -- is an increase in the exemption on a sale to which the tax August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 10 applies . And it ' s a discriminatory exemption, that is much less than the South Fork because on the North Fork you get -- you ' re getting a 33% increase in the amount of your exemption . From $ 150 , 000 to $200 , 000 . But by increasing that exemption, you ' re taking $250 out of the proceeds to the Community Preservation Fund for every transaction between $ 400 , 000 -- I am sorry, between $200 , 000 and $2 , 000 , 000 . On the South Fork, the exemption is twice what we get here on the North Fork, $400 , 000 and they ' re getting 100% increase because they ' re going from 2 to 4 , and we ' re going from hundred and fifty to two . I don ' t know why that is fair . The bill purports to only benefit first time home buyers . There is a line in the bill that talks about extending it in some cases . I have shown this line to three different attorneys . I am also an attorney . And there were three different interpretations of what the sentence said . In the most liberal August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 11 reading of the sentence, it allows you to participate in this program if you are -- have never been a home buyer but your spouse has been . As long as your spouse hasn ' t been for the last three years . Then there is a residency issue , which I know people are interested in . And sponsors and supporters with the bill say only residents . It ' s not only residents . The bill clearly says that people who work in the Town of Southold, which I don ' t think is objectionable , but would also be eligible except with an evolving definition of a work means , I think there is going to be difficulty in interpreting that section because you have all kinds of issues . Supposedly you have somebody who lives elsewhere, working three days a week, comes in to Town two days a week . I am not sure how that is going to be resolved, but what is also dishonest about the bill is , the same residents and employees only, this is residents -- also includes people who used to live here within the last 5 August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 12 years . So I think we should be honest about that . There is also a question, which has been raised and not answered because I don ' t know if the Courts have told us what the rules are going to be . There have been issues with programs who have tried to confine themselves to residents only . Some of them held to be discriminatory . This bill specifically limits participation in the program to residents and get the Town involved, which I think most will favor . Except there is another provision of the bill that allows this fund to accept State and Federal money, which is given to the Town for Affordable Housing purposes . And once you mingle local money with money from other jurisdictions , I think you ' re going to keep this limited to local residents is out the window . I can ' t say that for sure because nobody understands what those rules are . Because they have not really been set . The other thing is , the other issue in getting into housing benefits for August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 13 purchases , homeowners in single-family homes program also get a sizeable tax break, which is equal to the pro-rata share of the cost that was paid by the program, up to 500 . So if you have somebody with a $ 1 . 2 million dollar house, taking advantage of this program, whatever those taxes are , are cut in half . As you know, every dollar that is not paid by one resident , gets picked up by everybody else . So the people who are participating in funding this program are not only people who have sold those houses , we are not catching them as they are out the door, it ' s everybody else who pays its taxes in the Town of Southold . Finally, this is a problem for me . The law authorizes the Town to take excess funds from either the general fund and place it in the housing fund . Unbalances are run in the general fund because the government has either overestimated expenses or underestimated their taxes and as a result of overtax brackets . Happens in August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 14 every jurisdiction . The State Comptroller has always taken the position, and he ' s right because it ' s fair, that when you over tax residents in one year, the solution to that is to take the money and apply it to the General Fund the following year . Not to spend it for other purposes . That is the refund the money from the taxpayers . You use it as revenue the following year . Based on that, I just want folks to know what we ' re dealing with, with this law . None of this has been talked about in the media . None of it has been talked about in any forum that I am aware of . In fact , people have given advice which is directly contrary to what I am telling you . Thank you . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Thank you . First and foremost , let me tell you . Yes . A couple of years ago , I raised objections to them. Those are based on standards . There is no requirement under the legislation now that requires the Southold Town to set August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 15 those limits , both purchasing price and income limits . The Town has given full authority to review that . That is the cap -- MR . DAVID LEVY : May I ask a question about that? SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Sure . MR . DAVID LEVY : I am certain that the Board has good intensions and good answers to some of the issues that I have raised, you got to put them into your plan and you got to give it to the residents before they vote . That is part of my point . You ' re 1000 right , but I wouldn ' t vote for this plan, unless I had assurances from the Town Board, by knowing its plan included that it was going to do the right thing . So I appreciate your answer . I appreciate the consistency of your position . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : I just also -- since you raised a lot , let me just go through another couple of things . First, I get it . I originally had reluctance to put the referendum up August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 16 without a specific plan . But quite honestly, this discussion started taking place in the Spring . And at the time, we were under the presumption that we had to have it on the ballot . We had to make that decision by June to put it on the ballot for November . As it turns out , we did . We can develop a plan to put the referendum on the ballot in September . It was an odd year . We have primaries every two years . We had the extra time . Now in June , we had nothing in place . We didn ' t have a consultant . We were even sure we had a plan yet . So yes , I think it was a stretch at the time to put it on the ballot but what has happened since then, I mean, you said 98 days . You know, we didn ' t have 98 minutes in June . But what has happened since then, we put a consultant in place . We had decided as a Board that we will have a very -- the public will have a very good understanding of where our program is headed . In fact, they are going to be part of that August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 17 program. They are going to help structure and draft that program. So that by the time the vote comes up in November, the public will have a clear understanding of that plan . In fact , use their vote at the ballot box, whether they want to endorse or reject that plan . Okay . So those are some of the things that you had raised that need to be discussed . You also talked about someone at the sales level , the purchaser having to pay more at the closing because of the half of percent . You forgot to mention was that they are receiving th CPF exemption . So there is an offset there . So while you paying more because of the half percent, you will be paying less because the increase in exemption of $ 150 to $200 , 000 . Let me just say, that you raised that . So there is an offset . MR . DAVID LEVY : That offset only creates a discount for sales up to $400 , 000 . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Okay . August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 18 No . Let me go back for a second . If you look at the Community Preservation Fund as a tax, the buyer has to pay currently the exemption beyond $ 150 , 000 for a property . That is going to go to $200 , 000 if the referendum passes . So there could be a savings at the closing for that potential buyer . That savings , at least partially, will offset the new tax of the Affordable Housing Tax . The half percent . So there is something of trade off there . That is something that we can ' t say it ' s going to cost you more . And exclude the portion that is going to reduce or mitigate some of that impacts . You talk about discrimination that we ' re only seeing an increase in the third of our exemption, where as the South Fork is going to double . Since the first day this program was adopted, there had been two different standards established for the South Fork and the North Fork . The South Fork has much different real estate . It ' s driven by much different real estate . Prices August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 19 certainly . And it also doesn ' t have much to buy . It doesn ' t have a lot of open space, which is why Town ' s like Southampton, are sitting on $30 million . $40 million and $50 million dollars . Southold Town is in a very different situation . And we simply couldn ' t afford to double the amount of the exemption . I think at 130 , it ' s a fair medium . It ' s a fair compromise . Yes , we will lose some of the CPF revenue , but in return, gain a lot in Affordable Housing revenue . Now when the referendum, if it passes and it ' s offered, we really can ' t sell the plan . We can ' t take a position for or against it . The one thing I will say and I think this is the most compelling that I heard, was that Councilman Greg Doroski had said, look, this plan, if adopted, will let the Town take control of its Affordable Housing program, rather than sit back and have developer after developer pitch an idea that is going to hopefully solve our Affordable Housing August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 20 problem. That is a recipe that has not worked out well . So I think is the way he put it , the most sasync and certainly the most compelling to get that referendum on the ballot this November . And not surrender the potential of losing $2 million dollars , $3 million dollars . Whatever would come from the half percent next year . COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : I think the only point I would make , and I think kind of leave some of the points you made and disagree with some of the material of, you know, I guess as it relates to the point that you think that this comes out of the seller ' s pocket . I fundamentally disagree with that . This isn ' t a spot for a debate of that . But I think it ' s important to look at the context that this discussion between the Board on whether we ' re going to move forward with this plan or not has happened . And I think whether we were going to move forward at least for me, was always kind of up in the air . And August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 21 Scott, you know, and I and Sarah and Brian and Jill , Louisa, have been going back and forth on whether we could get this done . And I think as the discussion around Affordable Housing has happened . We really realized there is widespread support in the community to address this problem. And beyond that, this is speaking for myself, I feel that it would be irresponsible for us to punt another year and a half on this because fundamentally, that is what would happen . And as Scott raised, we need to stop allowing developers to try to control our destiny here . We have an opportunity to start collecting money to solve our Affordable Housing problem . Yes , there are issues that we need to address related to income limits . This is something that we have been talking about as a Board, that I believe will go in the plan . Some of it we can do for ourselves and some of it we may need the State ' s help with . But we are able to control our destiny with this . We are August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 22 able to collect real money to solve this problem. I think it would be irresponsible for the Board to punt on this . You know, we have talked about this and some of this is related to other projects , we can ' t let the perfect get in the way of the good . No piece of legislation is perfect . But I think this piece of legislation is good enough to get us on the way of addressing this problem. And I think we have seen the community support for it . And as I said during the last meeting, I would be really, really troubled, if out of one side of the mouth we are hearing the public, that they want to address this crisis and we ' re looking at potentially increasing density substantially on parcels that I don ' t believe should have increased density . Maybe before we do that, we should step back a little bit and put together a plan and figure out where we want to concentrate density and how we want to spend this money, and what kind of parcels we can designate to August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 23 use for this . It ' s our responsibility . It ' s a heavy lift . It ' s our job . That is what the public elected us to do . And I will accept that responsibility even with that type of mind . BOARD ROOM : Aleksandra, you have permission to speak . MS . ALEKSANDRA NORTON : Hello . Thank you so much . My name is Aleksandra . I reside on Fisher ' s Island . And it is clear what the Town ' s perception is right now, it would be detrimental not to proceed with this . Just alone on the island, there is a tremendous need for Affordable Housing . There is people who are here for generations who are being forced out by the , you know, having their homes being purchased from under them. And basically the people of the island who provide the culture and the labor and sustainability of the island are struggling to find housing . There is no housing whatsoever . And it ' s becoming clear that this is a major need . And I August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 24 concur with fellow councilman that just spoke . It would be irresponsible not to proceed with this . And I am looking at various publications on the East Hampton and the Town of Southold . East Hampton already has a draft posted on this proposal . So clearly there is other Town ' s that are in the same boat . I don ' t know why we can ' t share the ideas amongst each other to get this going . I know there is probably a lot of questions about the legislation, but I am assured that there is plenty of people in all these communities that are willing and able to hash it out . And again, looking at the Town of East Hampton and I encourage you to look it up . They have a draft that was posted June 27 , 2022 . And it ' s fairly detailed . It ' s about 65 pages long . That is all I have to say . Thank you so much . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Who else would like to address the Town Board? Randy? August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 25 MS . RANDY WADE : Randy Wade . I have thanked you before . I thank you again for moving forward on this . I am impressed with the structure of the Affordable Housing plan that the consultant has come up with . And trust that there will be a lot of opportunities that there will be for the community to provide feedback before one penny is spent on an adopted plan . But being able -- anything we can get this next year that will most likely be in the millions would be great to have in the bank to help with this . Because it is a crisis problem at this point . As far as the example that was previously given of this senior who can ' t sell his house because of additional half a percent of transfer tax that the buyer has to pay, the fact that -- does anybody -- I should know this but I don ' t, when the 20 transfer tax first came into operation? UNKNOWN MALE SPEAKER : 1996 I believe . And only 300 sales statewide August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 26 over a million dollars when it was adopted . MS . RANDY WADE : You are so wonderful . Wow . So ' 96 , I really can ' t do the Math but if you figure what 70 of you know, or doubling -- at 7% inflation of real estate values , the house prices would double every 10 years . It ' s good that it ' s getting raised a little , this threshold . And I just want to say, that in that time , I don ' t think any house sales have not taken place because of a 20 transfer tax certainly in the last couple of years with skyrocketed housing sales . And if you add a little half of percent on that , it ' s just not going to be anything to -- to anything that has become an incredible market that has driven out our, you know, middle class . Our working class . And a lot of people don ' t realize why it affects them to have Affordable Housing . The fact that if we did not have a volunteer force ( inaudible ) finding volunteers . People of all different walks are of August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 27 understanding that it ' s hard to find volunteers . And that ' s what keeps our property taxes low . Like really low compared to Westchester and Nassau County and other places . So if you really want to see people driven out , then make sure we have these volunteer forces . I also would like -- I think I might have said this before , but I have a neighbor who needed a home renovate a couple of years ago as she was dying . And I was told by the services that they don ' t go east of Riverhead . It ' s just for any of the low paying jobs that can mean a lot to middle class people who live out here, having those people living around us , no matter where they grew up, it ' s the difference of being able to survive here and not . So looking at the experience of East Hampton -- I hope at some point you can get the guy who is the head of it to come and speak to you . He was really insightful and knowledgeable . And all their projects , they are using their own August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 28 ability to spend money . Their own tax money because the transfer tax has not happened yet . It gets combined with State and Federal money . So it ' s going to take combinations to make things happen . This isn ' t going to be the biggest pot in the world . So thank you very much for your due diligence and deciding to go forward . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : I just wanted to quickly comment . Actually the lowest adopted sale in Southold Town was $ 172 , 800 . And let me also point out , that we can argue all day if the buyer or the seller is going to pay, I happen to agree with Councilman Doroski , it really goes to the buyer side . Let me point out , if that person is a senior or not , selling a house today, that is got a market value that has been so substantially increased based on the landscape that we have created . It ' s not just the real estate market . It ' s not just the mortgage . It ' s about investing in Southold . So there is an August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 29 offset . The money that we use is used to create that value . So you know, at the end of the day, I think I ' d rather take the equity and value os a house than 1 /2 percent closing fee . COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : And if you look at how successful the land preservation movement has been in Southold Town through the Community Preservation Fund and the impact that has had specifically on raising property values , I think we can make a similar argument with Affordable Housing . It will serve to increase property values over time . At the same time, allowing the Middle Class to be here . It seems like the alternate win-win for the community . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Who else would like to address the Town Board on this particular Local Law? MR . SCOTT DESIMONE : You are going to have to forgive me if I repeat something that someone said because I came in a few minutes after 9 : 00 August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 30 o ' clock . Has there been an established ( inaudible ) Town ' s program and what the maximum value of a house has to be that they could purchase? COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : Not yet . MR . SCOTT EDGETT : According to this , there is a statute . My research indicates that somebody can buy a home up to $ 800 , 000 and qualify, as long as their income is not higher than $ 139, 000 . Okay . Doing the math and on the mortgage , I used 3% down . 20 interest rate because it ' s going to be subsidized . I don ' t know what the interest rate would be . 30 years , no PMI . Homeowner ' s insurance , $2500 . 00 . Taxes $5, 000 . They ' re going to have a mortgage payment of $ 3300 . 00 a month . At $ 140 , 000 , if you take 150 off of that for taxes , that leaves you $ 119, 000 . And the $ 3300 a month becomes 1/3 of your income . Now the standard rule is that you generally don ' t want to pay more than 350 . Okay . So that is just August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 31 one other thing that I think needs to be looked at . Is it affordable? Can somebody even succeed under this program with that math? The other issue with this -- and I am going to suggest to the Board before you jump in, that you get a local committee together of people who are stakeholders . People who work in the trenches every day . I am an attorney . I do residential transactions . My primary -- COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : Are you volunteering? MR . SCOTT DESIMONE : I am volunteering . Tax law . And I just don ' t see how this bill is going to help the financial problem . That half of a percent is great to people who have money . How many things do we just throw money at? Because we think it ' s going to solve the problem. Throwing money to something doesn ' t solve the problem. I am going to take you back to a situation you guys had back in the 80 ' s at High ( inaudible ) . I thought that was an August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 32 outstanding Affordable Housing project . I think that needs to be tweaked but the Board can throw Zoning create Affordable Housing here . You don ' t need 20 or a half of a percent to do it . And in any event, I also think if you really to make things affordable to people, you should really be raising the exemption to $500 , 000 for people who qualify for this program . I think the toughest thing for any couple that is struggling financially is to come up with a down payment . It ' s not the mortgage . They can usually handle the mortgage . They just can ' t come up with the down payment . So if you ' re going to go forward with this , I think you ' re going to have to start shifting and thinking more towards creating more of a grandeur loan for people to put towards their down payment . Not necessarily to qualify for a mortgage . Interest rates are pretty low right now historically . My parents bought their home in 1965 . Their interest rate was 5 1 /20 . So August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 33 historically, we ' re still in a good place with interest rates . I will just get to government . The government loves to jump into things and get into the law of unintended consequences . I think you need people who can sit down and rip through this and with experience and tell us what all the unintended consequences are going to be and how it ' s going to affect your goal . COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : I think if you look at the legislation itself though, you will see in it that there is language that specifically calls out First Time Home buyer credits . MR . SCOTT DESIMONE : Frankly, I don ' t think it should be limited to First Time Home buyers because who need Affordable Housing, they can be in a house that they need to get out of because they got kids . They may be in a two-bedroom house that they got three kids in one bedroom. They should be able to sell that house and take all of that profit, and move on and be able to August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 34 be part of Affordable Housing Program, if they meet the income limits and the limit on the value of the house . Anybody -- anything anybody else said about people selling houses over a million dollars , they ' re unaffected by this . They ' re unaffected by this . COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : I think what we need to look at though is prioritizing where we ' re going to spend this money . And also to your point that you don ' t think government needs money to solve this problem, I think if you look at the project that we ' re working on right now, where the Town purchased a parcel of property and is working with the developer to build Affordable Housing, that is a great model to follow . You know, the Town designates a parcel , targets and purchases it . Decides where we want it based on all of the plans and studies . Based on, you know, where we think it should go . And then move forward with them . We ' re shifting some of the risks away from the August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 35 developers . We ' re following a plan that we put together . We need money for that . MR . SCOTT DESIMONE : I couldn ' t disagree with you more . It ' s not about money . It ' s about having the right policy and understanding what you ' re doing and what impact it ' s going to have on everything else around it . And I think this Board would be well served by putting it together, a group of people of locals , who will volunteer and peel back the layers and report back to the Board and let them know what they ' re getting into . COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : And I agree with you 1000 . We need good community input on this . And we have, you know, really good experts in the community that know this stuff and that are stakeholders here . So absolutely . To your point on Zoning, I agree with you . I do think we need to look at density . And if we want to concentrate on density, say in the hamlet centers , August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 36 maybe we need to look at increasing the density of the projects . You know, one of the things that we have heard from developers is that 24 unit limit, really makes economics difficult if you ' re working in the hamlet centers . You know, these are some of the things that we really need to look at . But again, going back to this project, the Town has a few different rules for purchasing land . You know, one would be this , this transfer tax . The other would be bonding it . I don ' t want to raise taxes on everyone in this community by bonding the purchase of a parcel of property . I think this is where a transfer tax is a good idea . And I think we have seen the success of this model with Community Preservation Fund . That is a model for us to follow . And I think we will see the success of it . And I am willing to put , you know, myself on the line making the commitment that this is going to be successful . MR . SCOTT DESIMONE : Quite frankly, August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 37 I think the seller should have some skin on it . A tax is a tax . So whether you bond it or you hit somebody coming into Town with it , it ' s a tax you ' re taxing somebody . MR . DENIS NONCARROW : Your last name, Scott, for the record, please? MR . SCOTT DESIMONE : DeSimone . And I am available if you ' re putting a committee together . COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : I am working with the consultant and we ' re putting -- Scott, I am working with a consultant and we ' re putting a committee together . MR . SCOTT DESIMONE : Okay . Great . COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : Mostly the Town workers and stuff, but I will be calling you . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Let ' s go to Zoom and then we will go back . BOARD ROOM : George DeMilo, you have permission to speak now . MR . GEORGE DEMILO : Thank you very much for this opportunity to say a word August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 38 about this important issue . I have been chairing a subcommittee of the Island Community Board on Fisher ' s Island dedicated to looking exactly at this question . And I would just like to make two remarks . First with a preface, I think that certainly everyone on Fisher ' s and just as everyone else in Southold, recognizes the importance of the housing needs and the crisis that you have . I think that you have to be -- the first point , you have to be very careful about what you ' re trying to do . I hear a lot about making it possible for the Middle Class to live in our communities for working people to live in the community in which they work . And there are really some serious questions as to whether or not a plan can give preference, can support working people in a community . Residents who are already residents of the community without running up against State and Federal Legislation . So we need to focus very carefully and make sure that August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 39 in fact what we say we ' re trying to do, we would be able to do . The other point that I do want to make on behalf of Fisher ' s Island . And Fisher ' s Island has been wary about a Southold wide property tax . In that, Fisher ' s Island ends up paying a considerable amount of it . In fact , our experience with the Preservation Fund, is that Fisher ' s Island benefits relatively little , $ 0 . 20 cents on the dollar from what it puts into it . So we hope that if this goes forward, that in Fisher ' s Island where there are needs , if they can be legitimately met by this legislation, that they get a reasonable response . Thank you . UNKNOWN MALE SPEAKER : Sylvia? MS . SYLVIA PIRILLO : Hi . Good morning everyone . I wanted to thank you all for hosting this meeting for inviting us , of the Village of Greenport , for having us as participants to make the process easier . We very much on behalf of Mayor Hubbard, I am August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 40 speaking, we very much look forward to being included in this process . We ' re looking forward to working the Town Board on this process . To that end, we submitted a copy of the request in writing and also the corresponding resolution . And we have met with the Town Board that happened on June 14th . We look forward to future meetings . And again, we thank you for your time in service and for your consideration of our participation . Thank you everyone . MS . ALEKSANDRA NORTON : Hello . This is Aleksandra again . I just wanted to note the times of the Public Hearing ' s . Are the future meetings going to be created at a time that would be more suitable for the working class to attend the meetings? Are they always going to be in the mornings or be like at 6 : 00 o ' clock, so people can attend after work? COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : So we ' re forming with the consultants a smaller group to work on the plan . And August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 41 we do have a participant from Fisher ' s Island that will be in that working group . At this time, we don ' t know when those meetings will be . We have not set anything up yet . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : As historical practice, the Board has always liked varying the meeting so we can get the maximum participation in the meetings . MS . ALEKSANDRA NORTON : That makes sense . Is that particular working group Public Hearing going to be open to the public as well ? COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : It won ' t be a Public Hearing . It ' s a working group, and yes , it will be noticed . MS . ALEKSANDRA NORTON : And that information, what is said and discussed in the meeting, will that be shared with the public? SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Yes . We will make exceptions as it has to be open as a matter of Public Meeting ' s Law August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 42 -- Open Meeting ' s Law . So everything will be available through Zoom . MS . ALEKSANDRA NORTON : Okay . Great . Thank you so much . MS . GLYNIS BERRY : Thank you . I do agree it ' s important to deal with the Affordable Housing, both in policy issues , zoning and in efforts you are looking at . I would ask that you also consider a cosy benefit analysis of how to use the money . So that it affects the most people in the best way . I would suggest that in the eligibility for financial and grants , you separate grants versus loans and have a lower requirement for actual grants . You might want to consider something like that . Also consider other aspects . Because here it ' s about first time owners , but they might have a million dollars in the bank . You know, and that is not addressed here . So I would incorporate assets as well as ( inaudible ) . And I agree, maybe it ' s not first-time buyers . But maybe August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 43 somebody that lost a house to bankruptcy . You know, they ' re working . I would also make sure that you include the purchase of land . One option might be to buy a parcel of land . That people can develop as a different zone . So their might be some solutions . So make sure you have the availability . There is nothing discussed about supportive housing . So I am hoping in a housing study, what kinds of housing are really needed in this community . We need supportive housing, and if so, what kind? This is not my idea, but a friends idea . I think it ' s a good one . What about also funding accessory apartments? Some people might not be able to hold onto their home and by allowing, you know, funds to go for accessory apartments , they will be able to stay in place and provide additional housing . I would limit it to year round and not seasonable . Something like that . Another thing is , when you ' re doing this , we often take subjects and August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 44 just approach them in isolation . So if we increase density for housing, we should also look at other environmental aspects . We should look at water use and compensate it by not allowing irrigation of lawns and installation of swimming pools because that can be the equivalents of one and a half housing units . So if you want a resource for housing, you need to balance it . Otherwise , you create a situation . Also, stretch energy code or renovation, where energy is a factor . So that you get closer to both reducing their operating expenses and being better for the environment . And also upgrading the wastewater system at the same time . And the other thing is , I think you should have a dedicated staff member or higher a non-profit that deals with this because there might be opportunities that somebody actively has to be searching for, like finding a house that is available for $ 400 , 000 or getting it before the person who has cash gets it . August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 45 And then flipping it to somebody who is a first time that needs a mortgage . Things like that . I think you need -- not just a reactive for it, but somebody is responsible for making sure there is appropriate and works . MR . RICHARD VANDENBURG : Richard Vandenburg . I just want to applaud the work you guys are doing with regards to this initiative . I think it ' s incredibly important . Obviously there is no misunderstanding in our community that there is an Affordable Housing, workforce housing crisis . I would attribute it to a house on fire . And ultimately, we need to take steps . Dramatic decisive leadership steps to put that fire out and to get control of that fire . This is just one bucket of many different buckets available to you to help control this issue and get ahead of it . You know, the planning is important . Working on the rules in a lot of what we heard is relevant to great advice and I think the ( inaudible ) August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 46 or granular aspects and what that would be . So I applaud that work . I also want to say, it is one bucket . And they do have multiple buckets available to you, that you should also entertain and be willing to entertain . Despite perhaps the narrow lining you have to walk and the pro ' s and the con ' s of such . Powers that you are vested with . And that would include addressing the zoning issues . Looking at the density questions . Also looking at the individual . As much as this program will allow the Town to take some control over the Affordable Housing aspect, I think you also have to really entertain and look at individual particular zoning change requests that come before you . Every decision is an individual decision that you have to make . Relative to what that proposal may be . I think there is an ability to vet what that proposal is . To examine the pro ' s and con ' s of it , but make individual decisions . Just like the Cutchogue Woods proposal . August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 47 Where you have a quality developer that has the resources and experience and entertain what the covenants and restrictions may be with regard to a parcel like that . Ultimately assist in adding another bucket that is controlling this Affordable Housing . So I think you have to make sure that you ' re entertaining every avenue and not just thinking you ' re going to have a one source avenue . Thank you . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Thank you . MS . JANE FLINTER : Jane Flinter . I am a 35-year, full-time resident of Mattituck, with my husband where we raise our two children . What I am not is a lawyer, a mathematician . And so I think I am going to amend what I wrote here . Because I feel like a lot of what we have been hearing, like the troubling legal aspects or monetary reactions to this referendum . And I don ' t think that is covering the whole picture . So I think what I want to do is , give you August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 48 three anecdotes . One is of my next door neighbor of 35 years , who several years ago around midnight, told his wife he could not breathe . She called 9- 1-1 , and a policeman came immediately with oxygen . And informed them that there were no EMT ' s available for the Mattituck Fire Department at that time . They did not have anyone for that night . So they said they were calling the Riverhead Ambulance Corp . An 1 1 /2 later, my neighbor in full cardiac distress was taken to the hospital . That is one of the results of the fact that we don ' t have medium income families and young people who are ready and able to assist our volunteer firefighters and our volunteer EMT ' s . The second anecdote, that of a person I have known my whole life . A family who have raised their two sons here . Who had a thriving business here . And due to changes in what has his business has been applying to, he now has city water . He and his wife have recently, had August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 49 terrible health issues . Medical issues . And as a result , their home , in which they lived and raised their children in was foreclosed . For months they had been on social media begging someone , anyone . We will take anything . We need a place to stay . You know, staying with friends on couches . This gentleman was a long time member of the Lions Club . He is very civic minded . He ' s very involved in Kate ' s Angels . And yesterday on the North Fork Patch, I saw an article for a Go Fund Me Page for this person trying to raise money so he could find a home . That is wrong . That is not the community character that my husband and I saw when we moved here 35 years ago . I am sorry . I am speaking to you on the emotional side . These things really bother me . My third example, is a lovely woman that I met in exercise class . She is a teacher . Her husband is a professional . They ' re young people . As a matter of fact, you would easily recognize the last name . August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 50 Their family has been here for generations . She and her husband have rented a home in Mattituck for close to $3 , 000 a month . They have -- they ' re expanded their family . And they have numerous times put in an offer for a home . And immediately they ' re outbid by a cash offer . Generally over the asking amount by a person who was looking for a seasonal home . These are the reasons why we need this . And I agree with the last speaker, that we -- as you said, Greg, there is no perfect solution . We have to go sometimes with good . And in this case , I think we need to take a look at Cutchogue Woods . Within a year, 24 families , like these people , our neighbors can be somewhere . Thanks for listening . And thanks for all the listening you do . I don ' t know how you do it quite honestly . So that is why I kept it short . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Who else would like to address the Town Board? MS . MARGARET STEINBUGLER : Good August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 51 morning . I am Margaret Steinbugler from Cedar Beach Road in Southold . I wanted to give my personal endorsement of getting 0 . 5% transfer tax on the ballot in November . Councilman Doroski took the words out of my mouth . Don ' t let the perfect be the enemy of the good . A lot of people have raised concerns about the law . A lot of people have some very good suggestions . I understand Councilwoman Doherty is working with a consultant and a group of stakeholders to get through things . I have confidence that this Board will come up with a great plan . There is no reason to wait another year to start collecting money . Collect it now, set it aside . And come up with a great plan that people have input to and then execute the plan . I fully recognize the need for Affordable Housing in this community . And the examples just given were really struck home . So I think this is sorely needed . Stepping away from my personal view, I wanted to let August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 52 you know, you probably do know, that the North Fork Civics have been conducting a priority survey . I just closed on the 31st of July . I am the person getting to analyze the data . We have a approximately a thousand responses to this survey . One of the questions we asked was , please rate how important you think it is for Southold Town Government to focus on each of the following the next two years . And the choices for how you would rate these issues were essential , very important, somewhat important and not at all important . One of the issues was facilitate more Affordable Housing . Out of approximately thousand responses , approximately two-third ' s of the respondents said it was either "essential or very important . " People recognize town-wide that this is a big issue and they ' re asking the Town Board to work on it . So I thank you for bringing this forward and I urge you to get it on the ballot in November . Thank August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 53 you . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Anybody who would like to address the Town Board? We will go to Zoom. BOARD ROOM : Michael , you have permission to speak now . MR . MICHAEL DALY : Hi . Good morning . My name is Michael Daly . I am a resident of North Haven . I am founder of East End B&B . And I also a founding member of a new pack that has just been formed, which is entitled "Vote Yes for Community Housing . " And we just recently formed this pack specifically to advocate for a successful referendums in the Town ' s that chose to put this Peconic Bay Community Housing Fund on the ballot . So I applaud you in Southold for making this decision to hold this Public Hearing and I hope that you get the support that you need . And I understand you are in process of forming a housing plan . And just wanted to offer if any members of your community who would be interested in August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 54 joining this coalition to help promote the successful passage of the Peconic Bay Community Housing Fund and your Town referendum would like to join us , we would welcome them . Currently Southampton, East Hampton and Shelter Island are in process now . Will have it on the ballot for sure . And are in process with their housing plans . So again, I applaud you . We welcome members of your community who could join our pack to help promote this , this advertising lawn signs . We ' re going to be doing some polling over the next couple of weeks in order to make sure that our efforts will be on message . And so we welcome someone from Southold to join us to make a successful referendum vote . My last comment is , is just about Cutchogue Woods . I understand there is some difficulty in getting to a vote . And the enemy of the good is what I would encourage you to consider . So best wishes . Thank you for your time . August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 55 BOARD ROOM : Allison Delaney, you have permission to speak now . MS . ALLISON DELANEY : Hi . Good morning . Thank you so much to the Supervisor and the Town Board for pulling together this public session on what I am sure is short notice and I sure you all have a packed schedule . I imagine you probably want to take vacation over the summer yourself . So thanks for making the time to do this . Like one of the other speakers that I am not a mathematician or a lawyer . So I won ' t be able to necessarily go into those nuisances . That is how the other speaks have done well . I just wanted to speak to not being a zoom worker and just speak to the need to put this forward to votes . To not waste any time like someone who went before me said, let ' s collect the money . Let ' s have faith in each other . A good plan will be put forward that you ' re getting the right people in the room to brainstorm and look at all these details . And the August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 56 stuff that we overlook or maybe miss can be refined in time . I jokingly say to people -- I am from Mattituck by the way and I ' ve got two houses in the Town of Southold since 2015 . And I jokingly tell people, you know, when you go to the closing table, there is so many costs that you have to pay but paying into the CPF is one that I would continue to pay into over and over again without hesitation . It has done so much good in this community . And I think just expanding this will do even more good . When I bought the house that my husband and I live in now, we were lucky enough to buy it in the Fall of 2019 . Before a lot of costs rose due to COVID and before the market even became competitive as it has today . I do the very back of the envelope map on this . The money that I paid into the CPF at that time was $ 11 , 500 . And if I was buying that same house at that same price today, which we know wouldn ' t happen, but let ' s pretend, I only would August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 57 be paying another increase amount of $ 1605 . 00 . So to me, someone that can afford a house up to $500 , 000 but less than $ 1 , 000 , 000 , I can certainly afford that extra $ 1600 to help make our community more equitable for everybody . So thanks for listening . Thanks for taking the time to do this and I hope to see it on the ballot this Fall . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Thank you . Anybody else like to address the Town Board on this particular -- anybody on Zoom? In the audience? I will defer to the Board in the second -- BOARD ROOM : There are some hands on Zoom. Margaret , you have permission to speak now . MS . MARGARET DECRUZ : Thank you . I really am very appreciative that you guys have organized this in a way that we on Zoom can hear you and see you . It ' s wonderful . Big improvement . I am very much in favor of going forward with this referendum with whatever it is , this plan . And I do think we should August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 58 have listening circles . Perhaps every Town, so that we could really get the people who need housing involved and get their ideas . So in every Town we have different people that need to be heard . And I think that is important . And I really do like the idea of helping homeowners create apartments in their houses and perhaps it would help for them to have like an architect that we employ and sort of look at their house and say, you can have an apartment here . It ' s not going to bother your privacy . This is how it could be done . And I think that would be very helpful because -- yeah . Thank you very much . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Thank you . Anyone else? BOARD ROOM : Tom Stevenson, you have permission to speak . MR . TOM STEVENSON : Okay . So Tom Stevenson . I am your Ex-Chair of your Ag Advisory Committee . And I am President of the Oyster Front School Board and also a farmer here in Orient . August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 59 A struggling farmer . So this issue is of course very high on everyone ' s list . I don ' t think -- it ' s very hard for people to oppose the idea of Affordable Housing but we have seen it time and time again for various reasons . Now I was lucky to buy my farm in 2002 before things went right through the roof . Although people told me I paid a lot at the time . I didn ' t get any government help . I paid the 20 tax . I did solve ( inaudible ) development rights to the County . We funded into it even though we weren ' t supposed to get charged . Because we were buying open farm land and farmers buying farm land shouldn ' t get taxed . Anyway, so I am just a little concerned about this process . As Scott has said maybe in the media a couple of months ago, I think it ' s rushed . I want people to know what they ' re voting on . And sometimes your first instincts , Scott, is the right one . There is a lot of people that have knowledge -- deep knowledge in this Town August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 60 and I think it ' s very important to get it right from the start . The perfect and the good . Well , let ' s go for the perfect if we can . So I fail to see why we need to wait to hire a consultant to have the legislators of this Town legislate and write law, which is what this is . We have heard some major flaws . And honestly, the heat wave and everything, it ' s just a really terrible time for any farmer to be involved in this . But don ' t mind, because the farmers weren ' t involved . ( Inaudible ) to see what we thought about it . I certainly didn ' t hear anything about it , which I think is a fail . You should use your people in this Town . And since a huge portion of the Town is farmland, we should have a seat at the table . Your 15 member committee doesn ' t mention agricultural . Doesn ' t say anybody from the Ag community would be on it . I think that is a mistake . We had to fight to get farm worker housing excluded out of the big house code . I August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 61 guess we are used to being treated as an after thought in this Town . And maybe that is just what is happening and it ' s no longer a farming Town . What else? The idea that you ' re going to exempt people from the pori ton of -- that they get half the house picked up by the taxpayers or by the newcomers to the Town essentially . Also get exempted from their share of taxes . That is not doing anything to help the people that are struggling to say here . I think it ' s a big flaw to double dip essentially . Where else are we at? It ' s hot already people . I am not going to take your time too long . I think one year I have lost money ( inaudible ) . BOARD ROOM : Tom, you ' re starting to break up . MR . TOM STEVENSON : -- would benefit from this law would be recusing from voting . That they ( inaudible ) eligibility criteria ( inaudible ) recused BOARD ROOM : Tom, excuse me . August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 62 You ' re breaking up and it ' s hard to hear you . MR . TOM STEVENSON : Good legislation takes time . So I am not sure what ' s happening in May or June . So those are my comments . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Are you good, Tom? BOARD ROOM : I think I lost him . MR . TOM STEVENSON : Yeah, I am lost . BOARD ROOM : We can ' t hear you . MR . TOM STEVENSON : I do love the tech . Keep the Zoom going . The other night we didn ' t have audio in Town Hall . We don ' t know who ' s end it was . It was a fiasco . Keep the Zoom going . I appreciate it . I hope you heard everything I said . I am going to let you guys go . BOARD ROOM : Thank you . MR . TOM STEVENSON : Thank you . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Anybody else on Zoom? COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : I just August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 63 wanted to say hello to Mary Bess Phillips from the Greenport Village . I am not sure if she wanted to say anything . I just wanted to acknowledge that she was on for us for this very important conversation I just wanted to acknowledge her presence . MS . MARY BESS PHILLIPS : Thank you very much . I am listening not only as a Village Trustee but as a resident of the Town of Southold for all my life . I just would like to give you an example of our own family situation . The Captain or my husband Mark Phillips and I , when we bought our first house in the Village of Greenport, we struggled to pay for it . I mean, we worked hard for it . But we also in looking down the road which in something that we do quite regularly in our business as commercial fishing industry, we held onto that house because we worked hard to hold onto that house . So that our son and his future family would have some place to live in the Village of Greenport . August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 64 We saw the opportunity . We took it . We worked hard for it . But not every family can do that . I am seeing what we saw in the Village of Greenport with property values rising and people having problems staying has flown into the Town of Southold . It ' s very important that this piece of legislation needs to move forward . I am interested in hearing what the plan is . I am assuming that there is someone from the Village of Greenport on the working group that Councilman Doherty is working on . So thank you very much for the acknowledgement and I wish you all a very pleasant day because it is extremely hot out right now . So thank you very much . MS . LYNN SUMMERS : Lynn Summers , Southold . Really in Mattituck . Throughout all these discussions and I had been here listening quietly for months , one thing that did get to me is , if I walked in with good faith to find a property, free and clear of any August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 65 impediment, is it because of the money that you cannot find something or because of the zoning which we need to? That is my one question . In this moment , in this time, a place that everyone would say yes , we can go for -- put Affordable Housing here and it would fill all the boxes because I sat at hamlet meetings upon hamlet meetings . I did not know that the total of 48 was going to be a continuum of farming, which I love and respect . And I live for 42 years across from a farm. Through the -- through everything . We respected one another . I think most people love and respect farming . And the gentleman out east, I would say that to him every day . And I think that if we poll people, in the wonderful survey that has been taken . We have to start reaching out to other -- the good needs to come before the perfect . Because there people sleeping in well holes . In the Presbyterian Church in Mattituck . I go every day to put food in food banks . August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 66 And I talk to friends on Shelter Island this weekend . Shelter Island faces the same thing as we do in housing, and they ' re dying to get something done . Most of the people are . People will pick over everything till the end of time . And I also live through all the noise that took place about the Cottages in Mattituck . And I live here now and I can take you this very moment and at this moment, they look better than when they were built . So amen to that . I wish you all luck tomorrow on your journey to the wonderful Fisher ' s Island . I wish I was there too . Sometimes I wish I had gone there first . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Who else would like to address the Town Board? (No Response ) . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : I am just going to quickly say my piece and then I will defer to the Board . For people to understand, is that this Board isn ' t voting to tax people half a percent on people after sale . We ' re August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 67 simply voting for the right for the public to decide for themselves . Earlier you said the seller should have skin in the game . They do . It ' s called the ballot box . They can be part of the discussion . And also a lot of the discussion about the income limits and the sale being too high, people need to understand that what you ' re reading is simply not the plan . It sets the general parameters of the plan . It ' s up to the Town if we want to narrow those parameters . If we want to make it more restrictive . All of those things . Regarding the deadline, yes , I wish we had more time . But at the same time , it ' s on us . We have to develop that plan . We have 98 days or whatever that is . That is on us . I have worked with this Board . I have worked with Jill here for probably 10 or 12 years on this Board . I have to tell you, for the last six months , I know this Board can get it done . I really do . I have worked with everyone of these people and I know we August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 68 can get it done . It ' s on us . And I am actually looking forward to putting this to vote and feeling very good about it . COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : I just wanted to touch on, we had the consultant here that we hired . She laid out the bullet points of how we ' re going to proceed . And a lot of what was discussed here and a lot of the ideas that were mentioned to us , have been discussed and most likely will be part of the plan . We are developing and trying to get the group together . I have had only one stark conversation with the consultant at this point , but we hope to have that together soon . And part of the plan is to get this up to the different hamlets and different stakeholders and their input . And the plan is not going to be this is one thing and this is how we ' re going to do it . It ' s going to be a variation of things . It could be grants . It could be apartments . It could be houses . We ' re going to work that all out . And August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 69 it ' s going to take time . I agree with start to get the money in now and plan that money . When we ' re ready, when the public is ready and we come in and then start the process . So that is -- going in the right direction . And it is imperative to have the Village because the Village in this situation is Southold Town and vice versa and they have to be part of it as well . COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : I make a motion to close the Public Hearing . COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Second . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : All in favor? COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : Aye . COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : Aye . COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Aye . COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Aye . JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : Aye . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Aye . (Whereupon, the Public Hearing concluded at this time . ) August 2, 2022 Special Meeting 70 C E R T I F I C A T I O N I , JESSICA DILALLO, a Court Reporter and Notary Public, for and within the State of New York, do hereby certify : THAT the above and foregoing contains a true and correct transcription of the Meeting held on August 2 , 2022 , via videoconference , and were transcribed by me . I further certify that I am not related to any of the parties to this action by blood or by marriage and that I am in no way interested in the outcome of this matter . IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 20th day of August , 2022 . J6ssica DiLallo