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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB-01/17/2023 PH 1 COUNTY OF SUFFOLK : STATE OF NEW YORK TOWN OF SOUTHOLD -------------------------------------------------- TOWN OF SOUTHOLD TOWN BOARD MEETING -------------------------------------------------- Southold, New York January 17 , 2023 7 : 00 P . M . B E F 0 R E : SCOTT A . RUSSELL, SUPERVISOR LOUISA P . EVANS , JUSTICE BRIAN 0 . MEALY, COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI , COUNCILMAN SARAH E . NAPPA, COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY, COUNCILWOMAN - Excused January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 2 PUBLIC COMMENTS SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : At this point, I am going to invite anybody up that would like to address any items on the specific agenda? MR . TOM STEVENSON : Good evening, Tom Stevenson, Orient . I had a question on the agenda . The newly added -- let me see what number this is . What we ' re calling the Water Advisory Committee . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Yes . I will let Sarah speak to that . MR . TOM STEVENSON : My first question was , what prompted the need for a Water Advisory Committee? What is the mission statement of this committee, if any? Are there any qualifications established for the members of the Water Committee . And the rest I can save for after? COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: I think in the overall environmental look at where we are with quantity, quality . Clearly, we ' re surrounded by water . It ' s an important issue that is coming January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 3 up -- not coming up, that we ' re faced with right now . So I think that, you know, it ' s something that we have been discussing with the Board for a while . There was a Water Committee previously that wasn ' t meeting anymore . So we decided to move forward with this . My initial last year, I think it was -- no , it wasn ' t . It was two years now . When I was working on forming this committee , I did come to the Board and ask that the scope to be a little bit wider . More of an Environmental Committee and not specifically just water . But the Board at the time felt like the Conservation Committee was doing a lot of that work, or that was there charge anyway . So they felt like having two committees doing that wasn ' t as needed, as something just focused on water . It hasn ' t met yet . Our first meeting is on Thursday . You know, I think, as liaisons , my position is to for the members to designate a Chair, work on a mission statement . So we don ' t have a January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 4 mission statement yet because they haven ' t met . As far as qualifications , our volunteer committees are always looking for people who have relevant experience or expertise . It ' s not a requirement ; however, I do feel that the people who had applied are putting on that committee tonight do have relevant experience and expertise in both water quality and you know, just, quality and working to preserve water usage . MR . TOM STEVENSON : Okay . Thank you . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Would anybody else like to address the Town Board? MR . ANTHONY SANNINO : Yes . A couple of more questions . Hi everyone . Anthony Sannino . I am from Cutchogue . Sarah, just to continue, I am sorry . If you don ' t have a mission statement, what are the issues that would be trying to solve with the Water Committee? COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Well , we ' re our a single source aquifer . I January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 5 think it ' s to look at the water usage in the Town . You know, I will be candid . My focus is on residential use . You know, and just what we ' re using and what is going back into the ground . You know, we all know that there is a limited amount of water . We have a huge pressure on water intrusion and then everything as far as water that is just washing back into the bay . Looking at all of these things . There is a lot of assistance that the Town could have, as far as , people ' s water irrigation systems . Not necessarily we have been able to do but maybe the Committee with doing something like that . You know, I think it ' s important that we ' re looking at these issues and not just --we don ' t want to just let it go by . MR . ANTHONY SANNINO : I just want to publicly say that I am the Ag Advisory Chairman at this point . As far as we ' re concerned, we ' re the committee with lead farmer ' s use water, and obviously, there is going to be a January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 6 concern . Just curious why wasn ' t the Ad Advisory Committee wasn ' t notified that it was being established and maybe a farmer could ' ve been put on it? COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Well , as you know, I have farming in my background, as well , and have a vested interest in it . So I do represent, I think, part of that . That is definitely on my mind and something that I look at . I welcome a member . We still have a vacancy on the committee . There is still one more position that needs to be filled . We didn ' t designate it by charge that a Ag Advisory or Agricultural member would be part of the committee . I would always welcome it . Of course . But as you know, the committee will determine somewhat of their own direction, but my focus is on residential use , and I think there is a lot of work that can be done in that area before we can even look at agriculture . MR . ANTHONY SANNINO : Okay . Just January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 7 to update , the mission statement would have been established -- COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: I guess the Town Board could, but it ' s not really the Town Board that creates a mission statement themselves . The committee hasn ' t even been established yet . MR . ANTHONY SANNINO : It will be something that prompts the need . COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: I think, since I have been on the Board, we have been discussing it . The Board will approve the mission statement once it ' s approved by the committee . COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Just what Sarah has been saying, this is something that ' s been on our mind for a while . She came to us with the proposed formulated in this way . They ' re -- they ' re having their meeting, I think this coming week . And we look forward to seeing what their mission statement is . MR . ANTHONY SANNINO : Is the January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 8 meeting opened to the public? COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Yes . COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: All meetings are . COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Just speaking for myself, I look forward to seeing what their mission statement is , and hopefully approve it . MR . ANTHONY SANNINO : I think those are all my questions . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : In most instances , really, the mission statement should really be done before the committee is appointed . This isn ' t like a new out of the blue committee . Like Sarah said, we had been discussing this for years , and what happened was , the role or the focused was narrowed . So at that point, I have to presume -- narrowed to the point where the mission statement wouldn ' t be necessary . An idea on what we want from them, plus on how they think they can achieve those goals . And also, as Sarah said, there is a vacancy still on that committee , January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 9 and urge a farmer to apply for it . MR . ANTHONY SANNINO : Is the Board aware of what the results were or the reports were? Is there anything to look through the previous committee ' s work? SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : We had a brief Water Quality Committee . It wasn ' t called that though . Are you talking about the one that Glynis Berry was on? MR . ANTHONY SANNINO : Yeah . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Yeah . There was -- at the time -- I am trying to remember, there wasn ' t -- as I remember Glynis tried to take quite a bit but was trying to get their work done too . MR . ANTHONY SANNINO : There was a report , I believe, she got a grant in order to get that report -- SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Yes . MR . ANTHONY SANNINO : The report actually said it was in conjunction with the Town of Southold . I am curious if the Board went through that report prior January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 10 to the development of another committee? SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Good point . MR . ANTHONY SANNINO : I guess not . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Good point . MR . ANTHONY SANNINO : Thank you very much . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Would anybody else like to address any of the items on the agenda? (No Response ) . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Okay . (Whereupon, the meeting continued onto the Resolutions at this time . ) E & C Property Holding II , Inc . RESOLVED that pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 17 (Community Preservation Fund) and Chapter 70 (Agricultural Lands ) of the Town Code, the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby sets Tuesday, January 17 , 2023 , at 7 : 00 p .m. , Southold Town Hall , 53095 Main Road, Southold, New York as the time and place for a public hearing for January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 11 the purchase of a development rights easement on property owned by E&C Property Holding II , Inc . Said property is identified as part of SCTM #1000-83 . -2-17 . 1 . The address is 10475 Oregon Road, Cutchogue, New York . The property is situated on the northerly side of Oregon Road approximately 550 feet easterly from the intersection of Duck Pond Road and Oregon Road . The property is located within a split zone with a majority of the total acreage in the Agricultural-Conservation (A-C ) Zoning District and approximately 2 . 55± acres situated on the northerly side of the parcel being in the Resort Residential (RR) Zoning District . The proposed acquisition is for a development rights easement on part of the property, consisting of approximately 25 . 7±acres ( subject to survey) of the 28 . 7± acre parcel . The 3± acre Reserve Area will remain linked to, and prohibited from being subdivided from, the area subject January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 12 to the easement . The exact area of the acquisition is subject to a Town-provided survey acceptable to the Land Preservation Committee and the property owner . The easement will be acquired using Community Preservation Funds . The purchase price is $ 80 , 000 ( eighty thousand dollars ) per buildable acre, estimated at $2 , 056, 000 . 00 ( two million fifty-six thousand dollars ) for the 25 . 7± acre easement . Purchase price will be adjusted at time of closing based on final survey acreage determination, plus acquisition costs . The property is listed on the Town ' s Community Preservation Project Plan as property that should be preserved due to its agricultural value . FURTHER NOTICE is hereby given that a more detailed description of the above-mentioned parcel of land is on file in Land Preservation Department , Southold Town Hall Annex, 54375 Route 25, Southold, New York, and may be examined by any interested person during January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 13 business hours . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Would anybody like to address the Town Board on this particular matter? MS . MELISSA SPIRO : I would . Melissa, Southold Land Preservation Coordinator . Let ' s see, there is a map up front and on Zoom. And as read in the notice, the property is located at the North Side of Oregon Road . East of Duck Pond Road . On the map, the farm is outlined in red . And there is a three acre excluded area . That is the broken right white line . The Town is requiring the development rights for Ag purposes and using the Preservation Fund . The area is about 25 . 7 acres . And 3 acres like I said -- 3 acres are being excluded . All subject to a final survey . This includes all prime Ag soils and is an area of predominantly active agriculture . You can see on the map . The white label indicates farms protected by either the Town or the County farmland . And preservation of January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 14 this farm expands and completes really the western end of an existing block of community preserve farmland . This block of preserved farmland exceeds about 130 acres of continuous preserved farms within a mile, there is hundreds more of preserved land . You can see them all on the map . The property has undergone many stops for both development and preservation from the existing ( inaudible ) built from the prior owners . The notes in the file include discussions and acquisition going back pretty much over 20 years for subdivision, lot line changes , site plans and different proposals for preservation . So I am really glad to be here tonight for the outcome of the preservation of this important farm. I am happy to present this project tonight and have worked on the preservation of the farm. This farmland will bring the total amount of farmland preserved under both the Town and County to over 4 , 800 acres . I am thankful for the land January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 15 owners for giving the Town the opportunity to preserve this important farm and the committee and -- the Land Preservation Committee and I both ask the Town Board to proceed with this acquisition . Thanks . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Who would like to address the Town Board on this particular Public Hearing? MR . TOM STEVENSON : Tom Stevenson, Orient . I am on the Ag Advisory Committee but I am not speaking for them. This property looks like a great addition . Thank you for all the hard work and I hope the Land Preservation Committee will be able to combine lots of Ag land like that, I think is really up there . And I am sure it ' s ranked -- it sounds like it was a property that was really high up on the list . So I am all in favor of it . I don ' t know if there is any actual structures on here . The Ag Advisory Committee doesn ' t believe that we should be delineating Ag structure areas . I don ' t know if it January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 16 does or doesn ' t . Referrals to the Ag Advisory Committee , in our 71-4 , this is our Ag Advisory Committee, the first item is that the Town Board shall refer such development rights to the committee for review . So I guess we were supposed to get together for one of our meetings in July of last year and we didn ' t have quorum . I never saw it and didn ' t see the project . So I just wanted to point that out . So I would hope that more effort would be made to bring it to us . But I do think it ' s a good property . That is all I have on that . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : I just want to -- sorry, I agree with you 1000 . But to suggest that more effort be made , I might submit that that works two ways too . So we asked to do a complete change of shift in how we do business around here and include Ag Committee . I understand the attendance is difficult there, but as you know, it is very difficult to get enough farmers in the room based on the nature of what you ' re January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 17 doing . She made efforts . She brought all of the information that needed to . I just wanted to give her due credit . Would anybody else like to address the Town Board on this particular purchase? (No Response ) . COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Motion to close this Public Hearing? COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Second . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : All in favor? COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : Aye . COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Aye . COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Aye . JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : Aye . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Aye . And that is the only Public Hearing . That concludes the business . I would like to invite anybody that would like to come up, to please feel free speak on any issue? MR . ANTHONY SANNINO : Just want to welcome our Town Attorney, Paul DeChance . I guess -- that ' s your name? January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 18 MR . PAUL DECHANCE : Yes , it is . MR . ANTHONY SANNINO : Welcome . MR . PAUL DECHANCE : Thank you very much . MR . ANTHONY SANNINO : I do have a question regarding a past Code Committee meeting we had . I know you ' re brand new and maybe you don ' t know . I made a request to have a change in our Town Accessory Apartment Code . So I am wondering if it ' s at your desk or maybe you can look for it? SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : The language will be on the agenda in two weeks : Paul just started the other day and he had to -- the language will be on in two weeks for discussion at the work session . MR . ANTHONY SANNINO : I will look out for it, and welcome again . MR . PAUL DECHANCE : Thank you . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Who else would like to address the Town Board on any issue? MR . PETER SPARENZA: Can I ask a January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 19 question? SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Sure . MR . PETER SPARENZA: Just not sure I might have missed this or it was on the agenda earlier today . Did -- was there a decision on the moratorium for the proposed battery storage? Has that been discussed or approved? SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : The Town Attorney is going to draft for a Public Hearing, on the moratorium. That will be on the agenda in two weeks . Then it will be up to the Board, there are six individual members and decide whether they want to support a moratorium or not . I can tell you in advance, I am certainly in support of one , but -- there are points to be made for both sides . MR . PETER SPARENZA: Nonetheless , that will be in two weeks from -- COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: We will set the Public Hearing in two weeks but the Public Hearing will probably take place a month after, 30 days after its January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 20 set . MR . PETER SPARENZA: Okay . So some time in February, give or take? SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Yes . MR . PETER SPARENZA: Okay . Thank you very much . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Who else would like to address the Town Board on any issue? MR . TOM STEVENSON : Going to go for the trifecta . Tom Stevenson, Orient . I love these when I can take three times . You guys are really going to get sick of me . So I missed a couple of things in the agenda also . It seems like -- it seemed like a lot of adjustments on the Capital Budget from the General Fund -- SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : They are not adjustments . When you put a budget together and you create basically the appropriations budget and the Capital Budget , the whole intent of the Capital Budget is to have that money there . And then you pull it out as you need it or are going to spend it . That is January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 21 essentially what those resolutions do . You need a resolution to reallocate that money from the Capital Budget to the Regular Budget so it can be spent on the specified items . MR . TOM STEVENSON : Okay . And then back to the Water Committee . It wasn ' t appropriate in the first part . Just general things about the Water Committee . I can save you guys a little time and kind of fill you in on the history of the Water Conservation Committee . We ' re going back to 10 years ago . This was the North Fork Clear Water Action Group . This was North Fork East End Council . This is in the Town ' s Laserfiche . There is a huge amount of information in there . A little bit hard to get through and find what you ' re looking for . This is a letter to the Town Board from them, asking for a number of things . And careful composition of the Water Quality Advisory Committee would be a critical factor in providing the Town Board with January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 22 objective science based recommendations . If the committee were to have 9 members , for example, we believe the following makeup would provide the broad base needed . Two members from the Southold Town Government staff . Maybe one member of the Planning Board and one member of the Engineering Department . One member of the Scientific community . Water quality experts , hydrologists . One member of Advocacy Community . One member with a Civic member perspective . One member from a design and planning perspective . One member from Agricultural Community . One member from the Town Board . One member of the Town Trustees . So a nine member board . This is where it gets a little bit off the rails because I think the end result of this is trying to create another taxing district, which would be a sewer district town-wide or water district town-wide . And I just think that we have so many regulations and government already, let ' s just use what we have January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 23 before we create new ones . The need for such a district is clear, as it will create a dedicated local sustainable funding source, with equitable costs . Therefore -- etcetera, etcetera . Therefore , coordination with the committees that are already in existence is critical . So there is stuff out there . In 2017 , when the Water Conservation Committee was created, there were three members . Glynis , Chris Wedge, Chris Picoril and Bob Dosio was the Town Board liaison . They did have a statement . I don ' t know if they came up with it themselves . Again, they never came to that committee . We never met with them . We never had any interaction at all . The mission of the Southold Town Water Conservation Committee is to advise the Town about how to protect , conserve and preserve our groundwater resources , and the marine estuaries surrounding Southold . Through data collection, research and education, this Committee supports the sustainability of January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 24 Southold ' s water resources by monitoring data on water, quality and quantity in the Town of Southold . Collecting Best Practices for sustainability and water use and protection . Helping the Town create community outreach materials and demonstrate sites to educate residents , businesses and landscapers and agricultural groups about these Best Practices . Collaborated with conversations for maximum effectiveness and public education, working with Southold Town Schools and camps to adopt water education as part of their science groups , and to suggest action items for the water conservation to the Town Board . So there is that . And then in 2018 , Glynis prepared this report , which the Ag Committee, we have gone over it a little bit . I read it a few times . And there is a lot of data here . And I do have a science degree . I do have a Bachelors in Systems from UC Davis . I know something but I am not a hydrologist . I think we do have to be January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 25 very concerned about water, about quantity and quality . You know, I do that in my daily actions as a farmer . I care about it . In 1999, when I was working for one of the wineries , we volunteer for water testing . And you know, you have a scientist who is taking the sample and going right to the farmer . And I think that is what it should do , because no farmer wants to pollute the groundwater . And that knowledge is key . So what he didn ' t have in between that was , anyone . So at some point, maybe year 2000 , he came to me and said, you know, DEC pulled us off the project . But what he was doing, here is 300 things we ' re sampling for . You know, that is still ( inaudible ) or by product . As the testing got better, they were finding more . And what do you do? Well , you stopped looking at it ; right? So the assumptions that you have to use to develop a study like this . You know, without millions of dollars , and you know actually trace groundwater January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 26 contaminants or you can do things like water levels in wells . My hasn ' t changed in 20 years . It ' s at the same 17 foot mark . That is in Orient . Suffolk County assumes half of the rain water we get recharges . This study assumes 250 . But then recommends that we should only use 200 . Now, that is just -- I am going to go through this a little bit . It very much addresses farming . I mean, there is good stuff, but there is bad stuff . How to handle people on individual wells . A temporary fee structure could be added to supercede ( inaudible ) if the Suffolk County doesn ' t mirror a pricing of groundwater use fees could be extended to their customers , as well . A town-wide water district may be needed to address fees . So this is taxing people for my own water . When it rains one inch on my farm, that is 270 , 000 gallons of water . So meter program. Possible requirements for this working meters on all on site wells . This needs January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 27 to be coordinated with New York State DEC Suffolk County . So if you have a well that could pump over 45 gallons a minute , you do report -- I don ' t pump anything like that . I don ' t do that . So I don ' t need to report, but I also don ' t want a meter . Okay . On my water, because it ' s not yours . It ' s all of ours . But it ' s not yours . Maybe it ' s mine . Maybe it ' s not . Regulations . So, assumptions on vineyards and wineries . I will go through this for you . Well , yeah -- I could not find this on your website anymore . It used to be on the front or somewhere up front . But the assumptions here are really the gloom and doom assumptions . Okay . And I just don ' t see -- every chance there was to pick on one end of the range , there was -- it was on the scary end of the range . I definitely want to recommend reading it . I will bring up breweries . For example, breweries use between 60 and 180 times the amount of water . Basically 80 tons January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 28 of gallons to make one gallon of beer -- COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : That ' s false . MR . TOM STEVENSON : That is what I am talking about . It says they ' re agricultural , but I don ' t necessarily believe they ' re agricultural . Is it commercial? Once you pump the water, it ' s everybody ' s water . If I suck all the water out of the ground and you run dry, then we ' re California . It ' s a year wait to drill a well that is probably 1500 to 2 , 000 feet deep . Garbage quality water out of the ground . You don ' t want to be there, and we ' re not . You drill between 500 and 1500 feet down, the Woodall and Columbia put out a study saying that the largest known freshwater aquifer on a coastal region is right under us . Okay . From Cape Cod to Southern Jersey, 50 miles off shore, is freshwater . Okay . And it ' s just deeper than what we have . Shallow aquifer . I am not saying that we should tap that . But it ' s there . When the January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 29 glaciers melted, where did they go? They created that aquifer . So a lot of this was using Suffolk County Water Authority numbers . We all know that the Orient didn ' t want the water mane because they thought they were going to pump our water west . Now what you have is Suffolk County Water Authority, this building -- they ' re building the pipeline from Laurel . And they ' re going to feed the system that way, which that didn ' t exist even four years ago . So we have a -- we ' re making assumptions on what crops use how much water . We ' re also sort of asking to limit certain areas . So what -- the end result of this , we have a summer pumping problem that is not a year use . It ' s that over pumping for the salt water intrusion . Is there possibly more storage and have it and make more use of it during the summer? I don ' t know . Back in the 1930 ' s when they had power plants making too much power and pump water into reservoirs . Because they didn ' t have January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 30 batteries . They didn ' t have Lithium batteries . They had to pump the water up because the motors pump it up . And then the turbines reverse and then the motor is a generator; right? So there is other things to store electricity . I don ' t know if water doing that here is feasible or possible, but trying to put a few things together, battery storage and -- SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Is there another third rail ? MR . TOM STEVENSON : They look great . Put wind towers on top . But you know, we got to take outside of the box because the answer is not let ' s create another regulatory agency and another line on the tax bill . Because there is enough lines on the tax bill , all right . I don ' t know . I don ' t want to take all your time tonight . Back in the 70 ' s when Orient -- a lot of farms or more, and the -- Jack Emerson was on the school board with me . He was like, there was a 1 , 000 gallon limit well January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 31 there -- he just was like -- 20 , 000 gallons a minute . Nobody pumping water like that . Farming is using less water than ever . And we ' re -- our profits have changed too . We barely turn the water on . But yet in here, a vineyard used the most water in any Ag operation . I couldn ' t understand that one . But these assumptions are made to make us look bad . When that is not really the case . So any way, you have something to work with already but I think you -- do all the easy stuff but when you want to come after the farmers and say every gallon that you ' re pumping, I don ' t think that is being cooperative with solving the problem. Okay . So that is that . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Let me just point out, I think the problem with that study -- I remember how it started and I do remember how it ended . And Denis was actually on it and he can comment on it in a second . It was very broad . Very far reaching . I share some January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 32 of your skepticism on it and it was never acted on . I think the intent -- and I don ' t want to speak for Sarah but I think the mission statement would have relayed some of these concerns . But I do think that this is focused more on groundwater quality . Not on -- a lot of what was is there was part of a broader county study, or at least that was the launching part of it . It was also trying to include a lot of surface waters and everything else . It was way, way too broad . I am going to let her address what she envisions and focus on something that is more practical , pragmatic and be implemented with good community . Not to create bad guys and good guys . MR . TOM STEVENSON : Thank you . And I appreciate you trying to hold it off until we get it right . I think that is important . The process is very important . You know, to have to listen in on a work session to -- and I bet this will be on the agenda from last January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 33 week, but I bet this is coming on the agenda this week . I don ' t like -- that is not how government should work . If it ' s an emergency and last minute -- really, when you give the people a chance , you have to give them a little time to know what ' s happening . So -- not that we need many more people . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : I am just going to plead to -- it ' s been tough because all the farmers with their different crops , and when they ' re available . But let ' s work and see if we can find someone to take that vacancy and they can work on the mission statement with the rest of the committee . MR . TOM STEVENSON : Not one of the trustees -- SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Well , he would be a liaison . COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: So Nick Krupski volunteered to be one of the trustee liaisons . So you know, Nick, as well as , myself, have relevant farming January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 34 experience . Just to back up a little bit , and kind of let you know where I am coming from with this committee . You know, when I first was elected, I was given the task of sort of recreating the Water Committee . And I spoke a little with Bob and what he had done, Bob Gocio, and previous members . And I appreciate any person that volunteers for the Town . Because anybody that comes to these committee meetings , you know, it ' s really admirable and I appreciate the hard work of the committee . But to be frank, I didn ' t really reach out to those people on the committee . I feel like we know where we ' re going and looking at . And while some of the things of their mission statement is really valid and important . You know, components . You know, public education, as well as , things like that . All that stuff is great . But I really felt like this committee needed to start from scratch . You know also why -- I knew about Glynis ' study, but I didn ' t January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 35 pull it up . I didn ' t go through it and think that we should start there . I think just as the points that you ' re pulling out of there, is either out of date or not properly -- whatever . Those numbers are not what the uses -- MR . TOM STEVENSON : Which I think is important when you have a study like that . COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Right -- MR . TOM STEVENSON : And they go fix this . Fix that . COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: So clearly the numbers were not where it is , is my point . So I really wanted this group to start from scratch and see what their ideas are . As I said, I think we have a nice balanced group . We have someone from the community that works in Stony Brook in the Water Quality . There is an engineer . There is somebody working with a company that comes up with Water Quality -- clean water solutions for third-world countries . I think there is some good January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 36 people on their that will offer some good solutions . You know, again, there was never any intention to come after the farmers as you said . That is not where I was going with that committee at all . From the Ag community, not that I need to be the sole person, but I can represent you know, that industry . You know, I have no interest in coming after the farmers with water -- just in general , I don ' t think that was my intent . MR . TOM STEVENSON : It ' s very hard to use code to fix that bad examples . to that won ' t -- COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Sure . There is always someone ; right? But you know, I think this is more geared in a different direction . So the meeting meets Thursday at 6 : 00 . It will be on Zoom. You know, it ' s all for open dialogue and conversation . You know, I don ' t necessarily think we get the mission statement in the first meeting . Things like that take time to flush out January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 37 and get things -- you know, input . Just so you understand a little bit and how I am approaching this . And you know, a little trust in that as well . MR . TOM STEVENSON : I am going to try and come . We have our Ag meeting . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Again, this didn ' t just pop up out of the blue . This has been going on for a couple of years and sort of been widdled down to a little bit more precise and what the original discussion was . Denis was on the original committee . I can -- MR . DENIS NONCARROW : And just FYI , we didn ' t -- it was more or less to just educate the new homeowners that were building these big houses on the water . And when we communicated with them, yeah, we have a lot of water . So help me here, what to do to conserve water and put the right fertilizer . So we never got there . I was excited when I heard this was starting in again, because I think this is something that we lack, to be able to help people to January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 38 conserve because most of the people with these homes do want to conserve, but they don ' t know how . MR . TOM STEVENSON : Do you need the green lawn? No . To over water -- COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: And we ' re getting to a point where Suffolk County is going to regulate as well . We had an emergency this summer . It ' s -- it ' s here . So -- MR . TOM STEVENSON : -- let it burn out and stop mowing . COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : I think here, what the Board needs to push this forward and support Sarah and push this forward, was the water emergency this summer and the discussion, well , what do we do? They ' re issuing all these warnings ? We had all driven into work one day and it was pouring rain . And everyone was like -- all the sprinklers were on at the time they should not have been on . How do we do that as the Town Board? This is a great thing that a Water Committee can do -- January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 39 MR . TOM STEVENSON : I think at least 50 -- you know, 50 sensors that shut irrigation off . COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Absolutely . For us , it ' s figuring out who in Town can do that . At the time, it was the good idea to get the Water Committee together and focus on stuff like that because we all recognize, how do you come up with a solution? And I think it was all these sort of home use , residential directed -- it ' s like , all right, let ' s get this going . MR . TOM STEVENSON : With the Ag Committee , we were trying to put a few ad ' s together . And one of them, you you, that we ' re going to discuss tomorrow night, is pointing towards the County ' s website and good stuff about . Over fertilizing . Not fertilizing . Split applications . Compost . Not chemical fertilizer . You know, most homeowners over irrigate . Just -- I guess , if I had one -- anyway . I will let you guys -- January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 40 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Thank you . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Who else would like to address the Town Board on any issue? (No Response ) . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Motion to adjourn? COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: I make a motion to adjourn . COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Second . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : All in favor? COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Aye . COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : Aye . COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Aye . JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : Aye . SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Aye . (Whereupon, the Board Meeting concluded at this time . ) January 17, 2023 Regular Meeting 41 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 January 17 , 2023 , 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 28th day of January, 2023 . r I Jessica DiLallo