HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB-11/08/2023 PH 1
1 TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
COUNTY OF SUFFOLK : STATE OF NEW YORK
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TOWN BOARD
4 REGULAR BOARD MEETING
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Southold, New York
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November 8 , 2023
9 7 : 00 P .M .
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15 B E F 0 R E :
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17 SCOTT A . RUSSELL, SUPERVISOR
18 LOUISA P . EVANS , JUSTICE
19 JILL DOHERTY, COUNCILWOMAN
20 BRIAN 0 . MEALY, COUNCILMAN
21 GREG DOROSKI , COUNCILMAN
22 SARAH E . NAPPA, COUNCILWOMAN
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NOVEMBER 8, 2023 REGULAR MEETING 2
1 BUDGET HEARING
2 SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Okay .
3 What we ' re going to do is , we ' re going
4 to reopen the hearing for the budget .
5 Then after we take comment, if there is
6 any, then we ' ll close that . Then we ' ll
7 get to the regular agenda .
8 COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Make a
9 motion to reopen the Public Hearing .
10 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : Well ,
11 actually, I don ' t know, because we
12 recessed it .
13 COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: So make
14 a motion to reopen .
15 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : I ' ll
16 second that .
17 SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : All in
18 favor?
19 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : Aye .
20 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Aye .
21 COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : Aye .
22 COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Aye .
23 JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : Aye .
24 SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Aye .
25 Would anybody like to comment on
NOVEMBER 8, 2023 REGULAR MEETING 3
1 the budget for 2024 ?
2 (No Response ) .
3 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : I ' ll
4 make a motion to close the hearing .
5 COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Second .
6 SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : All in
7 favor?
8 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : Aye .
9 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Aye .
10 COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : Aye .
11 COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Aye .
12 JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : Aye .
13 SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Aye .
14 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
15 PUBLIC HEARING
16 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : So the
17 public hearing tonight is on the
18 Community Development Block Grants . And
19 in the folder here, I have a copy of the
20 Affidavit of Publication in the Suffolk
21 Times , a copy of the legal notice that
22 was published, a copy of the Affidavit
23 that was posted on the back bulletin
24 board signed by Lynda Rudder, Deputy
25 Town Clerk, a copy of the Resolution
NOVEMBER 8, 2023 REGULAR MEETING 4
1 itself . That ' s what I got .
2 SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Would
3 anybody like to comment on the proposed
4 Community Block Grant Funding? Nothing
5 on Zoom . Nobody ' s on Zoom.
6 We ' ll leave it open for 30 days .
7 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : I ' ll
8 make a motion to leave the public
9 hearing open for 30 days .
10 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Second .
11 SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : All in
12 favor?
13 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : Aye .
14 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Aye .
15 COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : Aye .
16 COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Aye .
17 JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : Aye .
18 SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Aye .
19 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
20 PUBLIC COMMENTS .
21 SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : That
22 completes the agenda . I ' m going to
23 invite anybody that would like to
24 comment on any issue, to please feel
25 free .
NOVEMBER 8, 2023 REGULAR MEETING 5
1 TIM FROST : My name is Tim Frost .
2 I live at 1995 Village Lane . I ' m here
3 tonight to follow-up on some comments
4 that I made on, to you, on the 26th of
5 September, where I attempted to bring to
6 your attention a matter that has
7 consumed a lot of interest in the
8 Village of Orient, but is also, as I ' m
9 sure you ' re aware, consumed a lot of the
10 time of the various departments and
11 agencies of the Town . Primarily the
12 Building Department , the ZBA, the Town
13 Attorney ' s Office, and that matter
14 relates to 95 Navy . My understanding is
15 that at that meeting, I recall that the
16 Supervisor Russell mentioned that it
17 would be going to Executive Session . My
18 understanding is that there have been
19 some subsequent developments and some
20 actions had been initiated . And I think
21 I ' m speaking for the residents of
22 Orient, and in particular, the friends
23 of the historic Orient , who frankly
24 launched a fairly significant effort
25 when it was before the ZBA, in terms of
NOVEMBER 8, 2023 REGULAR MEETING 6
1 stopping some of the activities . I want
2 to say that I ' m grateful , and commend
3 the Town, and frankly the Board, for
4 having an Executive Session . And my
5 desire isn ' t here to complain about
6 anything and to rehash old issues , but I
7 will say I think this whole 10-year
8 odyssey with 95 Navy gives us a chance
9 to really look back and learn a lot of
10 lessons . Both for the residents of
11 Orient, but frankly, also for the Town
12 Board and some of the agencies and
13 departments that have been involved . I
14 would like to just suggest that going
15 forward that we seek not just
16 enforcement or fines , but we continue on
17 with what I tried to request in -- on
18 the 26th of September, that we finally
19 resolve this matter . And I think the
20 reasonable people of Orient recognize
21 that any property owner, even one that
22 has dragged this out for 10 years , is
23 entitled to make some development and
24 modifications to their property . We
25 only ask that it be done really in
NOVEMBER 8, 2023 REGULAR MEETING 7
1 conformance with what is allowed under
2 the Town Code . But in doing that, I
3 think we want to make sure that , you
4 know, it isn ' t just a question of
5 imposing fines or unreasonable things on
6 an applicant or on the property owner .
7 But we finally move towards the
8 situation where it can be resolved for
9 all parties . So I think -- I just
10 wanted to present that . That the goal
11 here really does need to be to resolve
12 this issue after 10 years . After that
13 happens , I really think, and I ' d be
14 willing to share with you ever, my
15 thoughts on sort of lessons we ' ve
16 learned from this , because I know,
17 frankly, it is consumed and ignored in
18 amount of time . Not perhaps by the Town
19 Board itself, but by its various
20 departments . I mean, just mind boggling
21 amount . And I know from my
22 understanding of the issues that I have
23 a real appreciation of what the agencies
24 and department of this Town have to deal
25 with, the Building Department, the ZBA.
NOVEMBER 8, 2023 REGULAR MEETING 8
1 And frankly, even the Town Attorney,
2 because I think we ' ve probably been
3 through four or five Town attorneys
4 throughout this whole process . And I
5 know the files are incredibly long,
6 they ' re not only long, but they ' re
7 incomplete . But to me , it must be
8 incredibly difficult when you ' re having
9 a change of your legal attorney, you
10 know, your legal office in delving into
11 this and getting all of the
12 understanding of it . So I just wanted
13 to say that I really do appreciate the
14 fact that actions are being taken . That
15 steps are being initiated . But I would
16 hope that, as I said, that this is a
17 matter not just of imposing any fines or
18 sanctions , that we really work towards a
19 situation that will satisfy some of the
20 requirements that the property owner
21 has , and the rights that he ' s entitled
22 to as a property owner, but that it be
23 done in full compliance with the Town
24 Code . So thank you .
25 SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Thanks ,
NOVEMBER 8, 2023 REGULAR MEETING 9
1 I appreciate it . It ' s actually -- I can
2 certainly say, it ' s taken up a great
3 deal of my time because of the concerns .
4 I will tell you there ' s a, I agree , I ' d
5 love to learn the lessons . One of the
6 things I can say, is the communication
7 between departments . It ' s not so much
8 the communication, it ' s the lack of
9 similar perspective . That certainly
10 makes things worse . People look at
11 things . Different departments look at
12 things very differently, and then it
13 becomes a reconciliation process for the
14 attorneys and for others . Just , you
15 know, I think there ' s an irony that we
16 just hired Sonya to help develop better
17 bridges in terms of language barriers .
18 I think she needs to start working with
19 the different departments . So we also
20 start speaking the same language ' cause
21 I gotta tell you, every department I
22 called during that, I get a different
23 perspective and a different answer . And
24 I ' m dealing with four or five different
25 departments . And I ' m sitting there
NOVEMBER 8, 2023 REGULAR MEETING 10
1 thinking, I don ' t know what the correct
2 course of action is . There ' s also one
3 other thing, and unfortunately is
4 recalcitrance , is some things you can
5 un-ring certain bells , and there ' s some
6 certain things that have taken place
7 that , oh, I tell you -- and I had gone
8 by it several times that you wish you
9 had something in place so that that
10 didn ' t happen . Sometimes you don ' t
11 have , you know, unfortunately as much
12 authority as you ' d like, so --
13 TIM FROST : I understand, but I
14 think I really speak for many of the
15 residents of Orient that, you know,
16 they ' re grateful . In fact, that we are
17 moving forward .
18 SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : They, as
19 a community, have been much more than
20 patient . I have to say that . So thank
21 you .
22 PAUL DECHANCE : If I can add, Mr .
23 Frost, thank you very much for coming
24 out tonight . And I believe that we have
25 a meeting on Tuesday; is that correct?
NOVEMBER 8, 2023 REGULAR MEETING 11
1 So I look forward to seeing you then .
2 TIM FROST : Okay .
3 SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Anybody
4 else like to address the Town Board on
5 any issue?
6 (No Response ) .
7 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : I ' ll
8 make a motion to adjourn .
9 COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Second .
10 SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : All in
11 favor?
12 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : Aye .
13 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Aye .
14 COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : Aye .
15 COUNCILWOMAN SARAH NAPPA: Aye .
16 JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : Aye .
17 SUPERVISOR SCOTT RUSSELL : Aye .
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19 (Whereupon, the meeting concluded . )
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NOVEMBER 8, 2023 REGULAR MEETING 12
1 C E R T I F I C A T I O N
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3 I , Jessica DiLallo, a Notary Public
4 for and within the State of New York, do
5 hereby certify :
6 THAT , the within transcript is a
7 true record of said Board Meeting .
8 I further certify that I am not
9 related either by blood or marriage to
10 any of the parties to this action; and
11 that I am in no way interested in the
12 outcome of this matter .
13 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto
14 set my hand this day, November 8 , 2023 .
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17 ( J sic hallo )
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