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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB-08/25/1998-SAUGUST 25, 1998 SPECIAL MEETING SOUTHOLD TOWN BOARD A Special Meeting of the Southold Town Board was held on August 25, 1998, at the Southold Town Hall, Main Road, Southold, New York. Supervisor Cechran opened the meeting at 9:00 A.M. Present: Supervisor Jean W. Cechran Councilwoman Alice J. Hussie Councilman William D. Moore Councilman John M. Romanelli Councilman Brian G. Murphy 'Town Clerk Elizabeth A. Neville Town Attorney Gregory F. Yakaboski Absent: Justice Louisa P. Evans SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: This is a meeting of the Southold Town Board, August 2S, 1998, for the purpose of passing four laws, which relate to the Community Preservation Fund. I have to stop and think, because I always want to say, 2%, that' is what we all know it as, and understand that it will say 2% on the ballot, because they feel most people know it as the 2% Bill. So, we have resolutions to pass. I guess we should stand and salute the Flag. This is an official meeting. Please, join us in the Pledge of Allegiance led by our Town Clerk Betty Neville. Resolution #17 Moved by Councilman Murphy, seconded by Councilman Hussie, WHEREAS, the Town Board is considering the establishment, by local laws, of a Community Preservation Fund for the Town of Southold, Including the establishment of an Advisory Board, a Community Preservation Project Plan and the Imposition of a real estate transfer tax subject to a mandatory referendUm to fund the Community Preservation Fund for the Town of Southold, Including the establishment of an Advisory Board, a Community Preservation Project and the Imposition of a real estate transfer tax subject to a mandatory referendum to fund the Community Preservation Project Plan and ~the. imposition of a real estate transfer tax subject to 'a mandatory'referendum to .fund the Community Development Fund; and WHEREAS, the Town Board has determined that the proposed local laws all work together, and, for SEQRA purposes should be reviewed together; and WHEREAS, the Town Board adopted a resolution on the 8th day of July, 1998 determining the above referenced action to be a Type I action under the State Environmental Quality Review Act; and WHEREAS, the Town Board has conducted a lead agency coordinated review and no other agencies have stated they they desire lead agency status; ~ BE IT RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold, acting pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act and 6 NYCRR 617 et seq. establishes and declares itself to be the Lead Agency. Vote of the - Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilman Moore, Councilwoman Hussie, Supervisor Cechran. This resolution was duly ADOPTED. AUGUST 25, 1998 2.-Moved by Councilwoman Hussie, seconded by Councilman Murphy, WHEREAS, the Town Board is considering the establishment, by local laws, of a Community Preservation Fund for the Town of Southold, including the establishment of an Advisory Board, a Community Preservation Project Plan and the Imposition of a real estate transfer tax subject to a mandatory referendum to fund the Community Preservation Fund; and WHEREAS, the Town Board if the Lead Agency. WHEREAS, the Long Form Environmental Assessment Form Part I and II has been. completed fo..r, this proposed action and the Criteria for Determination of ~ Slgmflcance contained in 6 NYCRR Part 617.7 considered; and WHEREAS, in compa, r!ng the. proposed action with SEQR Criteria for Determination of Significance it is determined that the action Will not change or destroy or Impair air, water or natural/open space resources, or historic/archaeological resources in the Town of Southold; 'WHEREAS, it is determined the action will not significantly ~ncrease traffic volumes, sold waste generation or impact on population patterns, noise levels, or the use of energy and that the proposed action .will not create a hazard to establishment, .by Ioca! laws, of a Community Preservation Advisory Board, Plan and imposition of a 2%r Real Estate and intended t.o .protect' and preserve the commun!tyl resources, scenic vistas and historic places as set forth Preservation Project Plan and Community action is 'expected to result in beneficial, ge- IS~ Uires primary consideration of environmental and tate ereb¥ issues result in an overali benefit ,urces, vi the be it as Lead Agency, ~ereby determines, for the proposed act~iOn will not have a environment and that a Draft~ ~nvironmental Impact thuS the Town BOard, Pursuant to the Act and 6 N¥CRR 617 et. seq., for this proposed action. Councilman Murphy, Councilman HUssie, Supervisor Cochran. lulY ADOPTED. Se' :d by Superyisor Cochran, to the Town Board of the Town of r. of JL~ly, 1998, a Local Law entitled, "A Local andi Establishing a Southold Town Community of. I~was held on this Local Law on the a, th day time all interested persons were given an therefore, be it hereby enacts Local Law No. 12, which LOCAL LAW NO. 12 OF 1998 A Local. Law in Relation to Creating and Establiishing A Community Pres&rVatmn Fund, Which reads as follows: A Local Establish the Community Preservation Fund as authorized by state Town Law section 6tr-e. BE IT ENACTED by the Town Board of the Town of Southold as follows: The: Southoid Town Code is hereby amended to add a new Chapter ther?o, to be Chapter 6, Southold Community Preservation Fund, Article 1 of s~id chapter to ~ead as follows: CHAPTER 6 ARTICLE I Southold Oo,u~-unit~ Preservation Fund ~6-1 Title. ' This chapter of the Southold Town Code shall be known and may be cited as the "Community Preservation Fund." 6-2 through 6-6. (Reserved) 6.7 FII~iNGS: The Town of Southold possesses a rich heritage of scenic, historic and natural resources, which are .vital to .t~.e Tow~_'s .sen~ of place and to its economic success as a ?..~un.ity.. which comprise these resources are rapxo, y oexn. g .-os? ~___,A--~ -~i..----~. ~-~ the Town's ~oecial identity is in danger of being damaged forever. In furtherance scezu.ct preserving 'the Town's re~ning. treasures, the Southold Town Board £Xn~s zc necessary to establish a dedicated fund for their conservation. Such fund is specifically authorized under ~ 64-e of the New York Town Law and is necessary to the enactment of a .two percent (2%) real estate transfer tax, which is also authorized hv Town Law § 64-e and Tax Law Article 31- D and which the Town Board finds to he necessary to effectuate the Town' s community preservation goals. 6-8 through 6-11. (reserved) 6-12 Purposes. It is the purpose of this Chapter_ to establish and create the Southold Community preservation Fund-rot the purpose Of Community Preservation as that te:~ is defined in Town Law section 64-e(1) (b) and section 6-16 of this Chapter. Com..~unity Preservation in_cludes~ Southold, including wetlanos, woo~an~s, a_ur.x, cu~_~u:at =_~_~'~'~ shorelands, and the other natural resources o: ~ne Town, :.u: .~.,~ purpose of protecting historic places and properties within cme Town7 and for the p~rpose of providing the Town's visito.r.s a~_d residents with o~tdoor recreational opportunities, axx ~ accordance with the provisions of § 64-e of the New York State Town Law and as more fully set forth therein. 6-13 throu~ 6-15. (reserved) ~ 6-16. Definitions. As used in this chapter, the following words and terms shall have the meanings indicated: ADVISORY BOARD - shall mean the Southold Community PreserVation Fund Advisory Board to be established and created by the Town Board pursuant to Town Law section 64-e (5). COMMUNITY. PRESERVATION - shall mean preservation of community character which .shall involve one or more of the following purposes: A. Establishment of parks, nature preserves, or recreational areas; AUGUST 25, 1998 Be Ce Preservation of .open spa'de, including agricultural lands; Preservation of lands of exceptional scenic value; De Preservation of fresh and saltwater marshes wetlands; Preservation of aquifer recharge areas; or other Fe Preservation of undeveloped beach lands, shorelands or shoreline; Ge Establishment of wildlife .refuges for th~ purpose of maintaining native animal species diversity, including the protection of habitat essential to the' recovery of - rare, threatened, or endangered species; Preservation of pine barrens consisting of such biota as pitchpine and scrub oak; me Preservation of unique or threatened ecological areas; Presezwation of brooks or stre~m~, rivers and river areas in natural, free-flowing condition; K. -Preservation of forested land; Lo Me Ne Preser~ation of public access to lands for public use including stream rights and waterways; Preservation of historic places and properties listed on the New York State Register of Historic Places and/or protected under a municipal or local historic preservation ordinance or local law; and Undertaking any of the aforementioned in furtherance of the establishment of a greenbelt. C(X4MUNITY PRESERVATIO~ PROJECT PLAN - shall mean the Southold Co~=unity Preservation Project Plan to be adopted by the Southold Town Board pursuant to Town Law § 64-e (6) which shall be known as the Southold Community Preservation project Plan. FUND - shall mean the South~ld Community Preservation Fund established and created by this chapter-pursuant 'to Town Law § 64-e. 6-17 through 6-19. (reserved) 6-20 A. Be Southold C~L~unit~ Preservation Fund established. The Southold Community Preservation Fund is hereby established as authorized by ~ 64-e of the New York Town Law. Deposits into the fund may ihclude revenues of the Town from whatever source, and shall include, at a min~m-~, all revenues from a real estate transfer tax ~mposed by the Town pursuant to Article 31-D of the New York Tax Law. The fund shall also be authorized to accept gifts of any such interests in land or of funds. Interest accrued by monies deposited in the fund shall be credited to the fund. AUGUST 25, 1998 De In no event shall monies deposited in the fund 'be transferred into any other account. Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to prevent the financing in whole or in part, pursuant to the New York Local Finance Law, of any acquisition authorized pursv_~n_t to this chapter. Monies from the fund may be utilized to repay any indebtedness or obligations incurred pursuant to the Local Finance Law, consistent with effectuating the purposes of this chapter. F. Since 1980 the Town of Southold has /in~rred or authorized bonded indebtedness in the amount of approximately $11,000,000.00 (Eleven million dollars) for open space purposes. The n~-,ber of residents of the Town of Southold per the 1990 U.S. Census was approx~m-tely 20,000. The Town Board hereby determines and finds that the Town ~ has incurred or authorized bonded indebtedness since 1980 for open space purposes equal to or greater th~n two h~ndred dollars per Town resident and thus the Town has complied with th~ per resident financial co~Ltment require~nt set forth in Town Law section 64-e (2). SS 6-21 through 6-23. (reserved) ~ 6-24 Purposes of the. fund. The purposes, of the fund shall be exclusively: (1) To im~le;_ent the Southold Co~a~ntty Preservation Project Plan for community Preservation as required by § 64-e (6) of the Town Law~ (2) To acquire interests or rights in real property for the preservation of community characte~ within the Town, including the portion of any village therein, in accordance with said plan~ (3) "To establish a bank pursuant to a transfer of development'rights progrEm consistent with ~ 261-a of the Town Law, at the sole discretion of the Town Board~ (4) To provide a management and stewardship program for such rights and interests acquired by the fund, consistent with the provisions of this chapter and in accordance with the Southold Community Preservation Plan. ~ The acquisition of interests and rights in real property under the fcuid shall be in~ cooperation with willing sellers. De Not ~ore than ten percent (10%) of the fund shall be utilized for the ~anagement and stewardship progr~ provided for in paragraph A (4) of this section. If the ]m?lementation of the Southold Com~unity Preservation Project Plan has been completed, and funds are no longer re~4red for the purposes set forth in paragraph 6-24 (A) , any remai.n~n, g monies in the fund shall be applied to reduce any bonded indebtedness or obligations* incurred to effectuate the purposes set forth in paragraph 6-24 (A). 6-25 through 6-27. (reserved) AUGUST 25, 1998 6-28 Acquisition of interests in pro~; public hearing and other requi~ents. No interest(s) or right(s) in real property shall be acquired pursuant to this Chapter until a public hearing is held as required by ~ 247 of the New York General M%u%icipal Law. However, nothing herein shall prevent the Town Board from entering into a conditional purchase agreement before a p%~blic hearinq is held. B. Any resolution of the Town Board approving an acquisition of land pursuant to this :Chapter shall include a finding that acquisition Was the best alternative for the protection of co_mm__unity character of all reasonable alter~atives avail_~h_le to the' Town. 6-29 through 6-31 (reserved) 6-32 Management of lands aoA~ired pursuant to chapter. A. Land(s) or interest (s) in real property acquired p~rsuant to this chapter shall ~be administered and managed in a manner which: (1) allows public use and enjOyment in a manner compatible with the natural, scenic, historic, and open spacel character of such"ilands or interests in' real Property; (2) pr~eserves: the native biological diversity of such l~ds or interests in real property; (3) With regard to lands as open space (as opposed to lands ac~red for active recreation use or pt~blic water access, or improved lands acquired for historic preservation reasons), improvements shall be limited to those designed to enhance access for pasSive use of such open space lands, such as nature, trails, boardwalks, bicycle paths, and peripheral parking areas, provided that such improvem__ents do not degrade the ecological value of the land or threaten e'~sential wildlife habitat; and (4) preserves cultural property, historic properties, historic and cultural resources in a manner which is consistent with accepted standards for historic preservation. The Town may enter into agreements with corporations organized under the New York Not-For-Profit Corporation Law and which engage in land trust activities, in order to provide for the management of lands acquired pursuant to this Chapter, including less than fee interests in l~Dd. Any such agreements shall, however, provide that such corporations shall keep the lands under managem_ent accessible to the public unless such corporations shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Town Board that public access would be detrimental to the lands or to any natural resources or features associated therewith. 6-33 through 6-35 (r~served) AUGUST 25, 1998 6-36 Alienation of land acquired using th~ fund. Ao Ce Rights or interests in real property which are acquired with monies from the fund shall not be sold, leased, exchanged, donated, or otherwise disposed of or used for other than the purposes permitted by this chapter without the express authority of an act of the State Legislature, which legislature is required to provide for the substitution of other lands having equal environmental . and fair m_-rket value and reasonably equivalent usefulness and location to those to be discontinued, sold, or .disposed of, and such other requirements as shall be approved by the legislat~r, e. In addition to an act of the State Legislature, real property acquired with monies from the fund shall not be sold, leased, exchanged, donated, or otherwise disposed of or used for other than the puL'poses per~itteU Dy this chapter, except after compliance with the alienation procedures' ~et forth in the Open .Space' Preservation Chapter of this Code, specifically Chapter 59. Th. is section shall not apply to the sale of development rights by the Town acquired purSUant to this chapter, where said sale is made by a central bank created by the Town and t0~a transfer Of development rights program' by the Town pu.r. suant to § 261-a of the Town Law, however, that: (1) The lands from which said development rights were acquired shall in perpetuity by a ~ or other instrument ~erves character as in' the definition of ~hiS Chapter; and (2) That the from~ any such sale shall be deposited' Community Preservation F d, 6-37 through 6-38 (reserved) ~ 6-39 SEVERABILITY: If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section; or part of this Article shall be adjudged by any court of competent ~urisdiction to be invalid, such Judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, 'sentence, paragraph, section, or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered. ~ 6-40 EFFECTIVE DATE: This Local Law shall take effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State as provided by law. 3.-Vote .of. the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelh, Councilman Moore, Councilwoman-Hussle, Supervisor Cochran. This resolution was duly ADOPTED. ~.-Moved by Councilman Romanelli, seconded by Councilwoman Hussle, WHEREAS, there was presented to the Town Board of the Town of Southold, on the ~th, day of August, 1998, a Local Law entitled "A Local Law In Relation to Establishing an Advisory Board for the Southold Town Community Preservation Fund", and WHEREAS, a public hearing was held on the 18th day of August, 1998, at which time all Interested persons were glven an opportunity to ,be heard thereon~ now, therefore be It RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby enacts Local Law No. 13 of 1998, which reads as follows: 13 OF 1998 A Local Law to establlsh The Id Community Law section 6tt-e Interest In real Id. d: as follows: Article to ltd, ARTICLE III Community Preservation Fund Advisory Board 6-56 thrOugh 6-59 (reserved) § 6-50 ,Commur~lty Presentation Fund Advisory board established. A. The Town of Southold Community Preservation Fund Advisory Board is hereby established. Bo Co The purpose of the Advisory Board is to review and make recommendations on proposed acquisitions of interests in real property using monies from the community Preservation Fund. The Advisory Board shall act in a~ advisory capacity to the Town Board. The Advisory board shall consist of seven (7) members who shall be legal residents of the Town and who shall serve without compensation. No member of the Town Board shall serve on the advisory board. Eo A majority of the members appointed shall have demonstrated experience with conservation or land preserva~on activities. In addition; at least one (1) member of the advisory board shall be an active farmer. The Town Board hereby appoints the members of the Land Preservation Committee as the members .of the Advisory Board. Appointees to the Land Preservation committee shall serve concurrently as members of the Commun'Ky Preservation Fund Advisory Board. 6-51 thrOugh 6-63 (reserved) ff any clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or part of thls Article shall be adjudged by any court of competentjudsdi~on to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but'shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered. ~6.65 Effective Date: AUGUST 25, 1998 This Local Law shall take effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State as provided by law. 4.-Vote of the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilman Moore, Councilwoman Hussle, Supervisor Cochran. This resolution was duly ADOPTED. 5.-Moved by Councilman Romanelli, seconded by Councilwoman Hussie, WHEREAS, there .was presented to the Town Board of the Town of Southold, on the [tth day of August, 1998, a LoCal Law entitled, ."A Local Law In Relation to Creating and Establishing a Project Plan for the Southold Town. Community Preservation Fund",' and WHEREAS.', a public hearing was held on the 18th day of August, 1998, at which time all Interested persons were given an oppOrtunity to be heard thereon, now, therefore be It RESOLVED that the Town ,Board of the TOwn of Southold hereby enacts Local Law No~ :1._3 of 1998~ which reads as ~foll0Ws:: LOCAE LAW.NO; lt~OF 1998 A Lo~al Law the SoUthold Community Preserva.tlon Project Plan ~ 64-e of ~he New York Town Law, for the and historic places ages to be Southold Community therein, Said plan Preservation Project Plan". · BE IT ENACTED by the Town Board of the Town of Southold as follows: The Southold Town Code is hereby ~mended by adding a new Article to Chapter 6,' to be Article' II, Southold Community Preservation Project Plan, Article II to. read as follows: ARTICLE II SOUTHO?n ~ITY PRESERVATION PROJECT PLAN 6-41 through 6-44 (reserve~) 6-45 ?.~.GISL~TIVE FINDINGS: The Town of Southold possesses a rich heritage of 'open space and scenic ~nd natural resources, and historic places which are vital to the Town's sense' of place and to its economic success as a community. However, t~e lands which comprise these resources are rapidly being lost to development, and the Town's special identity is in danger of being damaged forever. In furtherance of its goal 'of preserving the Town's remaining open space, natural, scenic, and historic treasLLres, the Sour_hold Town Board finds it. necessary to adopt a plan for their conservation. Such plan is specifically · authorized, under § 64-e 'of the New York Town Law and will serve as the basis for' the expenditure of any. monies .from the Southold Community Preservation Fund including those monzes realized under this Chapter's two percent (2%) real estate transfer tax, which is also authorized by Town Law § 64-e and A~ticle 31-D of the New York Tax Law. It is the purpose of this Local Law to establish and create the Southold community Preservation Project Plan to help guide the Town' s effort.s to preserve open spaces, natural~ scenic . and historic places, and to-implement the requirements of Town Law § 64-e and Article 31-D of the New York Tax Law. ~ 6L46 through 6-49 (reserved) AUGUST 25, 1998 47 ~6-50 COMMUNIT~ PRESERVATION.PROJEGT PLAN ADOPTED: For the reasons set forth in ~6-45 hereof, the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby approves "and adopts the Preservation ProJect Plan" prepared by the Town Planning Department, the Land Preservation Committee, the Peconic Land Trust and Central Data Processing and presented to the Town Board on August 4, 1998 d~lng the work session portion of the Town Board meeting, said plan being intended to constitute the Southold Community Preservation Project Plan which is required by § 64-e of the New York Town Law and Article I of Chapter 6 of the Southold Town Code. 6-51 through 6-53 (reserved) 6-54 8EVERABILITY: If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or part of this Article shall be adjudged by any court of com?etent jurisdiction to be invalid, such Judgment shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder Ithereof, but shall be confined. in. its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or part thereof direotly involved .in the COntrOVersy in which such Jud~ent shall have been rendered. 6-55 EFFFX~IVE DATE: This Local Law shall take effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State as provided by law. 5.- Vote of the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilma~ Moore, Councilwoman Hussie, Supervisor Cochran. This resolution was duly ADOPTED. Southold, on the ~,th ~ Law in Relation to conveyance of intere the iricorp°r~ated to be dePosited purpose of WHEREAS. a day of 'August, A Local on the including this tax the purpose ~ BE i follows: 6.-Moved by Supervisor Cochran, seconded by Councilman Moore, WEIEREAS, therei' .was presented to the Town Board of the Town of August, 1998, a Local Law entitled, "A Local a 2% Real Estate Transfer Tax on the n real property in the Town of Southold, including with the revenues derived from this tax Community Preservation Fund for the and historic places with the Town", and was held on this Local Law on the 18th at which time all interested persons were given an opportunity to be thereon, now, therefore, be' it R??OLVED that the Town Board hereby enacts Local -Law No. of 1998, which reads as f011o~s: in Relation to Imposing a 2% Real Estate Transfer Tax in real property in the Town of Southold, therein, with the revenues derived from the Southold Community Preservation Fund for open space and historic places with the Town. !~¥ the Town Board of the ToWn of Southold as The SoutholdilTown ,Code :is hereby amended to add a new Article to Chapter 6, tO be Article IV, 2% Real Estate Transfer Tax, Article IV to read as follows: ARTICLE IV 2% Real Estate Transfer Tax 6-66 through 6-69 (reserved) AUGUST 25, 1998 The Town of $outhold enjoys a worldwide reputation as a community of great sGenic beauty, rich in natural resources and open spaces, including agricultural lands, woodlands, wetlands, waterways, dunes, bluffsa and other natural features. The Town also possesses a rich historic heritage as-one of t~.e oldest colonial settlements in the State of New York and, indeed, in the nation. Finally, because the second home industry and tourism are such important components of the local economy, the "Town must preserve its scenic beauty and provide recreation&l areas in order to continue to attract visitors. The Townts natural and historic resources collectiVely provide the people of Southold with an unequaled comm~lnity character. In fact, the' Nature Conservancy has included the region which includes Southold Town as one of its twelve "Last Great Places" in the Western Hemisphere. The Town has done much to foster, protect, and promote its community character. 'Southold enjoys a reputation as being creative and '~nnOvative:in r'the area of land use and land conservation. The Town is today under extreme development pres.sure, with development ' Out-pacing ~ CUrrent i !conservation e_ffor=.s.. If exceptional acti0~ is i~'n°t taken, ~south_old's %~.q~e .cha~_ac~.er m_~y be irretrievably lost the substantial investment oz tne Town's citizens in made moot. New financial resources are the Town is to preserve its special identity. Pursuant to § 64-e of the New York Town Law and Article 31-D of the Tax Law, Southold Town is authorized to create and est-hlish a Community Preservation Fund, and to impose a two perce~_t (2.%) real estate tr~fl~fer taxi w£th the revenue derived from sai. d_ tax_to be deposited into the Southold Co.'""unity Preservation Fund. The creation of the f~nd and ~ imposition of the tax are' subject .to ~ndatory referendum,~ I~I is the~ purpose of this Local. Law~ ~m.~se the 2% real~' estate ltransfer~ tax in order to p£ace ~ re%enue derived from the, taxi. in 'said dedicated fund. The Town Board ~finds that this Local Law an excellent opportunity for achieving balance between development and conservation which~ts n~ded to ensure the Town's conununity character. 6-71 through 6-74 (reserved) 6-7~ Definitions. As used in this chapter, unless otherwise expressly stated, the following words and terms shall have the following meanings: CONSIDERATION -.shall mean the price actually paid or required to be paid for the real propg~ty or interest therein, including payment for an option o~ contract to purchase real property, whether or not expressed in the deed .and whether paid or required to be paid by mo~ey, property, or any other thing of value. It Shall include the cancellation or discharge of an indebtedness or obligation. It shall also include the amount of any mortgage, purc/~se money mortgage, lien, or other en~-hrance, whether or not the underlying indebtedness is assumed or taken subject to. AUGUST 25, 1998 (2) In the case of the creation of a leasehold interest or the granting of an option with use and occupancy of real property, consideration shall include, but not be limited, to, the value of the rental and other payments attributable to the use' and occupancy of the real property or interest therein, the value of any amount paid for an option to pttrchase or renew, and the value of rental or other payments attributable to the exercise of any option to renew. In the case of the creatior a subleasehold interest· consideration shall include not be limited to, the value of the s;~biease rental payments attribut-~le to use end: occupancy of the real property, the value of amount paid for an option to r~new, and the value of rental or other payments attributable to the exercise of any option to renew, less the value of the remaining prime lease rental payments required to be (3) In the case, of.a (4) or acquired fn any entity that mean the fair or interest therein, Of the ownership ~ent£ty. or the a leasehold or 'shall payments lease. pursuant' assigned or' (5) (i.) the : or transfer Of the of shares of connection easehold by Ltive.ptan sponsor the owner thereof in of'~a proprietary than an ill include of any housing or by the mortgage be the in the with the and the shares corpo: shall mean of all or · trust or case of a the total of such Capital, of such partnership, (50%) or in such AUGUST 25, 1998 CONVEYANCE - shall mean the transfer or transfers of any interest in real property by any method including but not limited to sale, exchange, assignment, surrender, mortgage foreclosure, transfer~ in lieu of foreclosure, option, trust indentttre, taking by eminent dom-~n, conveyance upon liquidation or by a receiver, or tr_--~_fer or acquisition of a controlling ~nterest in _--y entity with an interest in real property.' Transfer of an interest in real property shall include the creation Of a leasehold' or sublease only where (i.) the sum of the tezm of the lease or sublease and any options for renewal exceeds forty-nine [49) years, (ii.) substantial capital ~provements are or maybe ~_~de by or for'. the benefit of the lessee or sublessee, and (iii.) the lease. or sublease is for substantially all of :the premises :' constituting, the real property. Notwithstand~ng the .,' foregoing, conveyance ~of real property shall not include a conveyance made pursuant to devise, bequest or inheritance; the creation, mo_8~ficati.on, 'extension, spreading, severance, consolidation, assignment, transfer, release or satisfaction of a mg. rtgage; a m?rtgag.e sttbordination agreement, a mortgage severance~ agree_m_~nt, .or an instrument given to perfect or correct a or a release of lien of tax pursuant Revenue Code. FUND - shall mean the Southold Community Preservation Fktnd created and established by Article I of this ChapTer pursuant to ~ 64-e o:f the New York Town 'Law. GRANTEE..- shall mean the person who obtains real property or an interest' therein as a r~sult of acon~eyance. GRANTOR ~ Shallmean the~person making theconveyance of real property or interest !therein. Wherei the.conveyance consists of a transfer or an acquisition of a ling interest in an entit inreai i"grantor" shall mean property or a shareholder, ¢ or partnership INTEREST IN ~'~PROPERTY - shafi':~-include 'title in fee, a leasehold a "benefiCial en&umbrance, .' ~r' or any other real property derived an option or contraCt not include a right of ,. PERSON -i '~ l~bility an~ capacity, more. anz l~'m~ted stock company, referee, or or' representative or otherwise, any other fo~ of or conducted by two (2) or REAL PROPERTY -~' shall mean . every estate 6fright, legal or equitable, present or future, vested or in lands, t~ne~_ents ~r'iiheredit;~ments~i ~ structures ~-d other whole or. in It rights to AUGUST 25, 1998 RECORDING OFFICER - shall mean the County Clerk of the County of Suffolk. TOWN - .shall mean the Town of Southold. TOWN SUPERVISOR - shall mean the Town Supervisor of the Town of Southold. TREASURER (COUNTY TREASURER) - shall mean the treasurer of the County of Suffolk. ~ 6-76through6-79 (Reserved.) 6-80 Impositi~no£realestatetransfertax. . There is ~hereby imposed in the Town of Southold a tax on each conveyance of =eal property or interest therein where the consideration exceeds five hundred dollars ($500.00), the rate of such tax to be two percent (2%) of the consideratkon for such conveyance. Revenues from such tax shall be deposited in the Southold Community Preservation Fund established by Article I of this chapter ~nd may be used solely for the purposes of said fund. Such tax shalii~apply to any conveyance occurring on or after March 1, 1999, but shall.not apply to conveyances made on or after such date pursuant written contracts entered into prior to such date, that .the date of execution of such contract is confirmed evidence such as the recording of the 'contract~ deposit, or other facts and circumstances as determined County Treasurer. 6-81 through 6-84. '(Reserved.) 6-85. Pa!anent of tax. A® The real estate transfer tax-. imposed pursuant to this article shall be paid to the Treasurer, or to the Recording Officer .acting as the agent of the Treasurer upon desi~nation as such agent by the Treasurer. Such tax shall be paid at the s_-~e t~e as the real estate .traD~fer tax imposed by Article 31 of the New York Tax Law is required to be paid. Such Treasurer or Recording Officer shall endorse upon each deed or inst~ent effecting a conveyance a receipt for the amount of the tax so paid. ... A ret~'n shall be required to be filed with such' Treasurer or RecorS~ng Officer for purposes of the real ¢ estate transfer tax imposed pursuant to this article at the same time as a return is required to be filed for purposes of the real estate transfer tax imposed by Article 31 of the Tax Law. The Treasurer shall prescribe the .form of return, the information that it shall contain, and the do~entation that shall acco~any the return. Said form shall be identical to the real estate transfer tax return required to be filed pursuant to ~ 1409 of the Tax Law, except that the Treasurer shall adapt said fo~m to reflect the provisions of this Article which are inconsistent with, different from, or in addition to the provisions of Article 31 of the T~x Law. The real estate transfer tax returns ~equirgd to be filed pursuant to this section are required to be preserved for three (3) years and thereafter until such Treasurer or Recording Officer orders them to be destroyed. AUGUST 25, 1998 The Recording Officer shall not record an. instrument effecting a conveyance unless the return required by this section has been filed ~nd unless the tax imposed pursuant to this article shall have been paid as provided in this section. (Reserved.) ~ 6-86 through 6-89. 6-90. Liabilit~ for tax. A. The real estate transfer tax required hereunder shall be paid by the grantee. If the grantee has failed to pay th~ .tax imposed pursuant to this article, or if the grantee is exempt from such tax, the grantor shall have the. duty to pay the tax. Where the grantor has the duty to pay the tax because the grantee has failed to pay the tax, such tax shall be the joint and several liability · of the grantee and grantor. For the purpose of the proper administration of this article and to prevent evasion of the tax hereby imposed, i~ shall be presumed that all conveyances are taxable. Where the considAration includes property other than money, it shall be presumed, that the consideration is the fair m~r. ket value of the real property or interest therein. These presumptions shall prevail until the contrary is proven, and the burden of proving the contrary~ shall be on the person liable for payment of the tax. 6-91 through 6-94. (Reserved.) 6-95. A. Exemptions from The following shall be exempt from payment of the real estate transfer tax imposed by this article: (1) The State of New York or any of its agencies, instrumentalities, political subdivisions, or public corporations (including a public corporation created pursuant to agreement- or compact with another state or the Dominion of Canada); Be (2) The United Nations; The United States of America and.ny of it~ agencies or instrumentalities. Exemption for certain conveyances. The real estate transfer tax imposed by this article shall not apply to any of the following conveyances: (1) Conveyances to the United Nations, the United States of-America, the State of New York or aD_y of their instz~3mentalities, age~cies, or political sub~_{visions (or any public corporation, including a public 'corporation created pursuant to agreement or compact with another state or the Dominion of Canada). (2) Conveyances which are or-were used to secure a debt or other obligation. (3) Conveyances which-, without additional consideration, confirm, correct, mo~fy, or supplement a~deed previously recorded. AUGUST 25, 1998 (4) (5) (6) (7) Conveyances of real property without consideration and otherWise than in connection with a sale, including deeds conveying realty as bona fide gifts. Conveyances given in connection with a tax sale. Conveyances to effectuate a mere change of identity or form of ownership or organization where there is. no change in beneficial ownership, other than;' conveyances to a cooperative housing corporation off the real property comprising the cooperative dwelling or dwellings. Conveyances which consist of a deed of partition. Conveyances given pursuant Bankruptcy Act. ~ to the Federal (9) conveyances of real property which consist of the execution of a contract to sell real property without the use or occupancy of such property or the granting of an option to purchase real property without the use or occupancy of such property. (10) conveyances of real property, where the entire parcel of real property to be conveyed is the more of the following subject of one (1) or development restrictions: (a') (c) (d) (e) An agricultural, conservation, scenic, or an open space easement; Recorded covenants or restrictions prohibiting development; ' A purchase of development rights agreement. A transfer of development rights agreement, where the property being conveyed has had its development rights removed. said r6al property is subject to the development restriction of an agricultural district or individual cozm~itment, pursuant to Article 25-AA of the New York Agriculture and Markets LaW. (f) real property subject to any locally adopted land preservation agreemant including agreements under the Town of Southold's Open Space. Preservation and AgricuItural Lands Preservation Laws and, provided said exertion is included in the local law {mposing the tax authorized by this. article; (11) Conveyances of real property, where the property is viable agricultural land as defined i~ subdivision (7) of ~ 301 of the Agriculture and Markets Law and the entire property to be' conveyed is to be made · . subject to one of the development restrictions set forth in the preceding paragraph 6-95 (B)(10), provided that said development restrictions precludes the conversion of the property to a non- agricultural use for at least three years from the date of transfer, and said development restriction is evidenced by an easement, agreemen=, or other suitable instrument which is conveyed to the Town simultaneously with the conveyance of the real property; or AUGUST 25, 1998 12. Conveyances of real pro~rty for open space, parks, or historic preservation purposes to any not-for- profit tax-exempt co~poration operated for conservation, environmental, or historic preservation purposes. ~ 6-96 through 6-99. (Reserved.) 6-100. Additional exemptions. A. There shall be allowed an exe~_ption of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000.00) on the consideration of the conveyance of improved real property or an interest therein. B. There shall be allowed an exemption of seventy-five thousand dollars ($75,000.00) on the consideration of the conveyance of unimproved real property or an interest therein. 6-101 through 6-104. (ReserVed.) 6-105. C~edit A grantee shall be allowed a credit against the t~x due on a conveyance of real property to the extent that tax was paidby such grantee on a prior creation of a leasehold of all or a portion of the same-rea% property or on the granting of an option or contract to purchase all or a portion of the-s~e real property by such grantee. Such credit shall be computed by multiplying the tax paid on the creation of the leasehold or on the granting of the option or contract by a fraction, the numerator of which is the value of the consideration used to compute such tax paid which is not yet due to such grantor on the date of the subsequent conveyance (and~. which such grantor will not be entitled to receive after such date)', and the denominator of which is the total value, of they consideration used to co,ute such tax paid. 6-106 through 6-109. (Reserved.) 6-110. Cooperative housing corporation transfers. Notwithstanding the definition of "controlling interest" contained in ~ 6-75 hereof or anything to the contrary found in the definition of "conveyance" contained in said section, the tax imposed pursuant to this article shall apply to the following: (1) The original conveyance of shares of stock in a cooperative housing corporation in connection with the grant or. transfer of a proprietary leasehold by the cooperative corporation or cooperative plan sponsor.' (2) The st, bsequent conveyance of such stock in a cooperative housing corpo~ation in connection with the grant or transfer of a proprietary leasehold by the owner thereof. With respect to any such subsequent conveyance where' the . property is an individual residential unit, the consideration for the interest conveyed shall exclude the value of any liens on certificates of stock or other evidences of an ownership interest in and a proprietary.lease from a corporation or partnership formed for the .purpose of cooperative ownership of residential ~interest in real estate remaining thereon at the t!~ of conveyance. In determ~-~ng AUGUST 25, 1998 the tax on a conveyance described in paragraph ~ (1) ~hove, a credit shall be allowed for .a proportionate part of the amo%~nt of any tax paid upon the conveyance to'the cooperative housing corporation of the real property comprising the cooperative dwelling or dwellings to the extent that such conveyance effectuated a mere change of identity or form of ownership of such property and not a ~hange in the beneficial oWnership of such property. The amount of credit shall be dete~,.,{-ed by m~ltiplying the amount of tax paid upon the conveYancet"~ to .the c°~perative hoUSing corporation by a percent&ge~ representing the extent to which S~ch ~on'veyan-ce e~ct~ate~ mere. change of. a . identity or form of oWnership and not a change the beneficial Owners;hip of such ProPerty; end then:. multiplying' the resulting product by a fraction, the ~u~erator of ~hich shali be the number of stock descr~ bed be the total number~ of Shares corporation A (~)!. in sha] no~ on · .iof which stock of the [including any In no event, reduce the tax on a .') below zero, a tax paid the date a series of ~ an offering of described in housi~ng an of of shall be with the year covering ~ "through June 30 covering the December 31. regarding of stock in the as the Treasurer limited to, identification the grantor conveyed, the ideration paid '6-111 throug~ 6~4. (Reserved.) 6-115. Designa~on of~ agent~b~ County T~. The County Treasurer is authorized by law to designate the RecorS~ng OffiCer to act as his or her ,!agent for the purpose of collecting the tax imposed b~ this arti~.-The Treasurer shall provide for the manner in which such person ~y be designated as his or her agent subject to such te~,s and, conditions as the treasurer shall prescribe. The real estate transfer tax shall be paid to such agent as provided in § 6-85 hereofl 6-116 through 6-119. (~eserved.) ~ 6-120. ~!-b~lityofReoor~ng Officer. A Recordi~Officer not be liable for any inaccuracy in the amount of ~ax.imp0sed to thSs article that he or she shall collect so long as he she shal~ compute and collect such AUGUST 25, 1998 tax on the amount of consideration or the value of the interest conveyed as such amounts are provided to him or her by the person paying the tax. ~§.6-121 through 6-124. (Reserved.) 6-125. Refunds. ~henever the Treasurer shall dete~ne that any moneys received under the provisions of this article were paid in error, he or she may cause such moneys to be"~refunded pursuant to such rules and regulations ashe or she may prescribe, provided that any apPlication!for sUCh refund as filed with the Treasurer within two (2) years from the'date the erroneous paYment Was made. 6-126 through 6-129. (Reserved.) 6-130. A. Bo Deposit and ~ sposition of revenue. All taxes, penalties, ~and interest imposed by the Town under the authority of this article, which are collected or his or her agents, shall be trust fund for the Town and shall be kept separate and apart from all other ~l "ithe Treasurer. Moneys in such seCUred in the m~nner Municipal Law. Pending moneys therein ~ay be in § 11 of the General earned or capital' gain realized on or invested shall accrue to and become fund. The Treasurer dete~e to shall retain such ~mo~nt as he or she for refunds with respect to the authority of this any to a The Treasurer, after reserving such funds, shall on or~. before twel each month, pay to the Town' and interest imposed by{ the article, collected by the article during the amount so payable ~hall be by the Treasurer, who shall not be held liable for 'any inaccuracy in such certification. However, any such certification may be based on such information as may be available to the Treasure~ at the time such certification must be made under ~h~s section. W/~ere the amount so paid over to the Town in any such distribution ~s more or less than the amount due to the Town, the amount of the overpayment or underpayment shall be 'certified to the Town Supervisor by the Treasurer, who shall not be held liable for any inaccuracy in such certification. The amount of the underpayment or overpayment s~ll be so certified to the Town Supervisor as soon after the discovery of the overpayment or underpaYment as reasonably possible and subsequent paYments and distributions by the Treasurer to such Town Shall be adjusted by subtracting the ~mount of any Such overpaYment from.or by adding the ~mount of any such~~ :underpayment to such n-mher of subsequent payments~ and distributions as the Treasurer and Town Supervisor shall consider reasonable in view of the underpayment or overpayment and all other facts and circumstances. AUGUST 25, 1998 All monies received from the Treasurer by the Town Supervisor shall be deposited in the Southold Community Preservation Fund established pursuant to Article I. of this chapter and Town Law ~ 64-e. $$ 6-131 through 6-134. (Reserved.) 6-135. Judicial review. Any fin~~ detez...tnation of the amount of any tax payeble under this article shall be reviewable for error, illegality, or unconstitutionality, or,any other reason whatS0eve~, ~by a Proceeding under ~ticle 78 of the ~1 practice Law and Rules if application, therefor is ~ade tO Supreme~Court within f°Ur;(4)months afte~ the of the notice of such final detez,.~tnation, however, that any such proCeeding under. ofI the Civil Practice Law and Rules shall not? be ~dunless: : of any tax sought to be reviewed, with interest and penalties thereon as may be for by this local law, .'shall be first ~ited and ~here is filed an undertaking, issued a surety company auth6rized to ~ransact business ~ew York State and approved~ by the State endent of Insurance as to solvency and y, in such' ~amount as a Justice of the s~all approve, to t~he effect that, if [~i shal~ be dismissed or the tax thel petitione~ will pay all costs and may accrue in the PrOsecution of such or (2) At ~.~he option of the petitioner, such undertaking be in a sum sufficient to cover the taxes, and penalties stated in such , ~us the costs .and charges ~hich may against the petitioner in the prosecution of iproceeding,! in whichevent the petitioner shall ~ibe require~ to pay Such taxes, interest, or as a condition precedent to the .Where ~ tax imPosed hereunder shall have been erroneOUS!Y, illegally, or unconstitutionally ass~s~ed or collected, and 'apPlication for the refund or revision thereof duly made to the Treasurer, and such Treasurer shall~ ha~e made a deter~!nation denying such refund or revision, such dete=mination shall be reviewable by a procee~g under Article 78 of the civil Practice Law and RuleS;~ provided, however, that: (1) S~ proceeding is instituted within four (4) mgnths, after the giving of the notice of such d~nial, (2) A final determination of tax due was not previously .made; and (3) An undertaking is filed with the Treasurer in such ~ount and with such sureties as a Justice of the ~reme Court shall approve, to the effect that if .such proceeding is dismissed or the tax confirmed,. the petitioner will pay all costs and charges which? may accrue in the prosecution of such proceeding. ~' 6-136 through 6-139. (Reserved.) AUGUST 25, 1998 ~ 6-140. APpOZ~cionment of consideration property loca.ted o~1~ partl~ within Town. subject to ~_x for Where real property is situated partly within and partly without the boundaries of the Town, the consideration subject to tax is such part of the total consideration as is attributable to the portion of such real property situated with the Town or to the .interest in such portion. If the consideration attributable to the property located in the Town is set forth in the contract, such amount may be used to compute the tax due. allocation is.deemed of If the 'contract does not set forth the amount of consideration attributable to the portioh~ of real property or interest therein situated ~wtthin the Town, the cons~deration shall be reasonably allocated between the Portion of such property or. ~interest therein prop~ or interest therein situated without the 'Town. If the grantor and the grantee enter into a written agreement, signed by'both the grantor al%~ the grantee, which . sets fOrth a reasonable allocation of cOnsideration., that allocation of Co~sideration may be comp.~.te tax due. tf the gr~antor and the an agree~ent, or if the all the real conveyed. acquis~on of c°nsid~tion ~eans prope.~y on t~ie paid, fair ] v~lue as in such agreement the allocation multiplying the the nt~nerator of ima~ket real property br ist~uated Town, and the the tOtali'~air market value of or interest therein being in the case of a transfer or a interest where fair of the real the be computed consideration or-less than the Ce Where the methods provided under this section do not allocate the consideration in a fair and equitable manner, the Treasurer may require the grantor and grantee to' allocate the consideration under such method as h9 prescribes, so long as the prescribed method results in a fair and equitable allocation. 6-141 through 6-144. (Reserved.) 6-145. A. Detea~nation of t~_x; petition to Town Supervigor. If a return required by this article is no= filed, or if a return when filed is incorrect or insufficient, the amount of tax due shall be determined by the Treasurer from such records or info~mtion as may be obtainable, including the assessed valuation of the real property Or interest therein and other appropriate factors. Notice of such detea,~ination shall be given to the person liable for the payment of the tax. Such determination shall finally and irrevocably fix the tax unless the person against whom it is assessed, within ninety (90) days after the giving of notice of such determination, shall petition the Town Board for a hearing, or. unless AUGUST 25, 1998 6-171 through 6-174 (reserved) 6-175 EFFECTIVE DATE: This Local Law is subject to a mandatory referendum as set forth in ~1449-bb of Article 31-D of the Tax Law. This Local Law shall take effect on March 1, 1999, after after approval at the general election to be held on November 3, 1998 by the affirmative vote of a majority of the qualified electors of the Town of Southold and. f~ling with the Secretary of State; and provided further that t~e real estate transfer tax imposed by this Article shall expire ~nd be deemed repealed as to any conveyance taking place after D~cember 31, 2010. COUNCILMAN MOORE: Before I vote on this I just want to comment. The prior votes we all did are the groundwork, and this is the vote that we are here for, and that allows the public to vote. If we don't pass this the public gets no say, so I don't think we should stop short at thiS point and keep the public from voicing theiroplnEon.' ' I happen to support the transfer tax, but the public has the right to have it's say. SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: That was the point I was going to make, that this is now subject to referendum. We are hopeful that the many groups and people that have supported it in the past will continue to support it. I, as Supervisor, have supported it from. the beginning. In fact, it goes back ten to twelve years ago, the first time I ever voted on this to bring it to the public, So,~ we appreciate those of you that have supported the bill up to this point, and hope you will continue to do so. There are a few, but I think that the majority support this. Would any other Board member like to make comment? COUNCILMAN MURPHY: I would just like to say that I worked on this S' Ince I gOt on the Board, and I feel all and all that it will help Southold re.mai~ as 'we are, or' as best as possible to remain as we are, and keep us uniqu, which ~ What ~s going to let us survive. So, I am totally in supplier of it. SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: Any other discussion? JOHN RUSCH: John Rusch, Southold. I would like to make one small comme~nt. I would just like to say, that I don't really like public speaking, number one. I Came here today to see history made, and this brought to fruitibn. 6 .-Vote of the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilman :Moore, Councilwoman Hussie, Supervisor Cochran. This resolution was duly ADOPTED. SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: There being no other business to come before the Board I will entertain a motion to adjourn. ART ROSS: I know I shouldn't speak at this point, but I would like to applaud the Board. SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: May I have a motion to adjourn? Moved by Councilman Moore, seconded by Councilman Romanelli, it was RESOLVED that this Town Board meeting be and hereby is adjourned at 9:13 A.M. Vote of the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilman Moore, Councilwoman Hussie, Supervisor Cochran. This resolution was duly ADOPTED. Southold Town Clerk