HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB-02/27/2024 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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February 27 , 2024
9 4 : 30 P .M .
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15 B E F 0 R E :
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17 ALBERT KRUPSKI JR, SUPERVISOR
18 LOUISA P . EVANS , JUSTICE
19 JILL DOHERTY, COUNCILWOMAN
20 BRIAN 0 . MEALY, COUNCILMAN
21 GREG DOROSKI , COUNCILMAN
22 ANNE H . SMITH, COUNCILWOMAN
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FEBRUARY 27, 2024 REGULAR MEETING 2
1 PUBLIC COMMENTS
2 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : All
3 right . And now before we go into the
4 agenda, is there anyone like to speak on
5 any agenda item before we start?
6 ROBERT DUNN : Robert Dunn, Peconic .
7 I don ' t know if this is the right time,
8 but it ' s related to 182 , the extension
9 of the moratorium. I ' m fine with that .
10 I have no problem with that . But I
11 think we need to have a parallel
12 discussion on lithium ion batteries . I
13 mean, there seems to be -- Southampton
14 did the same thing this week . They
15 extended their moratorium . But
16 nationwide , there seems to be a problem
17 with lithium ion . And maybe we should
18 be talking about that . That we ' re never
19 going to accept lithium ion batteries
20 till the industry comes up with a better
21 technology . Maybe there is a better
22 technology for lithium ion to make them
23 safer or maybe it ' s time to move on to
24 something else . And maybe in doing
25 that , the cause -- the batteries will
FEBRUARY 27, 2024 REGULAR MEETING 3
1 last a little less or a won ' t drive as
2 fast or whatever, but I ' d rather drive
3 slower or walk, than die . So --
4 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Me too .
5 ROBERT DUNN : Good . I ' d rather see
6 you do that too . So anyway ' s , this may
7 be a point to begin a parallel
8 discussion of that, because that ' s not
9 going to happen till somebody -- even if
10 it ' s just little old Southold on the end
11 of Long Island, brings that issue up .
12 That maybe it ' s time to turn our back or
13 change our approach to lithium ion
14 entirely .
15 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
16 you . Thank you . I appreciate that .
17 And just to give you a little story on
18 this 192 , is that, the last Town Board
19 and Supervisor launched the moratorium.
20 They formed a very competent task force
21 to address this issue, as a land use
22 component . And the moratorium is set to
23 expire in April . So because of the
24 timing of public notices and hearings
25 and what not, we have to start this
FEBRUARY 27, 2024 REGULAR MEETING 4
1 process now in order -- if we ' re going
2 to extend the moratorium, it had to be
3 started today . The task force hasn ' t
4 met this year, I don ' t believe . So
5 they ' re still working on it . There was
6 an uncertainty whether they would have
7 recommendations in time for the
8 moratorium to end and the Town Board
9 would be then unprepared to pass
10 legislation . Somehow regulating the
11 placement of these battery storage
12 units .
13 ROBERT DUNN : Again, the discussion
14 has been about holding up or, you know,
15 I don ' t know that anybody ' s brought up
16 the discussion of maybe we should walk
17 away from lithium ion . And I just think
18 that it ' s a discussion that should be
19 had, and looked into . There ' s certainly
20 people that know a hell of a lot more
21 than I do . But it just seems to me to
22 be obvious that it ' s a consideration .
23 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : I agree
24 with you, and I know there ' s a lot of
25 technology on the rise that, you know,
FEBRUARY 27, 2024 REGULAR MEETING 5
1 we could wait for .
2 JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : We do have
3 New York State coming down on us .
4 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : No .
5 We ' ll see, and we ' ll see what New York
6 State, how they ' re going to try to
7 impose regulations on municipalities
8 also .
9 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : And we
10 do, on the next Work Session plan, at
11 least tentatively, to have an update
12 either from me, as the new liaison to
13 the BESS Committee, the Town Attorney or
14 the committee itself . So we ' ll get back
15 to you on that .
16 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : And
17 once the committee is done with their
18 report, then there ' s going to be a
19 series of hearings if there ' s any
20 proposed changes to anything . So we ' ll
21 have plenty of time for the public to
22 weigh in . I don ' t think anybody ' s got
23 their mind made up here . The moratorium
24 was not a formality .
25 ROBERT DUNN : I don ' t think
FEBRUARY 27, 2024 REGULAR MEETING 6
1 anybody ' s got their mind made up
2 anywhere . Obviously . I just think that
3 if we ' re going to be discussing, let ' s
4 discuss everything .
5 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
6 you .
7 COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : And Mr .
8 Dunn, your safety concern was brought up
9 at -- Jill and I attended the
10 preliminary meeting of our BESS , and
11 that was one of the first order of
12 discussion . So as Councilman Doroski
13 said, we look forward to the update .
14 But what you just said was brought up at
15 the first preliminary meeting . And as
16 you said, many municipalities are
17 dealing with the technology aspect , and
18 many more people are smarter than we .
19 We just want to make sure we get the
20 facts together before we make our
21 decision as Supervisor Krupski said .
22 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
23 you . Would anyone else like to address
24 the Board on anything that ' s on the
25 agenda?
FEBRUARY 27, 2024 REGULAR MEETING 7
1 GLENN GOLDSMITH : Good evening,
2 Glenn Goldsmith, Southold Town Trustee .
3 Just like to comment on Agenda Item 211
4 regarding the appointment of a Nicholas
5 Krupski position of Solid Waste
6 Coordinator . I know that you ' ll be
7 voting on that tonight , and I just want
8 to express my support for Nick and
9 encourage you to vote in favor of him .
10 I ' ve had the privilege of working with
11 Nick on the Trustees for the last nine
12 years . I know firsthand his leadership,
13 his knowledge , his commitment to the
14 Town, his dedication to protecting the
15 environment, and the Town . All traits
16 that I know that will serve him well in
17 this new position, if you appoint him .
18 I know there ' s been some debate or
19 hesitancy on appointing him due to his
20 current role as a Trustee . I ' d like to
21 counter that, and say that I believe his
22 role as Trustee makes him an even better
23 candidate for this position . As a
24 Trustee , Nick has proven his commitment
25 to protecting the environment, our
FEBRUARY 27, 2024 REGULAR MEETING 8
1 wetlands , our waterways , and the
2 position of Solid Waste Coordinator is
3 just an expansion of that commitment to
4 the environment . I believe there ' s been
5 some concern about potential conflict of
6 interest, if Nick is appointed as a
7 Solid Waste Coordinator, while still
8 holding his position as Trustee . As you
9 are well aware, as Trustees , we have a
10 very limited scope within Town Code .
11 Basically Chapters 275 , 111 , and 96, as
12 well as , a limited jurisdiction of 100
13 feet from the wetland . Last time I
14 checked, there are no wetlands within
15 the 100 feet of the landfill . So as far
16 as I see it, there ' s absolutely no
17 conflict or overlap between the two
18 positions . We Trustees , as well as , the
19 Town Board, are part-time positions .
20 All of us Trustees have full-time jobs
21 outside of being Trustees , regardless of
22 what we do or who we work for . We all
23 have to take time off of work on
24 occasion to fulfill our responsibilities
25 as Trustees . Fortunately for us , it ' s
FEBRUARY 27, 2024 REGULAR MEETING 9
1 usually just once a month when we
2 conduct field inspections . Other than
3 that , we were able to do our things
4 outside work hours , after work, at
5 nights on weekends , in our free time .
6 So I believe that Nick does get this
7 job, it will actually give him more
8 time , not less to fulfill his
9 responsibility as Trustees , because he
10 is literally right up the road after
11 work . It ' s 4 : 00 o ' clock . Lights still
12 out . He can conduct field inspections .
13 He can get down to the office, sign
14 permits or things like that . So I think
15 it ' s better for the Trustees and for the
16 Town if Nick does get this position . As
17 you guys know, we are currently short
18 staffed in the Trustee Office . Normally
19 we have two full-time positions . We are
20 down to one . The majority of our Board
21 has a little over two years of
22 experience on the Board . So any extra
23 time that Nick can give to the position
24 of Trustee , the better it is for the
25 Trustees , and the better it is for the
FEBRUARY 27, 2024 REGULAR MEETING 10
1 Town, which to me is what it ' s all
2 about . What is in the best interest of
3 the Town? You, the Town Board, have
4 conducted the interviews . You ' ve
5 reviewed candidates . You ' ve seen the
6 resumes . I think it ' s a fairly simple
7 choice . After doing the research, is
8 Nick the best candidate based on his
9 experience , his knowledge , his
10 education? And if he is , all the rest
11 of that is just outside noise, and
12 really irrelevant to this conversation .
13 Is he the best candidate and is that the
14 best for the Town? I know that having
15 Nick on the Trustees makes the Trustees
16 and myself better . And I believe that
17 the Town and the landfill will be better
18 off if he ' s appointed to that position .
19 So I encourage you to vote in support of
20 Nick for that position . Thank you .
21 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
22 you .
23 COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : Thank you
24 for your testimony .
25 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Would
FEBRUARY 27, 2024 REGULAR MEETING 11
1 anyone else like to address the Board
2 before we start the agenda?
3 (No Response ) .
4 (Whereupon, the meeting continued
5 on with the agenda at this time . )
6 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
7 PUBLIC HEARINGS
8 LOCAL LAW CHAPTER 148 FLOOD
9 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Okay . So
10 the purpose of tonight ' s Public Hearing
11 is to -- it ' s in relation to amendments
12 to Chapter 148 , Flood Damage Prevention .
13 And just to summarize, this is a map
14 revision to include with this . And it ' s
15 pretty standard . So in the Public
16 Hearing folder here , I have an Affidavit
17 of Publication in the Suffolk Times .
18 Along with a copy of the Legal Notice .
19 It was published in the Suffolk Times .
20 I have an affidavit that the Public
21 Hearing Notice was posted on the
22 bulletin board in the back, signed by
23 our Town Clerk, Denis Noncarrow . And I
24 have a copy of the certified resolution
25 setting this Public Hearing . That ' s
FEBRUARY 27, 2024 REGULAR MEETING 12
1 what I got .
2 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
3 you .
4 Is there anyone who would like to
5 know that the Public Hearing has been
6 open, and speak on the Proposed Local
7 Law change to the Local Law Amendments
8 to Chapter 148 Flood Damage Prevention?
9 (No Response ) .
10 JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : Motion to
11 close the hearing .
12 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : I ' ll
13 second that .
14 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : All in
15 favor?
16 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : Aye .
17 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Aye .
18 COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : Aye .
19 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : Aye .
20 JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : Aye .
21 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Aye .
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23 (Whereupon, the meeting went back
24 to the Regular Agenda at this time . )
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FEBRUARY 27, 2024 REGULAR MEETING 13
1 C E R T I F I C A T I O N
2
3 I , Jessica DiLallo, a Notary Public
4 for and within the State of New York,
5 do 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, February 27 , 2024 .
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17 ( Js is Lallo )
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