HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB-08/13/2024 PH 1
1 TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
COUNTY OF SUFFOLK : STATE OF NEW YORK
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TOWN BOARD
4 SPECIAL BOARD MEETING
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Southold, New York
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August 13 , 2024
9 9 : 00 A .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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AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 2
1 INDEX TO TESTIMONY
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3 Page
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Bond - Grinder 3-5
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6 Public Comments 5-24
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AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 3
1 BOND - GRINDER
2 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Okay .
3 The purpose of today ' s public hearing is
4 to consider the issuance of a bond in an
5 amount not to exceed $ 1 . 22 million for
6 the proposed increase and improvement of
7 facilities of the Southold Solid Waste
8 Management District , consisting of the
9 acquisition of a roto chopper, Model
10 B66L, track trailable grinder, the red
11 one . Pursuant to Section 202-B of the
12 Town Law, Town Board has determined the
13 project to be a Type II action under
14 SEQRA, with no further environmental
15 review is required . The full text of
16 the Bond Resolution is available for
17 review in the Town Clerk ' s Office, on
18 the Town ' s website . In the folder here,
19 I have a copy of copy of the letter from
20 bond counsel . I have a copy here of an
21 Affidavit of Publication in the Suffolk
22 Times , along with a copy of the Legal
23 Notice . I have a copy here of the
24 resolution setting the hearing today .
25 Copy of the resolution setting the
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 4
1 hearing today, and that ' s what I got .
2 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Are all
3 the notifications in order Mr . DeChance?
4 TOWN ATTORNEY P . DECHANCE : They ' re
5 in order .
6 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
7 you . All right . So we ' re properly
8 noticed . Is there anyone who would like
9 to speak to the bond resolution?
10 NICK KRUPSKI : Good morning, Nick
11 Krupski , Solid Waste . Thank you, Board,
12 for putting this on . And thank you,
13 Councilwoman Smith for coming in today .
14 Just a brief summary, this isn ' t a want .
15 It ' s a need . We have a large pile of
16 brush building up there . The machine we
17 had is not acceptable for the Town of
18 Southold use . And, you know, we have to
19 keep in compliance with DEC, as well as ,
20 make room for future storms and we have
21 Fall cleanup coming in . So I appreciate
22 the Board working to expedite this
23 process , and bring us the machine we
24 need . The roto chopper, we chose that
25 because for safety and maintenance .
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 5
1 After demoing four different machines .
2 So, thank you very much .
3 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
4 you . Anyone else like to speak on the
5 bond resolution?
6 (No Response ) I don ' t see anyone on
7 Zoom .
8 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : I ' ll
9 make a motion to close the hearing .
10 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : I ' ll
11 second it .
12 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : All in
13 favor?
14 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : Aye .
15 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Aye .
16 JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : Aye .
17 COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : Aye .
18 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : Aye .
19 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
20 PUBLIC COMMENTS
21 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : That is
22 our agenda for today . Is there anyone
23 who would like to address the Board on
24 any other issue? Unless there ' s anyone
25 else here that wants to address the
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 6
1 Board, but I think there ' s a group here
2 that like to talk about some sort of
3 bike ride .
4 PINDAR DAMIANOS : Good morning . My
5 name is Pindar Damianos . I ' m the owner
6 of Pindar Vineyards . I want to thank
7 the Town Supervisor Al Krupski , the Town
8 Board for allowing me to speak this
9 morning regarding FDNY 343 Bike Ride on
10 September 8 , 2024 . I ' m proud to say
11 that Pindar Vineyards is one of the
12 oldest same family-owned wineries on the
13 North Fork, Long Island . I ' m proud that
14 its existence started in the Town of
15 Southold over 48 years ago . I ' m also
16 proud to say that I ' m a resident of this
17 great town . Not only work here , reside
18 here , and have a wonderful son, Andrew,
19 who ' s going into loth Grade at Mattituck
20 High School . I ' m also honored to
21 address the Board as the First Assistant
22 Chief of the Southold Fire Department
23 and a 12-year member and volunteer .
24 With many hats I wear, this is the one
25 I ' m most proud of, as my fellow
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 7
1 firefighters in the room would say the
2 same . We all know where we were, what
3 we were doing on that faithful morning
4 of September 11 , 2001 . I don ' t think
5 any of us will forget as those moments
6 are forever etched in our minds . When
7 you sign up to volunteer as a fireman,
8 you ' re reminded of the brotherhood and
9 sisterhood that you have . It ' s this
10 bond that keeps you together as a team,
11 and gives you the mental strength to
12 accomplish the task ahead . We can only
13 imagine the bond that those brothers and
14 sisters as they are walking up the steps
15 of the towers , as civilians were walking
16 down . This is why the event is so
17 important to remember those that gave
18 the ultimate sacrifice and those that
19 continue to make the ultimate sacrifice .
20 The 343 FDNY Bike Ride is a day to pay
21 homage to those we have lost , and a
22 chance to remember the day that changed
23 us forever . I appreciate the time on
24 this matter, and I hope you will
25 consider your decision and commit the
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 8
1 FDNY 343 ride at Pindar Vineyards on
2 September 8th . Thank you .
3 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : I do
4 have a question for you .
5 PINDAR DAMIANOS : Sorry .
6 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : You did
7 come in the office a while back with
8 someone who was promoting this . And,
9 you know, I did commit to look into it
10 and ask the Board, because the Board in
11 2015 passed because of the proliferation
12 of bike and road events on our busy
13 roads , banned all these sort of events
14 quite a while ago . And -- but because
15 this is a -- it was described to me as
16 an all volunteer organization because a
17 lot of these events were fundraisers
18 with paid staff, etcetera . This is an
19 all volunteer organization . I agree to
20 hear you out and personally consider . I
21 can ' t speak for the Board but to
22 personally consider this . And I want to
23 make it clear to everyone that came here
24 today, that the Board acted -- and I was
25 not on the Board at the time , there were
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 9
1 some people here that were . They acted
2 out of public safety concerns , period .
3 Because our roads are getting more and
4 more congested . And I can ' t speak to
5 the quality of the drivers , but it ' s
6 just a very busy place now . So there
7 was discussion about having a local fire
8 department help coordinate this . It was
9 just a wonderful parade and celebration
10 in East Marion over the weekend . 125th
11 Anniversary . There were a lot of
12 departments there . There was a lot of
13 the public there . And the road was
14 closed . 25 going to East Marion is one
15 road . And it was closed and done
16 orderly ad done safely . And it was done
17 the right way . And you can ' t -- we have
18 to be responsible for public safety,
19 regardless of whose idea it is . So is
20 there some commitment from a local fire
21 department to help coordinate this ?
22 PINDAR DAMIANOS : I can ' t speak for
23 Southold Fire Department . That ' s a
24 district . I could, as a chief, I can
25 present to them, but I don ' t think
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 10
1 mixing the fire department in the
2 district with the event, I ' m not sure
3 that they would be willing to do that .
4 I could speak to them tonight . We have
5 a meeting, but I can ' t speak for them or
6 the District . Only as an assistant
7 chief .
8 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Okay .
9 PINDAR DAMIANOS : And as the owner
10 of Pindar .
11 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Sure .
12 PINDAR DAMIANOS : Your safety and
13 concerns in the Town . We ' ve had the
14 event in previous years without any
15 incident . And I feel like we have at
16 the winery, have plenty of parking . And
17 I don ' t think it ' s going to have any
18 kind of effect on the Town the day of
19 besides the bike riders that are coming
20 into Town for a short period of time
21 between the town line and Riverhead to
22 the winery in Southold .
23 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Well ,
24 you -- and I mean, you and your
25 business , you ' re good neighbors . And
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 11
1 you said how many years you ' re in
2 business . I remember how old you were
3 then . That is kind of besides the
4 point, but that is something the Town --
5 the Town Board -- see any comments we
6 have here at the Town Board .
7 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : Before
8 I make my comments , can you just explain
9 in a little more detail , where it starts
10 and who ' s involved along the way, and
11 just so the public understands ?
12 PINDAR DAMIANOS : Yes . They ' ve
13 been -- it starts at Ground Zero .
14 Apparently they ' re closing the Brooklyn
15 Bridge . There ' s 60 riders , all FDNY .
16 It ' s not open to the public as a ride .
17 It ' s members of the FDNY . And they ' re
18 going to go through the Brooklyn Bridge,
19 all the way to Pindar in Peconic . And I
20 think they leave Ground Zero , somewhere
21 5 : 00 a . m. And they ' ll get here by 4 : 00
22 p .m. , I think, 5 o ' clock .
23 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : Back in
24 ' 17- ' 18 , when the Board talked about
25 this , I was on the Board . And we had
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 12
1 lengthy conversation about it because
2 our policy is not to have these sort of
3 rides through Town from May lst to
4 November lst because of the uptick in
5 amount of people that come through our
6 Town, like Al said . And at the time, we
7 felt that this was very important
8 because it ' s different than any other
9 fundraiser . One reason, like you said,
10 is it ' s all volunteer . The proceeds
11 go -- 1000 of proceeds go to the
12 veterans this year . And 9/ 11 is
13 something that affected everyone .
14 There ' s other non-profits out there that
15 affects groups of people and this and
16 that . And it was important to have this
17 around 9/ 11 . So I back then felt the
18 same as I do now, that I think it ' s
19 important to have it on this day . They
20 have it on a Sunday, after Labor Day .
21 So it ' s the quietest time that you could
22 have it . And as -- as , you know,
23 talking to other firemen, I know firemen
24 up the island in Nassau County, and they
25 all love this . They all , you know, kind
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 13
1 of participate in their own way . And I
2 would understand why one particular
3 district could not get behind it because
4 it does come from Brooklyn through
5 Nassau County through Suffolk . So they
6 can ' t be liable for that part of it, you
7 know . But I know Pindar is generously
8 giving his business up that day for
9 this , and it ' s -- and it ' s something
10 that our local firemen really are proud
11 to say that it ends in our Town . So I ' m
12 fine with moving forward to having this .
13 And I see that it ' s separate than any
14 other ask that we ' ve ever had .
15 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Yeah, I
16 think this idea too that it ' s not open
17 to the public . That was , at least as I
18 considered it , one of the concerns . You
19 know, as we look at many of the
20 different organizations that come to us
21 and ask to do these sort of events , I
22 think personally, as I consider this ,
23 there is a concern that, you know, how
24 do you weigh the different causes ? You
25 know, when you think of, you know,
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 14
1 children ' s cancer or Alzheimer ' s or any
2 of these things that affect the entire
3 community as well . You know, if we
4 allow one event to go forward, you kind
5 of need to allow all of them, or at
6 least we ' re going to have this
7 discussion over and over again . But,
8 you know, as the Supervisor pointed out,
9 those are typically staffed by
10 professionals . It ' s not just all
11 volunteers . They ' re typically, you
12 know, broader fundraisers for
13 organizations . And they ' re also open to
14 the public where you run into issues ,
15 you know, of safety and also of it
16 growing larger and larger . But since
17 this is concentrated and focused just on
18 FDNY, and it is , you know, I think an
19 event that holds special significance
20 for all communities in the country, I ' d
21 be willing to let it go forward . You
22 know, I think it would be useful , you
23 know, as we look at the parades that are
24 shutting down roads , to have a local
25 fire department, you know, kind of run
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 15
1 point . Seems useful , but I also
2 understand the hesitance from a
3 liability and insurance standpoint of
4 accepting responsibility for something
5 that goes the length of Long Island . Is
6 a pretty big ask, and may be something
7 with this short time period now that
8 we ' re considering it, you know, about a
9 month away .
10 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : I think
11 we can always ask, and I would like to
12 ask if the nonprofit -- the nonprofit
13 company hold, you know, does whatever
14 the Town Attorney amount says whether
15 it ' s $2 million policy to hold the
16 Southold Town harmless , if something
17 does happen, that the Town is held
18 harmless , if something, an accident does
19 happen in our town .
20 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Well ,
21 that does seem reasonable as we look at
22 Special Events . Because that is the
23 requirement of Special Events .
24 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : So this
25 should be something that they would have
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 16
1 to apply for, and comply for the
2 insurance, and also all the other
3 requirements that any other Special
4 Event held in Town would have to comply
5 with . And so , while there ' s other Board
6 members , if any other Board member has
7 any other questions ?
8 COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : Just as
9 I ' m grateful for the opportunity to
10 honor the fallen of 9/ 11 . And I ' m
11 grateful for the New York Fire
12 Department for reminding us about who we
13 lost . And we do have a local
14 remembrance on at Taukran Park . And
15 when we are in our busy lives , we can
16 forget what had happened to us . And as
17 Jill said, we all went through it . So
18 just an opportunity to honor those we
19 lost and honor those that went to the
20 pile to search for those that were lost .
21 That were sent from the local fire
22 departments . And I always put safety
23 first . So I appreciate the ride, but
24 let ' s do it the safest way, and I think
25 it will be done the safest way . And as
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 17
1 somebody who ' s responsible, one of the
2 responsible elected ' s , we have to do it
3 in a safe way . So I think it will be
4 done . I hope it ' s done in the safe way .
5 Thank you .
6 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : I would
7 just say, I agree with all of the
8 comments made by my colleagues regarding
9 liability and safety . But as someone
10 who was , you know running an elementary
11 school that day, trying to figure out
12 what was going on, I certainly
13 appreciate the need to have something
14 this unique . And certainly 60 riders is
15 much, and they sound like they actually
16 are good at riding a bike or they
17 wouldn ' t sign up for such a long . You
18 know I ' m willing to go a long of what
19 feels like ( inaudible ) .
20 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
21 you . Justice Evans , any comments or
22 questions ?
23 JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : I think the
24 way it ' s been described is very
25 different from a lot of the bike rides
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 18
1 that we have come through the Town . One
2 for one , it ' s smaller and two for the
3 cause . And I think as long as we can
4 distinguish what ' s different about this
5 ride , I ' m in favor of it as long as it ' s
6 done safely .
7 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
8 you .
9 TOWN ATTORNEY P . DECHANCE : If I
10 can add, Mr . Supervisor . Can I request
11 that you contact the Town Attorney ' s
12 Office just to speak and about
13 compliance with the Special Permit
14 criteria? Thank you .
15 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : And
16 then, so like any other Special Event
17 permit, we could vote on this on at the
18 end of the month at our next meeting in
19 two weeks . So, you know, fill up the
20 appropriate paperwork, and then it will
21 be on the agenda .
22 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : But just
23 realize in the short time period, I
24 think, you know, at least I ' m willing to
25 say that I support moving forward and I
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 19
1 intend to vote yes , on it .
2 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Yeah,
3 you have clearly the commitment of the
4 Board .
5 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : You
6 have the verbal okay to go ahead and
7 we ' ll do the formalities .
8 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : We have
9 to go through the formality and vote on
10 that resolution in two weeks .
11 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : You know,
12 contingent on getting all of the
13 paperwork in order, but I have faith
14 you ' ll be able to do that .
15 TOWN ATTORNEY P . DECHANCE : I would
16 recommend that the Board have it as a
17 resolution on the 27th . It ' s two weeks .
18 I believe it in time .
19 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : There ' s
20 commitment here . So it ' s just a matter
21 going down that path .
22 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : And I
23 want to thank all of you because
24 everybody in the room right now is
25 local -- local fire departments and some
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 20
1 retired . And thank you for all you ' ve
2 done for our community .
3 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
4 you . All right . Anyone else have any
5 other comment for the Board before we go
6 into Executive Session?
7 Seeing none? Something like -- Go
8 right ahead, sir .
9 THOMAS JOSEPH MAY JR . : Good
10 morning, everybody, councilwomen .
11 Retired New York City Firefighter . Most
12 of the military liaison for the
13 ( inaudible ) the Engine 9 . And a 343
14 ride is something close my heart . I
15 usually bring it up a couple times in a
16 year when I get to talk about veterans '
17 issues at our hall in Port Jeff . I ' m a
18 resident out here in Cutchogue for the
19 last five, six years . And I think the
20 343 ride is important . It was
21 inconvenient that you know, ride is on,
22 you know, in the September -- month of
23 September, but I think it ' s something,
24 you know, we should recognize . Also
25 they sell t-shirts as fundraisers .
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 21
1 Maybe everybody on the Board, Supervisor
2 might be interested in getting a shirt
3 They ' ve raised over $2 million for
4 veterans . The people that participate
5 in the ride, the bike riders , are in
6 very good shape . I tried to get in
7 shape for that ride , and I was unable to
8 because these guys are riding 60 miles a
9 day . I couldn ' t keep up with that .
10 What else? Definitely a good outfit .
11 And a good organization and it actually
12 forced the lot of this morning to drive
13 that bike ride . And that bike ride was
14 formed in a Bronx Firehouse, the Engine
15 19 truck, a couple firefighters that got
16 together . I don ' t remember their names ,
17 but they wanted to do something after
18 September llth . And they said, you
19 know, they were going to ride . They
20 didn ' t get too far in the beginning
21 because -- because, you know, there ' s a
22 lot of maintenance and different issues ,
23 but the first 343 ride , I got to see,
24 and witness , I got to tell you, I was
25 pretty damn impressed . So, thank you
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 22
1 very much .
2 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Well ,
3 thank you --
4 TOWN CLERK D . NONCARROW : Your
5 name , sir . Can I have your name?
6 THOMAS JOSEPH MAY JR . : My name is
7 Thomas Joseph May Jr .
8 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
9 you for coming today .
10 COUNCILWOMAN JILL DOHERTY : I was at
11 the ride in 2019 , and I went to Pindar
12 and I was very impressed with the way it
13 was run . And it was great organization
14 and great move . So thank you .
15 UNKNOWN SPEAKER : ( Inaudible )
16 Southold . To show you the dedication
17 that some of these riders have, one of
18 the gentlemen here today participates in
19 some of the rides . Two years ago he
20 participated in one in San Diego,
21 Jacksonville . Now, if you want to talk
22 about dedication, doing that every day,
23 it ' s way beyond me . If I was to do that
24 in the car, I ' d be tired . I don ' t know
25 how he did it , but Don -- Don did that
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 23
1 all on his own, with just the support of
2 the small groups like the 343 ride . So
3 it is something that we appreciate
4 dedication, and the phrase "never
5 forget . " We hold it very near and dear
6 to our hearts . And somebody brought up,
7 I think it was Mr . Mealy, that the
8 residents in our Town did participate in
9 the initial stage of what happened on
10 9/ 11 as long as , as well as a follow-up .
11 And it ' s not only the police officers
12 and the fire officers that participated
13 in all of us , there ' s people in this
14 Town that participated that are
15 suffering the cancers and everything
16 else with the 9/ 11 illnesses that are
17 going on . So it ' s not just us , but we
18 see them. Once in a while, we bump into
19 them at the doctor ' s offices and things ,
20 and you find people from Southold . So
21 it ' s a bond that connects with a lot of
22 us . And thank you very much for your
23 consideration .
24 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
25 you . Thank you for coming . And it ' s
AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 24
1 absolutely true . There ' s a lot of
2 people, and a Girl Scout did a wonderful
3 film a couple of years ago on local
4 people who were there that day or who
5 were there afterwards to help with the
6 recovery and cleanup, and how it
7 affected their lives . It ' s really
8 moving .
9 All right . There ' s no other
10 comment .
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12 (Whereupon, the meeting entered
13 Executive Session at this time . )
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AUGUST 13, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING 25
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, August 13 , 2024 .
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17 ( Jess ca Lallo )
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