HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB-08/08/2001-FIFISHERS ISLAND TOWN BOARD MEETING
AUGUST 8, 2001
1:30 P.M.
A meeting of the Southold Town Board was held on August 8, 2001, at the Fishers Island, New York.
Supervisor Cochran opened the meeting at 1:30 P.M. with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Town Clerk
Neville
Present: Supervisor Jean W. Cochran
Justice Louisa P. Evans
Councilman William D. Moore
Councilman John M. Romanelli
Councilman Brian G. Murphy
Town Clerk Elizabeth A. Neville
Town Attorney Gregory A. Yakaboski
Absent: Councilman Craig A. Richter
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: At this time it gives me great pleasure to introduce the next person to you.
She is someone that ! work with very closely, and she is a lady that takes over and make things happen.
She has worked very closely with us in the Town of Southold, and we are lucky that she also lives in the
Town of Southold, and she probably not in the room because she is at a meeting. Patty Acampora, our
New York State Assemblywoman. While we are waiting for Patty and Councilman Moore to come back
in we will do some introductions, and ! think it works best if when we go around the room, and those of
you that were invited to join us today from the different agencies from the State, from the County, that if
you introduce yourselves, your name and your position. It is easier for the people here on the island to put
a face and a name together. ! know many of you we continue to invite because you do take care of
business for the day when you come over here, and it is our pleasure to able to provide that transportation
once a year. So if we may start over at the table over there, and anyone that is from an agency, please,
your name and your agency, and say it nice and loud.
(Theresa Allar, Suffolk County Department of Real Estate; Robert Barry, Asistant District Attorney;
William Brewer, Cutchogue Fire Department; Charles Bartha, Suffolk County Commissioner of Public
Works; Dave Boucher, Suffolk County Probation Department; Mario Carrera, Suffolk County Fire,
Rescue and Emergency Services; William Cremers, Planning Board; Diane Devon, Representive for
Senator LaValle; Don Fredericks, Shellfish Advisory; Andrew Freleng, Suffolk County Planning; Mike
Williams, New York State Police; Nancy O'Connel, New York State DOT; Cris Wrede, Suffolk County
Planning; Carl Fritz, NYS DEC Environment Engineer; Charel Gardner, Dircetion of Consumer Affairs;
Scott Harris, Department of Consumer Protection; Janet Kolodziejski, New York State DEC; Joe Kuethen
S.C. FRES; Ernie Lampro, NYS DEC; Richard LaValle, Suffolk County Department of Public Works;
Frank Laurita, PERMA; Dan Lewis, NYS DEC Biologist; Carl Lind, Suffolk County Planning; Mark
Lowery, NYS DEC; Joanne Malecki, Department of Motor Vehicles; Thomas Martin, SC Department of
Health; Geoff Mascaro, Suffolk County Real Estate Property Management Administration; Helen
Mecagni, SC Probation Office; Leslie Mitchum, SC Department of Public Works Assistant
Commissioner; Dr. Douglas Moore, PIADC; Katheen Murphy, Red Cross; Kathleen Newcomer, SC
Health Department; Nancy O'Connell, NYS DOT; Ruth Oliva, Friends of the Sound; Amy Juchat, SC
Health Department; Chris W. Reed, SC Real Estate; Gwyn Schroeder, Friends of the Sound; Robert
Stanonis, SC Department of Aging; Barbara Lee Steigerwald, Counsel for Senator LaValle; Janet
Vonberg, Red Cross; George Whitehouse and Douglas McKay, Department of Agriculture; Tom Norris,
New York State Archives; Lorraine Campbell, New York State Archives; Bennet Orlowski, Southold
Town Planning Board; Ken Polywoda, Southold Town Trustee; Rich Latham, Southold Town Planning
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Board; Gerald Goehringer, Southold Town Zoning Board; Melissa Spiro, Southold Town Land
Preservation Cooridinator; Scott Russell, Southold Town Assessor; Ray Blum, Southold Town Land
Preservation; Jim McMahon, Southold Town Community Development; Richard Caggiano, Southold
Town Planning Board; Dan Catullo, Southold Town Tree Committee; Dorothy Chituk, Southold Town
Tax Receivers Office, John Cushman, Southold Town Comptroller; James Dinizio, Southold Town Board
of Appeals; Melanie Doroski, Southold Town Town Attorney Southold Town's Office, Kenneth Edwards,
Southold Town Planning Board; Edward William, Southold Town Land Preservation Committee; Edward
Forrester, Southold Town Building Department; Lt. Martin Flatley, Southold Town Police Department;
Pat Garsik, Southold Town Police Department; Ray Huntington, Southold Town Land Preservation; Reed
Jarvis, Land Preservation; John Jerome, Custodial staff; Ve McKeighan, Southold Town Human Resource
Center; Karen McLaughlin, Southold Town Human Resource Center, Alice Paasch, Southold Town
Justice Court; Henry Smith, Southold Town Trustee; Kendra Wadington, Southold Town Justice Court;
Chris Westgate; Southold Town Assessors Department; Ruthanne Woodhull, Supervisor's Secretary; Bill
Cremers, Southold Town Planning.)
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: Thank you everyone. Our Town Clerk just said I missed Don Fredericks. I
didn't miss Don Fredericks, because I wanted to say something special about Don. Don first came over in
the 1930's. He was on the fishing boats, and through the years he has come over here on many capacities,
for the elections, and just on, and on, and on. Don is with us again today. I don't think we could make the
trip here unless Don came with us. Last week he celebrated his 88th birthday, so Don, Happy Birthday.
Okay, Patty, I already said nice things about you, so I am not going to say them again. Pat has been
having a little back problem. Here is our Assemblywoman from the 1st District and one of our best
friends, Patty Acampora.
ASSEMBLYWOMAN ACAMPORA: Good afternoon everyone. It is always a pleasure to be here, good
back or bad back. You know it gives us the opportunity to have a dialogue and usually every year there is
something going on that needs some assistance. We just had, I think, a very good meeting, a working,
talking session about providing law enforcement coverage for Fishers Island for the rest of this year, and
probably into next year. The State Police will be here. Senator LaValle and myself will introduce
legislation hopefully to allow constables to have peace officer status, and show that Fishers Island is
indeed unique by it's location and the fact that we have had constables working here in the past, but
without the status of having peace officers. So, I think we had a good dialogue. We know exactly how we
are going to put the bill forward. I thank Major Heish, who could not be with us today, but Captain Mike
Williams is here along Officer Joe Curto, who will be staying on Fishers Island around the year next year
to provide that much needed law enforcement and police protection on the island that you have been
asking for. Other than that we worked on a couple of problems this year. As usual John Thatcher is my
connection. He constantly calls the office. I think that we have learned that through communication we
can actually solve problems. It is when people don't talk problems only get worse. It is always my
pleasure and my honor to work within such a wonderful place, and to have the opportunity to come here
yearly with the Supervisor and the Town Board, all the various State, County and local agencies. We do
represent you the best that we know how to do. So, if anybody has any questions, or you just want to chat
with me after the Town Board meeting is over I am here, and I will continue to do whatever I can to serve.
Thank you.
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: Patty, thank you. Working with the State Police Division and our local law
enforcement this problem has been solved, and Patty led the way, and Patty thank you on behalf of the
Town Board. I would be remiss if I didn't introduce the Town Board. All the way down is Bill Moore,
John Romanelli, of course we have your little Louisa and she is ours too. Then we have Brian Murphy,
and Betty Neville, our Town Clerk. Before I get into the order of business I would just like to share with
you that I had a call yesterday from a Mr. Ron Cowan, who is Executive Director of the Red Cross in
New London, and he feels very strongly that Fishers Island has been treated like a stepchild for many,
many years in relation to the Red Cross, and the benefits that they can give to you as a community,
training and just many different things in relation to the emergency preparedness program and so forth.
So, he is sending a fax through to my office today stating all the services that the Red Cross has to offer,
and the island can avail themselves if they feel that they have the need. So, we are quite pleased with that,
because in our Emergency Management Planning the weakest is the link the Red Cross, so we have been
trying to bring them along on the Southold side, and we said we will take what you are going to send to
send us, and show it to them, and say, see this is what New London is doing. Just to let you know.
I.PUBLIC NOTICES.
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: As far as the agenda is concerned we have one public notice, which is with
the Army Corp of Engineers which is for William Kooyker and Judith Correnti to contruct a timber pier
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on Fishers Island. That is the only thing we have.
Department of the Army, New York District, Corp of Army Engineers, Application of William
Kooyker and Judith Corrente to construct a timber pier in Fishers Island Sound, Fishers Island,
Town of Southold, Comments to be received by August 17, 2001.
II.REPORTS. None.
III. COMMUNICATIONS. None.
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: There is no correspondence.
IV. PUBLIC HEAR1NG. None.
#554
Moved by Councilman Romanelli, seconded by Justice Evans, it was
WHEREAS there has been presented to the Town Board of the Town of Southold, Suffolk
County, New York on the 17th day of July, 2001, a Local Law entitled "A Local Law in Relation to No
Parking on Jernick Lane and Oaklawn Avenue, Southold, New York", and
WHEREAS the Town Board of the Town of Southold held a public hearing on the aforesaid
Local Law at which time all interested persons were heard, now therefore be it
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby enacts the "Local Law in
Relation to No Parking on Jernick Lane and Oaklawn Avenue, Southold, New York", which reads
as follows:
LOCAL LAW NO. 15 2001
BE IT ENACTED, by the Town Board of the Town of Southold as follows:
I. Chapter 92 (Vehicles & Traffic) of the Code of the Town of Southold is hereby
amended as follows:
1. Article IV, Section 92-42 (Parking Prohibited during Certain Hours) is hereby
amended as follows:
Name of Street Side During Months Locations
And Hours
Jernick Lane North September to 125 feet in an
And including easterly direction
June between from the inter-
The hours of section of
8 a.m. and Oaklawn Avenue
4p.m.
Jernick Lane South September to 125 feet in an
And including easterly direction
June between from the inter-
The hours of section of
8 a.m. and Oaklawn Avenue
4p.m.
Oaklawn Avenue East September to 270 feet in a northerly
And including direction from the
June between inter-section of
The hours of Jernick Lane
8 a.m. and
4p.m.
Oaklawn Avenue East September to 150 feet east side,
And including in a southerly from
June between the inter- section of
The hours of Jernick Lane
8 a.m. and
4p.m.
Oaklawn Avenue West September to 225 feet in a
And including northerly direction
June between from the intersection
The hours of of the southern exit
8 a.m. and of the Southold
4 p.m. Elementary School
Driveway
Oaklawn Avenue West September to 200 feet in a
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And including
June between
The hours of and 4 p.m.
8 a.m. and
4p.m.
southerly direction
from the intersection
of the southern exit of
The Southold
Elementary School
driveway
Vote of the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilman Moore, Justice
Evans, Supervisor Cochran.
This resolution was duly ADOPTED.
#555
Moved by Councilman Murphy, seconded by Justice Evans, it was
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby modifies the 2001 budget as follows:
General Fund Whole Town
To: A.9010.8.000.000 NYS Employees Retirement 2,100
From: A.9015.8.000.000 NYS Police Retirement 2,100
General Fund Part Town
To: B.9010.8.000.000
From: B.1990.4.100.100
Highway Fund Whole Town
To: DA.9010.8.000.000
From: DA.9055.8.000.000
Highway Fund Part Town
To: DB.9010.8.000.000
From: DB.9055.8.000.000
To: DB.5990.00
Solid Waste District
To: SR.9010.8.000.000
From: SR.9055.8.000.000
Wastewater Disposal District
To: SS1.9010.8.000.000
From: SS1.8130.1.100.200
NYS Employees Retirement
Contingency
1,400
1,400
NYS Employees Retirement
Benefit Fund
1,300
1,300
NYS Employees Retirement 10,600
Benefit Fund 2,200
Appropriated Fund Balance 8,400
NYS Employees Retirement
Benefit Fund
1,600
1,600
NYS Employees Retirement 100
Overtime Earnings 100
Vote of the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilman Moore, Justice
Evans, Supervisor Cochran.
This resolution was duly ADOPTED.
#556
Moved by Councilman Romanelli, seconded by Councilman Murphy, it was
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby accepts the letter of intention to
retire from Frank Begora from the Highway Department effective August 15~ 2001 and wishes him
the best in his retirement.
Vote of the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilman Moore, Justice
Evans, Supervisor Cochran.
This resolution was duly ADOPTED.
#557
Moved by Councilman Romanelli, seconded by Justice Evans, it was
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby accepts the resignation of Arnold
Vollmoeller as a Lifeguard effective July 27~ 2001.
Vote of the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilman Moore, Justice
Evans, Supervisor Cochran.
This resolution was duly ADOPTED.
#558
Moved by Councilman Murphy, seconded by Councilman Romanelli, it was
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby accepts~ with regret~ the resignation
of Paul A. Caminiti as Chairman and member of the Board of Trustees Employee Health Benefit
Fund effective immediately.
Vote of the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilman Moore, Justice
Evans, Supervisor Cochran.
This resolution was duly ADOPTED.
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#559
Moved by Councilman Romanelli, seconded by Justice Evans, it was
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby authorizes the closure of the end of
Bay Home Road~ Southold to the waters edge~ on Saturda¥~ August 25~ 2001 for the purpose of
holding a neighborhood block party, providing a resident contacts Lt. Flatley five (5) days prior for traffic
needs.
Vote of the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilman Moore, Justice
Evans, Supervisor Cochran.
This resolution was duly ADOPTED.
#56O
Moved by Councilman Romanelli, seconded by Justice Evans, it was
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby modifies the General Fund 2001
budget~ as follows:
TO:
A. 1355.1.100.200 Board of Assessors, P.S.
Full Time Employees
Overtime $ 42.73
FROM:
A. 1355.4.500.400
Board of Assessors
Fee for Service, Non-employee
BOAR Stenographer $ 42.73
Vote of the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilman Moore, Justice
Evans, Supervisor Cochran.
This resolution was duly ADOPTED.
#561
Moved by Councilman Murphy, seconded by Councilman Romanelli, it was
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby authorizes and directs Supervisor
Jean W. Cochran to execute an agreement with Suffolk County Office of the Aging for the CSE
Social Adult Day Care Program, IFMS No. SCS EXE 01000006269 from March 31, 2001 through
March 31, 2002.
Vote of the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilman Moore, Justice
Evans, Supervisor Cochran.
This resolution was duly ADOPTED.
#562
Moved by Councilman Romanelli, seconded by Justice Evans, it was
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby authorizes and directs Supervisor
Jean W. Cochran to execute an agreement with Suffolk County Office of the Aging for the
Community Services for the Elderly-Residential Repair~ IFMS No. SCS EXE 01000006676 from
March 31~ 2001 through March 31~ 2002
Vote of the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilman Moore, Justice
Evans, Supervisor Cochran.
This resolution was duly ADOPTED.
#563
Moved by Councilman Romanelli, seconded by Justice Evans, it was
RESOLVED, that the Supervisor of the Town of Southold is hereby authorized and directed to file an
application for funds from the New York State Office of Parks~ Recreation and Historic
Preservation in accordance with the provisions of Title 3 of the Clean Water/Clean Air Bond Act~ in
an amount not to exceed $400~000~ and upon approval of said request to enter into and execute a
proiect agreement with the State for such financial assistance to the Town of Southold for the
Whitaker/Thompson House Restoration Proiect.
Vote of the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilman Moore, Justice
Evans, Supervisor Cochran.
This resolution was duly ADOPTED.
#564
Moved by Councilman Romanelli, seconded by Justice Evans, it was
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby appoints Michael Eckhardt to the
position of Custodial Worker I~ fulltime~ for the Southold Town Hall at a salary of $27~452.26 per
annum, effective August 27, 2001
FI 8/8/01 6
Vote of the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilman Moore,
Evans, Supervisor Cochran.
This resolution was duly ADOPTED.
Justice
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: That is the end of our planned resolutions. At this time I would ask if Police
Chief Carlisle Cochran has anything to share with the Fishers Island people in relation to law
enforcement?
POLICE CHIEF CARLISLE COCHRAN: Other than the fact that by everybody working together we
could solve the problems we will be able to solve the problems. I usually have a big enough mouth so
everybody can hear me.
TOWN CLERK NEVILLE: But the tape recorder won't pick it up.
POLICE CHIEF COCHRAN: Now that I have been instructed to use the microphone it just that all
working together we have been able to solve the problem of law enforcement on the island short term, and
we are looking to do it long term, and everybody is working together. We just had a meeting in the other
room, and we are hoping to provide good law enforcement to you for ever and ever. That is all I have to
say.
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: Through Louisa we try to stay in tune with the different things that are
happening on the island, but we think that it is also important that you know what is happening in the
Town of Southold on the other island. So, the Board members will give a three or four minute recap on
some of the things the Board is presently dealing with, and I would like to start with John Romanelli,
Councilman, who is going to share a little bit with you on what we are doing as far as our landfill and our
composting and some of the arrangements, where we are heading to in the future.
COUNCILMAN ROMANELLI: Our landfill I can put it in the same situation as Fishers Island. We are
in the process of capping it, and changing things around. We bought a piece of property next door to our
landfill, commonly known as the McBride piece, McBride potato farm. That piece is going to converted
into a compost facility for all the yard waste. We have also been in negotiatian with the Town of
Huntington to take their yard waste. The Town of Huntington has a incinerator facility, and the deal we
are trying to strike with Huntington, we are very close, but no deal is a deal until the papers are signed,
but if we are going to ship our garbage to the Town of Huntington to incinerate, in return we are going to
take their yard waste, leaves mainly, no brush. We can then turn our compost facility hopefully into a
revenue stream somewhere down the line. A lot of issues need to be worked out, bagged leaves, how the
leaves need to be bagged, how we are going to pick them up, how are we going to truck them, but that is
the direction we are heading. So, the DEC, I know a few of you are here, you have been somewhat
pleasant to work with, with the capping of the landfill. We have come a long way. We keep on making
changes, and the changes that we have made they seem to work with us, so that is where we are at.
JUSTICE EVANS: Just so the people from Fishers Island know, the capping and closing, we don't pay
for that. They have their own separate district. We only have to pay for our own capping and closing here
on Fishers Island.
COUNCILMAN ROMANELLI: But, we are accepting donations.
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: John is right. Composting is something that the Town has always supported,
and hopefully this whole thing, I am sure it will, will work out, and then we have many vineyards,
farmers, that would like to have our compost. Cornell has said it said it is excellent product, so we are
hopeful that all this will fall into place, what we are working on, and that will give us our future.
Affordable housing, I brought a committee together and looked at it. We are having problems with the
Town of Southold, as far as our labor forces are concerned. We have had a couple of restaurants that have
closed at noon, because they don't have waitresses to serve the food. Our other councilman, who is in the
construction business, just last week he severed three or four of his crew members, up and left and started
their own business, so he is without help. We do have a definite problem in the Town of Southold with
the labor force. Much of it is due to the fact that some of our blue collar workers, and our middle income
people just do not have a place to live. So, we have done three projects in the Town of Southold. They
have well done. They have accepted by the community, and we are now looking at four more. Rather than
put it all in one school district where it would affect that school we have split it down, and we have
builders that are affordable housing projects in Mattituck, Cutchogue, Southold, and Greenport. Some of
them will be single family houses, some will be homes with accessory apartments, which will have to be
owner occupied. We are hoping to control the rent side of this building. It would give the person owning
the house the ability to collect that rent and help them pay the mortgage, so we are looking at many
FI 8/8/01 7
things. I believe last night the legislature passed on giving us $100,000 so we can have grants, as we have
done in the past to try and help these kids. They are our kids and they have been born and raised in the
Town of Southold, and we are trying to keep them here as much as we can, so when you hear, and Bill
will be talking to you about five acre zoning. Many of the concerns of some of the people in Southold, if
we go to five acre zoning our kids can't afford to live there. Well, that is not true. They can't afford to live
here now, but five acre zoning relates only to agricultural land, so Bill would you like to give us a little
background on five acre zoning? Thank you.
COUNCILMAN MOORE: It is great to be here again. Thank you very much for having us. Bill Blyer
was telling me that you all look at Newsday here. There was an article last week that Suffolk County is
now the most expensive county in the country to live in. It is incredible to believe, but they were doing
the numbers. A family of four needs $56,000, so affordable housing is a problem of town hall. It is a very
common problem, as it is on Fishers Island, I know. Yes, the five acre zone, people think, we are going to
have a trade parade like they have over on the South Fork, vans coming and going at eight in the morning,
leaving at six in the evening. It happened already. You can go to the bagel store and see the phone
numbers, you don't recognize the phone numbers as being local, exchanges of the first three digits are not
local numbers. Five acre zoning, as Jean said, the proposed, addressed farmland in town. The building
pressures are here. The Water Authority is putting the water lines down to provide potable water. There
are places in town where the water is lousy, and that is something they ought to be doing. The community
overall makeup and how it is going to look in the future on the underlying zoning maps depends on
zoning, not whether or not it has water, or doesn't have water. I think having good water is something we
should expect for the community. So, we are looking at a proposal back in the Spring for five acre zoning
on the ag lands. We have had several informal community meetings, a useful work session with the farm
community, and the Board is still struggling through and working on the process. One of the things that
the Board is committed to doing is to do something. Any product that comes out of Town government, or
any government could always be better. You could always study it longer. You could always tweak it
more, and play with it, and never do anything, and I have sensed the Board is far more committed to
doing something, even if it is the first big step. The Board will worry too much about whether every
single I is dotted, and T is crossed to get the best possible product. An awful lot of time can go from study
to study to study, and ten, fifteen years later you say, boy, it is nice to have done something. So, I think
you have gotten a commitment from the Board members to step up and really move forward. We are in
midst of the process of doing that right now. Thank you.
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: Thank you, and Brian Murphy will update you a little bit on land
preservation, and what we are doing.
COUNCILMAN MURPHY: As you know we came over today, and the Land Preservation Committee
looked at two parcels that are on the island for possible acquisition, and we are working through the
process on that. One of the other things we are hoping to do is bring over some people with some
expertise to give you some information on conservation easements. We had a number of questions about
it from residents on the island. So, we feel it might be a useful thing to come over with people who will
give us the information and then let you know what can be done, so you could make up your mind how
you want to handle your properties personally. We are going to put up another $2,000,000 bond issue this
year for the acquisition development rights as well as open space. So, as pieces come in we will have the
money in place. Bill mentioned on the five acre zoning this is one of the things we are looking at to help
preserve the big farm belt over on the mainland, and this will keep us unique, hopefully as unique as you
are here on the island. I am amazed when I ride around here when I see what you do have and the way
you have been able to keep it over these years. I think we can help with the easements, and some other
pieces that you might want to acquire as Town pieces, or development rights pieces. We can help you,
and in the same amount of time you are helping us by passing the bond issues, so it will help us to do it
over on the mainland. So, it is my pleasure to be here. I hope to be back to see you soon. Thank you.
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: Thank you, Brian. Louisa, I didn't give you an assignment.
JUSTICE EVANS: Perhaps I can ask Bill to talk on the Noise Ordinance.
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: On the what? The Noise Ordinance. Okay. I felt like I left you out. Next
time you are on. We have had some fun. I don't know if I am going to let him talk about the Noise
Ordinance or not.
COUNCILMAN MOORE: I can keep quiet.
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: When an Ordinance tells you that you can't even whistle on your own
streets in town, and I am a whistler. Would you like to explain to us the Noise Ordinance, and how
FI 8/8/01 8
terrible it is?
COUNCILMAN MOORE: The Chairman of the Code Committee gets the praise and the blame all in the
same breath. That is okay. ! don't mind. Over the last several years that was a clamoring or a demand for
a noise ordinance over in Southold. Various residents had different reasons for wanting one, different
types of noise affecting their quality of life, and if you hadn't had noise problems ! guess you can pooh,
pooh it, and say what a bunch malarkey that is until you are the one who is sitting on your back deck nice
and peaceful and quiet, or you are lying in your bed at five o'clock in the morning, and your peace and
tranquility is interrupted by someone's rude behavior. The way the State Penal Law was written we were
advised by our enforcement folks in the police department, that unless your neighbor is making noise for
the express purpose of driving you nuts there wasn't much they could do about it. A Noise Ordinance no
matter how it is written narrowly, broad, whatever it is designed to suggest the noise itself is annoying,
not the fact that you intend to annoy your neighbor. That is the underlying purpose of a noise ordinance to
give police department the power to help them, and to enable them to say "really ! wasn't kidding at 2:00
o'cock in the morning to turn the stereo off, and have something they can enforce if the neighbor says,
stick in your ear. We looked at noise ordinances from all over the place, and threw the net wide, and drew
a lot of comments all over the place, and what this noise ordinance can do. Our policeman say that 99.9%
of the time to get compliance you knock on the door, and say turn it down. Yet ,we, as a Board, have been
hearing on a regular basis from various communities that the compliance isn't there, so we are working on
a noise ordinance. We are going to go back and definitely fine tune it. We will tune it down, and then the
police will have an ability to write someone up for a summons if it gets as far as that, and you don't get
compliance. That is from the old school where the officer knocks on the door, you are going to comply
with their request to tone it down, because you want to be a good neighbor, and a good citizen, and part of
me just chafes at the idea that we as a community have reached the point where we think we need a law
on the books, but the community is speaking, and we are going to address this, and give the police a tool
that they think they need to accomplish this. We will make it narrowly drawn as Southold Townwide,
friendly as we can, but so this doesn't become some big onerous law.
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: At our Board meeting last week, of course, we had a full house on this
topic, and ! announced at the beginning of the hearing that it would be sent back to the Code Committee,
so that kind of defused some of the anger. Then we were able to get down to a good roundtable discussion
on the pros and cons of the Noise Ordinance. We had good suggestions, and good ideas, and good
complaints, but at least people were talking to one another, and so from this dialogue we should be able to
come up with something that fits in the community. So, we need something. ! get complaints on roosters
and everything. ! tell them that this is the country and we do have roosters, and maybe we could get some
hens, and we could solve that. It was interesting the next day ! did have letter from a woman who lives in
Hawaii and how they take care of the rooster problem there, because they train the roosters to cock fight,
and so forth. They get many complaints on noise, and she said, what they do is on the door of the coop
they put a piece of black material, and so the roosters are in the inside, and they don't crow during the
night. So, if it works in Hawaii who knows. Lets look at it. But, anyhow, we will be doing something, and
hopefully it will meet the needs of the community. One other thing ! would like to do before ! open it to
the public is thank Mark Doty. He has been serving as our Emergency Preparedness person on the island.
He is giving up that position, and Louisa is working on a replacement, and hopefully we will have it by
Tuesday, so we can act on that. But we would like to publicly thank him for all the work and cooperation
he has given the Emergency Preparedness structure. At this time ! would like to open it up for comments
from the audience, anything pro, con, any business, Town business you would like to discuss with us. We
would love to have your input. Is there anyone that would like to address the Town Board?
HARRISON PARSONS: (unintelligible)
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: Can someone give details on the State Police protection we will have on the
island for the rest of the summer, and how things will be working, and how many people? Who can
answer that?
JUSTICE EVANS: Joe Curto, currently one of our Troopers, will be here for as long as it takes to get the
legislation through. They go back in January, so hopefully it won't be too long after that. We like Joe here
and ! think if he can't be here twenty-four a day, seven days a week, they will probably have someone
who will cover for him. We are going to have someone come so Joe can get off the island once in awhile
for doctor's appointments, or see family, or whatever, so, we do have coverage. Hopefully our constables
will be back on the job sometime soon after January.
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: We just got the word yesterday and ! sure the details are being worked out.
Were you people able to work them out in your meeting a little earlier, so we know specifically the
coverage, and how it will work, and Chief, how your constable will function, so that people know.
FI 8/8/01 9
POLICE CHIEF COCHRAN: Basically what Captain Williams said, was that the trooper here is going to
stay. When he leaves on his days off we are going to use the Riverhead barracks to ship somebody over,
so they basically will have 24-7 on the island. The constables, until we get the legislation passed, are kind
of in limbo.
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: Will they still be here for some duties? I mean will they still be functioning
in any way, the constables?
POLICE CHIEF COCHRAN: The constables are able to function civilly. They are not able to function
criminally, and the line in between is kind of gray.
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: They will still be here for certain duties in relation to the traffic.
POLICE CHIEF COCHRAN: They are able to assist troopers civilly, but not get involved criminally.
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: Patty, that coverage will stay until the law is through and so forth, until the
legislation is written? Yes. Does that answer your question, sir? Anyone else like to address the Town
Board?
AL STICKEY: My name is A1 Stickey. I am Co-President of the Civic Association, and we would just
like on behalf of the Civic and our six hundred member family thank you very much for coming. We
appreciate all the hard work you do for us and Pat, and Senator LaValle's office. We look forward to
seeing you again, and also would like to follow up with the Red Cross in New London. We will see what
happens there. Thank you for coming. We look forward to seeing you again next year.
SUPERVISOR COCHRAN: We always enjoy coming over to say hello, Thank you. May I have a
motion to adjourn?
Moved by Councilman Murphy, seconded by Councilman Moore, it was
RESOLVED that this Town Board meeting be and hereby is adjourned at 2:04 P.M.
Vote of the Town Board: Ayes: Councilman Murphy, Councilman Romanelli, Councilman Moore,
Evans, Supervisor Cochran.
This resolution was duly ADOPTED.
Justice
Elizabeth A. Neville
Southold Town Clerk