HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB-07/22/2025 PH 1
1 TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
COUNTY OF SUFFOLK : STATE OF NEW YORK
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3
TOWN BOARD
4 REGULAR MEETING
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7 Southold, New York
8 July 22 , 2025
4 : 30 P . M.
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14 B E F O R E :
15
16 ALBERT KRUPSKI JR, SUPERVISOR
17 LOUISA P . EVANS, JUSTICE
18 JILL DOHERTY, COUNCILWOMAN
19 GREG DOROSKI , COUNCILMAN
20 BRIAN O . MEALY, COUNCILMAN
21 ANNE H . SMITH, COUNCILWOMAN
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JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 2
1
INDEX TO TESTIMONY
2
3 Public Comments 3-5
4 Chapter 164 - Irrigation 5-55
5 Chapter 280 - Zoning, Signs 55-58
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7
8
9
10
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25
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 3
1 PUBLIC COMMENTS
2 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Now we
3 can start the agenda . Was there anyone
4 who would like to address any agenda
5 item? Besides the public hearings .
6 Yes , ma ' am .
7 SONIA SPAR : Good afternoon . My
8 name is Sonia Spar, Southold Town
9 resident . I ' m here regarding the
10 promotion of officer and now Sergent
11 Chenche . And I have a few words to say
12 about it . I commend the well deserved
13 promotion of Sergeant Chenche, whose
14 professionalism, integrity and long
15 standing service to our community is
16 speaks for themselves , and are being
17 recognized today . As the only Latino
18 officer on the force, his dedication
19 has not gone unnoticed . His part role
20 as a school resource officer left a
21 lasting impact, serving as a role model
22 for countless students and showing our
23 youth that leadership can look like
24 them . In times when bias can
25 overshadow truth, it is more important
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 4
1 than ever to recognize and uplift
2 those who lead with honor and respect .
3 His resiliency backed by a strong
4 community support is a testament to
5 the values we hold dear . Fairness ,
6 respect, and inclusion in public
7 service . I congratulate Officer
8 Chenche . Now, Sergeant Chenche .
9 COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : Thank
10 you .
11 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
12 you . Would anyone else like to address
13 the Board on any agenda item?
14 (No Response) .
15 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : We ' ll
16 have the public hearing in a minute,
17 thanks .
18 JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : Anyone
19 else ?
20 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : All
21 right . Let me just check, Tom
22 Stevenson . Tom, if you ' re interested
23 in the sign or the water bill , they are
24 going to be addressed during the public
25 hearing portion .
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 5
1 TOM STEVENSON : Okay . How are you
2 guys doing? I was confused from the
3 agenda . It looked like it was just an
4 agenda item, and it wasn ' t . So there ' s
5 going to be a chance to speak at the
6 end . Okay .
7 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : There
8 will be .
9 JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : Those
10 public hearings were left open .
11 TOM STEVENSON : Right, but it
12 looked like you had resolutions to
13 adopt the codes during the business
14 part of the meeting here .
15 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : But we
16 will have public hearings before we get
17 to that .
18 TOM STEVENSON : Okay . Good . All
19 right .
20 (Whereupon, the meeting
21 continued on to the Regular Agenda at
22 this time . )
23 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
24 CHAPTER 164 - IRRIGATION
25 TOWN CLERK DENIS NONCARROW : All
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 6
1 right . This is a continued public
2 hearing that considers an
3 introductory Local Law to enact
4 Chapter 164 , Irrigation, which
5 regulates the use of irrigation and
6 irrigation systems by requiring that
7 all new irrigation systems be equipped
8 with a smart controller and a rain
9 sensor . And further required, the
10 installation of such devices by the
11 contractor and owner on all existing
12 systems within three years of the
13 effective date . This chapter will
14 -- with certain exemptions , the
15 proposed code also regulates water
16 schedules . Okay . That ' s that . Thank
17 you .
18 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
19 you . Are all the proper notifications
20 in place, Mr . DeChance ?
21 TOWN ATTORNEY PAUL DECHANCE :
22 Yes , Mr . Supervisor, the notices are in
23 order .
24 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : All
25 right . Thank you . Now would anyone
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 7
1 like to speak in relation to this
2 proposed change?
3 JEFF SABO : Hello, good
4 afternoon . Supervisor Krupski , Town
5 Board members . Thank you for having me
6 today . My name is Jeff Sabo . I ' m
7 Chief Executive Officer of the Suffolk
8 County Water Authority . The Water
9 Authority is the largest provider of
10 drinking water in Suffolk County . We
11 serve 1 . 2 million people . Supply more
12 than half the population in Southold .
13 We have about 12 , 000 -- about 10 , 000
14 customer connections . No one knows
15 the North Fork aquifer system better
16 than we do . Here in the North Fork,
17 we operate 60 supply wells and
18 delivered over 1 . 4 billion gallons of
19 drinking water to Southold customers in
20 2024 alone . I want to thank the
21 Supervisor and the Southold Water
22 Advisory Committee for advancing this
23 critical legislation . SCWA has
24 presented to the committee on multiple
25 occasions over the last several years ,
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 8
1 consistently urging the Town to treat
2 the issue with the seriousness it
3 demands . Today I ' m here to support
4 this legislation . Southold is in a
5 water crisis , and this bill along
6 with adding additional supply through
7 the North Fork pipeline project is
8 part of the solution . The core problem
9 is simple . There ' s simply not enough
10 water in the aquifer under Southold to
11 meet demand . During the summer months
12 SCWA ' s infrastructure on the North
13 Fork, though robust and modern, is
14 overwhelmed by automatic lawn
15 irrigation systems in the overnight
16 hours when in-home water use is
17 typically very low . Southold
18 residents are using more water than
19 ever before . And that ' s evidenced by
20 the crisis we ' re facing today . Our
21 wells are pushed to the maximum -- to
22 maximum capacity and still can ' t keep
23 up . As a result, storage tanks like
24 the one on Moores Lane in Greenport
25 drop to dangerously low levels .
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 9
1 Sometimes just a few feet of water
2 exists in the early morning hours .
3 That creates a domino effect,
4 insufficient pressure, reduced flow,
5 potentially limiting firefighting
6 capability and our ability to meet
7 the water needs of hospitals and
8 emergency responders . That ' s the
9 reality we ' re already living with,
10 and the consequences of doing nothing
11 are dire . Let me be as clear as I
12 can . This is not hypothetical . The
13 aquifer beneath Southold is at serious
14 risk of saltwater intrusion . At times ,
15 we ' re pumping all of our wells in the
16 entire township just to keep up with
17 irrigation demand . If this continues ,
18 we run the risk of drawing salt water
19 into the aquifer, a process that cannot
20 be reversed . And once that happens ,
21 the wells are done . You can ' t flush --
22 You cannot flush the salt water back
23 out . The supply is lost permanently .
24 Unlike other parts of Suffolk County,
25 where freshwater wells can be
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 10
1 constructed up to depths of 800 feet
2 deep and can supply up to 13 , 1500
3 gallons per minute by pulling water
4 from deeper parts of the aquifer, like
5 the maggoty, freshwater in Southold is
6 limited to the upper glacial aquifer .
7 These wells range from typically 50 to
8 100 feet deep and supply only about 50
9 gallons per minute . Studies such as
10 the hydrological framework of the North
11 Fork done by the Geological Survey
12 discuss this sensitive system. And
13 indicate that the freshwater in this
14 region is a series of shallow isolated
15 freshwater bubbles surrounded by
16 saltwater, both on the coastline and
17 below . This region is sensitive to
18 pumpage changes and over-pumping will
19 result in irreversible seawater
20 contamination . We ' ve seen this before .
21 In Jamaica, Queens , the public water
22 supply was shutdown in the early 1990 ' s
23 after saltwater contamination
24 infiltrated the wells . Now 30 years
25 later, the USGS has found that the
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 11
1 saltwater plume has not significantly
2 diminished . That ' s the future we face
3 here in the North Fork if we do not
4 act . This is not a choice between
5 doing something or doing nothing . This
6 is a choice between doing something or
7 damaging the aquifer for generations .
8 The Town ' s proposed legislation is a
9 serious and thoughtful attempt to
10 confront the problem. One provision
11 stands out as the single most impactful
12 change the Town can make, the adoption
13 of the enforcement of an odd/even
14 watering schedule . SCWA implemented
15 this policy in 2023 , but we have no
16 authority to enforce it . Most
17 residents already water every other
18 day, typically Monday, Wednesday and
19 Friday, but that ' s exactly the problem.
20 When everyone waters at once , our
21 system cannot recover . A well-enforced
22 odd/even rule would -- which would
23 distribute demand more evenly and help
24 maintain pressure in our tanks and
25 maintain enough water during those peak
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 12
1 demand periods . We strongly support
2 the proposed requirements of smart
3 irrigation controllers . SCWA has
4 issued hundreds of thousands of dollars
5 in rebates to encourage the
6 installation of these water saving
7 devices . These devices have shown to
8 be effective at reducing water use
9 while keeping lawns healthy and plush
10 and lush . SCWA has made a tremendous
11 effort to make our customers aware of
12 the importance of conservation and the
13 best practices to achieve it . We have
14 invested hundreds of thousands of
15 dollars into advertising campaigns to
16 stress the urgency of the situation .
17 We ' ve held community meetings all
18 across the North Fork . We ' ve gone door
19 to door taking our message directly to
20 the customers on how they can help .
21 Through e-mails , phone messages , text
22 messages , and bill inserts , we ' re
23 empowering residents to follow the
24 uneven law and watering schedule and
25 install smart controllers . I wish that
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 13
1 -- I wish I could say that these
2 efforts have had an unmitigated
3 success , and that the problem has
4 abated . The truth is that we ' ve only
5 seen a small change in behavior . We
6 understand that conservation alone
7 won ' t solve the problem. Adding
8 additional supply with the North
9 Fork pipeline project is the only
10 surefire solution to ensuring
11 long-term water supply and Southold .
12 But the situation has become so severe
13 that every step must be taken to
14 urgently address this problem. Every
15 additional gallon we draw now puts the
16 long-term health of the North Fork
17 aquifer at greater risk . This is an
18 aquifer we ' re supposed to be
19 protecting, not pushing to collapse .
20 The Suffolk County Water Authority
21 strongly supports the legislation .
22 We believe it will help stabilize use ,
23 reserve pressure and storage capacity
24 and slow the march of saltwater
25 intrusion . It ' s a step we cannot
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 14
1 afford to delay . Thank you for this
2 opportunity to speak and for your
3 leadership on this issue . SCWA stands
4 ready to support the Town in
5 implementing these changes for the
6 benefit of our customers , and for the
7 long-term protection of the region ' s
8 only drinking water source . Thank
9 you .
10 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
11 you . I appreciate you coming .
12 JEFF SABO : I have a hard copy .
13 Would you like that?
14 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Give
15 it to the Clerk . Thank you .
16 JEFF SABO : Thank you all very
17 much .
18 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
19 you .
20 LINDA GOLDSMITH : Good afternoon .
21 Linda Goldsmith, East Marion . I ' ve
22 been following this . I ' ve been to
23 meetings , but I still have several
24 questions I ' m hoping you can answer
25 today . Is this law for new systems
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 15
1 only or is this going to impact systems
2 that are already in place ?
3 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : So
4 this will require new installations to
5 have the smart controller and three
6 years for every old system to comply .
7 LINDA GOLDSMITH : Is this for
8 systems that use Suffolk County water?
9 What about systems that use their own
10 well water?
11 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : You
12 should have it on your own well water .
13 You know, we had a half an inch of rain
14 the other night and --
15 LINDA GOLDSMITH : You said that
16 you should . Do you -- must you?
17 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : You
18 will have to .
19 LINDA GOLDSMITH : In three years ?
20 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Yes .
21 LINDA GOLDSMITH : Okay . That ' s
22 Number One . Is this law addressing
23 both the amount of water that we have
24 and the quality?
25 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : This
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 16
1 only addresses the amount in that
2 every, you know, we had a wet Spring .
3 You think about the automatic systems
4 that went on all Spring while we had
5 such a wet Spring . You think of all
6 that gallons that were basically
7 wasted . So that it addresses the
8 quantity in that manner . Every time it
9 rains , you save that water and then it
10 helps with the Water Authority with
11 their management because not
12 everybody ' s irrigating the same day, at
13 the same time .
14 LINDA GOLDSMITH : I mean it would
15 seem that you know we had that much
16 rain why would someone want to pay to
17 water something that was already
18 saturated, but you know well --
19 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . :
20 Because they ' re automatic . So they
21 don ' t even -- they get set . People
22 don ' t even think about . It that ' s
23 then . And that ' s why we want to do
24 this . So that people and the
25 professionals who install these and
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 17
1 manage them are very good at this .
2 They ' re very concerned about this .
3 They want to be able to manage it as
4 well .
5 LINDA GOLDSMITH : You know, I
6 would think, you know, you got your
7 water bill , you might want to manage it
8 yourself but you know, it ' s just me .
9 The other question I have is , it says
10 in 164-3 C, it says smart controller
11 shall be attached . After a half an
12 inch of rainfall , these systems shall
13 not apply irrigation for two days . But
14 what if we had had a drought for a
15 month prior to that? I mean, a half an
16 inch of rain, you know --
17 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Well ,
18 I tell you, that ' s the way it ' s
19 written . That ' s the way it was
20 supported by the installers and also by
21 the Water Authority . We had half an
22 inch of rain the other night, my lawn,
23 which is not irrigated, looked pretty
24 green . And that was -- it got pretty
25 dry before then, so .
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 18
1 LINDA GOLDSMITH : Okay . The
2 other, you know, I was -- I can
3 remember being in front of this Board
4 in 2015 and saying, you know, Southold
5 Town is sort of reaching a tipping
6 point here . We ' ve got some big houses .
7 We ' ve got a lot more people . There ' s a
8 lot more water . You know, when you
9 have a lot of tourism, you have a lot
10 of people in your hotels , you have a
11 lot of showers , you have a lot of this ,
12 you have a lot of that . You know, you
13 have a lot more swimming pools , you
14 know . And we did not address it then,
15 which was , you know, much to my --
16 well , I was not in charge . So, I was
17 not in charge , but I can remember
18 saying that to the Board . The only
19 thing that really concerns me about
20 this is that I do -- and I understand
21 that we need water . I happen to still
22 have a well , because when I needed a
23 new point and a new pump, there was no
24 Suffolk County Water . Six months
25 later, down they came down the road,
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 19
1 but, you know, a little too late at
2 that point . I just worry that, you
3 know, are we gonna get to a point out
4 here where -- with our temperature , for
5 example , are we going to say, well ,
6 wait a second, you know, fuel oil is
7 in, you know, short supply . We ' re
8 gonna mandate everyone needs to have a
9 specific thermostat, and you can ' t have
10 your thermostat above X degrees or
11 below X degrees . That ' s what worries
12 me about laws like this . And I
13 understand that from the gentleman from
14 the Suffolk County Water, I thought he
15 said that voluntary compliance has not
16 existed . And I understand that . I
17 don ' t know how fluid our laws are, and
18 I really should know . And I have
19 really been remiss the last few years .
20 I don ' t know how fluid they are . Is
21 this something that can be revisited if
22 it ' s not working the way it should be
23 working? If it ' s really an egregiously
24 harmful to farmers or to something
25 else , is the Board or the current Board
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 20
1 open to having this revisited .
2 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Oh
3 absolutely . And we actually are in a
4 in a good position here, because we
5 would like to pass this as a start for
6 water conservation, because as we know,
7 the aquifer is very limited . But we
8 also have -- the Orient Association did
9 a study about on their water
10 conditions , it ' s very good . USGS has
11 been working with their partner, New
12 York State DEC on a water study . They
13 started on the west-end of the island
14 where the aquifer is much worse shape .
15 And they finally ended up this year in
16 Orient . We were very fortunate to use
17 Orient School as a host for their well .
18 So they ' re doing a study on the
19 conditions of the aquifer, most
20 specifically, not so much the water
21 quality, but the water quantity . And
22 they can see where the chlorides are
23 saltwater is . So we ' re fortunate to
24 have them. They haven ' t finalized
25 their report yet for Southold, but
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 21
1 they ' re working on that . Our Town ' s
2 water Advisory Committee has reached
3 out . To me, I reached out to USGS
4 because they think there ' s more work
5 that USGS could do in Town . And we ' re
6 working with them to see if they could
7 kind of enhance their analysis of the
8 condition of our aquifer .
9 LINDA GOLDSMITH : I just don ' t --
10 this is a really important law . Water
11 is really important to life and to
12 farming . Honestly, I don ' t care if my
13 lawn dries up, it doesn ' t bother me .
14 I ' m just one of those people who
15 doesn ' t have to mow it, all right, so .
16 But I just am trying to gauge how fluid
17 this is . And if a group of people came
18 back and said, wait a second, this is
19 not working for us and our farms , that
20 the Town would take a look at this .
21 And amend it in some way . Because the
22 last thing we want to do right now is
23 to limit the farming out here . It ' s
24 already grapes and grapes and grapes
25 and a little bit of corn, a few
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 22
1 pumpkins . So those people who do grow
2 vegetables and fruits , I don ' t want to
3 see them hurt in any way .
4 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
5 you . No, I appreciate that . This does
6 provide for an exemption for
7 agriculture .
8 LINDA GOLDSMITH : I know .
9 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : I am
10 going to go home and irrigate tonight
11 if I can get out of here before the --
12 LINDA GOLDSMITH : I know what you
13 mean . You know, I worry that it ' s
14 going to become more restrictive rather
15 than less . And I guess that ' s what I ' m
16 trying to say .
17 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : And
18 don ' t forget, years ago, you know,
19 growing up here, it was old potato
20 farms , and everybody had their well for
21 their farm .
22 LINDA GOLDSMITH : With the
23 irrigation pond .
24 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : And
25 they irrigation pond . They irrigated
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 23
1 all summer long . But you ' re drawing
2 from everywhere in the aquifer evenly .
3 Now with the public supply well , you ' re
4 putting all the pressure on one spot to
5 irrigate lawns in a huge area . So
6 that ' s creating this demand in one
7 place in the aquifer that the aquifer
8 never had before . And that ' s part of
9 the problem too .
10 LINDA GOLDSMITH : I ' m just -- you
11 know, I just want to put in my two
12 cents for what it ' s worth that, you
13 know, I want to see that this -- I know
14 you can ' t assure anything . That
15 doesn ' t happen in life . But I want to
16 know that, you know, that it can be
17 fluid . And that I ' m hoping that it
18 doesn ' t become more and more
19 restrictive . That ' s the only problem I
20 see . With the new law, it tends to
21 become more restrictive rather than
22 less . So thank you for listening .
23 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
24 you, Linda .
25 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : The only
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 24
1 thing I would add here too, is it ' s not
2 just farms that are exempt from this .
3 Residential food production is also
4 exempt . It ' s just residential lawn
5 irrigation . And we felt like that was
6 a common sense place to start, but we
7 do all recognize the risk that you
8 mentioned of more and more strict laws
9 being put on the books . But we felt
10 like it was important to get this on
11 the books . As the gentleman from the
12 Suffolk County Water Authority
13 mentioned, they ' ve had a voluntary
14 restriction, but they don ' t have any
15 mechanism to enforce it . We felt like
16 this was an important incremental step
17 in that direction . And that was one of
18 the reasons that we included the
19 odd/even watering days to mirror their
20 recommendation . So there ' s uniformity
21 and we can all kind of move forward
22 together .
23 LINDA GOLDSMITH : Now that you say
24 that, I ' m wondering about how the
25 water ' s place on Fishers Island, which
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 25
1 is also part of Southold Town . I don ' t
2 -- how does -- it ' s also going to
3 impact them, I ' d take it?
4 JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : That ' s
5 what -- we don ' t have this quite the
6 same situation . We have one aquifer,
7 but the saltwater intrusion hasn ' t been
8 followed because the subsurface is very
9 different .
10 LINDA GOLDSMITH : But this law
11 will still , it ' s Southold Town and
12 Southold Town .
13 JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : So this law
14 will apply to them, yeah . A member of
15 the Water Committee was actually head
16 of the water company .
17 LINDA GOLDSMITH : And Plum Island,
18 I take it as well ?
19 JUSTICE LOUISA EVANS : What ' s
20 that?
21 LINDA GOLDSMITH : Plum Island as
22 well ?
23 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Oh
24 yes , absolutely .
25 LINDA GOLDSMITH : So everything in
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 26
1 Southold Town?
2 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Yes .
3 LINDA GOLDSMITH : Okay . Thank
4 you .
5 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : And it
6 is helpful to have a member of the
7 Water Committee from, who ' s the manager
8 of Fishers Island Water Works . We did
9 him what a month ago .
10 ANNE MURRAY : Hi . I ' m Anne Murray
11 from the North Fork Environmental
12 Council . I ' m the Southold Land Use
13 Coordinator . And I ' m here to read some
14 comments from two interns that I had
15 working with me from Mattituck High
16 School during the school year . And
17 they ' re very concerned about water
18 conservation . In fact, they recently
19 did a presentation to the Water
20 Advisory Committee, and they couldn ' t
21 be here tonight . So they asked me to
22 read their comments , which I will do
23 now . Zoe King, who was going to be a
24 senior at Mattituck High School next
25 semester, said, " I am especially
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 27
1 excited about the idea of implementing
2 smart irrigation systems . I think
3 there are great way to conserve water
4 in a practical , measurable way, and
5 they show how technology can work with
6 nature instead of against it . I also
7 love that this solution helps people
8 keep their lawns and gardens healthy
9 without wasting water . It feels like
10 something that could make a real
11 difference if more people adopted it . "
12 And the other intern, Ryan Harned of
13 Cutchogue, " I have to say that I am
14 strongly in favor of these changes . I
15 happen to think that the system that
16 puts forward time controlled systems
17 used only on even or odd numbered days
18 depending on your home address is a
19 novel and interesting idea . I also
20 feel if the smart sensors will be a
21 huge help in regulating how much water
22 we are using instead of wasting on our
23 lawns . When me and Zoe put this
24 project together, our primary goal was
25 to bring more awareness toward those
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 28
1 members of the Town, who could bring
2 about change . I ' m very happy to see
3 that some of the awareness is being put
4 into this new piece of legislation . I
5 know many of us in Southold Town take
6 great pride in using our irrigation
7 systems to keep our properties looking
8 the best that they can . But we also
9 need to consider what this is doing to
10 the water that is most important for
11 us . Sacrifices must be made to allow
12 enough of this precious resource to be
13 safe to use for everyone who needs it . "
14 Thank you .
15 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
16 you, Anne .
17 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : Thank
18 you, Anne . I just want to add the
19 students who made the presentation were
20 very well prepared . You did a great
21 job mentoring them. Thank you .
22 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Would
23 anyone else like to -- I have one on
24 Zoom . Anyone else here in the
25 audience? Yes , sir?
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 29
1 CAROLINE YATES : Good evening .
2 I ' m Caroline Yates , and I ' m a resident
3 of the Town of Southold and a member of
4 the Water Advisory Committee . I
5 commend the Town Board on moving
6 forward with this legislation that I
7 had the opportunity to work on with the
8 committee since joining it last June in
9 2024 . And I am particularly pleased to
10 see the incorporation of the odd/even
11 watering schedule into the legislation .
12 I think it ' ll provide a very good
13 metric for the Town moving forward to
14 be able to determine how well the
15 legislation is working, and it ' ll give
16 us a goal to work . It ' ll give the Town
17 a goal to work towards . And we ' ll
18 reduce, ultimately, hopefully,
19 aspirationally, water usage during
20 those critical times of the day by up
21 to 500 . I would like to encourage the
22 Town to consider, after passing the
23 legislation, amending in the future to
24 include the clause, "no watering
25 between 10 : 00 A. M. and 4 : 00 P . M . "
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 30
1 This is a period of the day when
2 evaporation takes most of the water and
3 that is being laid down by irrigation
4 and does not get to the plants due to
5 evaporation . So that ' s also a policy
6 used by the Suffolk County Water
7 Authority . And I think incorporating
8 that into the legislation at a future
9 time would mirror the Suffolk County
10 Water Authority Policy, and it would be
11 easy enough for residents to follow as
12 well . Thank you for the opportunity to
13 speak .
14 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
15 you .
16 COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : Thank
17 you . Thank you for your good work .
18 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
19 you for being on the committee .
20 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : I was
21 gonna add, I know Suffolk County Water
22 Authority is left and I said they know
23 the most about the aquifer, but I think
24 Caroline might know more than them .
25 OZ HANLEY : Hi , good afternoon .
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 31
1 My name is Oz Hanley, and I ' ll be
2 brief . I live in Southold and I ' ve
3 read very carefully the resolution and
4 I think it ' s a very good one . I have
5 just two quick questions . One is , what
6 was the impetus behind choosing a
7 relatively long period of time, meaning
8 three years as opposed to two years ?
9 If that ' s already been discussed then
10 I ' ll find out from anybody else in your
11 audience who ' s already had that
12 discussion . The other one is -- it
13 does mention in the -- it says toward
14 the end of 164-4 , talks about water
15 sharing during periods of time and/or
16 periods during which soil moisture
17 content is sufficient to sustain plant
18 life on the premises . Now, my question
19 is , was there any science given into
20 what kind of plant life is different
21 from other plant life that could be
22 subject to a different kind of -- or a
23 different amount of water that would be
24 given for the plant life a particular
25 person has on their property? Would
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 32
1 that mean in the future? We might have
2 to limit the kind of plant life ?
3 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : No,
4 speaking from an agronomic perspective,
5 it would be the plant life that you ' d
6 expect to be able to grow here in our
7 zone with our annual rainfall .
8 OZ HANLEY : Okay . So it would not
9 be something that in the future people
10 would have to not have azaleas , because
11 azaleas take up more water than perhaps
12 some other kind of plant?
13 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : That ' s
14 a good idea, azaleas . I ' m writing that
15 down .
16 OZ HANLEY : Oh, I ' m gonna keep
17 going now, but you like my ideas ,
18 right?
19 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : We might
20 have an opening on the committee .
21 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Your
22 first question -- Why three years ? Why
23 three years ? We worked -- we were
24 benefited a lot from the professionals
25 who install these systems . And that
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 33
1 seemed to be a reasonable amount of
2 time . When they work on these systems ,
3 they have -- to make that transition .
4 So some will be put in before three
5 years , as work gets done on them.
6 OZ HANLEY : Okay . And one other
7 thing is that, the systems that need to
8 be put in pursuant to this law, which
9 are good systems , can they be combined?
10 Can the rain system -- the rain sensor,
11 be combined technologically with the
12 other one? So that there ' s one thing
13 that ' s put in as opposed to having two
14 things put in?
15 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Yes .
16 My understanding that, yes .
17 OZ HANLEY : Okay . So but right
18 now it says that you have to have both,
19 at least in one section, and then as an
20 either-or in another section?
21 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : I
22 think either-or in the older systems ,
23 but most people want the smart system
24 also because it gives them better
25 control over with different conditions .
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 34
1 OZ HANLEY : Right . And the cost
2 of doing that, is there any thought
3 being given by the Board as to how
4 people might be able to be subsidized
5 somehow for a tax benefit you get for
6 perhaps putting in this kind of a
7 system earlier?
8 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . :
9 There ' s two things to that . One,
10 Suffolk County Water Authority was
11 offering rebates for the installation
12 of these systems because they did save
13 water . And two, this is strictly
14 voluntary . Not all of us have
15 automatic lawn sprinkler systems . So
16 you don ' t have to have a lawn
17 irrigation system.
18 OZ HANLEY : I see . Okay . But if
19 you do have one, there ' s not going to
20 be any -- they will perhaps provide it
21 at some kind of a discounted price or
22 --
23 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : They
24 were , years ago, they were trying to
25 give these away .
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 35
1 OZ HANLEY : Okay, great .
2 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Trying
3 to encouraged conservation .
4 OZ HANLEY : All right . And to
5 prove that I ' m a troublemaker, I have
6 one final point .
7 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : I love
8 it .
9 OZ HANLEY : And that is that in
10 the last sentence of Section 164-4 ,
11 where it reads , "the addition to the
12 system shall prevent the automatic
13 irrigation system. " Before that, you
14 have the language shall activate either
15 one of the two systems . And either the
16 smart controller or the rain sensor .
17 And then the sentence starts with the
18 addition, I would think that we have to
19 -- before that put in, in parentheses
20 perhaps , the additions , close
21 parentheses , and then show that the
22 addition refers to both of those
23 particular mechanisms . Because
24 addition the word just kind of comes
25 out of there . All right . I ' ll leave
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 36
1 now .
2 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : I
3 understand what you ' re -- what you ' re
4 saying there . Thank you .
5 OZ HANLEY : Okay . Thank you .
6 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Would
7 anyone else in the audience like to
8 address the Board on this matter?
9 ERIC MCCLURE : Good afternoon .
10 Eric McClure, Mattituck . I just
11 checked the SCWA website . It does say
12 they offer -- as of February 1 , 2023 , a
13 $ 150 credit for a smart irrigation
14 controller and a $75 credit for a rain
15 sensor . So I ' m not sure if the page is
16 current, but that did exist . So as
17 somebody who has a irrigation system
18 tied to our own well , I ' m implicitly
19 ignorant about how to operate it .
20 Briarcliff comes in the Spring . They
21 turn it on, they come in the Fall , they
22 blow it out . It waters three times a
23 week . So I pledge to learn more about
24 how the system works . I do think this
25 legislation is smart . Water is
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 37
1 probably our most precious resource .
2 Can ' t survive without it . And climate
3 change, unfortunately, is only going to
4 get worse before it gets better . So I
5 am strongly supportive of this
6 legislation . I thank the Board and the
7 Water Committee for its work on it .
8 Thank you .
9 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
10 you . Thanks for that information . So
11 if there ' s no one else in the audience,
12 I ' ll turn to the Zoom. Carol Boger,
13 welcome .
14 CAROL BOGER : Thank you so much .
15 Sorry, I ' m not in-person . Can you hear
16 me?
17 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Yes .
18 CAROL BOGER : Great . So I have
19 two questions . I ' d like to know
20 whether you ' ve surveyed the conditions
21 in other nearby regions of Long Island?
22 Is there a potential competition for
23 the aquifer in the Pine Barrens that
24 might make it more difficult for a
25 Southold Township to draw from Pine
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 38
1 Barrens in the future? That seems to
2 be kind of our assumed solution, main
3 solution to the problem. And I just
4 wanted to know, are we sure that we ' re
5 going to have kind of unimpeded access
6 to that aquifer? That ' s question
7 Number One . Question Number Two, if
8 you don ' t mind, because I was not
9 present on June 20th . I understand
10 that this recommendation was made
11 earlier, but Southold Town, for
12 whatever reason, did not choose to take
13 up the recommendation at that time .
14 Did something transpire in the latest
15 month to make you change your mind, or
16 why didn ' t we bring this up earlier?
17 And then I guess I just wanted to ask,
18 did you consider either because the
19 Suffolk County Water Authority
20 recommended it, or because it came up
21 in discussion, actually stronger
22 restrictions ? I ' m very sympathetic to
23 what the woman said earlier about, and
24 you know, agriculture on the North Fork
25 needing to survive, I fully support
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 39
1 that . And I fully support the measure
2 you ' re discussing today . But as the
3 gentleman just mentioned, you know,
4 climate change is real . The population
5 on the North Fork is growing . Have we
6 talked about stronger restrictions ?
7 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Sure .
8 I can answer most of that, but our Town
9 Attorney would like to answer .
10 TOWN ATTORNEY PAUL DECHANCE : Let
11 me just clarify for the record that the
12 Public Hearing for this proposed code
13 amendment has not been closed yet, and
14 the Board has not deliberated . So
15 there ' s been no choice of the Board
16 with regard to any of the items in the
17 proposed legislation . Any changes made
18 were at the request of either a public
19 at the initial Public Hearing or the
20 Water Committee, who ' s analyzed and
21 provided the Board comments since --
22 since there is a comment that ' s in
23 today ' s agenda . So I just wanted to
24 clarify you did make comment about the
25 Board making decisions and the Board
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 40
1 did not make decisions . They have not
2 deliberated yet .
3 CAROL BOGER : Okay . Got it .
4 Thanks . Could I just clarify -- sorry
5 just my very final question is about
6 stronger -- have stronger restrictions
7 been on the agenda? You know, swimming
8 pool restrictions ? You what are the
9 restrictions on hotels , which there
10 seem to be more and more of? And what
11 is the strategy for implementation? I
12 think it ' s been suggested that it ' s
13 hard to enforce this . And there ' s been
14 a fair amount of advertising by the
15 SCWA already trying to get people to
16 adopt this without a lot of pickup . So
17 how do you get the message out to the
18 population that this is now required?
19 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : So
20 that ' s -- we ' re going to rely on the
21 installers because they are the
22 professionals in this field . They ' re
23 the ones who set the systems every year
24 and maintain them. They have a great
25 deal of interest in water conservation .
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 41
1 They ' ve had a great deal of input into
2 this -- into this proposal . And
3 because of that support and because
4 they understand that it ' s a
5 quantifiable resource that ' s limited,
6 they ' re very supportive of this . So if
7 this becomes Town Law, they will be
8 great partners in the enforcement of
9 these systems . So that ' s in the
10 conservation efforts . So that ' s the
11 that ' s one thing . I think you had
12 another question about the Pine
13 Barrens ?
14 CAROL BOGER : Yes .
15 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : And
16 just to say, of course , you know, the
17 proposal to bring water to the Pine
18 Barrens is no surety in anything
19 really, we have our own aquifer here,
20 it ' s separated by all the creeks ,
21 saltwater creeks and bays that we have .
22 The water that ' s in the Pine Barrens is
23 limited as well . And all the water in
24 Long Island is limited . That ' s why the
25 USGS started their surveying in the
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 42
1 western end of Long Island, because
2 that ' s where the most pressure is being
3 put on the water resource . So in the
4 area, the Pine Barrens , don ' t forget,
5 Southampton Town is very actively
6 engaged in putting a quite a bit of
7 development there, in that Flanders
8 area . And also putting in a big sewage
9 treatment plant to handle the
10 wastewater flow from that development .
11 There might be -- I don ' t know, other
12 demands on the same aquifer in the Pine
13 Barrens from other areas , maybe from
14 the South Fork, maybe from further
15 west, that will also seek to pull water
16 from that aquifer . So there is -- I
17 don ' t think you could say there ' s a
18 guarantee that Southold will ever be
19 adequately supplied from that in the
20 future . That ' s just something that we
21 could only speculate on, I believe .
22 CAROL BOGER : Right . Which sort
23 of leads to my third question, which
24 is , have stronger restrictions been
25 under consideration?
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 43
1 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : All
2 the Water Committee -- this is a first
3 step, and as we get more information
4 about the state of our aquifer, and the
5 USGS has been, I think, a great help in
6 that, we will , you know, we ' ll consider
7 anything that we need to do to conserve
8 this public . It ' s a very public
9 resource . It is our resource . It ' s
10 actually mentioned in our colonial
11 patent from 1667 . This is a -- I ' m
12 sorry, 1676, I got the wrong -- I got
13 the wrong patent . But this is -- so
14 this has always been important to the
15 Southold Town .
16 CAROL BOGER : Thank you .
17 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thank
18 you . Right . Now we have one more hand
19 up, Tom Stevenson .
20 TOM STEVENSON : All right . Can
21 you guys hear me ?
22 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : We
23 can, Tom.
24 TOM STEVENSON : Thank you . Tom
25 Stevenson, Orient . Took a break from
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 44
1 the blueberry field for a little bit to
2 come in here . And by the way, I don ' t
3 use any sprinkler irrigation at all on
4 my whole farm . Everything ' s on --
5 everything ' s dripped while the parts
6 that I do irrigate, a lot of dry
7 farming . But I ' ve already given
8 comments , so I ' m not going to do the
9 deep dive . But is there -- so I
10 checked the Town website like I don ' t
11 know -- 10 days ago . And I didn ' t see
12 the codes , this and the sign code, even
13 on the website . So I ' m like , oh, I
14 guess it got corrected I -- the clerk
15 handled it and got it up there . That
16 was great . But I did notice the code
17 has sort of changed just very slightly
18 from what was originally public
19 noticed . Was this on purpose that you
20 were -- you ' ve removed a paragraph,
21 164-4D contractors who install upgrade
22 or activate automatic landscape
23 irrigation systems shall provide
24 written documentation to the systems
25 owner stating that the systems in
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 45
1 compliance with this chapter . The same
2 written documentation shall be provided
3 to the Town of Southold, and shall be
4 evidence of compliance with this
5 chapter . So that ' s -- correct me if
6 I ' m wrong, that ' s no longer in there .
7 And I would question why you would take
8 that out, if we ' re really going to make
9 this actually do something? That, you
10 know, you ' ve heard from homeowners
11 already that they don ' t really
12 understand how to schedule their
13 system. And I think it ' s great that
14 people want to learn how to do it . And
15 the installer should -- should know how
16 I ' m not -- I couldn ' t guarantee that
17 everybody really knows a whole lot
18 about soils and soil scheduling, and
19 infiltration rates and precipitation
20 rates and soil water cold holding
21 capacities . And how much dry down you
22 want to give . It could get sort of
23 complicated . So education, I think is
24 the -- is the biggest thing you could
25 do . Because I don ' t -- I haven ' t found
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 46
1 anyone who really just wants to be
2 proud of wasting as much water as , as
3 they can . I mean, there -- there could
4 be a small percentage of knuckleheads
5 who -- who operate like that . They are
6 out there, but I don ' t know any of them
7 that wouldn ' t say, Hey, listen, you
8 know, that does make sense that I ' m
9 over watering and I shouldn ' t be . And
10 I should put a rain sensor in there
11 voluntarily . I can hook it into the --
12 my old system . So I don ' t really have
13 to throw out my, you know, 40 year old
14 system that actually works for 40 years
15 versus like a smart controller made in
16 China, that the circuit board will
17 probably burn out . And, you know, I
18 don ' t know . There ' s other ways to do
19 it . But anyway, I would definitely
20 wonder why that ' s not in there . If it
21 was an oversight . And then there is no
22 164-5 . So I think something was
23 removed prior . So, I would suggest
24 renumbering the following, you know,
25 the chapters to make 164- 6, 5 , and so
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 47
1 on, and you would only go to 164-7 .
2 And so what else do I have? So I did
3 listen into the Water Committee meeting
4 when they discussed the public hearing .
5 That was July loth . And I just don ' t
6 think that this code got enough time to
7 be beat back and forth enough to get
8 it . I mean, I ' m not in favor of an
9 irrigation code, like heavy-handed code
10 at all . But if you were going to do
11 one, which I would be voting no on
12 this . But I would have gone back to
13 Code Committee and discussed some of
14 these good ideas that were actually
15 brought up in the Water Committee
16 meeting, which sure odd/even makes
17 sense for Suffolk County Water
18 Authority, but there was a discussion
19 about using, having big irrigators use
20 private wells or bigger irrigators that
21 are hooked up to public water . Maybe
22 they should be using their private
23 wells for the irrigation only and then
24 use their public water for the drinking
25 water, and that you know, it ' s not
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 48
1 illegal to do that . It ' s just that the
2 Health Department -- Suffolk County
3 Health Department would have to work
4 with the Health Department to make sure
5 that there ' s no cross connection or
6 back flowing into the public water .
7 But that would make a difference
8 because spreading out the water draw
9 helps with saltwater infiltration
10 because there ' s less upcoming in
11 specific areas . There ' s other ideas
12 that have never been pursued at a
13 County level or Town level , but I don ' t
14 think the Town has any control over
15 gray water using gray water for
16 irrigation . There are other things
17 that could be done, but -- okay . So I
18 had a few other comments . But that ' s
19 most of it . Oz Hanley just commented
20 from Southold that is -- what you plant
21 going to be regulated or changed? And
22 I would point out that in the Zoning
23 Code update originally there was an
24 aquifer protection district that was
25 going to restrict what types of plants
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 49
1 you could plant and how much you could
2 water -- could only water a certain
3 percentage of your property, and you
4 could only plant native plants . So
5 absolutely, yes , that the intention was
6 to restrict what you could plant and
7 what you could do with it on your land .
8 Now, relying on installers to do this
9 completely, I think they need -- they
10 need, you got to make sure that they
11 are educated and that they care about
12 it . So I don ' t know . That ' s all I
13 got . I wouldn ' t support this as
14 written, but you know, I understand
15 it ' s going to pass , and that ' s all I
16 got to say . Thank you .
17 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Thanks
18 Tom. Thanks for your input .
19 TOM STEVENSON : You ' re welcome .
20 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : And so
21 based on Tom ' s comments , he did suggest
22 adding back in that contractors
23 document the installation to the
24 homeowners . I ' m not sure why that got
25 taken out . I will ask the liaison to
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 50
1 the Water Committee if she remembers
2 that?
3 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : I don ' t
4 remember taking it out . So I thought
5 it was an important component . And I ' m
6 when we met with the industry, they
7 felt that was something they wanted to
8 hand the homeowner .
9 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . :
10 Absolutely, sure .
11 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : Then
12 that -- that they were in compliance .
13 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . :
14 Absolutely .
15 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : My
16 recollection was an earlier version
17 actually had them notify in the Town .
18 So maybe, and I guess Paul can speak to
19 this problem.
20 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : We
21 decided not to have them notify the
22 Town, but to give it directly to the
23 property owner . Unless it ' s somehow
24 covered somewhere else in the language .
25 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : I
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 51
1 don ' t think so .
2 TOWN ATTORNEY PAUL DECHANCE :
3 That is likely why it ' s not there . And
4 that is the 164-5 . Just the version
5 here just didn ' t include it . I do as
6 long as it was an interest in removing
7 the language as written, but modifying
8 it to the extent of notifying the, or
9 providing the proof to the homeowner .
10 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : Right .
11 We didn ' t want to put another step in
12 for the contractor or the homeowner to
13 have to do something directly with the
14 Town, but we wanted them to have their
15 own files demonstrating that they were
16 in compliance .
17 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : I did
18 have someone mentioned to me that the
19 RPZ valve that is required for the
20 installation of these new systems
21 actually has a registration requirement
22 already with it . That ' s what the
23 County, in that case . But as we talk
24 about feasibility of restrictions that
25 may support, and I think to Tom ' s
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 52
1 point, if we ' re looking to add some
2 sort of mechanism, but then there
3 remains the question of what agency
4 does that -- or what department in town
5 does that go to?
6 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : I think
7 this was -- our goal was to make sure
8 that the homeowner and installer both
9 had proper documentation . And that was
10 where we wanted to leave it . So it
11 wasn ' t another step for anyone to take
12 with the Town either or for our staff .
13 You have to take care .
14 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Yep .
15 Yep .
16 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : So I
17 think that does need to be --
18 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : And
19 then there ' s also the suggestion to
20 clear up the language on 164-4 C, the
21 addition, and I think the suggestion
22 was of the controls to the system,
23 instead of just the addition .
24 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : And not
25 capitalized .
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 53
1 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Well ,
2 that ' s -- I ' m neutral on that .
3 Paul , do we have to re-notice
4 that?
5 TOWN ATTORNEY PAUL DECHANCE : No .
6 These are not -- these are non
7 -significant changes . They ' re not
8 actually changes . They ' re grammatical .
9 And I ' ve made the two changes , and I ' ve
10 given them to the Town Clerk . So the
11 adopted version, if the version was
12 going to be adopted, would have
13 consistent language .
14 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : All
15 right . I thought as much, but I wanted
16 to get an actual legal opinion .
17 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : And what
18 about the certification piece?
19 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Yes .
20 The part that Tom pointed out that was
21 taken out .
22 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : Thank
23 you for noticing that, Tom.
24 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . :
25 Contractors -- Yeah, I didn ' t notice
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 54
1 that . Should document the installation
2 to the homeowner . Are you the same
3 opinion of that or not?
4 TOWN ATTORNEY PAUL DECHANCE : I am
5 of the same opinion . I ' m just looking
6 for the --
7 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : The
8 version that had it . Every other
9 version had it, I thought . That ' s
10 what ' s known as a Scribner ' s error .
11 TOWN ATTORNEY PAUL DECHANCE : Yes .
12 So the resolution will then require the
13 contractor -- the proposed code will
14 then require the contractor to provide
15 evidence of the upgrade to the
16 homeowner, who will then have proof
17 that it was done .
18 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : But just
19 to the homeowner?
20 TOWN ATTORNEY PAUL DECHANCE : Yes .
21 Just to the homeowner .
22 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : All
23 right . If there ' s no other comment, do
24 I have a motion to close the hearing?
25 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : I ' ll
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 55
1 make a motion to close the public
2 hearing?
3 COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY : Second .
4 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : All in
5 favor?
6 COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY : Aye .
7 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Aye .
8 COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : Aye .
9 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : Aye .
10 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Aye .
12 CHAPTER 280 - ZONING - SIGNS
13 TOWN CLERK DENIS NONCARROW : So
14 this continued public hearing considers
15 an introductory local law to amend
16 Chapter 280 , Zoning, Section 280-85 ,
17 entitled "Specific Sign" by regulating
18 the sign size and type of political
19 signs that may be utilized, prohibiting
20 the placement of such signs and land
21 owned by the Town, including municipal
22 used parcels , Town right-of-way, town
23 parks , utility poles , beaches , schools ,
24 and on Town structures . Thank you .
25 TOWN ATTORNEY PAUL DECHANCE : I ' ll
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 56
1 say for the record, also that as a
2 result of the comments received from
3 the initial hearing, several sections
4 of this proposed legislation were
5 removed .
6 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : I have
7 to say there --
8 TOWN ATTORNEY PAUL DECHANCE : -- a
9 current version then is up for the
10 Board ' s consideration .
11 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : So
12 some sections were removed . We were
13 concerned about the constitutionality
14 and the limits to free speech . So
15 this would -- this would -- this
16 proposal then is limited to the
17 placement of signs on -- political
18 signs on public property, and the size,
19 and the type, and giving them some
20 requirements for being hopefully
21 weather secure . So seeing the -- so
22 this is not so much an amendment, as a
23 deletion of some of the other
24 previously proposed changes .
25 So is there anyone like to speak
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 57
1 in favor or against this
2 proposal ?
3 (No Response) .
4 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : I
5 don ' t see anyone in the audience, and I
6 don ' t see anyone on Zoom.
7 Is there a motion to close the
8 hearing? I ' m sorry . Tom? Go right
9 head, Tom.
10 TOM STEVENSON : Hello . Tom
11 Stevenson, Orient . Thank you for
12 making those changes . I didn ' t even
13 notice that . I just looked and I do
14 appreciate that because I that was a
15 big concern of mine . So thank you .
16 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : All
17 right . If there ' s no other comments ,
18 take a motion to close ?
19 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : I ' ll
20 make a motion we close .
21 COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY : Second .
22 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : All in
23 favor?
24 COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY : Aye .
25 COUNCILMAN GREG DOROSKI : Aye .
JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 58
1 COUNCILMAN BRIAN MEALY : Aye .
2 COUNCILWOMAN ANNE SMITH : Aye .
3 SUPERVISOR AL KRUPSKI JR . : Aye .
4
5 (End of Public Hearings and
6 Public Testimony . The meeting
7 continued on to further Resolutions ,
8 followed by the adjournment of the
9 meeting . )
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JULY 22, 2025 REGULAR MEETING 59
1 C E R T I F I C A T I O N
2
3 I , Jessica DiLallo, a Notary
4 Public for and within the State of New
5 York, 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
14 hereunto set my hand this day,
15 July 22 , 2025 .
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18 (Je sic iLallo)
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