Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB-06/19/1947Meeting of June 19,, 1957 The Southold Town Board made its annual trip to Fishers Island on Thursday~ J~ne 19, 1947, leaving~Preston's D0ck at Greenport~ at 9 A.M. on Capt Raynor Wickham~s boat. The members of the Board were met at the Fishers IslandDock by Justice Shanklin and were taken in his automobile to the Fire House~ where the meeting ~was held. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss ,the possibility of forming a Fishers Island Ferry District. The meeting was called to order at 1:30 P.M. with the following P~eS~nt:~ Supervisor Horton; Justices Shanklin; Terry$ Hawkins; Klipp and Tuthill; Town Attorney~ Terry~ Town Clerk~ Booth~ and a delegation of ~ishers Island residents, Senator Horton called the meeting to order, and introdnced Capt. Russell as the first speaker~ since he had to leave early. CAPT~ RUSSELL: Mr. Haines asked me a~out 3 months ago if the Army boat could be used for civilian passengers and freight if there should be a real need for it, I suggested that the people have the State Legislature set up a Ferry District. Then the State and United States could combine agencies and not have a duplication of effort such as now exists in running two separate ferries where one would be adequate for all. The Army wil~ co~ operate.with State a~encies and a Ferry Commission~ whereas they c~nn~t deal with private individuals. The Baxter will held 20 car~ and approximately ~00 passengers. We could use the same boat for civilians and Army personnel. I~ggestyou get together with Col~ Sackville and have him go through channels to Washington about this. Whether the Army run~ the boat and takex civilians~ or the townspeople run the boat and take Army personnel is a question tha~ can be settled later. After the Ferry commission is appointed~ a meeting should be held in my office in New York~ then if necessary we can go direct to Army Headquarters. The question is~ what canbe done immediately for th~ summer trade~ I think we will be able to give you full cooperation pending further, word from the Army. I think we can reach a satisfactory conclusionat the meeting in New York and-~ will report on it for the ToWn Board records. As to where the ferry will dock~ that can easily be settled later. In any case~ the Army must come first in order to fulfill their orders from Washington. Then too~ we figure that the boat is sufficient for both Army and civilians. The Baxter will pro- bably have to be serviced in the~winter months when your season is not so busy. Ground arrangements will have to be left to the council and co~mi~sion. The Army would rather not settle the actual working problems~ but will cooperate with you. SENATOR HORTON: The people have to vote for a Ferry District first~ then advertise for a public hearing. If the ~ote is favor- able~ then you will know that the district will be formed. CAPT. RUSSELL: When the ~rmy is sure that some action will be~ taken~ they will cooperate fully. The first step is to be sure that the people want a Ferry District~ and all it implies. COL. SACKVILLE: From the viewpoint of Harbor Defenses~ it is a question of the requirements of the Army and civilians~ but since ~we all live here on the Island~ it is really a problem of the~ residents. After the problem of the Ferry District has been ar- ranged~ the details can be worked out without too much trouble. We know that with the Baxter we.ha~e the means to carry everybody, and all other difficulties can be solved, SENATOR HORTON: We are here to inform ourselves as fully as pos~ sible about all details and actually whether the people here want a Ferry District. As we go on~ we can explain all the details of the bill, MR. GADA The ssason is almost here and it is very important that we get it settled quickly so we can give good service for July and August. Is there anything the Civic Association da~ do to rush this? SENATOR~LH~RTON: First, we must have the people sign the petition to prove that they really want the Ferry District. The Civic As- sociation could see about having residents sign these. That is the first and most important step. If the petition is signed by a sufficient number of people~ thenthe Town Board will go ahead and get the Ferry District. 9~pt. Russell carrot do anything unti~ he has a Ferry District to work with. .~gPT. RUSSELL: The Army cannot deal with a private individual, but can deal with a state agency. MRj'GADA: Can you do business with the Civic Association, which is incorporated, and so is not an individual~ and what will we do ifwe need help lmmediately~ COL. SACKVILLE: It is always our policy to help out in an emerm gency~ but ~e fell ~we 'should not compete with a civilian agency such as the Navagation Co. LEE :FERGUSON: What about representation before commissioners can be iappointed to ~ork on this? Time's awasting. We could get a long way with a few members of the ~ifferent interests. A great deal ef the rough work could be done ~uofficially while we ~re wa%tiRg for the petition to be signed. Members of the Civic ASs~iation~ Fishers Island Estates, and the Navigation C~mpany could cover~all aspects and act as an intermediary group if.~he~rm~'would r~cognize~them in the meantime,'to puch the proj!eCt~un~il the Ferry District is formed. I suggest the Civic Association meet after this discussion and name some delegates to ~o~'t~SWerk. SENA~TI Another thing you can do on the Island is to yourselves whom you want as the 5 commissioners Tuesday in August when 5~commissioners will be el~ Town Board will appoint as your Board of Ferry Di: C~m~issioners those whom you want to serve. You could hastea of it by having your selections worked out so you would have the names ready when the pstit~om~i~ signed. That would give you a definite body to start wi'th who could work ~ith the Army. MR_. GOSS: The question of the voting is confusing to me. As I understand it, 51% or more of the property owners and ~1% of the resideS~s~must sig~ the petition. Then if a dozen or so of the prop~rt~ owners happen to owu~ ~l~ of the taxable property: they coul~ .s~ing it their way. SENATOR~ HORTON: No~ it must be owners of over 50% of the property in aggregate as well as over ~0% of the resident owners of taxable property. If the To~ Board grants the request for a Ferry District then they appoint ~ commissioners. If you are ready in time~ the election would be held the second Tuesday in August of this year, instead of having to wait until next year. MR GADA: If we do not get the Ferry District, what is to keep us from being stranded here? SENATOR HORTON: You will get the Ferry District. No use bor- rowing trouble. But if you didn't~ the Army would step in in an emergency. However, they obviously wouldn't keep r~muning the ferry for civilian use. giving M~_~.ANDREWS£ How should we .go about/the people the right in- formation? S~NATOR HORTON: We will go through the bill later and explain it all. As to the business angle~ you will have to settle that among-yourselves. MR. GADA: W~y is it called Fishers island Ferry District~ and not Southold? SENATOR HORTON: Because it is a Fishers Island District project. In o~Her words~ the interested parties pay the bill. You have yo~ own fire and school distric.ts. Now is your chance to get your own fe'rr~ district. ~R. G_ADA: It will make our taxes go up, and that will discourage new residents and businesses. SENATOR HORTON: The ferry should practically pay for itsetf~ MR. ~ADA~. Why should it? The preset company has been losing money for years, and they know how to run'~it~ What chance would we have, knowing nothing about how to operate a ferry? MR. HAINES: After all, the Army is not out of the picture. They will be making~ some contribution to the expenses of running the ferry. The first thine to settle is.whether the people wa~nt a Ferry District or not. The thine to do right away is to.Eot out the petitions among the people on the island. The year round residents controll the vote although the summer residents do own most of the property. I s~gest that~we ha~e the petitions mimeographed, and I will send out copies to all the East End residents ~no are not here yet~ if Mr. Goss wil circulate the petition among the year round residents in the meantime. ~That way~ we could possibly have the opinion of 51% of the peopl~ ' within a week or two. if they refuse to sign, then we won't ha~e to go any further, but if they do want the Ferry District, ~then we will have a good start. This problem is serious, and some- thing must be done. It is absolutely vital to the welfare or. the Island, and right now is the time to do something about it,~. ~e all k~uow that the Army at Fort Wright is reduced to practically~ a caretaker status. It is so small that it is qttite possible the Baxter will be removed. There is no Justification for running such a large Ferry for such a small Fort, and the Big Brassjis quite apt to get rid of it, thus losing us our only chance to get a good ferry, It's not as if we were getting some broken-down old wreck that woulc ost a fortune to put in shape. The Bax~er'~. has Just been completely overhauled, including new engines, .and is in perfect shape. Since we now have the Army's cooperation~ i am very much in favor of going after the Ferry District mediately. The running problems can be worked out later, but we must start right away to get decent ferry service, and I thi~nk that the Army's help and a slight increase in our taxes, ~e-ican do it. We might even get some help from the County. I think if we all work together, it will really not cost us very much to have good ferry service. MR. KLIP?: The petition must ~e verified. Not only the signature, but also an acknowledgement by the signer is necessary. These petitions have to be executed the same as a deed. In the case of a petition with a large number of si§~tures on it, one person can verify it E~ for all of them. Then he must appear before a notary public and acknowledge it aE the witness. FOr individual sIEn~tttres, each one will.have to be acknowledged .... ~MR. HAINES: Then everybody out of the County would have to have wach signature notarized and have the county clerk verify ~he notary. In that case, I can't see how I could get the petition signed by all these people who aren't here. That's just one more piece of red tape to slow down the project. SENATOR HORTON: Yes, it is a good deal of trouble for people outside the County~ but it is necessary to have this thing do~e legally so that nothing can go wrong at the last minute. Youask your questions and I will answer them for you. MR. GADA: I think the bill should explain who constitutes the signers, and we should get some figures on just how much it will 'cost the people, and information about docks, etc. Otherwise, the bill is fairly clear. MR. GOSS: Dee~ this petition go into enough detail so that the people can get a clear picture of just what is being asked of them? ~~ HORTON: Yes, it really does. You can tell the people he whole thing is right in their hands. They elect the commissioners, and the commissioners have ~km full charge,.~ all the Business concerning the ferry. Whatever is collected iS your money, and belongs to the people of Eishers Island, Any profit would not go into general funds but would come back to the people here. You must have a ~erry of some kind and have facilities to get ~ople to come here. I can't see why anyone should not want this Ferry District. LEE FE__RGUSON: This might answer some of the questions Of these people here: What is the procedure after the petition is .signed? SENATOR HORTON: The Town Board must advertise a public hearing, and after that, the Town Board decides whether to grant the petition. Then they Eo to the State with their request. Then the Town Board appoints the ~ commissioners whose names you have submitted. .LEE FERGUSON: According to the bill, all parts of Fishers Island are to be.iincluded in the Ferry District except such Government prop- erty as'the Coast Guard Station and Fort Wright. Does that mean that no person on Fort~Wright will be taxed? SENATOR HORTON: Yes, that is right. LEE FERGUSON: BUt it would not exclude the use of the dock down at Fb~t Wright, would it? SENATOR HORTON: No, it wouldn't. LEE FERGUSON: With all due respect to the members of the Town ~oard~ the.residents of the ~sland would like to feel sure that local people will be commissioners~ and not someone chosen by the Town Board. They feel that only local people have a clear idea of just what our needs are in regard to the Ferry. Southold is too far away for the people there to know the situation here. specificall~ he affairs of the district shall be under the jurisdiction, control and supervision of a board of ~ commiS- sioners. The Town Board shall appoint five resident taxpayers of the district who shall constitute the board until their suc-~ cessors are elected and have qualified pursuant to the provisions of this act. Successors to the members so appointed shall be elected by the electors of the distric% as hereinafter provided." LEE FERGUSON: Would we have to go to the Town BG~d with every- thing that comes up~ for their approval? SENATOR .HORTON: The Town Board will only be used in case of necessity. The Commissioners will have everything to do with the ferry, and need ask nothing of the Town Board except that which is specifically stated in the act. The Commissioners appoint a competent manager to operate the ferry under the Commissioners' supervision. The Town Board will not be dabling into this thing any more than is necessary. The faith and credit of the Town of Southold are back of you in th~s proJect~ even if they are not putting up any cash. %L. FERGUSON: If the manager decides it is more convenient to bank in New London~ will be allowed to do so, even if it is out of the State? SENATOR H_ORTON% Yes, then checks can be sent to the New York bank required by law. LEE FERGUSON: Do repairs have to be made in New York State? SENATOR HORTON: No, they can be made anywhere convenient. MR. GADA: The landing does not have to be in New London, does it? SENATOR HORTON: As far as the law goes, you can land anywhere~ even San Francisco, but it wouldn't be very-practiaal. The law stateS: "Within and without the State of New York." MR, FOYLE: Can we tell the people that with this Ferry District, the Baxter will be the ferry used? CAPT. RUSSELL: i am not in a position to state anything right now. If the people of Fishers Island are enough interested in this Ferry District, then it is possible that we can do business with them as a bargaining agency. MR.'GADA~ Is the budget left entirely up to the commissioners? ~ENATOR HORTON: That is right. To start off the project, they can orrow up to $100,000.00. CAPT~ RUSSELL.;. I must go n~w, but you can~be sure that~the Army will cooperate as fully as regulations put on us by Congress ~ll allow. ~ COL~ ~ SACKVILLE: If I can be of ne further help, than I had be~ter be on my way too. EVERYBOD~: "~oedbye." A. L. FERGUSON: It seems to,me that if we are to get anywhere, then the Civic Association should know the answers to all the questions that will be asked of them when they go out for signatures. We should know all the figures about how much it is going to cost. We have figures about past performances~on the boat~ but they will not. be too much help. Somebody should find out these things. MR. GADA: We will have to have a definite answer from the Na~atisn Company about what they plan to do with their docks. A~L. FERGUSON: When we are through with running the boats, we are quite willing.to lease the docks. There is.aleo the question about using the Army dock, in which case we might get out of upkeep costs. MR. GADA: In other words, you will lease us the docks if necessary and the Ferry District will maintain them. H~.L. F~GUSON: We would have to put in a clause that the District could not sublet the deck for any excursion steamers and such. General sounds of agreement. A.L..FERGUSON It seems to me that~all our wishes are identical this matter. Both summer residents and year round residents want good ferry service as economically as possible. LEE FERGUSON: We have some figures here that show how much our income and expenses were in various years. With the Army contracts it might be run at a profit. (Mr. Phillips quotes figures for 1932~ 193~, 1936 & 19~8, all IesSes.) MR..GOSS: Just where do we get the money? SENATOR HORTON: You can borrow up to $100,000.00 which the Tswn~oard willmget for you, then YOU pay it back. The Commissioners in Fishers ~sland must tell the Town Board what they need, then the Town Board will get it for them. MR. GQSS: I hope our credit is good over there. MR HAINES: If we get the Baxter from the Army, they will not have a ferry of their own, so they have got to come along with us.~ With this contract we would not lose nearas much as the estimated $16,000. per year. No matter what part of the loss they pay, it will still becheap- er for them than running their own ferry. Besides~ we might get some help from the County. To develop the Island and so maintain the Welfare of the present residents, we must have good ferry service, The Baxter has Just been overhauled by the Army. The Army is willing to cooperate, and we gould not have a better chance to get this~Ferry District, and I think we have a very good all ~ound deal. The~last point is this: Just where would anybody on the island be without Ferry service? SENATOR HORTON: Indirectly, everydoby on this Island is dependent. on adequate ferry~service and everybody depends on the summer'trade, so you must have the ferry, LEE FERGUSON: The Navigation Company is not going to r~u a ferry after the fall of 1957. We have not yet set a definite date, but naturally if it takes only a week or two more to get the new boat ready, we will keep going to keep the island from being stranded~ But once the ~is~ trict i~ formed, we are not going to delay-beyond a reasonable date. We have lost money on this ferry long enough and we cannot go on with it any longer. We will doo all we can to get good ferry service for the Island, but we will not run a ferry ourselves. MR' GOSS:_ Suppose that in the Army's economy program they decide to close Fort Wright. It is not likely, but it is possible~ and in that case we would have the ferry with no help from them. AvL, FERGUSON: Do you think it would help to see Capt. Russell in New York and ask the Army for some definite fixed amount of '~elp, even if it is only the use of their dock? GOSS:. The use of the dock along would help. ~. HAINE~ The Army will save a tremendous amount of money by letting us run the ferry 'and any expense saved will be well thought of in Washington today. Another thine I would like to emphasize is this: Although there are only a few p~ople here compared to the rest of the country, the State and the United ~'States CANNO~. leave the people stranded here with~no ferry at all~ if a private company re~uSes to run a ferry~ then th~ State or County has .GO~ to do so. You are citizens and cannot be abo~doned like that. SENATOR HORTON: Yes, but you might not like the way the State r~t.~t---h~a Ferry District of your own, you can run it in your o~ way~ and with any kind of reasonably good management yo~.shoUld not lose too much money. MR~.GQSS: ~ About this business of being abondoned if we have no ferry service~ I can cite a case that created quite a stir last Winter: The population of the whole peninsula of Alaska, which has considerable more population than our Island: was short Of everything including food and coal, simply because they has no transportation. If there are so many more people there than here and they were left stranded, I am not so sure that they wouf~ do anything about us if we came to be without ferry ser- :vice; AS for dealing with the Army, I think we would make out better to go directly to our Senators and Congressmen in Wash- ington. MRS.~ ANDREWS & MR? HAINES.: ~ut you must go through channels to do business with the Army, and since they are the ones who have the Ferry, we have to do business with ~themo If they don~t wmnt to, they don't have to declare the Baxter surplus. SENATOR HORTON~ You must also remember that~you are trying to get a contract with the Army, an~ you shouldn't offend them: but the first thing to do is to get the petition signed. Without that, yon~can't :do anything ~else. MRS. ANDREWS: i think we could get it if we had some cold fi.gures to show them. MR, GOSS: The small property owners simply have no confidence in the way Fishers Island is managed. They may talk nice to the Heads when they are there~ but they really don't likethe way theIsland is run because they have had!'~ho~hing to say about it for years, i franklY don't know if we .can persuade them to sign it.- ,~ , H_~L. FERGUSON: We have tried to get some help in running the ts~d from t~ local people,'but they all s~y "Let George do it~, ~andiflthey aren't willing to he!p, they shouldn't'be made at us because they don't. MR. GoSs: You have always ben a sensitive family, resenting critieism. H,Lo FERGUSON: i don't think wehaVe ever refUSed to listen to criticism, but this is hardly the place to indulge in personalities. LEEFERGUSON: ' I wonder~at wOuld happen"if we just simply stopped ferry service and saw what the country wou!d dO. SENATOR HORTON: You would probably get a tremendous amount of publicity, with airPlanes maybe flyingover and dropping Dundies of food~ but not a permanent settlement ofyour problem. ~ AYL, FERGUSON: We must¢onvince the people righ~here on these committees that we reall~ will be better off With .this Ferry ~DiS- trier, we must figure out whether we would be sticking our heads in a nooseto go ahead.~.~ith, this project. ~.think it might turn. out to be~a very good thing, and I can hardly see where we would-be worse off than with no ferry service at all. MR, HAINES: I think it would not be too hard to get up a reasonable set of figures on what it would cost to run the Baxter, on the basis of Navigation Company records. Of course, it would be more than in past years~ due to the great increase in cost for labor~ repairs~ and running expenses. ~HILLIPS: No, i think it wo~Gld average Just about the same, because the Baxter now uses oil instead of coal, and with this new fuel it takes four less crew to operate, MR. HAINES: If the Army should decide it is too expensive for them to run the~Baxter and put it up for auction, we would lose ouronly chance to get a good ferry, and with the Fort praCtically on a. caretaker status, they are quite likely to do just that. As far as I can see, this is just about our only chance to get a good ferry at a reasonable price. H,L, FERGUSON: I will say this; if we don't get the Baxter, we will have to go out and get one built, and it would cost a fortune. SENATOR HORTON: Yes~ you should go out and get a fiEe year contract with the Army. ~_ .! do ~k~ow that this Col. McGonigle who is Capt.. Russell ssuperior, and with whom we are dealing, is an authority of high position, and he is the maa to do business with. MRS_ ANDREWS: But you would be making a mistake to go over the heads of these men at Fort Wright, because they might not agree to turn over the ferry. MR. ~ICKET~: By all means~ we should get the Baxter, and if we get a contract with the Army~ it would be Just so much gravy. MR+ GOSS~ JuSt how m mob would the Baxter cost? MR. PICKETT: Some Government boats are sold for about 12½% of their appraised value, but we do not have any valuation on the Baxter. MR_ GOSS: Why couldn't we have an outside company run £erry~service here? SENATOR HORT0~: After you have your Ferry District, you could ha~e an outside company come in and run it if you wanted, and could find MR, GOSS: What is the insurance rate per day or month? M~.., PHILLIPS~ It varies from year to year, depending on the amount of Sreight and passengers handled~ but it averages about $%,000. a year. .MR GOSS:JThen why~c~uldn't we give the Government a contract to ru~ the boat and save that money. They don't have to pay i~surance, and right there alone we would save.~$5,000, which might mea~ the difference between profit and less. ivy, PHILLIPS: That is why Government ferries won't tak~ .... civilian passengers and freight except in emergencies, because they don't want this insurance trouble. MR. GOSS: Why not do without insurance, and what w~ save there would pay for any losses, like if Royal Scarlett lost a crate of vegetables or something. Major disasters happen so seldom that we could save that much on the insurance. H~ D. FERGUSON: You'd be surprised how fast those little claims for loss and damages mo~ut up. MR,~ FOYLE: Especially for personal injury. If a person broke his back, he'd sue you and get the whole boat. A,~'~E~6~~ As Mrs. Andrews said~ the people are gOing to want definite figures ~on how much their.~taxes will go up. MR GOSS: we had a meeting at the school house, and they asked me that same question~ I told them it really didn't matter how much it cost because we had to have the ferry and the best we could hope for was that it would be run economically~ MRS. ANDREWS: I imagine that the increase in our taxes would be fairly small, but suppose it ~hould turn out to be quite high? After all~ there aren't too many people here to share the burden. MR HAINES.:'We still need some definite figures and you can bet that i£ it shouldturn out to be very high percentage increase, the East End residents would defeat it since they pay far more than ~1% of the taxes. SENATOR HORTON~ With more adequate ferry service, more people will come here~ which in turn will bring more money to the Island and more profit to the ferry° A~L. FERGUSON: Johnny, (Pickett) do you think that the majority of the people would sign this petition now? MR,. PICKETT: 80% of the adult residents on the Island belong to the Civic Association, and I think we could persuade any who are doubtful that th~ is not only a worthwhile enterprise~ but their best chance for good ferry service. MRS. ANDREWS: How are we going to select the commissioners so that every body will agree? At the regular town meetings~ anybody might get up and nominate their friends, whether they were capable or not. MR~ PICKETT: We could have the Civic Association nominate five men, and have all the residents vote their approval. SENATOR HORTON: I wish you all a lot of luck and know that you will try hard to get the petition signed. A.L, FERGUSON: I don't think anybody has properly thanked Senator Horton for his many efforts to help us. We all do ap- preciate it and are very glad we have him working for us. SENATOR HORTON: ~hank~em for those kind words. It has been a pleasure to try to help you all I'can. .MR~ PICKETT: Yes we do appreciate your efforts and with the county would do as well by us. It would be nice to feel that we really are a part of the county and state. have SENATOR HORTON: The ideal way would be to ~ each person pay as much in taxes as he benefits from, but unfortunately~ it doesn't work out that way. You do get almost all the benefits as the other parts of the state, such as mosquito control, legal service, school~ fire department coroner etc. You have not had any~ben~fit f~om county roads~~ ' but there has been no con- certed demand for it. A.L. FERGUSON: if we had s~ch an organization as the Ferry gommission wouldn't we be more likely to get such help? SENATOR HORTON: Yes, everythin~ now is done through or- ganizations. Followed a general discussion on the possibility of get- ting airplane service, the concensus of opinion being that it would be some time before it got very popular on the Island because there was such a small demand for it at present.Most people prefer to come by car so they can have the use of their cars while khey are here, and those who don't bring cars can get_excellent train service from New London. Also, the only field on the Island is Government property, and although several companies have tried, none have gotten permission to use it. One company, planning to use amphlb~ous did not receive enthusiastically ~he news that they could land in West Harbor. It was obvious to them that a plan would have little chance of landing safely among the fleet of sailboats customarily there. It was decided that there ~s no immediate worry about air travel superseding the need for a large ferry. Meeting adjourned at ~:00 P.Mo Alice B. Whiti~ar Secretary of the Meeting The meeting recessed at ~:O0 P.M. and was again called to order on board the boat at ~:30~P.M. ' ~ A letter was read from the State Comptroller stating that a Town has no power to enter into a contract with a village to maintain the village streets. Moved by Justice Klipp$ seconded by Justice Terry: Resolved: That this letter be included in these minutes and that the Town Clerk be instructed to forward a copy to the Trustees ef the Village of Greenport, Unanimously adopted. ~epartment of Audit and Control Hon. S. Wentworth Horton Greenport New York ~ ~e: VillaMe of Greenport - Town of Southold Dear Senator Horton: June 3rd,1957 In your recent letter you stated that the Incorporated Village of Greenport has asked the Town of Southold to consider tak- ing over the maintenance of its village streets and suggested a proper charge which the town could make for such work, it is our understanding that the Village of Greenport consti- tutes a separate road district within the meaning of Section 277 of the Highway Law and Section l~l of the Village Law. In the absence of a general or special law, a~ to~ has no power, to enter into a con~ract with a village to care for and maintain the village streets~even though compensation be provided for such service. ~here is no general law which af- fords such power. We further understand from our conversation · with you that there are no s~pecial laws applicable in Suffolk County which would permit the town and village to enter into such an agreement. Under Sections I~3 and l~3-a of the Village Law, provision is made for a village assuming the care and control of bridges within the boundaries of the village and the relinquishing of such care amd control and the assumption~of such duties by the town. Section 160 of the ~illage Law provides for the allocation of the expenSeof keeping a street in repair whichis located on the line between the village and the town. Section 187 of the Highway Law also deals with the same subject matter. We find, however, no pr~vision author-, izing towns, generally, to enter into contracts with villages for the maintenance of village streets, in the absence of s~atutory authorization~ such contracts may not be entered into. Very truly yours~ FRANK C MOORE State Comptroller CWPSTR By Charles W. Potter ~ Assistant Counsel Moved by Juptice Terry; seconded by Justice Hawkins: Resolved: hat the free use of the parking field of N.A. Luce in Orient is as follows: Lot to be cleared and graded as Mr. Luce may direct, public liability insurance to be provided cover- ing i~terest of the owner. Taxes to be reimbursed~ present taxes a~e $1~.30. Mr. Lute to take possession at any time upon notice to the Town Board. Unanimously adopted. Moved by~JusticeK1Lpp; seconded by Justice T~uthill: Resolved: That a Life Guard be engaged at the Town Beach for the year 1957, at a salary not to exceed $25.00 per week. Unanimously adopted. Moved by.'Justice Hawkins; seconded by Justice Terry:~ Resolved: That Judge Klipp be appointed a committee of one to procure a Scotch Lite siEn size ~-x 8 to be erected on the Town Beach, · Unanimously adopted~ Moved by Justice Terry; seconded by Justice Tuthill: Resolved: ~hat J~dge Klipp be appointed a committee of one to ~P0oure two Fim~places at the ToWn Beach~ not to exceed $2%.00 each. Unanimously adopted. ~'~oved ~y Justice Terry$ seconded by Justice Hawkins: Resolved: lhat the monthly audit meeting of this Board be held at the Supervisor's office on Wednesday, July 2, 1957~ at l:~O P.M. Unanimously adopted. Street Lighting contracts between theSouthold Town Board and the Long Island Lighting Co. ~fter careful scrutinizing were signed .by the Town Board~ Grient contract to e~pire July l~ 1952s Southold contract to expire JUly 8~ 1952. The meeting adjourned at ~:SO PoM. The Board arrived at Preston's Dock at Greenport at 7 P.M. Ralph P. Booth Town Clerk