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Home My WebLink About08/2010ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS Town Hall Annex, 54375 Ih~ut~, 25 P.O. Box 1179 Southold. New York 11971-0959 Fax (631) 765-9064 Telephone (631) 765-1809 TO: FROM: RE: DATE: Elizabeth Neville, Town Clerk (for Distribution to Supervisor Russell and Town Board Members) Leslie Kanes Weisman, ZBA Chairperson/Department Head COMBINED MONTHLY DEPARTMENT HEAD AND NEW APPLICATIONS/FEES REPORT for: August 2010 September 7, 2010 Ii. II1. Requires Immediate Attention: Nothing at this time Items of Concern: Carryovers We are waiting for feedback l¥om the Workplace Violence Prevention team regarding improving staff satbty through modifications to access to the ZBA office, which was reviewed and discussed three months ago. The ZBA continues to respectfully request that the Town install the equipment that will enable Member Homing to deliberate and vote on decisions fi'om Fishers Island al our monthly Special Meetings. As an interim measure, Member Homing is teleconferencing with the Board at Special Meetings, and refraining from voting. Policies: Time Limitation on Variances and Special Exception Permits Contrary to most other municipalities, the Town of Southold has no time limitation on variances and special permits that are granted where an applicant does not commence construction or obtain a building permit. The Chairperson placed this matter before the ZBA at a Special Meeting work session on August 18, 2010. After discussion, the Board requested that Asst. Town Attorney Andaloro research the time limitation policies of other Town/Village Codes in Suflblk Comity. lter memorandum has been received and follow up discussion is scheduled for the September 15, 2010 Special Meeting for possible proposal to the Town Board/Code Committee. The Zoning Board is also considering proposed language changes to the code provided by Asst. TA Andaloro at the Chairperson's request. Special Exception Pemfits for accessory apa~ments in accessory structures The ZBA Board and Assistant Town Attorney approved the Chairperson's final draft tbr a template fbr findings and determinations and new application instructions and Ibrms [br Special Exception Permits Ik)r accessory apartments in accesso~ structures. Our office has already received requests l~br this new Special Exception Permit application and is curremly assisting applicants m~d processing and calendaring them. The Chairperson will keep the Town Board informed about general trencks with these applications st) Council Members can review the impact of the new code changes. IV. Financial/Budget Issues: ZBA Consultant Linda Kowalski An amount of $4,000 ~vas allocated to the consulting line of the 2010 ZBA budget for I,inda Kowalski to train her replacement, Vicki Toth (at a maximum ol' $ I 0,000 or one year). To date $2,004.19 has been spent (plus $1,130 that was authorized from the 2009 budget for a total of $3,138.24). The Chairperson would like to acknowledge that these consulting expenses were kept to a minimum because of Vicki's generally excellent pertbrmanee coupled with very important training assistance and team work from our two outstanding part time staffmembers Lucille Cappabianca and Elizabeth Sakarellos, No further expenditures in this area are anticipated at this time, although we plan to keep Linda on board until the end of the year as per her contract. Increases in ZBA Fees The Chairperson submitted to the ZBA Membem a draft proposal to increase ZBA fees, which have remained unchanged since 1992-1995. Discussion took place at the Regular Meeting work session on August 26, 2010. The Chairperson has drafted a second version with an addendum to consider adding penalty fees for applicants that file after the fact, i.e. variances for "as built" structures, as is done in Brookhaven. Further discussion is scheduled for the work session of the ZBA Special Meeting on September 15,2010. A proposal to the Town Board is forthcoming. Personnel Matters: Summer Intern/Data Entries The Chairperson regrets that our office was tbrced to terminate the employment of student intern Veneesa Brooks, whose medical issues and personal problems have prevented her from working the required 20 hours per week on site to assist ZBA staff with legacy data entries. Moreover, errors were found by staff in the entries Veneesa made on the very few occasions that she was actually in our office. The Chairperson has instructed Board Secretary Vicki Toth to contact the DOIt regarding part time help since our office continues to remain short staffed. Vl. Activities of the Board/Accomplishments: Regular Meeting: Date: Aug. 26, 2010, Call to Order: 9:01AM, Adjotm~ed: 4:40 PM Public ! tearings: 'Iotal: 14 Number of new applications heard: 9 Nmnber of Carryovers from previous hearings: 5 Number closed reserving decision to later date: 4 Number closed subject to receipt of additional inlbrmation: 5 Number adjourned to another date: 3 Number adjourned w/o a date: 0 Number of Resolutions passed: t7 Number of decisions made: 3 Next Regular Meeting: September 23, 2010 .~pecial Meeting: Date: Aug. t5, 2010, Call to Order: 6:01 PM, Adjourned: 8:33 PM Number ofassi~,med draft findings discussed: 0 Number of decisions made: 0 Number of Resolutions passed: 2 Va Special Meeting: Date: Aug. 18, 2010, Call to Order: &05 PM, Adjourned: 8:10 PM Number of assigned draft findings discussed: II Number of decisions made: 10 Number o f Resolutions passed: 14 Number of Site Inspections made by Board members: 14x 5 = 70 Municity Work Sessions: None this month Meetings attended/initiated by ZBA Chairperson/Department Head 8/04 - Annual Town Board Meeting on Fisher's Island with Secretary Vicki Toth, conducted three site inspections with FI Member George Homing · 8/05 - Additional Special Meeting of ZBA, all members present (G. Homing via phone) re: Executive Session and open discussion on accessory apartments in accessory, structures · 8/19 - Code Committee re: Special Events · 8/23 - Chairperson with Asst TA re various applications before the Board · 8/24 - Town Board work session re: Special Events and Noise ordinance · 8/25 - Chairperson with Assr 'FA re: Litigation · 8/25 - Chairperson and members Dinizio and Schneider attended the afternoon training seminar by NOAA organized by the Planning Department · 8/3 t - Code Committee re: Deer l~ncing and noise ordinance Staff Activities Number of people assisted at the counter: 72 hours spent assisting: 15 ¼ (Assistance inctudes filling out new applications, mailings and postings, providing copies of decisior~', FOIL requests and other materials, and general inquiries) Meetings attended by ZBA staff · 8/04 ~- ZBA Secretary Vicki Toth attended the all day Annual Town Board Meeting on Fisher's Island and conducted three site inspections with F1 Member George Homing and Chairperson · 8/05 - VT attended additional Special Meeting of ZBA VI. MONTHLY REPORT ON NEW APPLICATIONS AND FEES Total Applications Received for the month of August: Total Fees Collected: 8 $1,950.00 Respectfidly Submitted / Leslie Kanes Weisman Chairperson/Department Head