HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB-08/25/2015 ELIZABETH A.NEVILLE "spFFoc - Town Hall, 53095 Main Road
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OFFICE OF THE TOWN CLERK
SOUTHOLD TOWN BOARD
REGULAR MEETING
August 25, 2015
4:30 PM
A Regular Meeting of the Southold Town Board was held Tuesday, August 25, 2015 at the
Meeting Hall, Southold,NY.
Call to Order
4:30 PM Meeting called to order on August 25, 2015 at Meeting Hall, 53095 Route 25, Southold,
NY.
Attendee Name Organization L Title j Status '.. Arrived : Departed
Robert GhosiomLTown of Southold Councilman Present 1.._..._._
James Dinizio Jr Town of Southold i Councilman ; Present
William P. Ruland Town of Southoldi Councilman i Present
Jill Doherty Town of Southold Councilwoman Present
Louisa P. Evans Town of Southold ' Justice Excused 4:30 PM , 5:30 PM
Scott A. Russell Town of Southold rupervisor Present
ElizabethA.Neville Townof Southoldown Clerk Present m µ,
William M Duffy ° Town of Southold town attorney Present
I. Reports
1. Planning Department Monthly Report
2. Town Clerk Monthly Report
3. Trustee Monthly Report
4. Recreation Department Monthly Report
II. Public Notice
III. Communications
f
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August 25, 2015
IV. Discussion
1. 9:00 Am -Laura Klahre & Dave Dominy
2. 9:15 Am -Jeff Standish
3. 9:30 Am -Michael Collins
4. 10:00 Am -Michael Collins & Mark Terry
5. 10:15 Am -Mark Terry & Aly Sabatino
6. 10:30 Am - Mark Terry & Heather Lanza
7. Resolution of Support for Freight House at Greenport
8. Motion To: Motion to Enter Executive
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby Enter into Executive Session
at 10:26 AM for the purpose of discussing the following matters:
Labor: Matters involving employment of particular person(s).
Litigation: Kelly v. Town of Southold
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Louisa P. Evans, Justice
SECONDER:William P. Ruland, Councilman
AYES: Ghosio, Dinizio Jr, Ruland, Doherty, Russell
EXCUSED: Louisa P. Evans
9. EXECUTIVE SESSION- Labor
10. Motion To: Motion to Exit Executive
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby Exit/Recess from this
Executive Session at AM/PM.
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Jill Doherty, Councilwoman
SECONDER:William P. Ruland, Councilman
AYES: Ghosio, Dinizio Jr, Ruland, Doherty, Russell
EXCUSED: Louisa P. Evans
11. Motion To: Recess 9:00 AM meeting
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby Recess this 9:00 AM
meeting of the Town Board at 11:26 AM until the Regular 4:30 PM Meeting of the Southold
Town Board.
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August 25, 2015
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS] •
MOVER: William P. Ruland, Councilman
SECONDER:Jill Doherty, Councilwoman
AYES: Ghosio, Dinizio Jr, Ruland, Doherty, Russell
EXCUSED: Louisa P. Evans
Motion To: Reconvenes 9:00 AM meeting
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby reconvenes the 9:00 AM
meeting of the Southold Town Board at this 4:30PM Regular Meeting of the Southold Town
Board.
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Scott A. Russell, Supervisor
SECONDER:William P. Ruland, Councilman
AYES: Ghosio, Dinizio Jr, Ruland, Doherty,Russell
EXCUSED: Louisa P. Evans
Pledge to the Flag
Opening Comments
Supervisor Scott A. Russell
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Please rise and join in the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. At this
time I am going to invite anybody that would like to comment on any of the agenda items to
please feel free?
Jame Spanos, East Marion
JAMES SPANOS: Hi, my name is James and I am a registered voter and I live in East Marion.
My concerns with this, is with the transient use permits, not permits but the transient use code
that you guys want to change or keep similar to 14 days. I had a question for our town attorney.
By leaving it at 14 days and limiting the one to two day short term which I think is a good thing
but keeping it at 14 days still might interfere with some of the hotels income and'would it open
up the town for tortiously interfering with the hotel industry?
TOWN ATTORNEY DUFFY: No, I don't think it would.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Can I just elaborate? I think if you are referencing your property in
East Marion, I think it's RR zone which would be excluded, this law wouldn't pertain to
operations that you know, are in the right zone and things, it wouldn't encumber hotels in any
way.
MR. SPANOS: Okay, no I do realize I am in an RR zone and I am grateful for that. I did read
the beginning of this. I also, I just wanted to know,just certain things about this short term code
that we are voting on today,just some questions. For people that are violating, what's their, is
there a penalty, a fine? How would we bring them in? I have some suggestions on how to
enforce it. I heard from the building department that it's difficult to enforce. There are other
Southold Town Board Meeting page 4
August 25, 2015
townships that are enforcing these one to two night stays, weekends or evenly weekly. It's pretty
easy, I can give you the suggestion.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Sure, I will give you an answer and then I am certainly happy to
take any suggestions. First, I think we have to dispel a myth that's out there, that this code relies
on the internet for enforcement. When this code was drafted, it included internet searches as
additional'means for code enforcement but this is going to be, this process is going to be like
every other aspect of the code. Every aspect of the code is a challenge. But we are adding part-
time code enforcement officer, in fact, we are advertising tonight to focus on uses like this. We
are going to have code enforcement available nights and weekends. The complaint first goes to
the Town Attorneys' office and then from there it is going to follow a normal process. There is
going to be fact finding and those types of things.
MR. SPANOS: And what would be the penalty for offenders?
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: I am going to defer to the Town Attorney.
TOWN ATTORNEY DUFFY: If you look at•the local law being adopting tonight, where it's
just another, any other zoning code violation of our zoning ordinance and it would be a fine of up
to $5,000 per occurrence. '
MR. SPANOS: That's a good start. And would it revoke their C of 0? Certificate of
Occupancy?
TOWN ATTORNEY DUFFY: No, it wouldn't revoke their C of O. If they are not using the
way the CO is intended, you don't revoke the CO, we are trying to get them to operate within the
CofO.
MR. SPANOS: No,, I understand that but if they are still continuing to advertise one to two night
stays or weekend stays, then they are not complying with their certificate of occupancy which
could open them up for,to revoke their certificate of occupancy, correct?
TOWN ATTORNEY DUFFY: Our code doesn't call for the revoking of the C of 0 for not
operating within the certificate of occupancy for a single family dwelling, there's other, you
know, there's more civil penalties, there's Supreme Court jurisdiction where we could enforce in
Supreme Court, we could get injunctions against them but there's nothing in the code right now
that would revoke their C of 0 for a single family dwelling.
MR. SPANOS: Okay, my fear is that eventually maybe larger investors would come in and not
some people trying, claiming they are going to make their bills or ends meet. Larger investors
would come in, realize that it's a hotspot and there aren't enough hotels in the area, they will buy
up whole neighborhoods and rent them out bi-weekly for the whole summer and then they will
shut down operation and it could be a major problem. Even the 14 days. I am suggesting maybe
you know, I know the area definitely needs more hotels and that's a fact. Aliano's Beachcomber
closed down. There's a lot of other older hotels that aren't operating and my suggestion is being
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August 25, 2015
more open to building new construction, new hotels which would open up a lot of jobs and just
to beginning for attorneys, architects, bringing money into the town for permits and then going
further into the future, never mind the carpenters, the electricians plus the ongoing jobs year-
round for the residents which might even keep some of ht eyounger people around. So I was
hoping that something we can really discuss and maybe even you know, look into it for the
wineries.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: You are 100 percent right. What we recognize with this current
issue is that, and we have known for some time, Southold needs more accommodations,no doubt
but since we are doing the land use chapter of the comprehensive plan, that's how we plan on
addressing it. we actually today talked about defining a new term which we would call country
inns. You know, not everybody wants to build 50-60 rooms, maybe those six to eight to ten
room facilities, those types of, you know, to start meeting the needs throughout the whole
community but you are exactly right, that's what we have to do.
MR. SPANOS: Okay, great. Thank you very much for your time and I am glad you guys gave it
a lot of thought and I am sure that, well, the future of our town is in your hands and you are
doing a great job. Thank you very much.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Thank you, Jim.
Anne Murray,East Marion
ANNE MURRAY: Hi, I am Anne Murray from East Marion. I just first want to say thank you
for finally coming to a vote on this. I know it has been discussed for a very, very long time and I
just had a couple of quick questions, if you do enact this code tonight, this law, can you tell us
when exactly it will be in effect? Is it 60 days from tonight?
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: That's a discussion we have to have as a Board. I do think people
should understand that....
JUSTICE EVANS: It will take effect 60 days after filing with the Secretary of State.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Sixty days.
MS. MURRAY: And when do you plan to file?
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Usually within a week of the adoption of the local law.
MS. MURRAY: So we are talking October maybe?
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Probably. Look we are going to have to be realistic here and
understand that...
MS. MURRAY: I understand.
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August 25, 2015
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Reservations have been made and I don't think the Town intends, if
it passes, to swing a heavy hammer here. We are going to look for compliance as best we can.
But after 60 days and Jim answered an issue before about how we are going to enforce. Like I
mentioned, we have a code enforcement officer that will be coming on soon that will work nights
and weekends and he will be able to respond to complaints immediately. We also are going to
establish a 24/7 hotline that you can email right on our website, so that as those complaints go in,
they will go right to the Town Attorney and what we will be able to do is respond to them
quickly. And that's part and parcel to what we plan on doing.
MS. MURRAY: Okay. and you have people that have already applied for this part-time code
enforcement? Does it have to be someone in the union or can....
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: We were just given the authority by civil service to advertise, so it's
on tonight's agenda.
MS. MURRAY: Okay, thank you.
Peter Terranova, Peconic
PETER TERRANOVA: Peter Terranova, Peconic. I rise tonight in favor of the Town Board
resolution 740 calling for a minimum 14 night transient rental of private homes in residential
zones which heretofore was not a permitted use. Personally I favor the 30 day minimum as this
threshold is within sync of Suffolk County's definition that less than 30 days constitutes a
business subject to both sales and hospitality tax. But a 14 night minimum is better than nothing.
We must do something to forestall the trend to make Southold Town one big motel. I do also
favor, though, the institution of an annual rental license or registry to make compliance checking
easier and to pay for the addition of the code compliance official. While not in this resolution, it
can be an addition at some future date following the deliberation by this board. But should be
enacted prior to tax bill mailings to include the proper notice to all property owners. Over these
past few months we have heard all the arguments both for and against. One speaker objected to
being told to sell if she couldn't afford her property without short term rentals, fair enough. But
the flip side is, don't ask fellow citizens to subsidize their lifestyle or return on investment. Now
the town has been unfairly criticized for not aggressively enforcing current quality of life
statutes. It is my view that the town has historically relied on the good faith of its citizens to
observe these statutes as they were passed to preserve the quality of life in Southold that all
profess to holdmostdear while holding down the creation of enforcement bureaucracy. It is this
practice that helps keep our taxes as low as possible. I say to those, be careful what you wish for
regarding stepped up enforcement rather than complaint driven problem response. It is ironic
that those who rose in opposition to this statute are placing their personal needs, be it financial or
otherwise, before the quality of life of all residents that they vehemently profess to cherish. Why
is it that we are willing to throw away and destroy that which brought us'here in the first place?
Maybe it's human nature but we must resist it at all opportunity. Another speaker", I believe, rose
up and said, well, we have been discovered. We need a place to house these people. Well, you
know, what comes next? We are going to build a heliport to get them here quicker? I mean,
that's ridiculous. Years ago, there was a TV program called the Naked City. Scott, I don't think
you are old enough to remember that but the opening was there are 8 million stories in the naked
city and this is just one of them. At the last two public hearings, we heard many'individual
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stories. All were sincere. But this issue is not about individuals, although admittedly, some
individuals will be affected in some way. As stated by a speaker at the first public hearing, I
don't recall his name, this is an issue of policy. I think we all support the notion that local
government defining what activities are permitted in residential and business zones. As Suffolk
County requires the collection and remittance of sales tax and hospitality tax on home rentals of
less than 30 days, then home rental is a business period. It's all about the money, make no
mistake about it and that's okay, the business of America is business but local government can
and should decide where business is to be conducted.- It is not the role of government, be it
federal, state or local to pick economic winners and losers. The free market an honest price
discovery performs that task best. It is the role though, of local government acting on behalf of
the electorate to set the policy and framework for the lifestyle and character of the community.
And what is and is not appropriate behavior. Tonight's resolution is an important step in that
direction. Thank you.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Thank you, Peter. Sir?
Joseph Marchese, Sound Ave.,Peconic
JOSEPH MARCHESE: My name is Joseph Marchese, I live at 155 Sound Avenue in Peconic.
Peter and I are neighbors, okay? I purchased the property, well, I bought my first home when I
was 25 in Nassau County. I purchased property here when I was 28, in 1974. I built my house
which I presently own in 1976, so I have been a resident, well, a resident by having a home here
for 39 years. Okay, it's had its•ups and downs with the jetty and everything else, every year is
something different but this issue is about money. It is strictly about money. I sympathize with
the people who rent out their homes for whatever reason but the issue is about money. I was
watching the program that's aired on TV and I was just burning up. We have a lawyer here who
represents 23 people, I want her firm to benefit from this. I want us to enact legal and non-legal
to tie them up for years. I want you to tie up the money, okay? I want you to tie up the money.
I am going to give you an example. I am by Goldsmiths Inlet. Half of my propertyis facing the
parking lot, the other half is off to the side and we have a house that was just sold about a year
ago. I don't know the owner. I don't know but I know it's Motel 6. Okay? It is precision, that
the,couples' leave and I don't see no children, okay? No children whatsoever. Couples go in,
couples go out and on comes the cleaning lady two hours later, she leaves, new couples go in,
okay? Next, next house over is Robert Longo. Robert Longo was a renowned sculptor and his
wife was an actress in Germany. That was their family home. They owned it for 70 years or
better. Peter's father got them to come out there to look at the house. So Longo wanted to
remodel the house, so the town said you can only stay within the footprint. Not looking at this
man, at his family as an individual being there for X amount of years. That was totally
disregarding. Then Peter's fathers house, next door, they sold it to this Michael from Brooklyn,
okay? Michael from Brooklyn gets a variance to put up a three story structure, not only blocking
Longo's solar panels but his view of the water. Now the Longo's are very artsy people. The
builder took a tremendous amount of time to get to them to make decisions on what they wanted
for the house. In the interim, Michael went ahead and built his three story structure. He
advertises on B and B now, $7,000 a week rental and it will sleep 12. So there he is, Longo is in
between two Motel 6's, okay? What do you think he is going to do? He is going to sell it. He
has sentimental value there and he has got a summer home somewhere else but he has a personal
sentimental value to that house. So now he is caught, he is upset that his view was cut, he is
,
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upset that they choked his electric grid, okay? So what is he going to do? He is going to sell it
and then we are going to have three Motel 6's there, okay? now, we are going to go to the next
house, this is all on the shore, next house is Dohm's house, been vacant, the mother and father
died, the family is in Connecticut, okay? they don't come to the house at all. I's just rotting
there, the house after that is Lynam, Lynam, he grew up here, okay, in town. But he lives in
Indiana. He has three other homes, one in Pennsylvania, one here and he is renting it out.
Another (inaudible) is the first two I talked to you about, okay, but he is renting it out. And now
we go down a little further and we have got Marissa and she rents it out periodically but basically
she is a resident, you know, summer resident here. Then we got Georgio, Georgio family used to
stay out all summer but the mother is not too well now and the kids are fighting about the
property, so that's been vacant for a while. Peter goes and cuts the grass there. Alright? And
then we got the Malone's. The Malone's have got two properties, they haven't done nothing
with it in years. They got a ton of kids, like nine kids that are owners of the property. Haven't
done anything. So I am looking at it as Joe Marchese' has been here 39 years, never rented his
house at all and I am looking at down the line and I am saying, there's a potential being another
four Motel 6's, especially now the way the stock market is operating, okay? They are looking
for investment properties. So we can have four other Motel 6's. You know what? You don't
need a town supervisor, you don't need director's or anybody, with these people controlling the
money, you people are gone, okay? What you have to do, you have got to limit and I don't care
if it's legal or illegal, okay, that's the truth. You know, it's like the New York State government
legislature passed a law that you can only raise taxes 6 percent. Well, Nassau County said, no,
we need more money and what did they do? They changed the assessed valuation. They didn't
change the percentage but they changed the assessed valuation so they got the money that they
wanted. That's what we have to do. Find a way around the corners and get it done, whether it is
legal or not, we have to tie up their money. We have got to limit the amount of rentals in a
particular area, it could be section, it could be streets, it could be whatever, right? Now, you
have the people where you know they are renting, this is an income property on BNB, you just
go through the rolls, I guarantee you those are the guys with the highest mortgage rates and you
have access to that information. You contact the bank, you send them a letter and then you tell
them you are revoking t heir certificate of occupancy because it's a commercial property and
they're making money off of this and this doesn't go with our code and let the banks put the
pressure on them, okay? But (inaudible) my son and daughter-in-law are two lawyers but I am
assuming that they have done this before and that puts all of you at a disadvantage whether it be
California, down South or wherever it might be. Puts you at a disadvantage, okay? You have
got to do whatever means it takes to protect this town. I can't, you know, there's other issues I
would like to talk about but not here, if it's 14 days, 7 days, she's so happy. She is so happy.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: I would just like you to refer to the Board, okay? If you can just
keep your comments right to the Board.
MR. MARCHESE: What I am saying is the lawyer is happy because she has diverted your
attention away from what should be done. That is what I am saying. The 7 day, 14 days, they
are laughing about it. I guarantee you that they are laughing about it because you are diverting
away from the true issue here and that's the money and overtaking the areas. (Inaudible) where
Peter and I live, across the street. I have got a beautiful house, okay? I have got a beautiful
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August 25, 2015
house. Peter can tell you, six sided, all glass, beautiful home. Yet I am being taken advantage
by these people, these motel 6's because I represent a good picture for them when they are
selling that property. Okay? I don't like it, I got one neighbor next door to me, he is on the
corner of Mill Lane and Sound Avenue. He has been renting it for years, his family comes out a
little bit, (inaudible) guy mows the lawn you know, when they are coming but he is renting.
Alright, he is not the real problem. He is a problem but he is not the real problem. Okay. Then
you have got my house, I have got 100 foot, my next door neighbor Chris has 50 foot and she is
not a well woman, okay? then we go all the way down the line and we have got a number of
(inaudible) I think Peter is the only one that is on the street that is a winter resident and that's
not for long because he is going to Florida. But what I am trying to tell you is the whole block is
vacant there. It's so ripe, it is so ripe for this being taken over. I have been here for 39 years, it
doesn't count for anything. you are not protecting and I am being taken advantage of, okay, by
these people and I don't like it. My wife and I, we make a joke when we are coming down Mill
Lane and we make the turn, we say let's see if we can catch somebody in our driveway. If I
catch them in the driveway, they are not getting out, plain and simple, they are not getting out. I
work too hard to get what I have alright, and I am not going to allow anybody to take my
lifestyle away from me. Okay? I got to put up, right now I have got to put up with illegals
sleeping on the beaches. I get up at 2:00 in the morning, I see flashlights. They are on the
beaches. And I have got to put up with that. You helped us out, on Mill Lane there, with the
cars by putting up those signs, we had people parking over there, they were coming up my
driveway, asking for paying parking on my property. I have got to be subject to all this garbage?
I don't care what you do, do it legally, illegally, just tie that money up. Make them spend the
money because that's where it hurts. That's what they are looking at. Money, money, money.
Thank you.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Thank you.
Salem Katsh, Orient, Attorney
SALEM KATSH: I am Salem Katsh from Orient. I am a lawyer, I don't represent anybody in
this situation. But I am very distressed about it and I think you have heard a lot of arguments on
both sides. Vehement arguments. I think it isn't about money and you are going to be picking
winners and losers. It's not about money, it's about anger. It's about people who are angry for
whatever reasons and are expressing it against strangers and foreigners and people with
flashlights on the beach and people who park too much and people who make noise, they are
angry and you're giving in to it. now, I am not here to reargue all the things that have been said
against it, that it's not enforceable, that it's discriminatory, that it's xenophobic, but I will say
this and you will never tie the lawyers up, you know, because I can tell you right now, good
lawyers will find ways around this law because command and control statutes have a terrible
record of being violated. Prohibition, drug laws, you don't do it that way, you regulate it.
UNIDENTIFIED: Inaudible comment.
MR. KATSH: What's that?
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Let's just have the dialogue come right to the Town Board.
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August 25, 2015
MR. KATSH: So, as I said, I am not here to reargue everything, I would make a suggestion
though. This is such a close issue, of such concern to many, many people. A big percentage of
the population, why don't you put a sunset provision in it? let's see what happens over three or
four years. Once you put a statute in, it's very, very hard to get rid of it. Even if it's bad, even if
it proves that it is bad. You have got to go to court,people have got to go to court. I don't want to
see my tax dollars going into you hiring lawyers and fighting about this in court. There are
serious legal problems with the statute that you are suggesting. Put a sunset provision in. Four
years. People will comply with it. And we can see what happens. There is an economic issue
about the community. All these people renting, you know? People go in and out when they rent.
That's what they do. It's not motel 6. It's money for the restaurants, money for the wine, money
for the marinas, the boats, the fishing. People want recreation and as I said, you know, if these
were, well, so that's my suggestion. Thank you.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Thank you.
Judy Uhlman
JUDITH UHLMAN: Hi, I am Judith Uhlman. I have spoken a couple of times here. I do not
have a lot of money, I do have a second home here. We do rent which was our understanding
when we bought it. I won't rehash all of that but I do want to say one thing on the record. We
hired Abigail because she was willing to put a bunch of us together, to buy an ad, to get some
stuff done and I want you all to know that she has charged us the grand total for all her work for
$300. So all these people that keep making these snide comments about avaricious she must be,
it is just not the case. I don't always agree with everything she said, I don't always agree with
the attitude with which she said it but she has been extremely generous and not ripping anyone
off, least of all the town that she cares about. Thank you.
Abigail Field
ABIGAIL FIELD: I didn't expect that to come up. In any case, I want to say a couple of things
to add to the conversation here. Salem mentioned, oh, I am sorry, I am the lawyer, I am Abigail
Field. The bête noir that is the lightning rod for all the...
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: We just needed your name.
MS. FIELD: Abigail Field of Cutchogue. Salem mentioned that a lot of the money that comes
goes into the tourism industry and that is true, right? It is hard for businesses here to come and
take a stand because they don't want to alienate their customer base of the people who aren't
tourists, so I think there is an underrepresented voice at these public hearings, some of these
businesses. But I want to address a couple of other economic dimensions. A gentleman stood up
and talked about the need for hotels and this is an interesting idea, these country inns. But he
started by mentioning how hotels had closed. We have a seasonal business out here. There is no
shortage of rooms in the winter. In fact, there's no shortage of rooms in the spring. In fact, in
late autumn there's no shortage of rooms. For a hotel or motel to stay open year round or to
cover the costs of existing year round, whether they are open or not is a very challenging
economic proposition. The free market is existed. I mean, it is true that there is deep seated
community opposition on the siting end. There was a woman who wanted to do the property that
was called Oki-do and whatever the merits of the proposal and I personally thought there were
some significant demerits but whatever the proposal merits, that could have been 50 rooms and
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August 25, 2015
the opposition to it was enormous. Just enormous. So, one, but we haven't had a bunch of these
fights that get defeated at the siting level. People don't want to set up hotels and motels out here
because the money doesn't work year round. It just doesn't. and then to further that, there has
been this idea that we are going to have the hedge fund managers coming up and buying whole
neighborhoods because this is a massively good investment, I will be honest, I used to think that
at the very early, I thought that was a risk and the reason I thought that was a risk was because
hedge fund companies did that nationally with massive numbers of foreclosed homes. And they
bought them super cheap, they slapped some paint on them and they rented them out and they
have made money doing that. but since the beginning days when I was operating under that
misguided understanding, I have had realtors and others educate me, including the homeowners
on the real costs here. Land and housing out here is so expensive. Let's say for a second you
bought a property for $500,000. That's not a crazy price for a property out here. A lot of them
go for well over $1,000,000. Let's say its $500,000. Let's say you don't have to put even a
penny into updating it or renovating it. Now your carrying cost between your home insurance
and your taxes and your maintenances, I don't know, let's go cheap. Let's say $10,000, okay?
You want to rent it out. Renting, there's a lot of overhead, you have got your cleaning, you have
your landscaping, you have your contractors for plumbing etc., etc. but let's be generous and say
in the season you made $30,000. That would be nice, right? Let's say you netted $30,000, I am
not representing people that are necessarily, you are looking at, you know, 20 years to break
even? Maybe? I mean, where's the business model on that? Yes, it is true, you are maintaining
the ownership of the property and you can then sell it later. I am not saying that there is no way
it makes, no economic sense for somebody to do this for their one property but it doesn't make
sense to do this on a multi-property scale out here. It could in places where housing is cheap.
There are places, I am not going to tell you that in the world this can't make sense but I don't see
how it makes sense here as a business model for large scale, short term renting. And the
gentleman who spoke about the advantages of voluntary compliance and complaint driven
enforcement in terms of less bureaucracy and less taxes is right. It is true, it's nice to do
complaint driven enforcement which is what you guys had represented you weren't going to do
before but now it sounds a little bit more, well, you mentioned a place you can submit your
complaints 24/7. You mentioned a guy that can come out and respond to complaints,right?
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: I also mentioned case building and like every other aspect of the
code, it's not complaint driven, we do the best we can with the code we have.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: There will always be complaint driven in any aspect of the
code because that's....
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: That's what we have always done.
MS. FIELD: And I would suggest complaint driven enforcement like that is a smart idea, for
reasons that he mentioned. Right?
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: Well, It's not a new idea.
MS. FIELD: I didn't suggest...
Southold Town Board Meeting page 12
August 25, 2015
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: It's not just complaint driven.
MS. FIELD: I am only rifling off of what Scott said at the previous meeting, okay? I am not
suggesting it is new for you guys to do complaint driven enforcement and I am validating what
he said, that I think it makes sense as a model of code enforcement for keeping costs down and
taxes lower. Also, the idea of voluntary compliance. When you guys considered the one week
minimum which I think you could still vote on because you had your public hearing on it, at least
if you had no real changes to it, that's easier to voluntarily comply with for people. The market
by and large can be at one week for people. It's when you start getting into the two week and
there's an issue with the two week that I haven't heard yet get taken seriously enough by the
proponents and that is the rental aftermarket and this happens in the Hamptons all the time. you
get some one person signing your two week lease and then they sublet it and you don't know and
that puts you at risk, not only to be targeted for enforcement and then you can successfully
defend yourself because you did nothing wrong, you had a two week lease but the problem there
is you have got strangers in your house you didn't vet and you have got a risk to your property
you couldn't manage and that's a real risk.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Can I just, and I really didn't want to have this debate, I just wanted
to listen but first of all, you said it's easier to get compliance if we go to seven nights...
MS. FIELD: Yes.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: So basically what you are saying, if you want compliance with the
code, pass a law people like and then you don't have to worry about compliance and that's a
poor way of running town government. I think we have to look at this larger, I am sorry, I don't
want to debate this any longer. Go ahead, Abigail.
MS. FIELD: Look, as I have represented to you many a time, the reason my clients hired me is
they intend to obey laws and they are trying to negotiate them, so when I suggest to you that it is
easier to get people to voluntarily comply with laws that don't eliminate their opportunity, that's
not a threat of non-compliance and that's not a statement that I want you guys to make policy for
people's convenience, it's a comment about the reality of people voluntarily complying or not
complying and the enforcement burden you are creating. So there are other enforcement burdens
on the two week minimum besides simply voluntary compliance and that is that aftermarket
issue you can look at it and think it's a less than two week rental and it could be a two week
rental and you won't even have a way to know until you get into the enforcement mess of it.
You are right, we have said all of this before...
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: We had no way of knowing it's a one week rental.
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: Can I ask a question?
MS. FIELD: Yes.
Southold Town Board Meeting page 13
August 25, 2015
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: If I own a house for two weeks and I found out that somebody was
sub-renting it, whose problem would that be? The towns'?
MS. FIELD: If you, so let's say you...
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: If I were the owner..
MS. FIELD: Yeah, you are the owner...
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: And I find out that someone is subletting from my lease and I don't
want that to occur...
MS. FIELD: Right.
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: Is that the town's problem?
MS. FIELD: No, if you find that out, you evict them. I am saying to you, I might not find out,
you may not find out. And you don't find out and you were trying to be a good neighbor, you
were vetting who you were renting to, you are trying to protect your property. You are taking
your security deposit and you want to have confidence in who these people are in your house and
I am simply saying, the risk is you don't find out the subletting is happening. I assume the
minute you find out that the subletting happened, you evict them and you keep the security
deposit.
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: But listen, you have been telling us all along that you vet your
people, that they are all good people, that they all come and they all want to enjoy it. Now you
are telling me that maybe some of them are not. Maybe some of them are business people or
they are going to make money on the lease that you give them.
MS. FIELD: I am telling you that on a two week rental, that is not where the current market is.
and so you, where the current market it, the owners feel that they have lots of control because
they have never had any experience of people lying to them or cheating on them or the very few
of them that ever had a problem kick them out and keep their deposit. You heard somebody
come up here before, talk about when she did a 30 day rental this happened to her. She did two
week rentals, this happened to her. I am not making this up. This isn't some lawyers straw
argument or fiction, like some craziness that might happen on some planet but not for real...
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: But she stopped, she stopped doing it.
MS. FIELD: But she switched to short term because she didn't want that risk.
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: But short term, honestly, are illegal in this town.
MS. FIELD: You are not going to, I will let...
Southold Town Board Meeting page 14
August 25, 2015
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: You are raising so many questions that I have that I feel like we are
re-debating the issue.
MS. FIELD: I am sorry, I guess I will just...
COUNCILNMAN DINIZIO: Let me make one more statement, all those people have to do is
come in to the building inspector, tell them what their business plan is and get an answer from
him.
MS. FIELD: All I really rose to say was to do the bigger question about could you really solve
this demand issue by siting new hotels and could you, is there really a way to accommodate this
seasonal tourist demand that doesn't result in losing the economic benefit of these rentals by
going some other housing route and I am simply suggesting that and also I rose to address the
issue of rental farming. And how those economics didn't work. So you guys have heard all the
arguments, you are going to vote how you are going to vote. I wasn't even trying to persuade
this,trying to correct some of this discussion.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: You know what, we will go after but if everybody could just have at
least one chance before we vote on the agenda.
Jehud Moch,Brooklyn & Southold
JEHUD MOCH: Jehud Moch of Brooklyn and Southold. I greatly appreciate the time the Board
has put into listening to people, myself amongst others. I don't want to reiterate anything that I
have said. But I do want to say that this is, this isn't and shouldn't just be about some people
making money, that your responsibility is to think of the welfare of the town in general and that I
really think that responsible and controlled tourism is part of this town and I think you really do
need to weigh what sort of growth is it going to be? What will the effects of these policies be
long term? Now, I have a vested interest in this. And that is and I feel like I am speaking in part
for middle class tourists, both those like myself and my wife who own a place and those who
rent from us and that if you, we went for a bike ride yesterday and I saw all these houses that I
am not familiar with that were multi-million dollar houses. I do believe that if you pass this, the
only people that are going to be able to be here on vacation are going to be those people who
have a lot, a lot of money and who leave their houses vacant a lot of the time which is a whole
other problem. So I am saying that having short term rentals helps keep healthy, invested middle
class vacationers and I just wanted to end with a question. I don't know if you will answer
questions of what do you see as the problem? Why not a registration system? As Abigail has
formulated. You know, why not make us all have numbers in our ads and it will make
enforcement so much easier and you know, why not? Why not try that?
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: We decided as a Board to start out small and define two
words and that's what this is about. We didn't say we are not going to look into anything else in
the future. We are just doing this step now and if we need to develop a code that has people
apply and pay a fee every year, then we might go in that direction. We don't know at this point.
So all these arguments and you think we are saying no, we are not saying no, we are listening to
you but for right now, this whole public hearing process and this process has been about defining
transient rental. And it is not we are creating this whole new code or we are not creating this
Southold Town Board Meeting page 15
August 25, 2015
whole new code. Right now we are just defining transient rental and in the future our next step
might be saying, okay, now we think we need a code or we don't need a code. Are we going to
live with it for three years and see what happens? So that's where we are at right now.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: I will give you my opinion on that. The registry doesn't really solve
the fundamental question as to whether these should be permitted in residential zones. I think
it's a myth that's being perpetuated by some who want to control the narrative, that this is about
bad behavior, when all we need to do is enforce the code that exists. First of all, it really isn't
about bad behavior. There are some instances where it might be but the code doesn't, there is,
what code are we going to enforce? The code, there is no code, you know, prohibition from
being an idiot and impolite next door. Well, enforce the noise code. You'd be surprised the
threshold for the noise code is about 65 decibels. In most instances, they are not going to violate
that. so this notion of taking the code and just enforcing is going to take care of the bad guys, we
are not talking about bad guys, we are talking about fundamental land use issues which is what
the town is trying to address. And we have a residential zone for a reason. And what is the best
way to ensure that the quality of life that people have come to expect is preserved and protected?
Registry is not going to get around that basic question. It will serve as an oversight scheme if
you wanted to regulate and control them but the more fundamental issue for me has been
whether they should be allowed to begin with, not how do you control them. And I understand
there's some complicated, noble, overly prescribed ideas out there about rental permits and all
that but again, that fundamental issue hasn't been addressed by that. Also, I am sorry, I am
taking up your time, one thing I want both sides to understand, I have dealt with both sides of
the issue. People from both points of view. I have to say, the people who own these houses,
overwhelmingly, they are not rapscallions trying to pull money out of the economy, who have no
interest in Southold, that's not true. you know, people who own these homes, most of them do
care and they do invest back in, I get that but also, the people that oppose these short term
rentals, they are not tenth century rebels running around with pitchforks. These people are as
worldly and urbane as anybody else who just say, look, that's not what I invested in when I
bought in a residential community. And I think Benja made a point that's worth repeating
tonight. Benja said you are not just renting out your house, you are renting out your community.
And I think that's a very important point that needs to be made. Anyway, please go ahead. I am
sorry.
MS. MOCH: Understood. I appreciate both of your answers and to me, it's almost Orwellian to
say we are going to define, obviously it's in what you write and it's your responsibility to define
how a property can be used but to say that transient rentals are two weeks when that's not, I think
you need to face what is going on in Southold, you know, clearly you have said no weekends,
that's a decision you can make but if you say no to more than a week,just accept the reality that
you are saying you are eliminating most of these rentals, period. Because you know, it's just, it's
rarely there, more than two weeks. I am sorry, what did you want to say?
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: From my point of view, the code is already being broken, for a lot
of the folks that came up here and they advocated for what they are already doing, they are
already breaking the code. So in some respects, we are actually legitimizing something, you
can't have these to begin with.
Southold Town Board Meeting page 16
August 25, 2015
MS. MOCH: Well, we have heard different things here and obviously you are going to decide
now what you are going to decide so, you know, this needs to go on but understand that you are
saying no to all of these families, all of these people with dogs, whatever, the point to be made,
they are not going to be coming here, period.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Thank you.
Mike Cooper, Southold
MIKE COOPER: Hi, my name is Mike Cooper. I rent here in Southold, I have lived here my
whole life and I would like to speak on behalf of renters and first time home buyers. You know,
we have really been squeezed these last five years, I have been renting here for 10 years. A lot
of us have to commute outside of the community to work, I work in Westbury, the guy who rents
a unit above me works in Manhattan. He commutes every day to work, you know, we do make
sacrifices to stay out here but over the past few years we have been really squeezed and just to
give you an example, this is not ironclad research but if you do a search on VRBO basis
minimum of two bedrooms, maximum of$400 per night and you search the whole of the north
fork, there are 74 properties. Okay? That's apartments, cottages and two and three bedroom
houses. If you do search on MLSLI, which is not going to be every rental under the sun but it's a
major tool that people use when they are looking for a place to rent year round, there are 10, two
of which are priced above $3,000 a month. That's effectively eight rental properties, right now if
I was looking to rent a place, an apartment too, I have eight. There are 74 listed. Now granted,
every single one isn't going to be an apartment, it might not be right splashed right back on to the
rental market or first time home buyers, they might not be forced to sell but the point is, natural
turnover and the idea that this is somehow not effecting our market and our young people, not
even really young people, I am 33 years old but it's teachers, nurses, I know a nurse right now
who lives in East Marion and she can't find a rental apartment. She has a small family, she can
afford it. She can't find one. And that's not made up, that's not because the economy is doing
well, you can make these arguments, the reason why prices of houses are coming up. It's hard to
stretch that this is causing a pressure on houses below $400,000. I believe it is but it's hard to
make that argument but you can't argue with the fact that there's a lack of year round rentals that
people need, all the people that, all the money that's coming in from short term rentals, the
middle class that works here, your waitresses, your bartenders, they need a place to live.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: And that's something the businesses have come to us and explained
many times. Frankly I think that some of the businesses that we were discussing, tourist based
profit centers are the folks that need these long term rentals that are affordable more so than they
do the short term transient rentals.
•
MR. COOPER: Yeah and I just wanted to, I don't want to draw anything out but you don't hear
from a lot of renters, I feel like maybe they feel like they don't have a voice because they don't
own a home but you know, talk about middle class tourists, we have a middle class here that
needs to be supported and I do appreciate you guys stepping up and putting this forward. Thank
you very much.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: I will say that one thing I weighed very heavily is because my
position, I had originally supported seven nights, was the impact on the long term impact on
, Southold Town Board Meeting page 17
August 25, 2015
housing. The estimate that was presented to me one night, at the last public hearing, was that
there are 600 of these here in Southold. That's 5 % of the housing stock. There were none just a
few years ago, how many will be there in five years? Ten percent? Twenty percent? At what
point do you get to the tipping point and I am not going to confuse that with affordable housing,
because these aren't affordable rentals either way. It's just the availability of rentals that
presented a lot of concerns to me. Moving forward, again, what we are doing now, we are trying
to anticipate what consequences are down the road.
MR. COOPER: And you have to look at, yeah, you look at 600 units,that's why I did my search
basis a minimum of two bedrooms. We are not talking about someone renting out a room in
their house under $400, so we are eliminating McMansions. These are cottages. I rented a
cottage in Mattituck, I rented a two bedroom apartment in Greenport. I rented an apartment in
Southold, you know, these are what you are finding on these websites. These are not some
highfalutin waterfront homes. This is, these are not summer homes, these are year round rentals.
And you know, they are being used as hotels and they are making, it is more profitable to do it.
Do the math, it is very simple. But anyway,thank you.
James Spanos
MR. SPANOS: Just one more thing, I just wanted to make a suggestion and I didn't realize we
can put a sunset provision on the code that you are about to vote on. And what I am hoping you
can consider today is tabling the matter, doing the sunset provision not for four years but for one
year until next year where we can get a ballot referendum on the ballot to see what people who
don't have a voice here or people who don't have an attorney and a small group pushing you
guys to vote on something you might not want to. So all the seniors can come out, so every
family that we were raised around here, could come out and vote to see what they want. A 30
day, that's what I think it should be. They outlawed short term rental in Southampton Village,
they are outlawing it in Manhattan and we are over here bending down because somebody
comes, a group comes here with a lawyer, I think we should really think about this, we shouldn't
rush into a vote. We should table the matter, put a sunset provision in for a year and put it on the
ballot next year. Just to consider and what that gentleman said is happening all over. There's no
rentals, the rentals are going up to $3,000. They are not affordable anymore. You want to chase
everybody out of here? It's in your hands.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Thank you.
Benja Schwartz, Cutchogue
BENJA SCHWARTZ: Thank you very much. I am sorry I missed the public hearing on this
issue but like everybody else, it's been on my mind, I have been thinking about it about it but I
think you know, my mind, I have been, Benja Schwartz, Cutchogue. I have a few things to add.
First of all, I would like to thank you for what you are planning, I think, to do tonight.
Congratulate you on taking an action that will help. The proposed law describes the purposes of
the proposed law in two sentences. Finding that transient rentals threaten the residential quality
and character of life and decrease the inventory of available long term affordable rentals. I think
they are both very true. We have heard enough about that but in addition to that, I think the
environmental impacts of short term rentals are not mentioned in the preamble, in the purposes,
legislative intent and I think those are key. The entire design of our zoning which initially was
Southold Town Board Meeting page 18
August 25, 2015
agricultural and residential combined, it was a really, looked at as a very creative zoning plan for
any municipality and was copied by many municipalities. In recent years it hasn't kept up with
the times. I think what you are going to do tonight is hopefully going to bring it up to the times
but the residential zoning all over town is based on the land area that's required to have a well
and a cesspool, you need certain distances between them. When you increase the intensity of the
use from the single family ownership and use to rental use, whether it be two week or seasonal or
whatever, you're increasing that density. We are also going through a transition of a lot of
seasonal houses being transitioned to year round houses. I was the first in my neighborhood.
Moved into what was a winter hunting cabin and then became summer residents and then I
moved in year round. Since then many other people in my neighborhood have moved around me
year round but all these things are increasing the environmental impacts of our residential,
limited amount of residential land. They are increasing the demand for our limited supplies of
fresh water. And they are aggravating the problems that we are experiencing from excessive
nitrogen, from pollution from residential use. The, one other issue, recently there have been a
couple of closures of the Great Pond in Southold, one of the few fresh water lakes in Southold I
believe. Don't know it that well but in looking into it, it became very clear that when it was
closed a few years ago, they pretty much identified the problem as residential use. I believe
there's approximately 30 houses around the Great Pond in addition to a camp but of those 30
houses, I think maybe 15 of them are being made available as short term rentals, which greatly
increases the environmental impacts of those properties. So I you know, that doesn't just impact
those properties, it impacts all the properties around that and the environment of the whole town.
I appreciate what you are doing and the way you are doing it and I just hope that the, they will
follow through with strict enforcement. Thank you.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Thank you, Benj a.
Kerry Navarre, Mattituck
KERRY NAVARRE: You know, I have been going to all of these meetings. Kerry Navarre,
Mattituck. The one thing I find that all these rentals have in common is that they have no respect
for the Town of Southold, for the founders of this community, for any zoning laws in this
community or any existing residents or businesses that do comply with the existing zoning laws.
What you have going on here is a group of people that are nudging you. They keep chipping
away at the fabric of this community. It's a nudge here, it's whether it should be no locals law
where they don't want to rent, they violate fair housing codes and I just hope you realize, don't
be taken by their nudge. You don't have to agree to their push. This is a push, it's a constant
push, it's constant pressure and they can call them the heartbreak stories and all this other stuff
but don't be fooled by this emotion. It's, they have no respect for the zoning laws, the County of
Suffolk occupancy tax, State of New York sales tax. No one here mentions that they don't pay
any of these taxes that they are required by law. That's again, they are breaking the law in the
first place. It kind of reminds me of a story, something that happened in my life when I was a
little kid, we had summer houses in South Jamesport, along Peconic Bay Boulevard, right across
from the potato farm and we were 14 houses on a lane and four of them were owner occupied
houses. The rest were rental houses and towards the end of, when the crops start getting
harvested, the end of the summer, it seemed like all the people would go and steal potatoes out of
the potato farm. And I was a little kid, like five years old, in 1962, 63. There were 200 acres of
potatoes. And I wanted to go take the potatoes and my dad said you can't do that, that's not
Southold Town Board Meeting page 19
August 25, 2015
yours, that's not your property. And I said but Dad, nobody is around, everybody is doing it.
Why can't I take the potatoes? This neighbor is doing it, that neighbor is doing it. They are
always doing it. He said that's not your potatoes, it's that man's potatoes and it's wrong.
Another analogy is the baymen, he puts his nets out, tries to get his crabs or whatever it is,
nobody is around, you go there, steal the fish, take the crabs out. It doesn't make it right and this
is the same thing happening here in this town, is that you have got a group of people that have
come here, they have loved this place for all the great qualities what everybody else likes but
now they want to break the rules. And it's because they are not being enforced or they are not
getting caught or you know, the neighbor is doing it and this neighbor is doing it but it seems to
be that that's okay because there's nobody watching and you can get away with it. And it still
comes down to the bottom line, they are stealing and they are breaking the laws. Whether or not
they are getting caught, that's a different issue. So I always ask again, you need at least a
minimum of 30 days, that is the law in New York State on a short term rental. Anything less
than that, they are into the hotel/motel business. And this is stealing from hotels and motels and
they may think it's very innocent and some people think that there are an endless supply of
tourists that come here, well, they might come here on Friday and Saturday but you have got
another five days a week that you are going to have to struggle to fill up these rooms because
your customers are being stolen by these rentals and this rental issue is nothing new, it's been
going on at least eight years that we're severely affected resort properties and this goes all over.
And as far as what East Hampton town does, what Riverhead does, I am sure some of you are
familiar with their local politics. The people in those communities envy Southold Town,
Southold Towns the only Board that does listen and make a decision after getting input from the
public. Those other communities, make a decision, have a public hearing, don't listen to it and
they usually end up in litigation for years and years and years. So, don't be nudged, don't be
pushed to make a decision. The bit about not being able to control your tenants, my advice to
you is don't get into the business. If you can't get an attorney that can write a no sub lease
clause then get a different attorney or don't get into the business because everything that you can
imagine a tenant is going to try to pull on you and it's not the town's part to enforce it and when
you have got to go and try to throw that person out and you got to go to court and it takes you
three months to get that person out or six months or a year, now all you neighbors have to deal
with that nonsense because you made a mistake by renting and if you are not equipped or
inexperienced, then go and get experience somewhere else, don't make your mistakes here.
That's it. I just ask that you take your time and don't be nudged because that's what we got here,
is a batch of nudgers. Thank you.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Sir, you can go and then I am going to have to go to the agenda, so
this is going to be the last speaker until the end of the agenda.
Salem Katsh, Orient
MR. KATSH: Well, I agree with the gentleman on one thing. You shouldn't be nudged, there's
no urgency, the season is almost over. You really have not looked at the data as far as I can tell,
there's speculation on how many renters, how many will be in two years, three years, four years,
five years. You don't have data and anecdotes at King Kullen or otherwise doesn't cut it. Now,
if you listen to the hearings that have been held on this subject, you are not going to hear people
worried about so called quality of life, you are going to hear anger, you are going to hear
conspiracy theories about baymen, about beach violations, about people from Brooklyn. You are
Southold Town Board Meeting page 20
August 25, 2015
going to hear raw xenophobia and that, you want to say it's not a witch hunt, it is a witch hunt.
The people who want this are screaming at you, I don't know exactly why but I know what a
code word is, I am a student of constitutional history. I know what code words are. Code words
are used to bury a true motive, as separate but equal, oh, that's great, everybody's equal. Or vote
id laws to prevent fraud. Oh, we have to prevent fraud so we enact a, you know, laws on pole
tax. That's what you are doing and the evidence is you don't want to increase the noise
regulations or better them, if it's the decibel noise is too high, if there are other problems of
regular zoning, fix it. People stealing potatoes, fix it. Get more enforcement people. Now, let
me explain to you one example of how the enforcement on this is never going to be able to work.
Your proposal has a presumption that if something is advertised on one of the short term rental
websites, then the town enforcement officer can be presented with that evidence and it raises a
rebuttable presumption that an illegal short term rental is being attempted. Okay, suppose I am
representing a client and I tell them to ignore that. The code enforcement officer issues a citation
and now we proceed to court, in court that presumption is worthless. There is no presumption in
court, the code doesn't say the presumption is admissible in court and it wouldn't be. The town
would have to prove by preponderance of evidence that this guy was in fact advertising a short
term rental. Not even advertise that he was doing it. The code doesn't prevent advertising. The
code prevents doing it. So how are you going to prove that? I mean, how?
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: It's called case...
MR. KETSCH: I am a lawyer. I am a very experienced lawyer.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: It's called case building like any other aspect of the code. And
that's the starting point?
MR. KATSH: Who's going to prove it? What army of lawyers do you have....
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: No, no, let's....
MR. KATSH: You don't have a presumption.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Let's have debate come right to the Town Board, okay?
MR. KATSH: You don't have a presumption in court. It will be the town's burden and I don't
know where you are going to hire these lawyers from, for how many cases, what are you going
to bring, two cases? These are expensive. I know. And I don't think you can afford it.
Anyway, that's one example of where this law falls short. I've said what, no respect, that's
another way of saying we don't want these people. The undesirables, the foreigners, the
outsiders. We all know that that's what's going on and a court will, too, because of the records
you have made of these hearings. Nobody comes in and says, gee, you know, my quality of life
is really being upset by somebody who is renting their house down the street, I haven't heard
that. I have heard my quality of life is being upset because they are parking illegally, because
they are doing flashlights at 2:00 in the morning, because they are making noise. That I have
heard. And then I've heard them tell me who these people allegedly are. So, thank you, I want
Southold Town Board Meeting page 21
August 25, 2015
to say by the way that your patience in listening to everybody is outstanding and really should be
applauded.
Supervisor Russell
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: We are going to get some business done, the agenda. Louisa had to
catch the ferry back to Fishers Island.
V. Resolutions
2015-741
CATEGORY: Audit
DEPARTMENT: Town Clerk
Approve Audit
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby approves the audit dated
August 25,2015.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-741
El Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated _ Yes/Aye No/Nay ! Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled -
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Voter 0 0 1 ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Seconder El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Jill Doherty Mover Q 0 i ❑ 0
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter ❑ ❑ i ❑ Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter 21 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-742
CATEGORY: Set Meeting
DEPARTMENT: Town Clerk
Next Town Board Meeting
RESOLVED that the next Regular Town Board Meeting of the Southold Town Board be held,
Tuesday, September 8, 2015 at the Southold Town Hall, Southold, New York at 7:30 P. M.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-742
El Adopted Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Adopted as Amended Robert Ghosio Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Defeated James Dinizio Jr Voter 21 0 ❑ ❑
Southold Town Board Meeting page 22
August 25, 2015
❑_Tabled William P Ruland Seconder RI ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn Jill Doherty Mover ll 0 0 ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 0 ❑ Excused
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Scott A Russell Voter l l 0 0 0
❑ Rescinded
❑ Town Clerk's Appt -
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-759
CATEGORY: Employment-Town
DEPARTMENT: Accounting
Establish a Rate for Part Time Code Enforcement Officer
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby establishes the following
hourly rate for Part Time Code Enforcement Officer:
2015 $27.2110
2016 $27.7552
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-759
El Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay , Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Voter ll 0 ❑ 0
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Mover El 0 0 0
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Voter ❑ ❑ 0
❑ Rescinded Jill Doherty Seconder RI ❑ 0 ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P.Evans Voter ❑ ❑ 0 Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell ' Voter 0 0 ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-740
Tabled 8/11/2015 7:30 PM
CATEGORY: Enact Local Law
DEPARTMENT: Town Clerk
Enact LL - Transient Rentals
Southold Town Board Meeting page 23
August 25, 2015
RESOLVED that there has been presented to the Town Board of the Town of Southold, Suffolk
County,New York, on the 14th day of July, 2015, a Local Law entitled "A Local Law in
relation to Amendments to Chapter 280, Zoning, in connection with Transient Rental
Properties." And be it further
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold held a public hearing on the
aforesaid Local Law at which time all interested persons were given an opportunity to be heard,
now therefor be it
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby ENACTS the proposed Local
Law entitled, "A Local Law in relation to Amendments to Chapter 280, Zoning, in
connection with Transient Rental Properties" reads as follows:
LOCAL LAW NO. 7 of 2015
A Local Law entitled, "A Local Law in relation to Amendments to Chapter 280, Zoning, in
connection with Transient Rental Properties".
BE IT ENACTED by the Town Board of the Town of Southold as follows:
I. Purpose.
The Town Board of the Town of Southold has determined that with the advent of internet
based"For Rent by Owner" services, there has been a dramatic increase in residential homes
being rented for short periods of time. The Town Board finds that such transient rentals threaten
the residential character and quality of life of neighborhoods in which they occur. Additionally,
the Town Board has determined that a short-term rental, as being potentially more lucrative, will
necessarily decrease the inventory of available long-term affordable rentals. Therefore, the
Town Board in order to protect the health, safety and welfare of the community requires the
regulation of these transient rental properties.
II. Chapter 280 of the Code of the Town of Southold is hereby amended as follows:
§280-4. Definitions.
TRANSIENT RENTAL PROPERTY
A dwelling unit which is occupied for habitation as a residence by persons, other than the owner
or a family member of the owner, and for which rent is received by the owner, directly or
indirectly, in exchange for such residential occupation for a period of less than fourteen (14)
nights. For the purposes of this Chapter, the term Transient Rental Property shall mean all non-
owner occupied, single-family residences, two-family residences, and townhouses rented for a
period of less than fourteen (14)nights and shall not include:
1. Any legally operating commercial hotel/motel business or bed and breakfast
establishment operating exclusively and catering to transient clientele; that is, customers
who customarily reside at these establishments for short durations for the purpose of
vacationing, travel, business, recreational activities, conventions, emergencies and other
activities that are customary to a commercial hotel/motel business.
2. A dwelling unit located on Fishers Island, due to the unique characteristics of the Island,
Southold Town Board Meeting page 24
August 25, 2015
including the lack of formal lodging for visitors.
The presence of the following shall create a presumption that a dwelling unit is being used as a
transient rental property:
1. The dwelling unit is offered for lease on a short-term rental website, including Airbnb,
Home Away, VRBO and the like; or
2. The dwelling unit is offered for lease in any medium for a period of less than fourteen
(14)nights.
The foregoing presumption may be rebutted by evidence presented to the Code Enforcement
Officer for the Town of Southold that the dwelling unit is not a transient rental property.
§280-111. Prohibited uses in all districts.
A. Any use which is noxious, offensive or objectionable by reason of the emission of smoke,
dust, gas, odor or other form of air pollution or by reason of the deposit, discharge or
dispersal of liquid or solid wastes in any form in such manner or amount as to cause
permanent damage to the soil and streams or to adversely affect the surrounding area or
by reason of the creation of noise, vibration, electromagnetic or other disturbance or by
reason of illumination by artificial light or light reflection beyond the limits of the lot on
or from which such light or light reflection emanates; or which involves any dangerous
fire, explosive, radioactive or other hazard; or which causes injury, annoyance or
disturbance to any of the surrounding properties or to their owners and occupants; and
any other process or use which is unwholesome and noisome and may be dangerous or
prejudicial to health, safety or general welfare, except where such activity is licensed or
regulated by other governmental agencies.
B. Artificial lighting facilities of any kind which create glare beyond lot lines.
C. Uses involving primary production of the following products from raw materials:
charcoal and fuel briquettes; chemicals; aniline dyes; carbide; caustic soda; cellulose;
chlorine; carbon black and bone black; creosote; hydrogen and oxygen; industrial
alcohol; nitrates of an explosive nature; potash; plastic materials and synthetic resins;
pyroxylin; rayon yarn; hydrochloric, nitric,phosphoric,picric and sulfuric acids; coal,
coke and tar products, including gas manufacturing; explosives; gelatin, glue and size
(animal); linoleum and oil cloth; matches;paint, varnishes and turpentine; rubber(natural
or synthetic); soaps, including fat rendering; starch.
D. The following processes:
(1) Nitrating of cotton or of other materials.
(2) Milling or processing of flour.
(3) Magnesium foundry.
(4) Reduction, refining, smelting and alloying metal or metal ores.
(5) Refining secondary aluminum.
(6) Refining petroleum products, such as gasolines, kerosene, naphtha and lubricating
oil.
(7) Distillation of wood or bones.
(8) Reduction and processing of wood pulp and fiber, including paper mill
operations.
E. Operations involving stockyards, slaughterhouses and slag piles.
F. Storage of explosives.
Southold Town Board Meeting page 25
August 25, 2015
G. Quarries.
H. Storage of petroleum products.Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter,
storage facilities with a total combined capacity of more than 20,000 gallons, including
all tanks,pipelines, buildings, structures and accessory equipment designed, used or
intended to be used for the storage of gasoline, fuel oil, kerosene, asphalt or other
petroleum products, shall not be located within 1,000 feet of tidal waters or tidal
wetlands.
I. Encumbrances to public roads.
(1) No person shall intentionally discharge or cause to be discharged any water of any
kind onto a public highway, roadway, right-of-way or sidewalk causing a public ,
nuisance, hazardous condition, or resulting in flooding or pooling in or around the
public area, including neighboring properties.
(2) No person shall place or cause to be placed obstructions of any kind, except the
lawful parking of registered vehicles, upon a public highway, roadway, right-of-
way or sidewalk that unreasonably interferes with the public's use of the public
highway, roadway, right-of-way or sidewalk.
J. Transient Rental Properties.
§280-155. Penalties for offenses.
A. For each offense against any of the provisions of this chapter or any regulations made
pursuant thereto or for failure to comply with a written notice or order of any Building
Inspector within the time fixed for compliance therewith,the owner, occupant, builder,
architect, contractor, or their agents, or any other person who commits, takes part or
assists in the commission of any such offense or any person, including an owner,
contractor, agent or other person who fails to comply with a written order or notice of any
Building Inspector or Zoning Inspector shall, upon a first conviction thereof, be guilty of
a violation,punishable by a fine not exceeding $5,000 or by imprisonment for a period
not to exceed 15 days, or both. Each day on which such violation shall occur shall
constitute a separate, additional offense. For a second and subsequent conviction within
18 months thereafter, such person shall be guilty of a violation punishable by a fine not
exceeding $10,000 or by imprisonment for a period not to exceed 15 days, or by both
such fine and imprisonment.
B. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any violation of§§280-13A(6), 280-13B(13), 280-13D,
and 280-111(j) are hereby declared to be offenses punishable by a fine not less than
$1,500 nor more than $8,000 or imprisonment for a period not to exceed six months, or
both, for a conviction of a first offense; for convictions of a second or subsequent offense
within 18 months, a fine not less than $3,000 nor more than $15,000 or imprisonment not
to exceed a period of six months, or both. However, for the purpose of conferring
jurisdiction upon courts and judicial officers in general, violations of this chapter shall be
deemed misdemeanors, and, for such purpose only, all provisions of law relating to
misdemeanors shall apply. Each day's continued violations shall constitute a separate
additional violation. Additionally, in lieu of imposing the fine authorized in this section,
in accordance with Penal Law §80.05(5),the court may sentence the defendant(s)to pay
an amount, fixed by the court, not exceeding double the amount of the rent collected over
• the term of the occupancy.
Southold Town Board Meeting page 26
August 25, 2015
III. SEVERABILITY
If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section, or part of this Local Law shall be adjudged by any
court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, the judgment shall not affect the validity of this law
as a whole or any part thereof other than the part so decided to be unconstitutional or invalid.
IV. EFFECTIVE DATE
This Local Law shall take effect sixty (60) days after its filing with the Secretary of State as
provided by law.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-740
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated
Yes/Aye ' No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Voter ll ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr ; Voter ll 0 ❑ 0
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P.Ruland Seconder El 0 0 0
❑ Rescmded Jill Doherty Mover 0 0 3 0 0
0 Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 0 0 Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell ' Voter lJ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-743
CATEGORY: Authorize Payment
DEPARTMENT: Town Attorney
Authorize Payment to Flory Cardinale/Notice of Claim Settlement
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby authorizes and directs the
payment of the sum of$571.42 to Flory A. Cardinale for property damage stemming from an
incident on May 26, 2015, subject to the approval of the Town Attorney.
I Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-743
ll Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Seconder El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Voter El 0 0 ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Mover El 0 ❑ ❑
❑ Rescmded Jill Doherty Voter El 0 ❑ 0
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter ❑ ❑ 0 Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter El 0 0 ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
Southold Town Board Meeting page 27
August 25, 2015
2015-744
CATEGORY: Authorize Payment
DEPARTMENT: Town Attorney
Authorize Payment to Robert Ingram/Notice of Claim Settlement
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby authorizes and directs the
payment of the sum of$328.73 to Robert Ingram for property damage stemming from an
incident on June 29, 2015, subject to the approval of the Town Attorney.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-744
ll Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated _ _ -_.- -- --------_-..___ __._._ __.______________ ._ __
Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
Robert Ghosio , Mover ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Voter ❑ 0 ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Seconder EI ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Jill Doherty Voter lEt ❑ 0 ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter ❑ 0 E 0 Excused
0 Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter l ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-745
CATEGORY: Attend Seminar
DEPARTMENT: Police Dept
Police Department-Training Request
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby grants permission to
Lieutenant James Ginas and Sergeant Richard Perkins to attend a seminar on Impact
Training in Saratoga Springs,NY, from September 14th through the 16th,2015. All
expenses for hotel, meals and travel to be a legal charge to the 2015 budget (meetings and
seminars) A.3120.4.600.225
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-745
21 Adopted Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Adopted as Amended Robert Ghosio Voter D ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Defeated James Dinizio Jr Mover 0 0 0
❑ Tabled William P Ruland Voter ❑✓ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn Jill Doherty Seconder 121 ❑ 0 0
❑ Supervisor's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 0 0 Excused
Southold Town Board Meeting page 28
August 25, 2015
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded
❑ Town Clerk's Appt
O Supt Hgwys Appt
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-746
CATEGORY: Employment-Town
DEPARTMENT: Accounting
Accepts Resignation of Thomas Nielsen
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby accepts the resignation of
Thomas Nielsen from the position of Part Time Home Health Aide for the Human Resource
Center, effective August 14, 2015.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-746
El Adopted
O Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated _._ _ _ _ _ _______ Yes/Aye No/Nay ; Abstain Absent
O Tabled
Robert Ghosio Voter El 0 t 0 0
0 Withdrawn
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Voter Q 0 0 ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Seconder El 0 0 0
❑ Rescinded Jill Doherty Mover El 0 0 0
0 Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 0 0 Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter RI 0 0 ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-747
CATEGORY: Budget Modification
DEPARTMENT: Fishers Island Ferry District
2015 FIFD Budget Mod
Financial Impact:
to cover over-expended budget lines
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby ratifies and approves the
resolution of the Fishers Island Ferry District Board of Commissioners dated August 14, 2015,
which amended the 2015 Fishers Island Ferry District budget.
Southold Town Board Meeting page 29
August 25, 2015
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-747
El Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated " "
Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Seconder El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Voter El 0 0 0
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Jill Doherty Voter El 0 ❑ ❑
0 Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 0 0 Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter El 0 ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-748
CATEGORY: Performance Bond
DEPARTMENT: Planning Board
Accept Subdivision Performance Bond Cutchogue Business Center(F&S LLC)
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby accepts Subdivision
Performance Bond#09180383 issued by Fidelity and Deposit Company of Maryland in
the amount of$189,825.00 for the proposed Standard Subdivision entitled"Cutchogue
Business Center (F&S, LLC)", SCTM#1000-83-3-4.6, located at 12820 Oregon Road,
on the corner of Cox Lane & Oregon Road, Cutchogue, as recommended by the Southold
Town Planning Board, subject to the approval of the Town Attorney.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-748
El Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated - - " " ""
Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled __
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Mover CQ 0 0 0
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Voter 0 0 0
El
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Seconder El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Jill Doherty Voter El ❑ 0 0
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 0 ❑ Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A.Russell Voter 0 0 0 0
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-749
Southold Town Board Meeting page 30
August 25, 2015
CATEGORY: Employment-FIFD
DEPARTMENT: Accounting
FIFD Memorandum of Agreement with CSEA
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby ratifies and approves the
resolution of the Fishers Island Ferry District adopted August 14, 2015 that ratifies and approves
the 2015-2017 memorandum of agreement with the CSEA.
I Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-749 _
ll Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
Robert Ghosio Voter Lel ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Mover 0 0 0 0
LI Tax Receiver's Appt William P.Ruland Voter El 0 0 ❑
❑ Rescinded Jill Doherty Seconder, 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter ❑ ❑ 0 Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter El ❑ 0 0
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-750
CATEGORY: Refund
DEPARTMENT: Town Clerk
Various Clean Up Deposits
WHEREAS the following groups have supplied the Town of Southold with a Clean-up Deposit
fee in the amount of$250.00, for their events and
WHEREAS the Southold Town Police Chief, Martin Flatley, has informed the Town Clerk's
office that this fee may be refunded, now therefor be it
RESOLVED that Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby authorizes a refund be issued in
the amount of$250.00 to the following:
Name Date Received
Southold Yacht Club 6/16/15
PO Box 546
Southold,NY 11971
The Old Town Arts Crafts Guild 7/31/15
Southold Town Board Meeting page 31
August 25, 2015
PO Box 392
Cutchogue,NY 11935
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-750
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated -` -"" ' - a"
Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled _
o Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Voter ' 0 0 0 ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Seconder 0 0 0 0
0 Rescinded Jill Doherty Mover 0 0 0 0
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P.Evans Voter 0 0 0 Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter ; 0 ❑ ❑ 0
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-751
CATEGORY: Property Usage
DEPARTMENT: Town Clerk
Special Trailer Permit
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby grants approval of a
special trailer permit application of Glover Perennials, 725 Sterling Lane, Cutchogue,New
York 11935 for a period of six (6)months from date of issuance to locate a second trailer for
agricultural purposes on property located at 725 Sterling Lane, Cutchogue,New York 11935
SCTM#1000-96-5-13 to be used solely for the purpose of office space for the farm office staff.
I Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-751
O Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated - ' '- -
Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled _ _
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Seconder E ❑ 0 ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Voter 0 0 0 0
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
0 Rescinded Jill Doherty Voter 0 0 0 0
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter ' 0 0 0 Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ 0 0
❑ No Action
O Lost
Southold Town Board Meeting page 32
August 25, 2015
2015-752
CATEGORY: Budget Modification
DEPARTMENT: Solid Waste Management District
SWMD Budget Modifications
Financial Impact-
Increase
mpactIncrease authorization(s)for exhaust system repairs on Chevy Silverado; hydraulic hose replacement on
Volvo loader; 2 new tires for CAT 966.
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby modifies the 2015 Solid
Waste Management District budget as follows:
From:
SR 8160.4.100.200 Diesel Fuel $5,400
Total $5,400
To:
SR 8160.4.100.525 Payloader/Truck Tires $3,000
SR 8160.4.100.552 Maint/Supply Volvo Loader 400
SR 8160.4.100.625 Maint/Supply Chevy Pickup 2,000
Total $5,400
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-752
El Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye , No/Nay j Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled _ _ _
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Mover , El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio0
Jr Voter El ❑ j ❑
0 Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Seconder El 0 ❑ 0
❑ Rescinded Jill Doherty Voter El 0 0 0
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 , 0 0 Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter El , ❑ 0 0
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-753
CATEGORY: Contracts, Lease&Agreements
DEPARTMENT: Planning Board
Open Space Conservation Easement Aries Estates (Tully)
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby accepts the "Open Space
Conservation Easement" for the Standard Clustered Subdivision of Aries Estates (Tully),
SCTM#1000-22-3-2 and hereby authorizes Supervisor Scott A. Russell to execute the easement
Southold Town Board Meeting page 33
August 25, 2015
documents in connection therewith, subject to the approval of the Town Attorney.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-753
El Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
El Tabled _
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Voter El 0 0 0
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Mover El 0 1 0 ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Voter ' El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Jill Doherty Seconder El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P.Evans Voter 0 ❑ ❑ Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A.Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-754
CATEGORY: Public Service
DEPARTMENT: Town Clerk
Appoint Temporary Marriage Officer
'RESOLVED the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby appoints Robert I. Scott, Jr. as a
Temporary Marriage Officer for the Town of Southold, on Sunday,November 8, 2015 only, to
serve at no compensation.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-754
El Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated -
Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
CI Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Voter El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dim=Jr , Voter El ❑ ❑ 1:1
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Seconder El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Jill Doherty Mover , El El 0 0
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter ❑ ❑ ❑ Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter El ❑ 0 0
El No Action
❑ Lost
•
2015-755
CATEGORY: Budget Modification
DEPARTMENT: Accounting •
Southold Town Board Meeting page 34
August 25, 2015
Budget Modification for Highway Septic System
Financial Impact:
Allocate capital fiords allocated for salt storage building to a new project for testing, abandonment and
replacement of the non-conforming block cesspool encountered at the Highway yard during construction
of the new fueling facility
WHEREAS the Town Board of the Town of Southold has determined that the appropriation
included in the 2015 Capital Budget for a salt storage building at the Highway yard should be
used for the testing, abandonment and replacement of the non-conforming block cesspool
encountered during construction of the new fueling facility at the Highway yard, and
WHEREAS the Town's Capital Budget process requires a resolution to formally establish
Capital Budget items in the Capital Fund, now therefore be it
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby authorizes the
establishment of the following Capital Project in the 2015 Capital Fund:
Capital Project Name: Highway Septic System
Financing Method: Transfer from the General Fund Whole Town
Budget: Revenues:
H.5031.14 Interfund Transfers $35,000
Total $35,000
Appropriations:
H.1620.2.300.750 Buildings & Grounds
Capital Outlay
Highway Septic System $35,000
Total $35,000
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-755
ll Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated
Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled _
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Seconder El ❑ 0 0
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Mover El 0 0 0
❑ Rescinded Jill Doherty Voter El 0 0 ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P.Evans ' Voter 0 ❑ ❑ Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell , Voter El 0 0 ❑
❑ No Action
O Lost
2015-756
Southold Town Board Meeting page 35
August 25, 2015
CATEGORY: Advertise
DEPARTMENT: Human Resource Center
Permission to Advertise for PT Mini Bus Driver at the HRC
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby authorizes and directs the
Town Clerk to advertise for the position of part time Mini Bus Driver for the Human Resource
Center.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-756
ll Adopted
O A- dopted as Amended
- -- -- -- --- - -- ----
❑ D- efeated Yes/Aye No/Nay ( Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled - -
ll
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio ' Mover ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr , Voter 0 0 0 0
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Seconder El ❑ i ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Jill Doherty Voter El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 ❑ 0 Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A.Russell Voter El 0 j 0 0
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-757
CATEGORY: Employment-Town
DEPARTMENT: Accounting
Resignation of Employee
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby accepts the resignation of
Lynne Krauza from the position of Confidential Secretary to the Town Attorney effective
September 4, 2015.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-757
El Adopted
O Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated -
Yes/Aye No/Nay E Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Voter ' El 0 0 0
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Mover El 0 0 0
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Voter El 0 ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Jill Doherty Seconder El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 0 0 Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter El 0 0 0
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
Southold Town Board Meeting page 36
August 25, 2015
2015-758
CATEGORY: Authorize to Bid
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
Bid for Generator for Police Department
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby authorizes and directs the
Town Clerk's office to advertise for the removal of old Generator at Southold Town Police
Headquarters and furnish and install a new generator.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-758
El Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ DefeatedYes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled -
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Voter El 0 ❑ ❑
James Dinizio Jr Voter ❑✓ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt -
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Seconder El ❑ 0 ❑
Doherty Jill Mover D 0
❑ Rescinded ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter ❑ ❑ ❑ Excused
o Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter El 0 0 ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-760
CATEGORY: Budget Modification
DEPARTMENT: Police Dept
PD-Budget Modification
Financial Impact:
Donation of the Mattituck Lions Club for the purchase of a new traffic survey system
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby increases the 2015 General
Whole Town Fund budget as follows:
Revenues:
A.2705.40 Gifts &Donations $4,231
Total $4,231
Appropriations:
A.3120.2.500.300 Police/Other Equipment/Radar $4,231
Southold Town Board Meeting page 37
August 25, 2015
Total $4,231
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-760
El Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye , No/Nay i Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
El Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Seconder El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Voter El 0 ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Mover El 0 ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Jill Doherty Voter El ; ❑ 1 0 0
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter ❑ ❑ I ❑ Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter El j 0 0
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
Comment regarding resolution 760
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: Can I just make a comment because I think we should say, the
donation of the Mattituck Lions made this possible. Part of the proceeds from their Strawberry
Festival and I thought that was a really good thing of them to do.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Yes, Jim. And to clarify for what it is, we get a lot of complaints for
speeding in Southold Town,this is a remote, computer generated device, it is going to capture all
the data with regard to vehicle use, it is going to record all the speeds that go by and that way we
can identify those areas where speeding really is a problem. Yes, it's a computer that mounts on
a telephone pole, captures all the data.
2015-761
CATEGORY: Grants
DEPARTMENT: Engineering
Submit Grant Application -Constructed Wetlands
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby authorizes the Engineering
Department to submit a grant application to the Suffolk County Water Quality Protection and
Restoration Program requesting a grant for$40,000, of which$20,000 will be the Town's
contribution, for the design, construction and testing of a constructed wetlands wastewater
treatment system at Jean W. Cochran Park in Peconic.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-761
El Adopted Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Adopted as Amended Robert Ghosio Mover El ❑ El 0
❑ Defeated James Dinizio Jr Voter El 0 0 ❑
❑ Tabled William P Ruland Seconder El ❑ 0 0
❑ Withdrawn Jill Doherty Voter El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0
0 0 Excused
Southold Town Board Meeting page 38
August 25, 2015
o Tax Receiver's Appt Scott A Russell Voter El 0 0 0
❑ Rescinded
O Town Clerk's Appt
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt
O No Action
O Lost
2015-762
CATEGORY: Budget Modification
DEPARTMENT: Accounting
Budget Modification for Underground Camera System
Financial Impact:
Scott wants a budget created for the purchase of an underground camera system for inspecting
stormwater infrastructure. He stated that it should come from unallocated contingencies. The budget
should be established for$16,000, $10,000 of which will be reimbursable to the Town as part of NYDOS
grant contract#C1000259-Southold Watershed and Sewershed Mapping.
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby modifies the 2015 General
Fund Whole Town budget as follows:
Increase Revenues:
A.3089.80 Department of State Grant $10,000
Decrease Appropriations:
A.1990.4.100.100 Unallocated Contingencies 6,000
Totals $16,000
Increase Appropriations:
A.1440.2.100.100 Engineer, Field Equipment $16,000
Total $16,000
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-762
El Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated - -
Yes/Aye No/Nay 1 Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled -
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Voter El 0 ❑ 0
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Mover El 0 ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Voter El 0 0 ❑
o Rescinded Jill Doherty Seconder; 0 ❑ 0 ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter , 0 ❑ ❑ Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A.Russell Voter p 0 El 0
O No Action
O Lost
Southold Town Board Meeting page 39
August 25, 2015
2015-763
CATEGORY: Authorize to Bid
DEPARTMENT: Engineering
Underground Camera Equipment Bid
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby authorizes and directs the
Town Clerk to advertise for bids for the purchase of an underground camera system to be utilized
for the location and assessment of underground stormwater infrastructure.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-763
El Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
O Tabled __,____�__
Robert Ghosio ; Voter ❑ _ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Voter ❑ i ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P Ruland Seconder 21 0 0 0
❑ Rescinded Jill Doherty Mover ❑ ! ❑ ❑
0 Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter ❑ ❑ ❑ Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter 21 ❑ 0 0
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-764
CATEGORY: Advertise
DEPARTMENT: Town Attorney
Request to Advertise for PT Code Enforcement Officer
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby authorizes and directs the
Town Clerk to advertise for the position of PT Code Enforcement Officer for the Town
Attorney's Office at a rate of$27.2110 per hour.
I Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-764
El Adopted Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
O Adopted as Amended .._. ___ _
❑ Defeated - Robert Ghosio Seconder El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tabled James Dmtzio Jr Voter El 0 0 0
❑ Withdrawn William P Ruland Mover ❑ 0 0
❑ Supervisor's Appt Jill Doherty Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
0 Tax Receiver's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter ❑ 0 0 Excused
O Rescinded Scott A Russell Voter 0 0 0 0
Southold Town Board Meeting page 40
August 25, 2015
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Il
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2015-765
CATEGORY: Support/Non-Support Resolution
DEPARTMENT: Town Attorney
Support Letter to MTA for Greenport Freight House
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby authorizes Supervisor Scott
A. Russell to send a letter on behalf of the Town to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in
support of efforts of the Railroad Museum of Long Island to obtain a direct lease with the
MTA/LIRR for the property known as the Greenport Freight House.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2015-765 _
EI Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated ___ " _-__" _"_ _ _" "
Yes/Aye No/Nay ! Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Mover �El _ ❑ I ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt James Dinizio Jr Voter 0 ❑ I ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt William P.Ruland Seconder El 0 0 0
❑ Rescinded Jill Doherty Voter El ❑ ? 0 0
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P.Evans Voter ❑ 0 0 Excused
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter El 0 I 0 0
❑ No Action
0 Lost
VI. Public Hearings
None
Closing Statements
Supervisor Russell
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Before we go to the open comments, I just want everybody to
understand that what we heard tonight epitomizes the position that the Town Board is in. If we
don't listen to the public, we are unresponsive and arrogant, if we listen to the public, we are
caving in to a bunch of people. That's, it's a tough spot to be in and I don't think either is true.
At any rate, with that said, by all means.
Southold Town Board Meeting page 41
August 25, 2015
Robert Dunn,Peconic
ROBERT DUNN: Just to clarify about 748, that was a performance bond? I guess somebody
else is going to put a business park behind the industrial park?
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Yes, that would be for a site plan I believe.
MR. DUNN: Okay. It's not specifically about this, my question is, do you do traffic studies?
Serious traffic study of impact before these things go forward?
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: They are part of the SEQRA review, so traffic would be one of those
issues that would be raised as part of the SEQRA review.
MR. DUNN: I mean, like you know, there's nothing you can do now. The guy who is doing the
recycle plant in the industrial park, I don't know, did anybody really know how much is going to
come out of there?
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: That was given to an independent consultant who evaluated traffic
among all environmental impacts.
MR. DUNN: You add that on top of the Trinity trucks that are carrying our own waste, there's a
lot of traffic being generated there and you say, well, you want jobs and all that, well, where are
the jobs. Those guys probably can't even afford to live in the town anymore and what's the
payoff there if you are going to repair roads because a lot of those guys end up on 48, sorry on
the back road, 58 and part of its ours, part of its Riverhead. Riverhead had to repair a whole
section of it this winter. Those roads are country roads, they are not made for huge traffic and
what's the payoff and what's the loss? And I am not talking against this project but just that we
have got to go into this with our eyes open.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: I would agree. Obviously you can't unring that bell but the traffic
study that was done...
MR. DUNN: I am not suggesting that you do...
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: No, I know.
MR. DUNN: Or penalize them or anything but going forward if you are going to allow this kind
of stuff and we think it's good for the town, is it good for the town?
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Right but just to understand, the traffic study evaluated the fact that
that traffic was already on the road but rather than coming from the town transfer station, it's
going to its own transfer station. The traffic that is being produced is traffic that's going to be
brought there and then hauled out anyway, it's just now through a private carter rather than a
town...
Southold Town Board Meeting page 42
August 25, 2015
MR. DUNN: I have got to tell you that and I think Mr. Ruland was given the same gut feeling,
the Trinity trucks leaving our town dump which is non-compacted waste is a lot lighter than the
trucks that are coming out of there with 15 or 20 of those green bags that are fully compacted.
The weight on them is a whole world of difference than the Trinity trucks which are just dump
trucks loaded by a payloader or just loose garbage. And those guys are recycling, they are
separating very finely, heavy stuff is going here, metal is going there, it's a whole different world
and I am not being critical of them. They asked to do their stuff, they met whatever hurdles you
put before them and they are operating and they have got a right to continue to operate as long as
they want to but are we looking towards the future and the costs? I mean, I think when 48, when
48 was finished there, they were expecting to ultimately connect it to the expressway and that
ain't gonna happen. So it is going to go on that little tiny North Road there and Sound Avenue
and that road just not made for it, so we are going to pay a price for that and you ought to go in
with our eyes wide open.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Point well taken. I didn't even stop to consider it from that
perspective. That would be, our garbage? It goes to Govanta in Babylon and our recyclables go
to Brookhaven in an inter-municipal agreement.
UNIDENTIFIED: Inaudible.
COUNCILMAN RULAND: Might be a viable alternate if we had a railroad. All we have are
tracks.
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: I would like to say this, Robert, we zoned that to attract that type of
business in that area, you know, it was all considered and you know, I saw a truck coming from
Riverhead go in there, to that location, the other day. So I get that there's probably more traffic
than we may have anticipated but we have some responsibility in that and on that road, we have
some responsibility to upkeep that so you know, we can have the jobs that it brings. I mean, it
brings jobs no matter what. The guy who is driving the truck is making money, he has got to be
living around here somewhere and that particular area,just that area was the worst case of what
you could have in Southold Town. That's where we put it.
MR. DUNN: But if a guy is driving a truck who lives in Patchogue, it does nothing for our
town.
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: yeah but that's not the point though, Robert.
MR. DUNN: And if I have got to pay taxes to repair the road...
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: That's not the point, look, the roads are for the public to use. The
roads are for commerce as much as any joe shmoe who wants to drive on them and you know,
the towns and the counties and the states all have a responsibility to ensure those roads are safe.
We can't just keep people off the road because this business is going to cause...
Southold Town Board Meeting page 43
August 25, 2015
MR. DUNN: I am not suggesting you keep people off the road, I am suggesting as we move
forward with these concepts, we be aware of what the ultimate cost it's going to be and what's
the payback?
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: I don't think you need to consider that.
MR. DUNN: Are we creating a beast in our community that's going to cost us money?
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: A good SEQRA process should have been able to identify that
because traffic is part of a SEQRA process. It's been a few years since we have dealt with the
consultants findings but I will say your point is well-taken. Well-taken. Would anybody else
like to address the Town Board?
Benja Schwartz
BENJA SCHWARTZ: Good evening, Benja Schwartz, Cutchogue. I will be brief, been having
quite a drought lately, we need some rain. We are still having a flooding situation on Fleetwood
Road, down the street from me. I was away for a few days and I see a bi'g lake in the middle of
the road, so I said to my wife was it raining? No. Well, the water is coming from sprinkler
systems, the new houses put in,they are not just watering their lawns, they are watering the roads
and we have a low spot in that road that's a problem. I believe there are laws against dumping
water into the road and I could tell you when those sprinkler systems are operating in the middle
of the night if you want to come down and look at them. Just why people have to use their
property but I was also thinking about heading over to the building department and talking to
them about how come their permitting these new residences to be constructed where the
properties are often properties that weren't built on originally because they were too steep so
now the driveways are put in on a slope. There's one on Pequash that put up one they call a pig
snout, garage in front of the house instead of front door. You come first to the garage and then
there's a driveway that they just paved that is going to drain right down into the middle of the
intersection, the middle of Pequash where we always have a problem when it rains. So in terms
of some of these development applications, an application by Harold Reeve and sons in
Mattituck that involves a dual application that was filed, there's one application for rezoning and
a subdivision and then apparently the applicant decided they didn't want to pursue the rezoning
until the subdivision was complete and it seems like the town was going along with that but I
haven't heard any real expression of intent from the Town Board whether they officially agreed
to consider a rezoning, is there any kind of time limit on the rezoning application or is it just up
to the applicant whether they want to put it on hold for a year or two and then....
TOWN ATTORNEY DUFFY: We have not received a complete application for the change of
zone so we can't act on the change of zone application. The planning process, the subdivision at
the Planning Board has been stopped because it's a, it would be a segmented SEQRA review if it
went forward any proposed change of zone and subdivision would have to be a combined
SEQRA study with Town Board assuming lead agency but since we don't have a complete
application, we can't proceed so this stalled because of their own doing.
MR. SCHWARTZ: Sounds good. You know, I am not against development but sometimes
these developers like these people in Cutchogue that want to build that think behind the post
Southold Town Board Meeting page 44
August 25, 2015
office, the 124 houses in what was zoned for high density I think in an attempt to make an area
where we could have affordable houses, smaller houses, but instead they are going to cram in
100 some odd huge houses to maximize their profit rather than provide any benefit to the
community, I don't think anybody but the applicant can petition the town for a rezoning of that
property but the Town Board could take initiative to consider such a thing. Anyway, that
application is proceeding and there is a public hearing scheduled at which my understanding is
the Planning Board will be presenting an outline of what the process will be in that particular
case which is not an ordinary case considering the fact that there was a stipulation of
adjournment of litigation in contemplation of settlement of the litigation but the litigation has not
been settled and will not be settled until there is an approval that has been accepted by the
developer. But the town has agreed to go forward with processing of the application and to do
that under some conditions and in a certain manner that it's hard to really understand how it's
going to work yet but I look forward to that presentation by the Planning Board and I hope that
there will be some members of the Town Board attending especially considering that the Town
Board was a party to the agreement which is now affecting the way that application is going to
be processed by the Planning Board. So even though the property at this point, the zoning has
been frozen by that agreement, the Town Board has agreed not to change the zoning, I think the
Town Board is still a participant in processing that application and I would hope that they will
be at that meeting as well as anybody who is concerned about the future of Southold Town. I
think to come and listen to the presentation as to how the town will consider approving and
permitting what would be one of if not the largest high density residential development in the
Town of Southold, how that is going to work considering the availability of public water has not
been ascertained yet and the treatment of sewage disposal has not been determined yet and yet
the town has agreed not to raise or oppose any proposed means of sewage treatment or any
proposed use of public water, well, the town can agree to that on behalf of the town officials, the
Town Board and the Planning Board have the right but they can't agree to that on behalf of the
towns people. So I believe it will be the first step in a SEQRA process that has been pending in
one form or another for over 30 years but that was stalled in 2009 and now is resuming. It will
be a very interesting meeting that is going to be right here on Monday August 31 at 6:00 PM. So
I look forward to that, I hope I will see you there, too. Thank you.
Supervisor Russell
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Thank you, Benja. Would anybody else like to address the Town
Board on any issue? (No response)
Motion To: Adjourn Town Board Meeting
RESOLVED that this meeting of the Southold Town Board be and hereby is declared adjourned
at 6:08 P.M.
/ ,j/ (1
Eli,. ,eth A.Neville
Southold Town Clerk
Southold Town Board Meeting page 45
August 25, 201,5
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Robert Ghosio, Councilman
SECONDER:Jill Doherty, Councilwoman
AYES: Ghosio, Dinizio Jr, Ruland, Doherty, Russell
EXCUSED: Louisa P. Evans