HomeMy WebLinkAboutTB-02/14/2017 ELIZABETH A.NEVILLETown Hall,53095 Main Road
TOWN CLERK ��o�OgpFFO(ycoGy PO Box 1179
Southold,NY 11971
REGISTRAR OF VITAL STATISTICS o Fax(631)765-6145
MARRIAGE OFFICER 4� tao Telephone: (631)765 - 1800
RECORDS MANAGEMENT OFFICER southoldtown.northfork.net
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION OFFICER
OFFICE OF THE TOWN CLERK
SOUTHOLD TOWN BOARD
REGULAR MEETING
February 14, 2017
7:30 PM
A Regular Meeting of the Southold Town Board was held Tuesday, February 14, 2017 at the
Meeting Hall, Southold,NY.
Call to Order
7:30 PM Meeting called to order on February 14, 2017 at Meeting Hall, 53095 Route 25,
Southold,NY.
Attendee Name Organization Title Status Arrived
James Dinizio Jr Town of Southold Councilman : Present
William_ P. Ruland I Town_of_Southold Councilman Present
Jill Doherty ' Town of Southold_ _.. Coulwoman Present
.__.._ .�.un __ .w.._�...._ _ .__ _
RobertGhosio_ Town of Southold Councilman Present
Louisa P. Evans _ Town of Southold Justice Present
Scott A. Russell Town of Southoldµ Supervisor Present
Elizabeth A.Neville Town of Southold Town Clerk Present
William M Duffy Town of Southold Town Attorney ; Present
I. Reports
1. Solid Waste District Monthly Report
2. Recreation Dept. Monthly Report
3. Department of Solid Waste Monthly Report
4. Zoning Board of Appeals Monthly Report
5. Town Clerk Monthly Report
6. Judge Hughes Monthly Report
7. Justice Evans Monthly Report
8. Justice Price Monthly Report
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 2
II. Public Notices
1. NYS Loans & Grants Department
III. Communications
IV. Discussion
1. 9:00 Am -Janet Douglass
2. 9:15 Am -John Sepenoski o
3. Councilman Ghosio
4. Supervisor Russell
5. Home Rule Request S.3225/A.2671
6. Coastal Erosion Appeal Application
7. 9:30 Am - Melissa Spiro
8. Amendments to Section of the Town Code Entitled "Definitions"
9. EXECUTIVE SESSION-Labor-Matters Involving Employment of Particular Person/S
10. EXECUTIVE SESSION-Litigation
11. 9:45 Am -Jamie Richter
Pledge to the Flag
Opening Comments
Supervisor Russell
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Please rise and join in the Pledge of Allegiance. Thank you. Would
anybody like to address the Town board on any of the agenda items? We do have a public
hearing scheduled shortly but any of the agenda items? Robert?
Robert Dunn
ROBERT DUNN: Robert Dunn, Peconic. Yes, 162. This started, it was first posted in
December for a hearing and unfortunately, I was away for January. I have a couple of issues
with it based on catastrophic loss, I am assuming the gist of it is primarily about those who might
choose to game the system and start with something smaller and go to something big and when
you do that, you are effectively building a new house and maybe conceptually you should be
required to meet that standard and I am just fine with that. I was born in Flushing, lived my
adulthood in Bayside and you see what happens when you go crazy with infill and how it can
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 3
change a neighborhood negatively. When you take, there's any number of houses here that are
legal, non-conforming uses and when you pull that out from under them when they have had a
catastrophic loss, be it a storm, fire or whatever, it can be devastating. Yeah, there are solutions,
I have been speaking with you back and forth through emails and Jim, you mailed me once.
Yeah, you can appeal it but an appeal with ZBA but that could cost $5,000, just to build what
you had. In one of my emails to you I mentioned Board of Health, I wasn't suggesting anything
could happen there but if you had to move your house or jiggle it a bit because of a new rule,
well, you have to be 100 feet from your neighbors well, your septic system has to be 100 feet
from their well, your well has to be 100 feet, so things could have changed since the time you
built your house. And basically, you could make it really hard on somebody who's suffered
catastrophically. And that's outside of the FEMA zone. You made a point and that's very valid,
you have nothing to do with FEMA rules. FEMA rules are FEMA rules. FEMA doesn't care
about zoning, though. FEMA is just going to ask you, tell you, that you have to rebuild with
flood protection. Whether you have got to raise it, fill you basement, whether you have got to
move your mechanicals upstairs, whatever you have got to do there, it's fine and I am all for that
because you are asking somebody else to foot the bill for the future. I am just concerned about
houses that can be severely, negatively impacted on a catastrophic loss. In the FEMA zone or
outside the FEMA zone. Like I said, FEMA doesn't care about zoning, that's a local issue.
FEMA cares about building codes, so FEMA wouldn't tell you where to put your house. That's
something that's, you got my point.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Yes. I actually agree with you on the catastrophic loss, I don't think
this law is where we should address it. That's a separate issue. Because this speaks to, I guess
for a lack of a better term and certainly not arguable, voluntary demolition. Catastrophic loss, as
I have talked to you about, not just Sandy damage but fires and things like that, I know
philosophically I agree with you and I don't want to speak for Jim but I do think there should be
recognition in the code for getting to keep what you have and that certainly, from my
perspective, would pertain to catastrophic loss. But I would say Department of Health is going
to be triggered whether it is 51 percent or 76 percent. You are going before them, we can't
control them.
MR. DUNN: The Department of Health, they are not going to be concerned, if you have got a
house, an existing house with two bedrooms and you are just going to repair a house with two
bedrooms, they are not going to be really concerned because you have already met their
standard, somewhere. If you add a third bedroom, they are going to be very concerned. But I
don't really think the Department of Health is going to get, if you had a fire and lost your kitchen
and bathroom, you want to rebuild your kitchen and bathroom, they are not going to be upset but
a kitchen and bathroom could easily run over 50 percent of the value of homes here.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Yeah, I mean, as I explained to you, the calculation is based on
replacement versus new. So if you look at the actual value of the home and the damage and the
new construction, it could easily exceed 50 percent.
MR. DUNN: Right.
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 4
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: But you are taking the whole thing at it's replacement cost new, so if
you have 1,000 square feet, it's going to be calculated based on current Marshall, Swift or Beck's
index, whichever standard you wanted to use and then, you know....
MR. DUNN: But what I am saying is if you rebuild a kitchen or rebuild a bathroom, in a smaller
home could easily reach 50 percent of the value of that home because a kitchen is exponentially
more expensive than a bedroom or a den.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: That would be a definition then, of catastrophic loss. I understand
what you are saying but you know, you are talking about the distinction between 51 percent and
26 percent, so...
MR. DUNN: It's a third.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: What's that?
MR. DUNN: It's a third. Going from 75 back to 50, you are talking about 1/3 difference. So you
know, it's just if you, and again, if you make a commitment to tweaking it a bit to cover
catastrophic losses down the road, I am okay with it. You know, I mean...
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: I agree, we should take that up as a separate issue.
MR. DUNN: Yeah, because in the code and we don't know what's going to happen 10 years
down the road or 15 years down the road, also in the code is the gradual elimination of non-
conforming uses, so we don't know how another Board might take that.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: You are right.
MR. DUNN: In the future. So, I just think that people that are fairly buying homes or who have
bought homes or will buy a home tomorrow or next week or next month should be comfortable
that should they choose to rebuild it after a catastrophic loss, they can without being encumbered
by a lot of other stuff.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: I agree. The basis of the pre-existing, non-conforming is that you
are entitled to what you have and I would support or certainly philosophically that that should
speak to whether you lose it through a catastrophic event or not.
MR. DUNN: Exactly.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: I would agree.
MR. DUNN: Exactly.
Supervisor Russell
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 5
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Thank you, Robert. Would anybody like to address the Town Board
on any of the agenda items? (No response) Well then we will get some resolutions passed and
then the public hearing.
V. Resolutions
2017-160
CATEGORY: Audit
DEPARTMENT.• Town Clerk
Approve Audit
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby approves the audit dated
February 14, 2017.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-160
E1 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
James Dmizio Jr 1 Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Ruland Voter CSI ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Seconder 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Mover El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A.Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-161
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, February 28, 2017 at the Southold Town Hall, Southold, New York at 4:30 P. M..
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-161
* Adopted Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Adopted as Amended James Dmizio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Defeated William P Roland Voter z ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tabled Jill Doherty Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Seconder 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt Louisa P Evans Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Scott A Russell Voter Rl 0 0 0
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 6
❑ Rescinded
❑ Town Clerk's Appt
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-162
Tabled 1/17/2017 7:30 PM, 1/31/2017 4:30 PM
CATEGORY.• Enact Local Law
DEPARTMENT. Town Clerk
Enact LL- Chapter 280 Demolition
RESOLVED that there has been presented to the Town Board of the Town of Southold, Suffolk
County,New York, on the 20th day of December, 2016, a Local Law entitled "A Local Law in
relation to Amendments to Chapter 280, Zoning, in connection with Demolition" 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 Demolition" reads as follows:
LOCAL LAW NO. 2017
A Local Law entitled, "A Local Law in relation to Amendments to Chapter 280, Zoning, in
connection with Demolition".
BE IT ENACTED by the Town Board of the Town of Southold as follows:
280-4 Definitions.
DEMOLITION _Any removal of a structure or portion thereof, where the total cost of the
reconstruction of the structure or portion thereof-4hat exceeds 7-5-50% of the total square
footage market value of the existing structure before the start of removal.
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.
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 7
IV. EFFECTIVE DATE
This Local Law shall take effect immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State as provided
by law.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-162
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
11Withdrawn James Dimzio Jr ; Mover R1 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Ruland Seconder lZ 11 El
El Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Voter ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 2 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ; ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-163
CATEGORY: Budget Modification
DEPARTMENT: Police Dept
Police Department-Budget Modification
Financial Impact:Reallocation of funds for the 2016 PD budget to compensate for shortages after final
payments of holidays and on call time for the 2016 year
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby modifies the 2016 General
Fund Whole Town budget as follows:
From:
A.3020.1.100.200 Public Safety Comm/Overtime Earnings $1,441
A.3120.1.100.200 Police/Overtime Earnings $1,998
Total $3,439
To:
A.3020.1.100.500 Public Safety Comm/Holiday Earnings $1,441
A.3120.1.100.201 Police/Overtime/On Call $1,998
Total $3,439
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-163
0 Adopted -
Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated James Dmizio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tabled William P Ruland Seconder 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn Jill Doherty Mover CEJ ❑ ❑ ❑
11 Supervisor's Appt Robert Ghosio Voter 10 0 0 0
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 8
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-164
CATEGORY. Employment-Town
DEPARTMENT Accounting
Acknowledges Retirement John A. Cushman II
WHEREAS,the Town of Southold has received email notification on February 2, 2017 from the
NYS Retirement System concerning the retirement of John A. Cushman II effective March 6,
2017 now therefore be it
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby acknowledges the intent to
retire of John A. Cushman II from the position of Town Comptroller for the Town of
Southold effective March 6, 2017.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-164
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeatedyes/Aye No/Nay� Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
❑ Withdrawn James Dmizio Jr Voter 0 El ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Ruland Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans i Seconder 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
Comments regarding resolution 164
COUNCILMAN RULAND: I would like to add with certainly grateful appreciation of myself
and I think the people of the Town of Southold.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: I also want to say that losing John Cushman's work ethic, his
knowledge and his services to this Town is a huge loss and it's going to be very difficult to fill
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 9
that position. I am happy for him, he is looking forward to new opportunities and I wish him the
best.
JUSTICE EVANS: We all do, I think.
2017-165
CATEGORY Y. Close/Use Town Roads
DEPARTMENT. Town Clerk
St. Patrick's Day Parade in Cutchogue
Financial Impact: Total Department Cost for Event =$1,381.44
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby grants permission to The
North Fork Chamber of Commerce and the Cutchogue Fire Department to use the following
route: staging on Eugene's Road and begin at Cox Lane, west on the Main Road to Cases Lane,
ending at the Village Green for its 13th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade in Cutchogue, on
Saturday, March 11, 2017 beginning at 1:00 PM, provided they adhere to all the conditions in the
Town's Policy for Special Events on Town Properties. No objects of any kind shall be thrown to
event spectators. All fees, except the clean-up deposit, shall be waived.
,,'Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-165
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated ----_ —
Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled . - —
_
❑ Withdrawn James Dmtzio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ❑— ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Ruland Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Seconder, 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P.Evans Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A.Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-166
CATEGORY. Budget Modification
DEPARTMENT. Accounting
Create Capital Project for PCs, Laptops&Printers
Financial Impact: Create capital budget for personal computers, laptops &printers
WHEREAS the Town Board of the Town of Southold adopted a 2017 Capital Budget which
includes a$9,400 appropriation for Personal Computers, Laptops, Printers, and
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 10
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 followinlZ Capital Project in the 2017 Capital Fund:
Capital Project Name: Personal Computers, Laptops, Printers
Financing Method: Transfer from the General Fund Whole Town
Budget: Revenues:
H.5031.35 Interf ind Transfers $9,400
Total $9,400
Appropriations:
H.1680.2.600.100 Data Processing
Capital Outlay
Workstations &Printers $9,400
Total $9,400
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-166
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled —
❑ Withdrawn James Dmizio Jr Voter El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Ruland Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Mover I 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Seconder 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-167
Tabled U17/2017 7:30 PM
CATEGORY: Consulting
DEPARTMENT:• Information Technology
RPF for Computer Firewall Upgrades
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby authorizes and directs the
Town Clerk's office to advertise for bids for Firewall Upgrades to all Town locations including
but not limited to hardware, software, etc. as needed.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-167
0 Adopted Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 11
❑ Adopted as Amended James Dmizio Jr Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Defeated William P.Ruland Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tabled Jill Doherty Seconder 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded
❑ Town Clerk's Appt
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-168
CATEGORY: Bid Acceptance
DEPARTMENT.• Town Clerk
Accept Bid on Used Generator
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby accepts the bid of Devino
Trucks &Parts, 190 Doremus Avenue,Newark,NJ 07105 in the amount of$567.00 for a Used
Generator.
,,'Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-168
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
---- - -- ------0 ----- - - — ---
❑ Withdrawn James Dmizio Jr '7o—ter -0 -❑ ❑--
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P.Ruland Seconder 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Mover D ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-169
CATEGORY: Budget Modification
DEPARTMENT• Accounting
Create Capital Budget for Tax Receiver Collection System Upgrade
Financial Impact: Create capital budget for Tax Receiver Collection System Upgrade
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 12
WHEREAS the Town Board of the Town of Southold adopted a 2017 Capital Budget which
includes an$11,000 appropriation to upgrade the Tax Receiver Collection System, 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 2017 Capital Fund:
Capital Project Name: Tax Receiver Collection System Upgrade
Financing Method: Transfer from the General Fund Whole Town
Budget: Revenues:
H.5031.21 Interfund Transfers $11,000
Total $11,000
Appropriations:
H.1680.2.300.300 Data Processing, Capital Outlay
Town Clerk&Tax Receiver
Tax Collection System Upgrade $11,000
Total $11,000
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-169
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated —
Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled -
❑ Withdrawn James Dimzio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P.Ruland Mover RI ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Seconder 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter D ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-170
CATEGORY: Bid Acceptance
DEPARTMENT.• Town Clerk
Accept Bid- Truck for DPW
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby accepts the bid of Mullen
Motors, PO Box 1408, Southold,NY in the amount of$33,000.00 for a 2017 2500 Series Truck
for the Department of Public Works.
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 13
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-170
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled James D ---
❑ Withdrawn m�zio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P.Ruland Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Seconder 2 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A.Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-171
CATEGORY.• Budget Modification
DEPARTMENT. Human Resource Center
Modifying Donation Revenue to Programs for the Aging Appropriations
Financial Impact:No negative impact
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby increases the 2017 General
Fund Whole Town budget as follows:
Revenues:
A.2705.40 Gifts and Donations $1,000
Total $1,000
Appropriations:
A.6772.4.600.200 Programs for the Aging, C.E.
Senior Trips and Excursions $500
A.6772.4.100.110 Programs for the Aging, C.E.
Senior Program Supplies/Materials 500
Total $1,000
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-171
0 Adopted Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Adopted as Amended -- - --
James Dmizio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ❑ El
❑ Defeated
❑ Tabled William P.Ruland Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn .till Doherty Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt Robert Ghosio Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Louisa P Evans Seconder 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
0 Rescinded Scott A Russell Voter 0 0 0 ❑
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 14
❑ Town Clerk's Appt
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-172
CATEGORY.• Local Law Public Hearing
DEPARTMENT: Town Clerk
PH 2128 4:31 Pm - Chapter 245
WHEREAS,there has been presented to the Town Board of the Town of Southold, Suffolk
County,New York, on the 14t1i day of February 2017, a Local Law entitled "A Local Law in
relation to Amendments to Chapter 245,Taxation in Connection with Authorizing
Exemptions from School District Taxes for Cold War Veterans and
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold will hold a public hearing on the
aforesaid Local Law at Southold Town Hall, 53095 Main Road, Southold,New York, on the 28th
day of February,2017 at 4:31 p.m. at which time all interested persons will be given an
opportunity to be heard.
The proposed Local Law entitled, "A Local Law in relation to Amendments to Chapter 245,
Taxation in Connection with Authorizing Exemptions from School District Taxes for Cold
War Veterans" reads as follows:
LOCAL LAW NO. 2017
A Local Law entitled, "A Local Law in relation to Amendments to Chapter 245,Taxation in
Connection with Authorizing Exemptions from School District Taxes for Cold War
Veterans".
BE IT ENACTED by the Town Board of the Town of Southold as follows:
I. Purpose.
The New York State Legislature has amended the New York State Real Property Tax Law to
authorize School Districts to permit a tax exemption for Cold War Veterans upon approval of the
School District. It is the intent of this local law to incorporate this Amendment in the Southold
Town Code so that it is consistent with the New York State Real Property Tax Law.
11. Chapter 245 of the Code of the Town of Southold is hereby amended as follows:
4245-18. Cold War Veterans Exemption.
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 15
F. The exemption allowable under this Article may be extended to taxation of School
Districts if the governing body of the School District in which the property is located
adopts a resolution providing such exemption as provided in Section 458-b(2)(d)(i).
Any Such resolution shall be provided to the Town of Southold Assessors' Office on
or before March 1 for the assessment roll issued within the year.
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 apply to assessment rolls prepared on the basis of taxable status dates
occurring on or after January 1, 2017. This Local Law shall take effect immediately upon filing
with the Secretary of State as provided by law.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-172
R1 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
James Dmizio Jr Mover D ❑ 01 ❑
❑ Withdrawn
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Roland Seconder � ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Voter D ❑ 11
Robert Ghosio Voter D ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P.Evans Voter El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-173
CATEGORY. Attend Seminar
DEPARTMENT. Building Department
Training
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby grants permission to Chief
Building Inspector Michael Verity and Roger Richert to attend a seminar on Solar PV Permitting
and Inspection Methods in Hampton Bays, on February 28, 2017. All expenses for registration
and travel to be a legal charge to the 2017 Building Department budget (meetings and seminars).
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-173
0 Adopted -
❑ Adopted as Amended Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 16
❑ Defeated .lames Dimzio Jr Voter ❑ ❑
❑ Tabled William P Roland Seconder 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn Jill Doherty Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt Robert Ghosio Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-174
CATEGORY: Employment-FIFD
DEPARTMENT: Accounting
Accept Resignation of Dylan Hoyt
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby ratifies and approves the
resolution of the Fishers Island Ferry District adopted February 6, 2017 that accepts the
resignation effective January 30, 2017 of Dylan Hoyt, full time Deckhand, for the Fishers Island
Ferry District.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-174
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
- James Dimzio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Roland Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
El Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
Robert Ghosto Voter 0 1111❑
❑ Rescinded
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Seconder 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-175
C,4TEGORY.• Employment-FIFD
DEPARTMENT: Accounting
Appoint Ryan Healy Full Time Deckhand
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 17
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby ratifies and approves the
resolution of the Fishers Island Ferry District adopted February 6, 2017 that appoints Ryan Healy
to the_position of full time Deckhand at a rate of$15.08 per hour effective February 16, 2017.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-175
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
James Dmizio Jr Voter D ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Ruland Voter D ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosto Seconder 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-176
CATEGORY. Contracts,Lease&Agreements
DEPART1VIENT: Fishers Island Ferry District
FIFD-Docko, Inc
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 February 6, 2017 in
regard to Docko, Inc.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-176
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
James Dmizio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Ruland Voter D ❑ ❑ ❑
El Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Seconder � ❑ ❑ El
Robert Ghosio Mover
❑ Rescinded D ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-177
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 18
CATEGORY.- Authorize Payment
DEPARTTW NT: Fishers Island Ferry District
FIFD- Change Order 91
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 February 6, 2017 in
regard to Change Order#1.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-177
El Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
James Dmizio Jr Mover Rl ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Roland Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Seconder El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Voter El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter ❑ ❑ ❑
❑' No Action
❑ Lost
2017-178
CATEGORY: Contracts,Lease&Agreements
DEPARTMENT• Fishers Island Ferry District
FIFD-Airport Lighting Project
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 February 6, 2017 in
regard to the Airport Lighting Project.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-178
El Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
.lames Dmizio Jr Voter D ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Roland Seconder Rl ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Voter R1 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter R1 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
0 Lost
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 19
2017-179
CATEGORY. Contracts, Lease&Agreements
DEPARTMENT. Fishers Island Ferry District
FIFD- Cross Sound Ferry
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 February 10, 2017
in regard to the Cross Sound Ferry.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-179
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated _.___.____.___.___ _ _-i--- ----Yes/Aye No/Nay _ Abstain Absent -
❑ Tabled ---
James Dimzio Jr Voter l Cif ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Ruland ; Mover D ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Voter i R1 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Voter R1 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Seconder El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-180
CATEGORY: Bond
DEPARTMENT. Town Clerk
Bond Release-Aries Estates Subdivision
RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby approves, upon the
recommendation of the Southold Town Planning Board and the Office of the Town Engineer, the
release of the performance bond for Aries Estates (Tully)Standard Subdivision SCTM# 1000-22-
3-2 in the amount of$19,520.00, all in accordance with the approval of the Town Attorney.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-180
* Adopted - -- --- - - -
Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Adopted as Amended - --- -.
❑ Defeated James Dmizio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ii ❑
❑ Tabled William P Roland Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn Jill Doherty Voter El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt Robert Ghosio Seconder 2 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Louisa P Evans Mover lZ ❑ ❑ ❑
0 Rescinded Scott A Russell Voter z 0 0 0
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 20
❑ Town Clerk's Appt
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-181
CATEGORY.- Property Usage
DEPARTMENT: Town Clerk
Approve Relay for Life Event
Financial Impact: Cost Analysis: $ 1010.72
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold does hereby grant permission to
the Relay for Life of Southold&the American Cancer Society to use all of Jean Cochran Park
for their annual Relay for Life event from 8:00 a.m. on Friday, June 2 to 10:00 a.m. on Saturday
June 3, 2017. This is an overnight event. Applicant has filed with the Town Clerk a One Million
Dollar Certificate of Insurance naming the Town of Southold as additional insured.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-181
EI Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent^
❑ Tabled
[I Withdrawn James Dmizio Jr Voter D El
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Ruland Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Mover RI ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Seconder 2 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter lz ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-182
CATEGORY: Employment-Town
DEPARTMENT. Accounting
Acknowledges Retirement Mark A. Zaleski
WHEREAS,the Town of Southold has received email notification on February 13, 2017 from
the NYS Retirement System concerning the retirement of Mark A. Zaleski effective April 22,
2017 now therefore be it
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 21
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby acknowledges the intent to
retire of Mark A. Zaleski from the position of Public Safety Dispatcher I for the Police
Department effective April 22, 2017.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-182
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated - -
Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
❑ Withdrawn James Dmizio Jr Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P.Ruland Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Seconder 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
Comment regarding resolution 182
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: We are losing another talented worker to retirement. I just want to
say that Public Safety Dispatch is a very difficult job. Mark has always done it with a great deal
of grace and professionalism and I want to wish him well.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: He has worked 30 years. That's a long time to do that job, he
has done a good job._
2017-183
CATEGORY: Budget Modification
DEPARTMENT: Highway Department
2016 Budget Modification -Highway
Financial Impact: to cover over expenditures
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby modifies the 2016 Highway
Fund Part Town budget as follows:
From:
DB.5130.4.100.500 Parts & Supplies $2,750
DB.5140.2.200.100 Office equipment 250
Total: $3,000
To:
DB.5110.4.100.200 Fuel &Lubricants $3,000
Total: $3,000
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-183
0 Adopted Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 22
❑ Adopted as Amended James Dmizio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Defeated William P.Ruland Seconder 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tabled Jill Doherty Mover i 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Withdrawn Robert Ghosio Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded
❑ Town Clerk's Appt
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-184
CATEGORY.• Field Use-Town
DEPARTMENT.• Town Clerk
Strawberry Festival 2017
Financial Impact:PD Cost analysis: $20,119.19
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold does hereby grant
permission to the Mattituck Lions Club to use Strawberry Fields in Mattituck, NY from
Monday, June 12 through Monday, June 19, 2017 for the Annual Strawberry Festival and
be it further
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold authorizes the Town Clerk to
issue a Special Events Permit to the Mattituck Lions to hold its Annual Strawberry
Festival at Strawberry Fields Mattituck, NY from Monday, June 12 through Monday,
June 19, 2017 provided
1. They file with the Town Clerk a Two Million Dollar Certificate of Insurance
naming the Town of Southold and the County of Suffolk as an additional insured;
2. Coordinate traffic control upon notification of the adoption of this resolution with
Captain Kruszeski
3. No permanent markings be placed on town, county or state roads or property for
the event;
4. Any road markings or signs for the event be removed within twenty-four(24)
hours of the completion of the event.
Some of the requirements for issuing a Special Permit may be waived.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-184
0 Adopted - - — — -
Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated James Dmizio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
0 Tabled William P Ruland Mover 0 0 0 0
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 23
❑ Withdrawn Jill Doherty Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt Robert Ghosio Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Louisa P Evans Seconder, 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-185
CATEGORY. Committee Appointment
DEPARTMENT.- Town Clerk
Audit Committee Appointment
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby appoints John Malley to the
Town Board Standing Committee of the Audit Committee as a Community Member to serve at
the pleasure of the Town Board without compensation for a one (1) year term of office to expire
on February 14, 2018.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-185
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled _
❑ Withdrawn James Dmizio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Ruland Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Seconder, 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-186
CATEGORY. Employment-Town
DEPARTMENT: Accounting
Appoint Lester Baylinson Ordinance Inspector
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby appoints Lester Baylinson
to the position of Ordinance Inspector for the Town Attorney's Office, effective February 27,
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 24
2017, at a rate of$54,815.93 per annum.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-186
IZ Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated — - - — - -
Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
❑ Withdrawn James Dmizio Jr Voter 171 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Ruland Voter lZ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Voter Ci ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Mover 1 2 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Seconder Q ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-187
CATEGORY: Contracts,Lease&Agreements
DEPARTMENT: Town Attorney
Memorandum of Agreement
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby ratifies and approves the
Memorandum of Agreement between the Town of Southold and Employee#3862, dated
February 14, 2017,resolving pending charges pursuant to Civil Service Law Section 75.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-187
121 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
----- ---- --- - --- - - -
❑ Withdrawn James Dinizio Jr Mover IZ ❑ El 0-
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Ruland Seconder El ❑ El
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Voter 21 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P Evans Voter Q ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A Russell Voter lZ ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-188
CATEGORY. Contracts, Lease &Agreements
DEPARTMENT: Town Attorney
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 25
Family Service League Agreement
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby authorizes and directs
Supervisor Scott A. Russell to execute an Agreement with Family Service League of Suffolk
County in connection with the 2017 Southold Youth Services Program in the amount of$33,000
for the term January 1, 2017 through December 31, 2017, this Program is funded in part by a
grant from the Suffolk County Youth Bureau, all in accordance with the approval of the Town
Attorney.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-188
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated
Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled _
James Dinizio Jr Voter Ri Mo ______0 _ 0
❑ Withdrawn -
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P.Ruland Seconder El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Voter El ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P.Evans Voter 171 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A.Russell Voter D ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
2017-189
CATEGORY.• Enact Local Law
DEPARTMENT: Town Clerk
Enact LL Chapter 275 &280
WHEREAS there has been presented to the Town Board of the Town of Southold, Suffolk
County,New York, on the 17th day of January, 2017, a Local Law entitled "A Local Law in
relation to Amendments to Chapter 275 Wetlands and Shorelines and Chapter 280
Zoning". and
WHEREAS the Town Board of the Town of Southold held a public hearing on the aforesaid
Local Law at which time all interested persons will be 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 275 Wetlands and
Shorelines and Chapter 280 Zoning" reads as follows:
LOCAL LAW NO. 2017
A Local Law entitled, "A Local Law in relation to Amendments to Chapter 275 Wetlands
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 26
and Shorelines and Chapter 280 Zoning".
BE IT ENACTED by the Town Board of the Town of Southold as follows:
Chapter 275 Wetlands and Shorelines
Article I: Definitions; word usage.
275-2. Definitions; word usalle.
A. Unless otherwise expressly stated,the following terms shall, for the purpose of this chapter,
have the meanings as herein defined. Any word or term not noted below shall be used with a
meaning as defined in Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language,
unabridged (or latest edition).
[Amended 10-11-2005 by L.L. No. 17-2005; 12-18-2007 by L.L. No. 23-2007; 10-9-2012 by
L.L.No. 12-2012]
BANK-Land incline alongside a body of water.
BLUFF- Land presenting Any bank with a precipitous or steeply sloped face along
adjoinin a beach or a body of water. For the purposes of this chapter, a precipitous or steeply
sloped face shall be a face with a slope of 20%or greater with a height of greater than 10 feet
from the toe of the bluff.
LIMITS OF BLUFF - The waterward limit of a bluff is the landward limit of its waterward
natural protective feature. Where no beach is present, the waterward limit of a bluff is mean low,
water. The landward limit is 25 feet landward of the receding edge or, in those cases where there
is no discernible line of active erosion, 25 feet landward of the point of inflection on the ton of
the bluff. The point of inflection is that point along the top of the bluff where the trend of the
land slope changes to begin its descent to the shoreline.
Chapter 280. Zoning
Article XXII. Supplementary Regulations
§ 280-116. Building setback requirements adjacent to water bodies and wetlands.
[Added 3-14-1989 by L.L.No. 3-1989; amended 11-24-1992 by L.L. No. 20-1992; 6-15-1993 by
L.L. No. 8-1993; 12-15-2015 by L.L.No. 9-2015]
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the following setback requirements shall
apply to all buildings or structures located on lots adjacent to water bodies and wetlands:
A. Lots adjacent to a bluff as defined in Chapter 275 of the Southold Town Code along the
following bodies of water; Long Island Sound, Fishers Island Sound, Gardners Bay,
Block Island Sound and Peconic Bay.
All buildings or structures located on lots upon which there exists a bluff
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 27
landward of the shore or beach shall be set back not fewer than 100 feet from the
op of such bluff.
(2) Exeept a otherwise provided i„ Q„b seeti„r, A 111 he-ee f all buildings e
struetures leeated on lots adj aeopA to sounds shall be set baek not less than 100
feet fom the or-dinar-y high .,ter mark of said sound.
Buildings or structures which are proposed landward of existing principal
dwellings shall be exempt from the requirements set forth in Subsection
hereof.
B. All buildings or-sti:uetures located on lots upon w-hieh a bullchead, eener-ete wall, riprap of
similar-stme4ur-e exists and w-hieh are adjaeent io tidal water-bodies Oiher-than sound-s
shall be set baek not less than 75 feet fiem the bulkhead. The fellowifig exeepfiens
(1) Buildings,- ie a proposoa landward of existing b,,,ildinga
of Town Tfustees under- Chapter-qZ�, Wetlands and chor-elifie, of the Code of the
Town of Southold.
!2\ Deeks, ,,,l,an,esf pilings, b ea,-dwalksv stairs7 „ „adds7walkways an p
� ier
whieh are accessory and separate;fiem existing buildings or-aeeessor-y st-ruetufes-.
Q All buildings and stfuetures located on lots adjaeent to any fFesh-water-bedy shall be set
back not less than 75 feet from the edge of such water body er not less than 75 et fiffflm—
the landward edge of the freshwater-wetland, w-hiehover-is greater-. The following
exeeption will apply:
(1) Lands whial, a of bulkheaded and a „bjeet to a determination by the Boar 1
of T.,,,,,, Trustees under-Chapter-qZS Wetlands and Shereline, of the Code of t
Town of Southold.
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 immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State as provided
by law.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-189
❑ Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled James Dmizio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
0 Withdrawn William P.Ruland Seconder 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supervisor's Appt Jill Doherty Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Robert Ghosio Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Louisa P Evans Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Scott A Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 28
2017-190
CATEGORY: Attend Seminar
DEPARTMENT. Town Clerk
Justice Training
RESOLVED that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby grants permission to Justice
William H. Price, Jr. to attend a seminar on Drug Court School in Saratoga,New York on March
8, 2017 through March 10, 2017. All expenses for registration, meals and travel to be a legal
charge to the 2017 Town Budget (meetings and seminars) Al 110.4.600.200 & 300.
✓Vote Record-Resolution RES-2017-190
0 Adopted
❑ Adopted as Amended
❑ Defeated ---------- --- _. ._._...._. ____ ._.__. _____.,._--..- _____.______,..•__.________----__----_•-__
Yes/Aye No/Nay Abstain Absent
❑ Tabled
❑ Withdrawn ------
James Dmizio Jr Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
—
❑ Supervisor's Appt William P Ruland Mover 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Tax Receiver's Appt Jill Doherty Voter 0 ; ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Rescinded Robert Ghosio Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Town Clerk's Appt Louisa P.Evans Seconder 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ Supt Hgwys Appt Scott A.Russell Voter 0 ❑ ❑ ❑
❑ No Action
❑ Lost
Motion To: Motion to recess to Public Hearing
RESOLVED that this meeting of the Southold Town Board be and hereby is declared
Recessed at 7:56 pm in order to hold a public hearing.
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Louisa P. Evans, Justice
SECONDER:Robert Ghosio, Councilman
AYES: Dinizio Jr, Ruland, Doherty, Ghosio, Evans, Russell
VI. Public Hearings
1. Set PH 1/17/17 7:32 PM Chapter 280 - Demolition
History:
01/17/17 Town Board ADJOURNED Next: 02/14/17
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 29
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that there has been presented to the Town Board of the Town of
Southold, Suffolk County,New York, on the 20th day of December, 2016, a Local Law entitled
"A Local Law in relation to Amendments to Chapter 280, Zoning, in connection with
Demolition" and
NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that the Town Board of the Town of Southold will
hold a public hearing on the aforesaid Local Law at Southold Town Hall, 53095 Main Road,
Southold,New York, on the 17th day of January 2017, at 7:32 p.m. at which time all interested
persons will be given an opportunity to be heard.
The proposed Local Law entitled, "A Local Law in relation to Amendments to Chapter 280,
Zoning, in connection with Demolition" reads as follows:
LOCAL LAW NO. 2017
A Local Law entitled, "A Local Law in relation to Amendments to Chapter 280, Zoning, in
connection with Demolition".
BE IT ENACTED by the Town Board of the Town of Southold as follows:
4 280-4 Definitions.
DEMOLITION _Any removal of a structure or portion thereof, where the total cost of the
reconstruction of the structure or portion thereof—that exceeds 75-50% of the total square
footage market value of the existing structure before the start of removal.
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 immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State as provided
by law.
RESOLVED THE Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby closes the public hearing on the
proposed Local Law regarding Demolition at 7:38 PM.
RESULT: CLOSED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Louisa P. Evans, Justice
SECONDER:Jill Doherty, Councilwoman
AYES: Dinizio Jr, Ruland, Doherty, Ghosio, Evans, Russell
2. PH 2/14/17 7:31 Pm LL Chapters 275 & 280
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN,there has been resented to the
Town Board of the Town of Southold, Suffolk County,New York, on the 17' day of January,
2017, a Local Law entitled "A Local Law in relation to Amendments to Chapter 275
Wetlands and Shorelines and Chapter 280 Zoning".
NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that the Town Board of the Town of Southold will hold a
public hearing on the aforesaid Local Law at the Southold Town Hall, 53095 Main Road,
Southold,New York, on the 14th day of February, 2017 at 7:31 p.m. at which time all
interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard.
The proposed Local Law entitled, "A Local Law in relation to Amendments to Chapter 275
Wetlands and Shorelines and Chapter 280 Zoning" reads as follows:
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 30
LOCAL LAW NO. 2017
A Local Law entitled, "A Local Law in relation to Amendments to Chapter 275 Wetlands
and Shorelines and Chapter 280 Zoning".
BE IT ENACTED by the Town Board of the Town of Southold as follows:
Chapter 275 Wetlands and Shorelines
Article I: Definitions; word usage.
§ 275-2.Definitions; word usage.
A. Unless otherwise expressly stated,the following terms shall, for the purpose of this chapter,
have the meanings as herein defined. Any word or term not noted below shall be used with a
meaning as defined in Webster's Third International Dictionary of the English Language,
unabridged (or latest edition).
[Amended 10-11-2005 by L.L. No. 17-2005; 12-18-2007 by L.L. No. 23-2007; 10-9-2012 by
L.L.No. 12-2012]
BANK-Land incline alongside a body of water.
BLUFF - Land presenting Any bank or with a precipitous or steeply sloped face along
adjoinin a beach or a body of water. For the purposes of this chapter, a precipitous or steeply
sloped face shall be a face with a slope of 20% or greater with a height of greater than 10 feet
from the toe of the bluff.
LIMITS OF BLUFF - The watenvard limit of a bluff is the landward limit of its waterward
natural protective feature. Where no beach is present, the waterward limit of a bluff is mean low
water. The landward limit is 25 feet landward of the receding edge or, in those cases where there
is no discernible line of active erosion, 25 feet landward of the point of inflection on the top of
the bluff. The point of inflection is that point along the top of the bluff where the trend of the
land slope changes to begin its descent to the shoreline.
Chapter 280. Zoning
Article XXII. Supplementary Regulations
§ 280-116. Building setback requirements adjacent to water bodies and wetlands.
[Added 3-14-1989 by L.L. No. 3-1989; amended 11-24-1992 by L.L.No. 20-1992; 6-15-1993 by
L.L. No. 8-1993; 12-15-2015 by L.L.No. 9-2015]
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this chapter, the following setback requirements shall
apply to all buildings or structures located on lots adjacent to water bodies and wetlands:
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 31
A. Lots adjacent to a bluff as defined in Chapter 275 of the Southold Town Code along the
following bodies of water; Long Island Sound, Fishers Island Sound, Gardners Bay,
Block Island Sound and Peconic Bay.
All buildings or structures located on lots upon which there exists a bluff
landward of the shore or beach shall be set back not fewer than 100 feet from the
op�of such bluff.
(2) Exeepti asother-wise provided in Subseetion irij-hereof-, all buildings yr
structures located on lots adj aeant to sounds shall be set baek not less than 100
feet ffem the or-dinafy high water mark of said sound.
Buildings or structures which are proposed landward of existing principal
dwellings shall be exempt from the requirements set forth in Subsection
hereof.
B. All buildings or structures leeated on lots upon w-hieh a bulkhead, eonerete wall, r-ipr-ap of
similar strueture exists and whieh are adjaeent to tidal water bodies other than setin
shall be set baek not less than 75 feet from the bulkhead. The following eNeeptions
apply-
(1) Buildings whieh a proponod landward of existing buildings.
(2) Lands whieh are not bulkheaded and are subject to a detennination by the Bea
of Toyffi Trdstees Under Chapter- Wetlands and�7 1
of the Code of t
> '
G. All buildings and strdetur-es leeated on lots adjaeont to any fiesl+water-body shall be set
baek not less than 75 feet fiem the edge of sueh water body or-not less than 75
the landward edge of the freshwater-wetland, whiehever is greater. The following
emeeption will apply:
(1) Lands whieh are not bulkheaded and are subjeet to a deteEmination by the Boa
-M
Wetlands and Shoreline, of the Code of
Tovffi of Southold.
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 immediately upon filing with the Secretary of State as provided
by law.
I have an affidavit that this has been noticed on the Town Clerk's bulletin board and also an
affidavit that this has been noticed in the Suffolk Times. That's all I have.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Would anybody like to address the Town Board on this local law?
Joe?
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 32
JOE FISCHETTI: Good evening, Joseph Fischetti. I am a board certified structural engineer. I
would just like to ask the Board what the goal was to making the changes to this local law?
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: Some changes were made about a year ago now and the
changes that were made, the way the wording was ended up doing something we didn't expect
and it included so many more properties that shouldn't have been included. Like creeks and
things, so the word bluff incorporated every waterfront property. And so we wanted to make it a
little more clear, the definition between bluff and bank and a lot of the section of 280 that was
put in there before the Trustees existed, it was duplicating applicants to go to two different
boards for the same thing. So a lot of this was taken out of 280 and just trying to clean up the
code and update it and make it a little easier for people.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Just to clarify, one of the problems when we made those changes
was the words bluff and bank became interchangeable and so people were going through a
process and if a bank was indicated on a survey, there was never the intention of the Town Board
to make someone go through ZBA relief against a bank, it was against a cliff or you know, so
that was really what the intent was, to clean up an undue mistake we made that we felt put
undue pressure on waterfront property owners.
MR. FISCHETTI: I am still not understanding why the Trustees have to deal with banks and
steep bluffs? Because the Trustees, the primary core, the core purpose of the Trustees are
wetlands. There are no wetlands up on bluffs. Maybe there might be on a bank but there are no
wetlands on bluffs. And to put this in the code, requiring the Trustees to handle areas that have
no, that's not their primary goal. Secondly, to put in steep bluffs and cliffs in the zoning law,
where this goes in front of the, I am not understanding that. This should be part of the building
department, building on, in relation to bluffs should be a building department issue. It is part of
the New York State building code, I have it right here. And it's part of the section under
foundations, it has specific, it is section 403.1.7, footings on or adjacent to slopes. This stuff
should be done by the building department not by the Trustees and not by the Zoning Board.
Steep slopes are a building department issue and not a Trustees issue.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: I think there is a misunderstanding. We didn't add cliffs or bluffs to
the code, it has been there for a long time. What we had there was an unfortunate circumstance
where they were interchangeable between blank....
MR. FISCHETTI: You are making your setbacks from the top of a bluff now.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: They have been there. They've been there for a long time now.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: It's not changing the review that the Trustees do.
MR. FISCHETTI: Okay.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: It's been the same for years. We are actually easing the code, not
making it more onerous. Tom?
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 33
ROB HERMANN: Good evening. Rob Hermann. As many of you know, I am principal at EN-
Consultants and I appear in front of the Trustees to make various applications related to wetlands
and bluff setbacks. First of all, I can't tell you how elated I am that you are going to make this
change because we have for a long time been struggling with the fact that the definition of bluff
has not been quantified and it appears that you are now attempting to do that in lieu of the
changes that had been made in 2015. So having dealt with dozens of these projects over the
years, I want to make four or five suggestions related to this language because I have a pretty
intimate familiarity of what the struggles are that come up with this section of the code and this
is my one shot to offer you some input to make sure this comes out the right way. First of all,
with respect to how the bluff definition is actually written, it says for purposes of this chapter and
this is the proposed language, `a precipitous or steeply sloped face shall be a face of a slope 20%
or greater with a height of greater than 10 feet from the toe of the bluff. I think what this means
to say is where the top of the bluff elevation is at least 10 feet higher than the toe. What I am
guessing this attempts to do is to try to quantify by the height of the bluff, so you don't end up
with a four or five foot bank that is then called a bluff. So the language that is in here is actually
not written correctly, because the relationship to the toe, the 10 foot relationship to the toe should
be the top not the face. The second thing is and I see that Joe is here and I would defer to his
knowledge to help me on this but since you are finally quantifying this, I do have a question with
respect to what criteria was used to come up with these numbers? Typically with actual
geologic bluffs, glacial bluffs, you see a difference of two or three vertical feet for every five feet
of horizontal feet. You get a slope that's really closer to 40% on a true bluff. True bluffs are
also much higher than l Ofeet. If a reasonably fit person can jump from the top to the bottom, it
is probably not a bluff. We had a case before the Trustees about a year ago, where the whole
case which had already been before the ZBA and was also before the Trustees revolved around
whether this embankment that was above a seawall on the beach was in fact a bluff. And there
was a guy, had to be in his late 70's, who showed up, he was a neighbor and he said I am so
confused about this conversation about this bluff because I am 70 something years old and I drag
my kayak up and down that hill all summer long, so I must be a lot stronger than I think I am if I
can make it up to the top. So the height is probably not a realistic height, it probably should be
higher. Again, it's really an arbitrary decision, what number you pick, but I am afraid if you
keep it that low, you may end up with still having that problem that you are trying to eliminate.
The other question is relates to the limits of bluffs. And this limits of bluffs is really a definition
that is taken from your coastal erosion code and it says that the landward limit is 25 feet
landward of the receding edge or in those cases where there is no discernable line of active
erosion 25 feet landward of the point of inflection on the top of the bluff. The problem is you are
now using these terms top of bluff and toe of bluff in these definitions but nowhere in 275 do
you define what a top of bluff or toe of bluff is. If you are going to ask people to start to quantify
what the slope of a bluff face is between the top and toe and also to calculate the height
difference from the top of the toe, they are going to have to know what the top and the toe are.
And this has created a source of ambiguity both at the top and the bottom over several cases I
have handled and I will just give you an example of each. The Zoning Board and the Building
Department have always enforced your 100 foot top of bluff setbacks from the top of the bluff.
This landward limit being 25 feet landward from the top of the bluff, it's a coastal erosion
definition, it is used to define what the full extent of the bluff actually is for the purpose of
protecting a natural resource that's a natural protective resource under coastal erosion. It's kind
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 34
of a non sequitur with what you are doing. And it's worrisome because there have been times
where someone has raised at a hearing well, if this house is supposed to be 100 feet from the top
of the bluff, isn't the landward limit of the bluff 25 feet landward of the top of the bluff? You
get into this almost insane, circular reasoning because under the landward limit, you are
including in that definition the top of bluff. So I don't know if you can go back to the drawing
board on defining what the landward limit is and I don't know that you have to but I think it
should be made clear that you have a separate definition for top of bluff, so if somebody is
reading chapter 275 or 280 and they understand that a pool or a garage or a house or whatever is
supposed to be setback 100 feet landward of top of bluff, they understand that it is literally from
the top of the bluff and not from the landward limit of the bluff as is defined here. It also creates
a problem that there's no toe of bluff definition but that has never really come up before but it
will come up now especially if you are defining the vertical height between the toe and the top,
the reason I say that is because you have lots of properties on the sounds that have a revetment
or a bulkhead that have been there anywhere from 5 to 75 years, so if you take a typical land
survey where they show the top of the bluff, the toe of the bluff and the bulkhead, the typical
land surveyor will show.the toe of the bluff being the natural, sandy bluff face that's behind the
bulkhead but you could just as easily define the toe as the seaward toe of the wall being the
beach, right, because if the bulkhead wasn't there, that's where the toe would be. So it's really
your Board's decision as to what you want to define it as but you have got to define it as
something because it can tell you right now, that's going to be the big fight, especially if you
have a 10 foot or 15 foot definition, if a bulkhead is 5, 6, 7 feet tall, someone needs to know are
we including the 5, 6, 7 feet of the bulkheading in that height calculation or not. Substantively, it
should probably be the bottom of the wall because that is where the toe of the bluff would still be
if the bulkhead wasn't there. But it would make sense to include that in there. so again,just in
summary, it's fantastic that you are doing this but it is really, really critical that you cover these
items because I see these coming up as a problem, I have seen them coming up as a problem for
years and it's just gone haywire since you made the change at the end of 2015 because like Jill
was explaining a few minutes ago, really you could take a bank that's as tall as this podium and
really, you could call it a bluff, the problem is it then enables the Trustees to sort of interpret on
the case by case basis whether they have an extra 100 feet of jurisdiction or not and I don't think
it was the Town Board's intent to do that. The only other comment I would have is it looks like
although you are changing, all those comments are related to 275, I only have one comment
related to 280, it looks like you are going back to the definition of where you are associating
specific waterbodies with the code. That's the way it always was, it was Long Island Sound,
Fishers Island Sound and Block Island Sound and then I think and correct me if I am wrong,
when you made the change in December of 2015,you just said any bluff associated with 275. So
it's good again that you are putting these waterbodies back in and it looks like you are adding
Gardiners Bay and Peconic Bay but you are not making the same change to 275, so now you
have got these two different measurements in the two codes again that is going to create some
potential unrest between your two sections of code because you may have a bluff that meets your
height requirement and meets your face slope requirement under 275, so you are going to have
the Trustees regulating a 100 foot setback but if it's on a body of water that you haven't listed in
280, then you don't have to meet that 100 foot setback under 280 which is the way it was for a
long time and we just kind of worked with it but it's not really ideal. You should really have 275
and 280 married as closely as you possibly can. I mean, when you fixed the, I think when 275
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 35
was fixed for the pool setback, you had a 50 foot bluff setback for a pool on 275 but 100 foot
setback on 280. So you may want to just use the same language. If you want to tie it to the
height and the slope and also the waterbody, I would say consider tying it to those same three
things in chapter 275. Because I always tell Board's that I appear before, I don't really care what
the substance is, I mean it should be correct and based on science obviously, but it's more
important that people know what it expected of them, so that they can either, we can either create
a code conforming design or we are knowing that we are creating a non-conforming design and
have to get relief from the ZBA, the Trustees etc. The worst part of my job is thinking we are
creating a code conforming design and then coming in and finding that something that we didn't
think was going to affect us, was going to affect us.
JUSTICE EVANS: Can I ask you a question on that?
MR. HERMANN: Sure.
JUSTICE EVANS: So the way section A is worded in 280, it says lots adjacent to bluffs and in
275 we defined bank and bluff.
MR. HERMANN: Right.
JUSTICE EVANS: You don't think that, because we are not talking about banks now, we were
trying to keep out creeks.
MR. HERMANN: That's right, but you are still creating, in this definition of bluff, you are still
creating in 275 a quantifiable measures and you might have and I can think of some properties
that exist on Mattituck Creek that would absolutely be 10 feet in height or more and would
absolutely have steeper than a 20 percent slope. So the way you have got this written now, you
are still going to end up with properties that are not on one of these five waterbodies getting
sucked into the bluff setback under 275. Now one way to fix that would be to take this same
language from 280 that specifically says, in other words, if here you define what a bluff is and
then in 280 you say it has to meet the definition of a bluff but only if it's adjacent to these two
waterbodies, 275 could just as easily and probably should say the same thing. It should say it has
to meet these quantitative criteria but also be on one of these five waterbodies.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: Can I interrupt you there? This is, with the Trustees and the
bluff and the bank, the 280 is only for 280, those waterbodies. For 275 it's for all waterbodies.
MR. HERMANN: That's right. So what's the rationale behind that?
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: The rationale is so we don't feel that 280 needs to be, you
would just need to go to the Trustees and not have to go to, if we put that language into 280
that's in 275 then you are going to go to ZBA for all these properties. And that's what we are
trying to alleviate.
MR. HERMANN: I don't follow that logic.
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 36
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: For this purposes. You still have to go for other reasons, for
ZBA, whatever the building department says.
MR. HERMANN: If you have got under 280, you are saying only bluffs adjacent to these five
waterbodies would cause you to have to meet the 100 foot setback under zoning...
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: Under zoning.
MR. HERMANN: Why not limit it to those same five waterbodies under 275?
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: Because then you wouldn't have to go anywhere. You would
just go to the Building Department.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Can I....
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: A lot of this 280, 1 personally feel that it doesn't even need to
be there anymore because the Trustees review it. But we are trying to alleviate the double
review. So you still have to...
MR. HERMANN: You only have double review if you are not meeting the setback.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Can I jump in for a second? I don't think we should confuse
jurisdictional authority with zoning authority.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: Yes.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: This is meant to address zoning authority which would ultimately
affect the ZBA. It was never the intent of this legislation to remove what's been around for a
long time which is the administrative or jurisdictional authority of the Trustees.
MR. HERMANN: But you are changing the definition of bluff under the Trustees code. In
other words, you could, based on what you and Jill are saying, you could do what you are trying
to do without messing with 275 at all. You can put in whatever bluff definition you want under
280 and say if it affects, all I am saying is I am looking for consistency between the two codes.
If it is your intention to still allow the Trustees to regulate bluffs on any waterbody...
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: Yes.
MR. HERMANN: But limit the ZBA scope only to specific waterbodies, then I don't have any
objection to that.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: That's what we are trying to do.
MR. HERMANN: Fine, that's your decision. But what I am saying is, you're still, as a vehicle
to get there, you're changing the definitions of bluff under 275 which if you are on one of those
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 37
five waterbodies, sucks you into 280. So you have to get these definitions right under 275. So
you have answered sort of the ideological part of my question, which is fine. That's done. But
the substantive part of it is still hugely important because it's not just the Trustees who is going
to be using this newly defined bluff definition, it's also going to be the ZBA. So because you
can have, you've got places on Long Island Sound where you know, you have got more of what
you would call a low dune or a ridge type system as opposed to a bluff.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: Right.
MR. HERMANN: So all I am saying is, I hear you that you are really doing this to correct an
issue in 280 but you are using the language of 275 as a catalyst, so while you are doing that
please consider the things that I am saying because the Trustees are going to be left with this new
definition and so you're still going to end up in a situation where the Trustees, under the
wetlands code, are regulating things as bluffs that aren't bluffs.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: Can I give you some background of why we made some of
the decisions?
MR. HERMANN: Mmmhmm.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: First of all, the bluff definition as it is now is a combination
of bluff and limits of bluff, and I felt that limits of bluff should be separated out from bluff. And
I also, in wanting to fix some of the major issues we have been having quickly, we discussed the
Trustees will work on the definitions of limits and bluff and we know that needs to be tidied up
and changed. So we are going to do that, the Trustees are working on that and we will correct
that at a later date. But for these purposes we just wanted to separate it out from bluff.
MR. HERMANN: And I hear you, I completely hear that. All I am saying is, that within your
definition of what a bluff is, you're using the terms top and toe....
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: Yes.
MR. HERMANN: You have to define what makes the top and what makes the toe, too.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: I agree with you on that, that was the other thing that I spoke
to Mike Domino and Jay Bredemeyer that they are going to clarify that as well because as you
know, to come up with definitions for that that make sense and work with everything is a little
more convoluted....
MR. HERMANN: It is.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: So the Trustees are going to be working on those definitions
as well.
MR. HERMANN: Okay. And again,just the same thing in terms of the slope and the height....
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 38
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: And the reason we picked the height is because we couldn't
come up with a height but we knew that was parallel to the DEC of your above 10 foot elevation,
so we...
MR. HERMANN: Totally unrelated. Just completely unrelated. Because the DEC actually, the
10 foot elevation contour jurisdictional limit for the DEC assumes that you are on a gradual
slope, it assumes you are on a slope that's not steep. So if you have a steeper slope, let's say the
top of the slope is say 25 feet in elevation, then their jurisdiction extends up to the top of that
slope, so the way their code actually reads is it's 10 foot elevation on a gradual slope or up to the
top of a bank, cliff, or a slope on a non-gradual slope and they don't have it codified but I think
generally they use 15 or 20% to be non-gradual but not to define precipitous or what would
actually be a bluff. So that would be my only question again, if you are going to quantify a bluff
which I am so happy you are, just make sure that it is quantified in a way which actually
resembles what a bluff should be which is going to be taller than 10 feet and it's going to be
steeper than 20% slope.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: Right.
MR. HERMANN: So if you are saying these are numbers the Trustees are still going to be
working on in the future, that's great but I mean, you are working on it now, why not get it right
now and so you are not visiting it for the third time in three years, six months from now. you
actually get it done....
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: We have visited this more than three times. This has been going on
for 8 years.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Just where the confusion came is, when we took the coastal erosion
hazard mitigation line over from the state and the state, those definitions used bank and bluff
interchangeably, and literally it is just a cut and paste to come over and didn't work and like I
said, our goal is to ease that regulatory...
MR. HERMANN: Right. Again, December 15 changes kind of sucked in anything and
everything and this is a great way to resolve that but an even greater way to resolve it is by
quantifying it and defining the top and toe which you have almost done. You are almost there.
so again, it's years of frustration of getting a survey and you know, trying to help someone with a
design and having to say, well, we won't know until we are in the middle of this whether the
Trustees are going to call this a bluff or not. Sometimes if they don't like the project, it might be
more likely that it's called a bluff. You get into these interpretations and you get into these
ideologies and it's so much easier if you actually have something quantified in there because it
takes all of the guess work out of it and people then can knowingly design something that
conforms to the code or not. But at least they are not guessing, so they have invested in
architects, consultants and engineers and $50,000 into a project and suddenly find out that what
you thought was conforming isn't conforming anymore. Anyway, I don't want to talk you to
death....
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 39
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: The essential components would be the toe definition, the bluff
definition and maybe revisit the (inaudible) are those three critical?
MR. HERMANN: Yes, basically adding the top and toe and then revisiting the slope and the
height that actually creates the quantification.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Okay. Thank you very much, Rob. We appreciate it.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: Yes, as Rob knows, we have been dealing with it for a long time
and it's interesting because when you look at it and you think this is such a simple thing to take
care of,just a few definitions but we have gone round and round in many different meetings with
many people in Town Hall and I dealt with it all the time, Jill and I when we were on the
Trustees....
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: It needs more work.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: And I think that we put the 10 feet out there with the hopes that we
would get that kind of input, that's what this is all about.
MR. HERMANN: That's what I figured.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: We needed a starting point, so...
MR. HERMANN: Yes. It's a huge step in the right direction. Thank you.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Thank you, Rob.
PATRICIA MOORE: Patricia More, I am a local attorney, I am also on the board of Southold
Voice and so we have studied this, we want to thank on behalf of my clients Southold Voice, we
want to thank you for bringing this back on. You had promised that it would be put back on
because of the unintended consequences of the previous law created which was bringing all the
creeks in where honestly there was no intent to bringing the creeks into a zoning setback
definitions. So that's a great thing you are doing here. That cleanup is very necessary and we
appreciate bringing it back on for a public hearing. I want to focus more on the zoning aspect,
the 280 because I go regularly to the Zoning Board and when I go to the Zoning Board, this
setback of 100 feet is going to drastically change the character of communities that are already
established. And I will explain what I mean. For example, you have Nassau Point where all the
properties for the most part have had their measurements taken 75 feet from the bulkhead. Most
of the properties have bulkheads and that's how the community has developed. I would say 90
% of that community is developed, 99 %. About all you get now are the homes that maybe get
replaced or reconstructed and what you find is that when you let's say you have the demolition
and now we have a new definition of demolition in the code and it's going to be very simple to
reach a demolition status on any property, particularly a house that was built maybe in the 70's,
their square foot value is maybe $150 a square foot and now the square foot value is closer to
$300 a square foot, the calculation is you don't have to spend very much before you are
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 40
considered a demolition. So even though common sense would tell me I am saving a lot of this,
when you are applying the demolition definition it's truly going to be found to be a demolition.
Now what you are going to find is that the entire neighborhood that has been completely
developed, you are the one house that is going to be pushed 100 feet back from what is now the
top of the bank or top of the slope. It is now 75 feet let's say or closer to probably 50 feet
difference because you used to measure everybody's home from the bulkhead. So what I would
suggest is if you are going to implement this 100 foot, I don't think it's necessary but if the
choice is to implement it, I would suggest you add a provision into 280 which allows an average
setback rule. The same rule that you apply for front yard setbacks when we adopted upzoning,
we created an average setback because communities that were completely developed, if you had
all the homes at 35 feet and now the code required 50, you should be able to develop in line with
the rest of your community. The same should apply as you are developing from the top of the
bank. That would ease up the zoning variances that might be necessary. It might eliminate
zoning variances altogether. So it's a really important when you are dealing with zoning, create
some form of relief, so that if you are in a completely developed community, you are not stuck
being the sole guy out behind in what I call the tunnel effect, that you have these beautiful
waterfront homes that are all in line and you look to the right and look to the left and everyone
has built up and redeveloped and you are the last one in under this new rule, at least in Nassau
Point, you will be building a house on the street. If you are in Cutchogue, the same thing.
Really all the areas that have these bluffs. For the most part, bluff or properties, we use the term
bluff but it's really not a bluff, the banks on the bay, Gardiner's Bay and the bay areas, those
have been routinely been protected from erosion by bulkheads. That's why the code used to say
75 feet from the bulkhead because if you had a bulkhead, there was already an understanding
that your house was being protected by that bulkhead. You have eliminated that now. so now
you are disregarding whether the property has any protections whatsoever, you are just going to
assume that the property has no protections, you are treating a property that has no bulkhead the
same as a property with a bulkhead that used to be, well, we shouldn't do that and in fact, by not
doing it and by pushing everybody to the top of the bank, you are going to be creating enormous
variance requests and I can tell you that when I go to the Zoning Board and I have to ask them
for an 80 % variance because everybody is at let's say 50 feet from the top of the bluff that has
bulkheads because they have all developed at 75, I really have a hard time. It's a very difficult
case, the Zoning Board makes me take everybody's setbacks and now we have a new law on the
books, so please, if you are going to impose those kinds of drastic changes on developed
communities, create an average setback. That's the easiest solution. I still think it's unnecessary
to have the duplication we have in our code, you are now requiring the Trustees review
everything, I know you are not trying to change that and the Trustees review all the properties
that are now waterfront properties because most of them I would say that very rarely do you have
properties that are 100 feet from whatever distance,jurisdictional distance you are creating. The
only time this works is on the new subdivisions and we are already doing that. All the new
subdivisions have 100 foot setbacks from the top of the bluff and vegetated buffers on the rest.
These laws are only penalizing existing communities, so if you are going to go back and look at
is, if you ask the Trustees themselves, they don't think they need to regulate 100 feet back from
the top of the bluff, they were persuaded to do 75 when they first got the jurisdiction, so I would
actually sit them down and ask them, do you really think you need this? Because many of the
reasons that we used to have the Trustees involved was because we didn't have a drainage code
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 41
that prevented water runoff from running down the bank. That was a significant impact on the
erosion of, water is a huge erosion effect on bluffs and banks. We have a storm water code, there
are other, the state building code, we have a lot of protections now that weren't on the books at
the time when the original laws were put in, so please take a look at that if you would. If you
adopt the average setback, well, whatever setback you decide is going to be difficult but it won't
be so traumatic and so difficult and costly for homeowners in existing communities. Thank you.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Thank you, Pat. Would anybody else like to address the Town
Board on this local law?
BRUCE ANDERSON: Bruce Anderson, Suffolk Environmental Consulting and we handle a
fair amount of zoning cases and wetland cases and I want to say what Rob Hermann spoke of
makes, I am in total agreement with, you totally should have that definition. I am also in
agreement with what Pat Moore said because it wouldn't be terribly difficult to figure out where
100 feet from the top of the bluff is as properly defined. You have to ask yourself, if I enact this
law, am I creating hundreds of non-conformities? Because I am of the view when you enact a
law and you create all these non-conformities, now you have all the bay properties. I am
thinking Reydon Shores would all be non-conforming. Paradise Shores would be non-
conforming. Nassau Point would be non-conforming. Peconic Bay Boulevard, all of those
homes there would be non-conforming. It's usually not the fault of the property owners that they
are non-conforming, it is the fault of the law. So, I am a big fan of average setback rules and I
have always thought and as a member of the community also, I live in Southold as you know,
that someone's reasonable property expectation should be when they look right and look left,
how big of a house should I have. You should have a house that fits into your neighborhood.
That's not too big that overwhelms your neighborhood for example. Not setback terribly
different from other properties and that's why this concept of an average setback makes a great
deal of sense. It's easy to do because once we figure out how tall bluffs should be, I quite agree
it should be more than 10 feet because that's not very much. I quite agree a 20 % slope is not
something that's unmanageable or precipitous because a bluff is more like 35 or 40 % in there,
but I think if you make those three adjustments, the bottom, the top and provide yourself with
some sort of average setback, it's a fair rule and it's something that everybody should be able to
live with because the town is developed. There are very few vacant waterfront lots left and I
think people should have a reasonable expectation, they can build in line, the same quality, the
same size, the same setbacks as what they find in their neighborhoods and I think the
neighborhoods themselves would be better served by those kinds of regulations. Thank you.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Thank you, Bruce. Just a couple of questions, in the current, before
the adoption of this law, the current setback for the ZBA review would be 75 feet.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: Right.
MS. MOORE: From the bulkhead.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: So what we are talking about is from the bulkhead?
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 42
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: From a bulkhead.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: I thought they had a setback from a bluff,too.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: No,this particular...
MS. MOORE: From the bluff was on the Sound. It was limited to the Sound.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: You know, the one thing I can say is I appreciate what everyone is
saying and we can probably pull this law back and draft some changes. But I appreciate the
community character and the average of the setback that's existing. There's a couple of issues
and we really have to look at the larger picture and I am not suggesting we shouldn't consider
what you are saying. But suppose the average setback is 17 feet? You know, zoning needs to
mean something and the pre-existing, non-conforming status the goal over time was to bring t
hose into compliance. Secondly, to take the average setback, you have to remember, people
aren't building the average houses anymore. They are substantially different than what the
neighbors to the left and the right are. You know, I don't know that you should be looking at
them the same when you are going from, I mean, I grew up on Nassau Point, I know what's
taking place. You have to factor that into the equation too, the nature of what people are
building now especially on the waterfront is fundamentally different and you need to at least
factor that into the equation somehow. I can appreciate what you are saying.
MR. ANDERSON: You know, I get that but again, remember, if you adopt a law that makes
everyone non-conforming because of the setback issue, it's really not the property owner's fault.
It's not a properly, you should resist doing that and one way of doing that is make a study of the
waterfront lots, it's easy to do. You know where the houses are, you can download those from
Suffolk County GIS. I suspect we are going to come out of this with a defmition of tops and
bottoms and slopes and all of that that are workable. It would be easy to figure out how many
non-conformities you are going to be creating and I would suggest to you, if you are knocking
out 90 % of the homes out there, it's not the 90%, you wind up with hundreds of non-
conforming. Maybe that's what you want because you want to control the size but I am just
saying...
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: I understand.
MR. ANDERSON: It's probably not a great idea in many, many cases because we are talking
setbacks here and if people can't realistically make those setbacks because the property is not
deep enough, there has got to be some consideration for those folks. That's all I am saying.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: I agree with you, Bruce, because as you know, I am familiar
with most of the waterfront properties and I would say, I am going to be conservative and say 75
% of the properties won't fit into this, it's more than that. so I like the idea, maybe if the rest of
the Board wants to keep the 100 feet and also put in there that the average setback that the
Zoning Board can decide. If they want to use the 100 feet or the average setback and maybe that
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 43
would be something we can discuss further. But I agree, I have trouble with this 100 foot
myself.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: The 100 feet can be discussed but I don't think we should start
adopting terms like average setback. Maybe we need to look at reducing the impacts on non-
conforming uses but if it's going to the ZBA, it's going to the ZBA. They have to look at the
code as it exists and then determine for themselves what type of relief should be granted and not
by prescription by town code. Well, we are going to send you to the ZBA and ZBA is going to
calculate the average setback. We don't need the ZBA for that, so.
MR. ANDERSON: You should and I am surprised Joe didn't say this, I am sure he would agree
with me, is that in our experience with working with waterfront property owners and I am
assuming quite honestly, this is about protecting a bluff as it is a natural resource, I think that's
what is driving this, but you should understand that bluffs fail not because of the proximity of the
house to the bluff mostly, most of the time they are impacted or they fail because a wave slams
against that toe and takes out the toe of that bluff and then the bluff sloughs down. So it's not so
much a setback, if I am thinking of protecting a resource, it's not so much a setback that I would
be concerned about, it's protecting of that toe. A lot of properties, if they have a large beach in
front of them, the beach will absorb the wave energy. Other places like Nassau Point, you have
to rely on bulkheads because there is no beach, the water laps right up against the toe of the bluff
but it has been my experience throughout my career is that when a bluff fails it usually fails
because a wave slams up against the toe of a bluff. And you should keep that in mind, not so
much a setback from a house at the top.
MR. HERMANN: I just want to add one quick thing that kind of ties together what Scott, you
and Bruce were saying, to remember to keep in perspective what the purpose of this particular
setback is. It's really driven, it's an environmental setback that's built into the zoning code, into
the wetlands code which is why it's so important to get the definition of bluff correct. Because if
you are on a very tall, precipitous, steep bluff on Long Island Sound, there would be a lot of
people who would argue with what Bruce just said and say it's just as important to keep those
structures away from the top so when it does fail at the bottom, the house doesn't go down with
it or if you have sort of this top down erosion, the house doesn't go with it. So for those
instances, that's where it really is important to have the greater setback. And so like you said,
maybe you don't want an average setback, purely an average setback so you get a 15% setback
from the top of the bluff because that's not smart science either but maybe you have an average
setback with a minimum if you are using an average setback rule. Something like that. but
again, it really all comes back to getting the definition right because if it's a creek front property
or a Mattituck Inlet property that has maybe a 12 or 13 foot hill and a six foot bulkhead behind it
and it's not really a storm endangered area, you are not using this legislation to try to create 100
foot setbacks from the top of the hill. The wetland setbacks are what's important in those
environments. So maybe some of those non-conformities get knocked out, the ones Pat and
Bruce are talking about are getting added in, maybe some of those get knocked out if you get the
basic definition correct. Don't make it too gradual of a slope, don't make it too short. Make it
those real steep, dangerous environments that you are trying to keep houses as far back as
possible.
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 44
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Thank you, Rob.
MR. FISCHETTI: Let me get, I will address that because what I didn't get to before is that on
the north fork and on Long Island with the gravel and sand that we have, I have found over the
years that 37 degrees and probably two degrees either side of that is what was the sheer force,the
internal sheer force of the bluff. That is the bluff face. That is what you find. So one in three
slope or 20 degrees, that's one in three, is a stable slope. Even if you lose the toe, it will not go
down. So just to help you with your definition, you need to be closer to 30 maybe 35 degrees
and maybe steeper than that. Those are unstable. Anything over 37 are an unstable slope and it
will lose. So you need to get closer to that.
UNIDENTIFIED: What are your thoughts on height?
MR. FISCHETTI: It's an arbitrary one. And any slope that's 37 degrees and loses even the
bottom toe, it will collapse. So even a 10 foot slope will collapse. But again, you go back to the
New York State building code, which again, tells you how far back. Which Bruce said, it's not
where the house is and as an expert, I have been in front of the Zoning Board and I have always
been asked will that swimming pool make that slope unstable? No. Will that house make the
slope unstable, no. If it's behind the angle of repose, it will not affect it. So we need to look at
what you are trying to protect here. On the Sound, you have the coastal zone erosion line which
is a great line. They are telling you that coastal zone erosion line is back there because if you
lose the toe, you are going to lose that. but in some of the other areas, you don't have that. you
don't have that in Nassau Point.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Well, one of the things is, the concern of the town isn't that the
house is going to make the bluff unstable, it's the bluff is going to make the house unstable. So,
that's something we need to consider. Thank you very much. Benja?
BENJA SCHWARTZ: I wanted to thank you for your comments and second them, Scott, that
some of these new houses, bigger should be further away from the water. It's common sense.
And I would like to agree with the suggestion that maybe we need a steeper than 20 percent. I
was just playing with a little square piece of paper, which is 45 % if you fold it in a diagonal, if
you fold it over again, that's 22 '/z %. And that's still a pretty low slope. While I was listening, I
was going on line and I think in Michigan they define it as a 33 %, above the 33 % which would
be in line with what Mr. Fischetti was saying. But in any case, I encourage you to be
conservative and if 37 is the stability point engineering wise, go with something lower. Same
with the distances of the setbacks, property owners can always apply for area variances and they
are not that difficult to get, much easier than use variances but if you just permit them to build
close to the top of the bluff without any review, we will continue to lose the beauty of our
shorelines and the safety of our shorelines and in fact, what has been continuing to happen in
recent years is more and more rock revetments seem to be more popular. And they are not
friendly to beach goers, rocks. Or to beaches. They are known to cause erosion, possibly they
protect the land upland of the rock revetment but the beach shoreward, seaward, of the rock
revetment is endangered by these structures. So I would like to speak on behalf of conservative
and stricter regulations. Thank you.
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 45
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Thank you, Benja. But I do want to say for the record that at 8:45
February 14, 2017, Benja said I did something right. He agreed with me. I am having cake in
the office tomorrow. Would anyone else like to address the Town Board? Yes, Marie.
MARIE BENINATI: Marie Beninati, speaking as chair of Southold VOICE. I would like to
thank you, I would like to applaud you for responding to the concerns of the property owners and
for the people in Southold Town and for acting on it in a very timely way. So, hope you will
finish this session because we all would like to celebrate Valentine's Day but thank you again.
Thank you.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Thank you. Would anybody else like to address the Town Board?
(No response).
RESULT: WITHDRAWN
Closing Comments
Supervisor Russell
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Would anyone like to address the Town Board on any issue?
Benja Schwartz
BENJA SCHWARTZ: Before I begin on the subject I came to speak about tonight, one last
thing about the bluffs, most of the bluffs I am familiar with, I have sailed all over the place here;
are not uniform height. They tend to slope down towards the one end very low and the other
they are very high. And I think the 10 foot is a reasonable minimum below which something
would not be a bluff but maybe you might consider an average height along the property, length
of the property, shoreline or something like that if the height is uneven.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: That's what I was thinking during this discussion and I am
wondering if our engineering department can do the mapping and get an average height of the
bluffs around town, so that's something we can look into.
MR. SCHWARTZ: Jill, we agree today, too. Can you believe it?
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: Yes.
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: It's Valentine's Day.
MR. SCHWARTZ: And I am happy to be here with you on Valentine's Day or any day. I was
looking at the agenda this morning, unfortunately I couldn't be here for the work session. The
work sessions are still not being recorded? Am I correct? Or are they being recorded that we
can access?
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: We are waiting on some money.
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 46
MR. SCHWARTZ: We are working on it. There's no recording done by the Town Clerk's
office? None at all?
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: Not audio recording.
MR. SCHWARTZ: Waiting for some money on it, huh? I don't know how much it costs but
meanwhile, we are kind of stuck if we can't get to the meeting in the morning, if we work or
whatever. I wonder if someone can fill me in a little on updating the role and specific tasks of
the Land Preservation Committee?
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: Basically we are going to, the Land Preservation Committee is
going to take some time, put together basically a report that tells us what they are doing now,
what they have traditionally done, what they feel their role is and perhaps some changes that may
need to be made for them to address things that really weren't thought of when the original code
was put together. Basically taking a step back and see how their role has evolved over the years
since the original code was put in place. I have asked them to do that because the Town Board
wants to be able to guide them and give them a sense of what we believe they should be doing. I
felt that wouldn't be fair to do that without at least evaluating what they are currently doing and
getting their input.
MR. SCHWARTZ: Well, that sounds good. I see at the last meeting of the Land Preservation
committee, there was an agenda item, Land Preservation Committee duties, review applicable
code sections,prepare initial recommendations to Town Board.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: Mmmhmm.
MR. SCHWARTZ: So you are telling me they haven't done that yet?
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: correct. It's going to take more than one meeting. And that's why
it was on the agenda as new business,now it will probably go into old business.
MR. SCHWARTZ: I am talking about the Land Preservation Committee meeting.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: So am I.
MR. SCHWARTZ: Okay. Even without more money though, if they do produce a report,
hopefully it will be attached, am I correct?
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: Attached to what?
MR. SCHWARTZ: Ms. Neville, it will be attached to the agenda? If it's discussed at a work
session, you can still attach documents so the public can participate in some way, at least to
know and to be able to review the material.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: Oh, sure. (Inaudible)
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 47
MR. SCHWARTZ: Even if we can't get an audio.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: Sure.
MR. SCHWARTZ: Meanwhile, I think the focus on the Land Preservation Committee might be
a little too narrow. You know, united we stand but we need balance of powers so there should be
unity but there also should be, we shouldn't merge everything into one authority. I think what
we have now with the Land Preservation committee and the Land Preservation Department
appears to be similar to the mixup between the Planning Board and the Planning Department.
But let's leave that one aside for now and just focus on if you are going to define roles of Land
Preservation Committee, I think you need to also include definitions of the Land Preservation
Department and the Land Preservation Coordinator, who plays, I believe, acts as a secretary and
accepts directions given by the Land Preservation Committee and yet considers to be a separate
entity. So that's something you might work on while you are working on that. Meanwhile,
again in the interests of permitting the public to understand and possibly contribute, maybe we
could update the folder, the document in Southold Town laserfiche entitled `The Town Board
charges/duties of the Land Preservation Committee'. it doesn't seem to have anything to do with
that topic. It was written in August 5th of 1992, it appears to be a page from Town Board
meeting minutes or something discussing a property on Fishers Island. While it is mentioned it
was brought to a committee called Land Preservation Committee, that was, there was no attempt
here to, there was just an attempt to explain by the Supervisor at that time, it was not adopted as
an official position or a policy or definition. I mean, I am certain that there was a point at which
the Land Preservation Committee was formed and at that time there were specific duties, so
maybe we could do some research and put them in laserfiche and you know, maybe even update,
let people know....
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: That's why I have embarked on this little project to begin with. I
can't seem to find much of anything going way back to when the Committee was formed, aside
from what's in the code. The code itself follows, establishes what the Land Preservation and the
farmland preservation are there to do which in essence is administer CPF funds. The actual
protocols and the procedures they should follow aren't codified and there really isn't a policy
that I could find. So that's what brought this up. I want to see that that gets addressed, the same
as you do.
MR. SCHWARTZ: Well, not only that but the procedures that are currently being followed are
not necessarily serving the purposes that were intended to be served. I am looking at the agenda
again for the Land Preservation committee for February 7"' last week and I see a heading here-
Inquiries for Uses or Structures on Preserved Property: None. It's not only hard to believe but I
can think of one specific instance where there is already quite a controversy going on right now
about someone who is using property in a way that many people believe is inappropriate. The
review by the Land Preservation Committee of that use was, that was it. they said, okay, you call
it agricultural, it's agricultural. Well, I think that....
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: You realize that they are not in a position where they can approve or
disapprove, correct?
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 48
MR. SCHWARTZ: They should not be.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: Well, they aren't. Which is ....
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: I would suggest that the work that has...
MR. SCHWARTZ: They do.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: ...essentially a budget, although we are ultimately the ones that
spend the money, several million dollars in land preservation efforts each year, I would think that
at the very least they have the right to review its structure to see if its consistent with the very
covenants they put in place on the original purchase, so I understand Bob's point that the don't
have that authority but I think they have that responsibility to look at the structure.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: My point was that they don't have the authority to either be able
approve or disapprove. And their perspective to say that it's either consistent or not consistent
with the agreements that have been made and then it can move from there. There has to....
MR. SCHWARTZ: No, no, no, they cannot. If they say whether it's consistent or not with the
agreements then they are essentially approving or disapproving.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: No.
MR. SCHWARTZ: And the way that they are doing it currently is without proper legal
procedure. With no due process. So when things come before them, they don't have the facts
and they are looking at a building and they do not consider the way that building will be used or
have not, in this one particular instance that I am thinking about and I hope it's not endemic
within the organization.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: No, I've been involved in most of the meetings for the last three
years and yes, the do take that into consideration and it was discussed....
MR. SCHWARTZ: That didn't happen with the Kaloski deed, the deeded development rights.
There was no questioning, no investigation, nothing presented by the applicant. The applicant
didn't show up. All they said was we are building an agricultural barn. Turns out it's a
commercial garage. And not only that but the land is currently being used for purposes that I
believe are not agricultural. So...
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: Well, that's a different issue.
MR. SCHWARTZ: That is a different issue.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: Sure it is.
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 49
MR. SCHWARTZ: And when does that come up and how does that come up and who does that
go to because currently there is no one working on that.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: Not necessarily, they come in and they go to the Planning Board or
whatever it might be and they put together a proposal that they want to put an agricultural
building.
MR. SCHWARTZ: What if they don't? What if they just start doing things?
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: Well,then that's a good question.
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: That's code enforcement. You go to the code enforcement officer
and he compares it to the code and violates them or doesn't violate the.
MR. SCHWARTZ: If the deeds of development rights are not part of the code.
COUNCLMAN DINIZIO: No, I am not...
MR. SCHWARTZ: They are not codified.
COUNCILMAN DINIZIO: I am talking about if he is building a building, you have a dispute...
MR. SCHWARTZ: Who is talking about a building?
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: I think Benja's point is that the code enforcement is set up to
enforce the code, covenants aren't to code, so what is the enforcement mechanism for those?
MR. SCHWARTZ: Right.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: I would agree with regard to that or any easement in Southold,
particularly open space easements, we need to revisit how we are going to enforce those because
they require inspections that probably aren't getting done because workloads are already too
much but I would agree that the idea of covenants and easements needs to be a new focus of the
town.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: Inaudible.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Oh, I am not suggesting that they are not working hard but there's a
lot of easements out there that even pre-date the members of that committee.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: Oh, I am sure. That may be, yes.
MR. SCHWARTZ: And this case that we have been discussing, it involves a deed of
development rights which does two th ings basically, number one, it says you are allowed to
farm, we want you to farm the property. Number two, it says you cannot do anything else. So t
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 50
hose deeds, yes, I would like to see some consideration and some action taken to develop some
enforcement mechanism. There are also a problem with private easements because one of the
way Southold Town developed before subdivisions were required, landowners would dedicate
roads to the town and divide the property into sections or lots and sell t hem off. And many case,
they would give rights of way that would serve the neighborhood. Of course, the people who
live in the neighborhood have friends that live in other parts of town, it's not just, it's a public,
even though they are private easements, they are, you know....
JUSTICE EVANS: If it's a private easement, it's not the towns easement. So it's really the
homeowners that would have to take action on that.
MR. SCHWARTZ: The problem is, if there's one homeowner then, okay, that's their problem.
but if you have 20 homeowners, who is going to be responsible? And the fact is, that the town
not only is not taking responsibility but is actually assisting some of the people that are trying to
eliminate the public or this, the local public, you know, we have how many hamlets in this town?
JUSTICE EVANS: Ten.
MR. SCHWARTZ: You say ten? Okay. Whatever. I consider anyway, they are not officially
separate places but yet we have hamlet study groups to try to (inaudible). I live next door to a
property that is owned by the Fleet's Neck Property Owners Association. In that case, they do
have an association. But the town still doesn't treat them the way, probably the town still favors
the nearby adjacent property owner even though there's one single person that owns that
property. That is what the town is used to dealing with and working with and that is the way the
systems are set up. The legal systems. I am not blaming anybody for this, I just think we need to
consider it to protect our community, we need to start thinking in the Town Attorney's office and
the Trustees and Building Department, that when there is an easement that benefits most multiple
properties in the neighborhood, there should be someone in town who is able to advocate for
that. Possibly this is a duty the Land Preservation Department could take on, in addition to all
the properties which the town is invested in, they could look at properties which benefit the
public which the town doesn't own....
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: There are people in Southold that advocate. They are called civil
attorneys. Because it's private property, I don't believe the town, not only do I think we have the
authority, we probably, it would probably be inappropriate to mingle in the affairs of private
property owners. I know what you are saying and one of the biggest problem is there is no
identified underlying fee owner, so you have these layers of ownership and what happened was
the developer sketched it on a piece of paper, submitted it years ago and never conveyed
ownership of the rights of way but for the residents to use.
MR. SCHWARTZ: Well, now we jumping a little from deeds of development rights, in the case
of deeds of development rights, there is an owner of the fee conditional. There's no owner of the
absolute fee.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Right.
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 51
MR. SCHWARTZ: The fee is conditioned on the presence of the development rights. When the
owner does not recognize and honor and respect those rights, then it goes before town
authorities, boards or departments that essentially try to apply the law and to be fair but there's
nobody advocating even in the case where the town owns the development rights, we don't have
anybody in this town government that is fighting for the public interest or the town's interest.
When you get to a situation where's there's a right of way in a neighborhood and it provides
access to a number of houses of, I don't think that there's a, I think that there's, I think that what
would be ethical and fair and right would be for the town to have some agency of the town, the
town is not a single agency, the town is not a single body and parts of the town are acting in
ministerial, bureaucratic ways to apply the laws and other parts of the town the ZBA and
Planning Board etc. and some of these others, Land Preservation committees are acting with
more discretionary authority but there's no legal reason that I know why the town could not
designate or create an agency under the local rule powers or perhaps take an agency that exists,
like Land Preservation and authorize it to assist groups of people who have interests in real
property that do not amount to fee interests. Do you understand what I am saying, Bob?
Because you are looking like...
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: I understand, I am just not sure I am getting there with it. You
know...
MR. SCHWARTZ: Well, we will give you some time to think about it.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: I am not, I don't want to become big brother here either.
MR. SCHWARTZ: No, I am not asking for that.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: So, you know...
MR. SCHWARTZ: But you will consider it,then?
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: We should have a conversation about it. You know, when I put this
together, I wasn't looking to have a referendum on the Land Preservation Committee. Just trying
get a feel for where we are at and to see what the Town Board can do to guide them. Some of
these other issues may very well be good ideas for us to talk about, so I am open to it.
MR. SCHWARTZ: Okay. Betty, have you looked for the resolution authorizing the Land
Preservation Committee?
TOWN CLERK NEVILLE: That is all there is, yes.
MR. SCHWARTZ: You haven't found it.
TOWN CLERK NEVILLE: We searched for each committee, board for charges for it and that's
all that was found.
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 52
MR. SCHWARTZ: I wonder if anybody watching the TV tonight could figure it out. Okay,
thanks very much for your time.
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: Thanks, Benja. Would anybody else like to address the Town
Board? (No response) I will say, I sent a memo to myself to put the issue of catastrophic loss on
the agenda in two weeks. That's certainly worth a discussion. There might be some legal
challenges. I seem to remember discussing this in the past but let's take it up in two weeks and
see what we are looking at.
COUNCILMAN GHOSIO: It's come up a few times in some of the decisions we have made
with the Trustees and I have always been an advocate for folks that have had catastrophic loss
because I experienced it myself when the house burned down. But there are laws that make it,
you would be surprised at how much you can't do replacing catastrophic loss.
COUNCILWOMAN DOHERTY: Yes, when Bob and I were on the Trustees we had a policy...
Robert Dunn
MR. DUNN: On the other side of that issue, the house we sold in Bayside, they left two studs
up. I mean, different jurisdiction but I understand where you are coming from, too. Left two
studs up...
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: As soon as he got the rest of the house done, he pulled those studs
out, so...
MR. DUNN: Inaudible.
Supervisor Russell
SUPERVISOR RUSSELL: We will have a discussion in two weeks regarding catastrophic loss,
okay? Motion to adjourn?
Motion To: Adjourn Town Board Meeting
RESOLVED that this meeting of the Southold Town Board be and hereby is declared adjourned
at 9:12 P.M.
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Eli eth A. Neville
Southold Town Clerk
Southold Town Board Regular Meeting
February 14, 2017 page 53
RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Louisa P. Evans, Justice
SECONDER:William P. Ruland, Councilman
AYES: Dinizio Jr, Ruland, Doherty, Ghosio, Evans, Russell