Government Briefs 02.12.15

East Hampton Town

Montauk Beach: Easements Are In

East Hampton Town has obtained all of the needed agreements from the owners of Montauk properties along the downtown shore where the Army Corps of Engineers plans to build a reinforced sand dune.

While the project is being designed and funded by the Army Corps, it was the town’s responsibility to obtain the property easements. Last week, with a deadline looming, there was one property owner who had still failed to sign. Supervisor Larry Cantwell announced on Tuesday that, thanks to continued efforts by and a personal visit from his executive assistant, Alex Walter, all the easements are now in place and the project will proceed.

Town Acquires Lot Off Old Stone

The town will purchase a property along Accabonac Harbor in Springs using the community preservation fund, and will remove a house there and return the land to its natural state. Following a hearing last week, the town board approved the $650,000 purchase of approximately one acre at 243 Old Stone Highway, owned by the Emily Cobb Trust. The property has often been a stop on spring garden tours. Its owners, the late Ann Stanwell and Ms. Cobb, planted many hundreds of tulips, daffodils, and other bulbs, and tended other gardens as well.

For Farmers and Food Producers

A town agricultural advisory committee is likely to become a permanent fixture with an addition to the town code. The committee is charged with advising the town board on matters important to the continued existence of agricultural activities here. Members of the committee appeared before the town board on Tuesday to stress the importance of an ongoing advisory group. Local farming and food production, said Councilwoman Sylvia Overby, the liaison to the group, will continue to be “part of a sustainable community” and should always be considered in setting town laws and policy.

Three-Year Plan to Reduce Town Debt

A three-year capital spending plan presented Tuesday by Len Bernard, East Hampton Town’s budget officer, includes annual expenses for items such as police car replacement and road and sidewalk maintenance and repair. It calls for $4.9 million in bonds for this year’s work.

The town’s goal, said Mr. Bernard, has been to retire more debt each year than is added through new bonding, “while being free to borrow to do the things that need to be done.” With $3 million in projects slated for next year, and $2.5 million worth of capital improvements included in the plan for 2017, the town’s overall indebtedness, at $109 million at the start of this year, would be reduced to $75 million by the end of 2017, the budget officer said.