Government Briefs 03.08.12

East Hampton Town

Town Hall Renovation

    The Town of East Hampton will accept proposals from architects through April 19 for the renovation of the old Town Hall. The board voted last Thursday to solicit proposals over the objections of Councilwoman Sylvia Overby and Councilman Peter Van Scoyoc, who wanted a list of guidelines developed first.

Police Promotions

    Two East Hampton Town Police officers were promoted with a vote of the town board last week. John Claflin and Daniel Roman were appointed to full-time positions as police sergeants at annual salaries of $112,948.

Amend Contractors Law

    Also last week, the town board approved an amendment to the home improvement contractors licensing law.  The law will now require licensed contractors to exhibit stickers on their vehicles. It eliminates a requirement for a certain number of hours of continuing education each year, although first-time license applicants will have to provide proof of five classroom hours.

    In addition, exemptions for some workers, such as lawn mowers or gardeners, have been eliminated, while exemptions have been adopted for those whose gross or related personal income from a home maintenance business does not exceed $10,000 a year. Those who are otherwise required to obtain state, county, or town licenses of a different kind will also be exempt from obtaining a home improvement license.

Hearing Error

    An East Hampton Town Board hearing next Thursday on the creation of a road improvement district to raise, through taxes, the money to bring urban-renewal roads up to town highway standards, will have to be rescheduled due to an error.

    The neighborhood affected includes properties along Mulford Avenue, Barnes Avenue, Harbor Street, Sylvie Drive, and others in Northwest. Some properties that did not have access over the roads in question were to be excluded from the taxation district. Too many properties,  however, were deleted.

    Because the hearing has been noticed, the town board will open it next week, at 7 p.m., but a new hearing, on a redrawn district, will be scheduled for a later date.