Government Briefs 05.22.14
East Hampton Town
Complaints Online
Complaints to the East Hampton Town Ordinance Enforcement Department, regarding, for example, possible town code violations from overcrowded housing to illegal summer rentals, litter, or businesses operating in residential zones, may now be lodged online through the town’s website at www.ehamptonny.gov.
An online complaint form can be found there under “Ordinance Enforcement” on the right-hand side. Those sending complaints will receive written confirmations, and town officers will investigate. They will also be notified of determinations. The online system went live on Tuesday.
Complaints may also still be lodged by calling code enforcement, the fire marshals office, or the town Building Department, or by visiting them at 300 Pantigo Place.
Noise complaints must be filed with the Police Department.
Renewable Energy Goals
East Hampton Town has set a goal of meeting 100 percent of the community’s electricity needs with renewable energy sources by 2020, the first town in New York State to do so.
The unanimous vote by the town board on Tuesday also calls for meeting energy consumption in other energy sectors (heating and transportation) with renewable sources by 2030. The goals reflect those of numerous municipalities across the nation and worldwide, a number of which have been achieved, Frank Dalene said on Tuesday. He chairs the town energy and sustainability committee.
In response to several renewable energy programs sponsored by the Long Island Power Authority and PSEG Long Island, the town has already selected a number of proposals from solar developers for large-scale solar farms on town-owned land.
Filming Fees Up
With a vote last Thursday, the East Hampton Town Board increased the fees for permits for filming for the first time since 2007.
According to the resolution offered by Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, productions involving between 6 and 15 people per day will pay $250 for a daily permit; those with 16 to 50 people, $500 a day; those with 51 to 100 people, $1,000 a day, and filming involving more than 100 people will be subject to a $1,500-a-day fee.
The increases were prompted by a film crew that sought a permit to film a Showtime TV series for the second year. During board discussion, a resident had said East Hampton’s fees were well below those paid by the industry in other areas.
Bus Club Proposed
A new transportation service proposed between East End hamlets, using two revamped school buses, prompted some questions by the East Hampton Town Board, which heard from one of the business’s founders, Derek Kleinow, on Tuesday.
Mr. Kleinow described the system as a “social club,” which would offer rides between shopping areas, restaurants, and night spots to members, along with refreshments aboard the buses, and a chance to meet other members. As a social club offering an amenity rather than a transportation service, he said, the business would not be subject to certain regulations applied to other bus companies.
Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell, while applauding the idea of a service that might reduce traffic and provide an alternative for those who might otherwise drive after drinking, asked Mr. Kleinow to provide written documentation of the legality of the proposal. Mr. Cantwell also voiced concern about buses stopping at places like Montauk’s Surf Lodge, for instance, where there are often traffic tie-ups. J.P.
New York State
Business Group Endorses Wind Farm
The Association for a Better Long Island, a trade group serving real estate and business interests, has written to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo endorsing a proposed 200-megawatt wind farm, to be situated in the Atlantic some 30 miles east of Montauk.
The association’s members control $15 billion worth of commercial, industrial, residential, and retail real estate, representing the largest energy consumers on Long Island, according to a release.
Desmond Ryan, the group’s executive director, told the governor that members believe renewable energy should be a sizable component of the state’s energy generation. “Job growth, stabilized rates, and one more alternative to fossil-fuel commodity prices make it easy for our business leaders to endorse this proposal,” he wrote.
Deepwater Wind, a Rhode Island company, has proposed to build Deepwater ONE, an offshore wind farm that will not be visible from any point on Long Island.