Government Briefs 06.18.15

East Hampton Town

What’s Next for Boys Harbor Mess Hall?

East Hampton Town will ask the regional community preservation fund opinions bureau to weigh in on the future of the former Boys Harbor camp property in East Hampton, which was purchased by the county and the town using C.P.F. money.

A property management committee has discussed rehabilitation of the dining hall building in stages, according to Councilman Peter Van Scoyoc, a liaison to the group, and is seeking a town board decision. The building would be used for recreational activities.

Supervisor Larry Cantwell wondered whether buildings on C.P.F. properties can be used for recreation, and Mr. Van Scoyoc suggested seeking a written determination from the bureau, which helps municipalities to comply with the preservation fund program.

The councilman noted that the land was bought for the express purpose of recreation, along with the preservation of open space. While using money from the preservation fund to rehab the mess hall might not be allowed, he said, the recreational use should almost certainly be approved.

Wastewater Advisory Committee

Members are to be appointed tonight to an advisory committee that will help town officials assess the next steps in developing and implementing strategies to address wastewater, for which a comprehensive management plan is being developed.

A wastewater management project advisory committee will have representatives from the Montauk and Amagansett Chambers of Commerce, the East Hampton Business Alliance, the East Hampton Ladies Village Improvement Society, and the Nature Conservancy, along with the following individuals: Christine Ganitsch, Peter Wadsworth, Dan Gulizio, who is the Peconic Baykeeper, and Laura Tooman, representing New York State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr.

East Hampton Town is expected to split the cost, with East Hampton Village, of a water quality improvement study of the Hook Pond watershed, which straddles the town and village jurisdictions. Lombardo Associates, a consulting firm that has been working on the town’s comprehensive wastewater management plan, will be hired to survey the pond’s sediments and to determine potential remediation efforts. The total cost will be $14,788. J.P.

Southampton Town

Two Endorsements

Two Southampton Town councilwomen seeking higher elected office have received endorsements this week.

EMILY’S List, a nationwide organization that supports pro-choice candidates, has endorsed Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst to represent New York’s First Congressional District, a seat held by Lee Zeldin, who is serving his first term. The organization has criticized Mr. Zeldin for what it called an “anti-woman, anti-family record.”

In a statement, Stephanie Schriock, president of EMILY’s List, called Ms. Throne-Holst, who was elected to the town board in 2007, “a committed public servant who is about getting things done for Long Island women and families to have a fair shot.” The election will happen in November 2016

The Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association of Southampton Town has endorsed Bridget Fleming, a five-year town councilwoman seeking to represent the South Fork and Shelter Island in the Suffolk County Legislature. In a letter to Ms. Fleming from the P.B.A., which represents patrolmen in the largest police force in the legislative district, the organization said, “your immediate approach to community needs and willingness to give of yourself sets you apart from any other candidate.” Election Day is Nov. 3.

New York State

Sea-Level Rise Meetings

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has until Jan. 1 to adopt a regulation establishing the state’s official sea-level rise projections, and the D.E.C. will hold a series of meetings to hear public comments on those projections over the coming week. 

The closest will be at Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge in Shirley on Tuesday starting at 1 p.m. D.E.C. staff will describe the requirements of the 2014 Community Risk and Resiliency Act and scientific information it is using to set up its sea-level rise program. The D.E.C. has said that these official sea-level rise projections will serve as the basis for far-reaching policy decisions and will be available to local governments concerned with coastal flooding and other threats.

Additional meetings will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Operation Splash in Freeport, Wednesday at Hunter College in Manhattan, and next Thursday in Albany at the D.E.C. headquarters. Those intending to be present for the Albany session have been asked to register in advance at [email protected]. That meeting will also be available for online participation via WebEx and to those who would like to join by phone. Details are at dec.ny.gov.

Help With Affordable Housing

State legislation that would authorize all five East End towns to establish funds for the benefit of residents seeking affordable housing has passed the Senate, according to the bill’s sponsor, Senator Kenneth P. LaValle. It is now to be considered by the Assembly.

If passed, the townships could establish a dedicated fund that would be used to increase “work force” housing in various ways, such as the provision of low-interest loans to first-time homebuyers, the construction of community housing, and the establishment of partnerships with the private sector to provide housing.

“The availability of affordable opportunities for moderate-income and working-class residents is in critically short supply across Long Island and especially on the East End,” Mr. LaValle said in a press release. The shortage, he said, results in a brain drain of young people from the area; difficulty for employers finding and retaining employees, a lack of volunteers for local emergency services, traffic congestion caused by workers who commute into the area, and residents living in substandard or illegal conditions, or in motels intended for tourism.

Housing plans established pursuant to the legislation, should it become law, would have to adhere to “smart growth” principles, which require proper sewage infrastructure, conservation measures, and the availability of transportation. Towns would have to allow voters to weigh in on the adoption of the housing plan and the creation of a housing fund, which would be financed by both state and local money.

Veterans Exemptions Increased

State legislation co-sponsored by Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. and Senator LaValle, which would allow local municipalities to increase the exemptions from property tax offered to veterans, has been approved.

The state legislators said in a release that increases would have a particular impact in towns such as those on the East End, where assessed values are higher than those in other parts of the state, and would help veterans maintain ownership of their homes.

New York has some of the highest property taxes in the nation, Mr. Thiele noted in the release, resulting in a number of veterans being forced to relocate to states where both property taxes and the cost of living is lower.