Government Briefs 09.06.12
East Hampton Town
Beach Cleanup
In conjunction with the Ocean Conservancy’s annual Coastal Cleanup on Sept. 15, the East Hampton Town Trustees will lead an effort to clean the town’s beaches.
Between now and the 15th, those wishing to participate can stop by the trustees’ Bluff Road, Amagansett, office to pick up collection bags, gloves, and a special recycling decoder card used to identify recyclables from trash.
On the 15th between noon and 3 p.m. trustees will be cruising the ocean beach between Two Mile Hollow in East Hampton and the western boundary of Napeague State Park. Collectors should make sure bags are placed well above the high water mark.
Between 5 and 6 p.m. bags will be collected from the beaches adjacent to Gerard Drive and Louse Point Road. All trash should be placed beside town trash receptacles.
The Budget Process Begins
East Hampton Town Supervisor Bill Wilkinson has begun the process of putting together a preliminary town budget for 2013 by meeting with town department heads to discuss individual budgets for the areas they oversee. It will be submitted to the town board for review and potential revision by the end of the month. Mr. Wilkinson said at a board meeting on Tuesday that the statewide 2-percent cap on property tax increases poses a particular challenge.
Two councilmen, Dominick Stanzione and Peter Van Scoyoc, took the opportunity at Tuesday’s meeting to praise the work of the town’s finance division, which, through successful efforts to organize and maintain proper financial records, enabled the town’s outside auditors to complete a 2011 audit well before a state deadline. In addition, Mr. Stanzione said that town staff, in the departments he oversees, had been “extremely professional” in approaching the coming year’s budget.
Push to Pull Old Poles
Councilman Peter Van Scoyoc, the town board’s liaison to the Highway Department, said on Tuesday that the county is mounting an effort to get utility companies to remove decommissioned utility poles after new ones are put up alongside them by imposing a fine if the old poles are not removed within a certain time. He suggested that the town do the same. According to Stephen Lynch, the highway superintendent, there are more than 100 places in the town where there are double poles, Mr. Van Scoyoc said. Residents have brought the issue before the town board several times in recent years.
Smart Solar Garbage Cans
Two solar-powered trash cans have been installed for a one-month trial period at Indian Wells Beach in Amagansett and at the Plaza in Montauk, near the Montauk Bake Shop, Councilman Van Scoyoc reported Tuesday. He had made arrangements with the manufacturer for the free trial, which will help determine whether it is cost-effective for the town to buy the cans.
Each takes up to seven times the amount of garbage that can fit in a regular can, Mr. Van Scoyoc said, “which means seven fewer trips for town workers.” The cans issue a text message or e-mail to alert a designated town staffer when they need to be emptied.
Police Contract Talks
Contract negotiations with the East Hampton Town Police Benevolent Association begin on Sept. 27, Supervisor Wilkinson informed the town board this week. Mr. Wilkinson will represent the town in talks with the union. The police contract expires at the end of this year.