Government Briefs 09.18.14

East Hampton Town

Reconsidering Mass Gatherings

The town board will hold a hearing tonight on revisions to the town laws regarding mass gatherings. The law requires permits for assemblies of more than 50 people on residential properties, for organized gatherings of five or more people on public properties, and for gatherings on commercial sites if they involve outdoor areas, use of a tent, off-site parking, or sales of goods or refreshments on a property, or in an area of a property, not already approved for such sales.

The revised law would require permit applications for events involving 250 or more people to be submitted 60 days in advance; applications for gatherings of groups of 100 or fewer must be filed at least 15 days in advance.

The code would allow the town board to deny permits for events deemed unsuitable for their proposed location, for those that would conflict with other events, causing traffic congestion or a strain on public services, if the frequency of events on a particular site is too great, or if a property owner has been convicted of violating the terms of a mass gathering permit within the last three years. Assemblies on public property could be denied if they conflict with “ordinary public use of the land.”

The hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

Trash Cleanup

East Hampton Town will provide trash bags and gloves to volunteers pitching in on Saturday for the Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup Day. Individuals and groups will be asked to fill out the Ocean Conservancy’s data collection form, which the town will provide, to record the type of debris found. The information will be used to identify debris “hot spots” or issues, raise awareness, and help communities adopt policies that will contribute to cleaner oceans.

Gloves, bags, and forms may be picked up during business hours at the town board office at East Hampton Town Hall through tomorrow. Filled trash bags may be left at garbage cans at beaches for pickup. Participants also have been asked to document their efforts with photos and to e-mail them to Councilwoman Sylvia Overby at [email protected].

Meanwhile, a post-season weigh-in of summertime trash came up with a grand tally of 741,000 pounds collected by the Parks and Recreation Department staff from all of the collection points at public parks, beaches, and facilities.

Ms. Overby reported Tuesday that 65,000 pounds of trash had been collected at beaches. Construction debris that was illegally deposited at road ends or on public lands totaled 37,000 pounds, she said. The board will compare the figures to last year’s.

Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell also said that a “data-driven” discussion of how things went this summer, will be held soon, with reports from those heading various town departments.

Wastewater Sessions

A recently released draft of a comprehensive wastewater management plan for East Hampton Town will be the subject of a public information meeting on Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the East Hampton Village Emergency Services Building on Cedar Street. Prepared by a consultant, the plan includes an examination of ground and surface waters and suggestions for how to prevent wastewater pollution, including a lot-by-lot analysis and specific neighborhood-based solutions.

A second session on the wastewater plan will take place at the Montauk Firehouse on Oct. 14. Each meeting will feature a detailed discussion of the recommendations relating to the hamlet in which the meeting is held.

On Army Corps Plans

The Army Corps of Engineers will present the final details of its downtown Montauk beach stabilization plan at a meeting next Thursday at noon at the Montauk Firehouse. The agency has proposed an $8.9 million project that would create a 161/2-foot tall dune along 3,100 feet of shoreline, with a core of 14,000 geotextile bags filled with sand.

Representatives from the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation, the Suffolk County Department of Public Works, and the town will be on hand.

Inspector Suspended

At a work session on Tuesday, the East Hampton Town Board voted to suspend Robert Fisher, a town building inspector, without pay for 30 days, pending a determination on disciplinary charges. According to the board resolution, Thomas Preiato, the chief building inspector, had charged Mr. Fisher with alleged misconduct and incompetence.

Mr. Fisher is entitled to a hearing in the case under New York Civil Service law provisions. Eileen Powers, an attorney, has been appointed as the hearing officer, and she is to prepare findings and recommendations for the board.

Airport Noise Reduction Vote

A commitment by the town board to have policies in place by next summer that would reduce bothersome aircraft noise from helicopters and planes using East Hampton Airport is outlined in a resolution to be voted on at a board meeting tonight.

Following a recent meeting on airport noise attended by close to 400 people from across the East End, the board has outlined its plans to enact airport use restrictions by compiling and submitting data about the noise problems to the Federal Aviation Administration. A presentation by a consultant compiling the noise data will be scheduled for an upcoming board meeting.

Napeague Parking

The East Hampton Town Board has agreed to hold a public hearing on the creation of a no-parking zone along Dolphin Drive on Napeague, which had been prohibited until recently although the town code apparently had been changed years ago to allow residents to park there in order to access the beach.

Residents along the road had complained to the board after no-parking signs there were removed and replaced with others indicating those with town resident permits could park there.The road is narrow, Supervisor Cant?well said at a board meeting on Tuesday, and it is bordered on the east by town property that is likely to become a nature preserve. Clearing of vegetation along that side, or of plantings in front of residences on the west side of the street, would be required to provide spaces suitable for parking, and Mr. Cantwell suggested that the board ratify a no-parking zone on both sides of the street.

Councilman Fred Overton, however, said that barring the public from parking along the road would essentially create a private beach usable only by nearby residents. Councilman Peter Van Scoyoc agreed, and said some parking should be considered. The hearing will allow the board to solicit the public’s opinion on what should be done. A second hearing, on designating the nearby town property as a nature preserve, will be held at the same meeting, on a date to be determined.