So Far, No Election Challenge
In a brief and quiet work session last Thursday, the East Hampton Village Board designated the Emergency Services Building on Cedar Street as the polling place for the June 21 village election. The polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m., and the board authorized Becky Molinaro, the village administrator, to appoint four election inspectors at the rate of $20 per hour. If the inspectors are village employees, they will be compensated at their current rate of pay.
Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach Jr., Deputy Mayor Barbara Borsack, and Richard Lawler of the board are up for re-election. Independent nominating petitions can be filed from May 10 through May 17. As of yesterday, there were no declared candidates to oppose them. Individuals can register to vote through June 10 with the county board of elections.
The board also authorized the issuance of $760,000 in bonds to pay the cost of various capital projects. Mayor Rickenbach said that an estimated $230,000 in road reconstruction accounted for part of that figure. Also included is $70,000 toward a municipal fuel depot in partnership with the town, $140,000 for a new payloader for the Department of Public Works, and $220,000 toward a new ambulance. The village will supplement the latter acquisition with $30,000 in current funds.
The board set May 5 at 11 a.m. for a public hearing on a proposed code amendment allowing the expedited review of applications for building permits that incorporate specific universal design features. The amendment is intended to accommodate the housing needs of the elderly or disabled.
Design features include a zero-step entrance, doorways and passageways of a minimum clearance of 34 inches, and at least one half-bath on the ground floor with fixtures allowing sufficient floor space to accommodate wheelchairs or other means of mobility assistance.
The mayor also delivered a personal message to Ms. Molinaro. “On behalf of the board of trustees and everyone in village government, we would like to wish our village administrator a very, very happy birthday,” he said. “May it be a beautiful day.”