The East Hampton Town Board last Thursday voted to promote Eric Schantz, the assistant planning director, to director of housing and community development, making him the fifth new town department head appointed since late December, following the retirement of several longtime key officials.
Mr. Schantz, who joined the Planning Department in 2007 and has been the assistant director since 2021, will be placed on an unpaid leave of absence in his new position through April. His start date is May 1, at an annual salary of $109,000.
Tom Ruhle, Mr. Schantz’s predecessor, retired in January after almost 40 years with the town. He served as a planning board member starting in 1984, then on the town board from 1988 to 1991, in the Office of Housing and Community Development starting in 1992, as assistant director of housing starting in 2004, and, since 2004, as director of housing.
Also last Thursday, the board voted to reclassify and promote Kathleen Rood to town personnel officer and head of the Human Resources Department. Ms. Rood was hired in 2016 as a personnel assistant. In her new role she will be compensated at $100,000 per year.
Last month, Joe Palermo became the town’s chief building inspector, following the retirement of his predecessor, Ann Glennon. Mr. Palermo joined the Building Department staff in 2016 and had served as a senior building inspector since 2019.
Christine Schnell was appointed tax receiver at the beginning of this year. She served as a purchasing agent and treasurer for local school districts after working for the town as a purchasing agent from 1999 to 2007.
Late last year, Tim Treadwell was appointed head of the Police Department’s Marine Patrol division. He began his career with the town in 2003 as a lifeguard, became a bay constable (now called a harbormaster) in 2005, and was promoted to senior harbormaster in 2013. He succeeds Ed Michels, who started working for the town in 1993. Mr. Michels
shifted to part-time service last year after helming Marine Patrol since 2002.
The board has acknowledged the scarcity of affordable housing in the town, and the overall cost of living on the South Fork, as root causes in the town and the private sector’s difficulties in attracting and retaining staff. The board approved updated contracts with Civil Service Employees Association and Police Benevolent Association employees, incorporated across-the-board salary increases in the 2023 budget, and last fall issued one-time supplemental payments to employees to alleviate the impact of inflation.
“The limited amount of nearby affordable housing and long commute times to and from East Hampton Town have created a challenging labor market where it is difficult for the town, as well as local businesses, to find and retain qualified staff,” Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc said in a statement on Monday. “We are pleased to have been able to promote or bring on these outstanding new department heads.
