The East Hampton Town Board discussed on Tuesday the procedure for when members of the architectural review board or the zoning board of appeals must be absent from meetings and an alternate must be formally accepted into the process.
“Part of our determinations that are written at the end of an application, and decisions that are made, are based on, in my opinion, a full five-member board,” Cate Rogers, the deputy supervisor, said.
When an application is denied by a 2-to-2 vote because of an absence, the decision is frequently challenged in court, she added, since the deadlock equates to a denial. In the end, it wastes taxpayer money if it must go back in front of a board for review after a court ruling.
Robert Connelly, the town attorney, put together a draft procedure with several key topics for discussion at the Tuesday meeting. The board discussed whether the alternates would be required to attend all meetings. Ultimately, the members decided that that would be the best course of action.
Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez pointed out that the town budgeted for one alternate for each of the two boards under consideration.
Wrapping up, Ms. Burke-Gonzalez asked Mr. Connelly to synthesize the main points from the meeting for the future.
