The East Hampton Village Board this week discussed a proposed public hearing on a new law that would shift the onus of notifying neighbors who live within 200 feet of an applicant’s property to the applicants, rather than the village. The proposal sparked a letter from Leonard Ackerman, a lawyer and longtime village resident.
“Since mail notice goes to the address that the neighboring property owners have supplied for their tax bills, there is often a further delay before they receive the actual notice,” he wrote. “As a result, there is often inadequate time for an interested neighbor to review the plans for the proposed project, discuss any issues with the applicant, and hire a representative if needed to attend the hearing. The result is last-minute objections, angst and possible delay for the applicant, and more work for the Z.B.A. members who may have to extend the hearing beyond its original date.”
Mr. Ackerman suggested a new feature on the village website instead, which would list the address of any variance application on the date it is filed, rather than waiting for a public hearing date to be scheduled.
“It’s possible to do that,” Billy Hajek, the village planner, told the board. “The idea here was to shift the burden, though. It wasn’t to create additional procedures for the village staff. I don’t know if any other municipality does this. I mean, if the objective is to reduce potential opposition from a neighbor, you know, an applicant is free to contact their neighbors before they submit an application, or when they’re designing it to get their feedback.”
“The complaint I hear from residents is, why does it take so long to get a variance,” said Mayor Larsen.
“The complaint I hear, though, is that ‘I had no idea this was happening, and now I have this horrible thing next to me that I’m living with for the rest of my life,’ “ said Carrie Doyle, a board member.
Mr. Hajek said the complete file is already online once the hearing is scheduled, and that it would be onerous to scan incomplete applications, as they often change. Discussion followed about extending the posting time and finding a way to set Google notifications so neighbors know when an application is filed, but no decisions were made. The hearing was left open.
Another hearing, this one extending parking restrictions on roads affected by Main Beach festivities during the summer, was closed. Lily Pond Lane, Ocean Avenue, Terbell Lane, Pudding Hill Lane, Crossways, Lee Avenue, Cottage Avenue, Drew Lane, and Nichols Lane will all have no-parking restrictions extended from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Previously, the restriction ended at 5 p.m.
Homeowners were upset because cars were parking on their landscaped medians. From now on, village police will direct drivers during events to park on the street. “It’ll give us control of the streets and reduce the complaints of people and the property damage,” Chief of Police Jeff Erickson told the board. “If people park in those areas without being directed, you’ll get a ticket.”
In a resolution, the board approved a $2 hourly wage increase for part-time paramedics. “It’s really difficult to get people to come out east, when they get the same money without traveling, working in Smithtown or Patchogue,” said Mayor Larsen. “We’re trying to keep up so we can keep this staffed.”
Monday’s meeting also featured an audit report and a presentation by Edward Carey of Good Energy about how the village could save money on its energy cost.
Frank Sluter, a managing partner with Satty & Partners, the village auditor, said that the village’s financial statements are all in good order and no material modifications need be made.
Revenues came in at $31.2 million, which exceeds the original amount budgeted by nearly $3 million. “The most notable increase of income came from licenses and permits,” said Mr. Sluter: The village picked up almost $2 million in such fees.
Expenditures, meanwhile, were at $30.5 million, under budget by almost $1 million. Capital outlays, which went to items such as emergency equipment, the Dominy house renovation, and Herrick Park updates, came in at $7.9 million.
“There were no significant deficiencies in internal controls. The controls seem to be working very well,” the auditor said.
Mr. Carey of Good Energy told the board that “East Hampton does not have an energy budget,” which, he said, leaves it vulnerable to price fluctuations. “AI is coming online, and we have no clue on how to predict this economy,” he said. “They’re literally sucking all of the energy out of the United States, and it’s going to be a supply and demand issue. The supply is not going to be there, the demand’s going to go through the roof.”
His company “brokers government energy aggregation programs, creating an economy of scale and allowing municipalities to negotiate lower energy rates.” Through its services, the village would be able to purchase “excess energy” directly from Calpine Energy, bypassing PSEG and securing a lower rate.
He recommended the village purchase 50 percent of its energy needs that way, which, he said, would preclude price fluctuations. Southampton Village, he added, is saving approximately $20,000 annually using his services. “I think the numbers are going to be better,” he said.
For perspective, the village budget is just over $29 million.
“It seems like a no-brainer,” said Mayor Jerry Larsen, who first met Mr. Carey at the New York State Conference of Mayors.
Christopher Minardi, the deputy mayor, asked Mr. Carey to provide an analysis of how his services have helped other similarly sized municipalities.
The next step would be for the board to resolve to enter in a contract with Good Energy.
Earth Hour is March 22, from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m., Gloria Frazee, a village resident, told the board. “It encourages people to turn off nonessential lights,” she said, before discussing all the ways in which artificial light affects human health and wildlife behavior. “We just had that presentation about how much energy costs. Let’s cut down the amount of energy that we’re using. If there’s unnecessary lighting around our town, it not only adds to light pollution, obscuring stars, it increases our use of energy.”
Ms. Frazee urged that the village consider turning off “landmark lights” and encourage businesses to dim their lights and address unshielded lights as well. Mayor Larsen instructed Gabby McKay, the deputy clerk, to put the Earth Hour information on the village’s social media accounts.
