Category Archives: Solutions

Sewers, Part III

Follow Progress For Westhampton Beach

By:  Progress for Westhampton Beach

On September 3, 2015 the Board of Trustees adopted a resolution to authorize the advertisement for civil engineers to provide the professional services needed to prepare a map and plan for a sewer district.

Once this beauty contest is over and a firm is selected, then the next phase will be the preparation of a plan that includes options our community can consider to best meet the requirements of the village.

This is one public works project that won’t sneak up on anyone. There will be plenty of opportunity for residents to be heard as we all become more informed of both the costs and the benefits of addressing the requirements for our village infrastructure.

On a related note, the village’s reconstituted Conservation Advisory Council held its first meeting on Friday morning.  Hopefully this council will be instrumental in working together with the Trustees, Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals as the village begins to address those matters affecting water quality as well as other environmental concerns.

more on the September Board of Trustees’ meeting to follow.

Sewers Part II

By:  Progress for Westhampton Beach

Sewers Part I being here.

As residents know, Mayor Moore made application to the Suffolk County Sewer Agency for the reservation of all available water treatment capacity at Gabreski for use by the village; that application was approved this month.

Earlier this year the Southampton Press provided important information about revenues for the  Community Preservation Fund (the 2% Transfer Tax collected from buyers of real property); and this week reported that an amendment to Community Preservation Fund is in the Works.  See page A5 or here on 27east.

The amendment to the CPF Legislation that is to be presented to Gov. Cuomo later this year will, if ultimately approved, provide funding for wastewater treatment facilities.  This amendment also expressly includes available funding for a pump-out station for the marina .

There is an important proviso in the amendment to this law. Funding for water quality improvement projects is to be restricted to those projects that improve existing water quality, but are not dedicated to new growth.  This should be a relief to those who have a justifiable concern that accessing or building a wastewater treatment plant is merely a pathway for more residential development that reduces the quality of life on the East End. Proposed Changes to CPF Law here with highlights.

It should also be noted that funding is not restricted to wastewater treatment projects, but all projects that can improve our water quality.  This includes implementation of new technology to address stormwater runoff as well.

There are important changes on the horizon for our village.  We have the right Mayor, the right Board of Trustees at the right time, and with support from the Conservation Advisory Council, the Board of Trustees should be able to advance this important work for our village.

Preemptive Strike

Follow Progress For Westhampton Beach

By:  Progress for Westhampton Beach

The work session was called to order promptly at 7:00.

The Town of Southampton recently adopted a local law banning plastic bags and Town Councilman  Brad Bender has asked the Village of Westhampton Beach to do the same.  It was on the work session agenda tonight for a presentation by Councilman Bender and Dieter von Lehsten, the co-chair of the Southampton Town sustainability committee.  The presentation focused on the benefits of using durable bags for re-use rather than the single use plastic bags.  In addition to the town law, Councilman  Bender offered to provide the SEQRA determination made by the Town Board.

The State of New York has adopted legislation regulating plastic bags:  NYS Plastic Bag Reduction, Reuse and Recycling Law.

This state law focuses on recycling plastic bags and authorizes the State Department of Environmental Conservation to adopt regulations to implement the law.  The State law also includes language specifically preempting local laws relating to the recycling and reuse of plastic bags.

When Mr. Bender was asked about whether the Town attorney had rendered an opinion that the local law was, in fact, legal and not preempted by the State law, he could not make that representation.  He simply said Southampton has not been sued yet.

There is important language in this state law that should not be ignored…

Continue reading Preemptive Strike