Trustee Meeting

October 2, 2014: Old Gray Lady Buried

By:  Progress for WHB

newyorktimes-logo

The Board of Trustees Meeting was commenced at 7:00.  Highlights from the meeting agenda include a resolution designating the Southampton Press and Newsday as the official newspapers of the Village of Westhampton Beach.  The New York Times was not designated.

A casual inquiry was interjected during the Trustees’ meeting concerning the relative circulation of Newsday as compared to the Times, with the suggestion that Newsday was in a circulation death spiral.

The Mayor explained that municipalities designate newspapers so those interested  know where to look.  Unlike advertisers who are interested in circulation numbers1)Newsday circulation scandal is not forgotten. the Village does not need to hope readers will stumble upon legal advertisements by chance, the village has told everyone exactly where to look — in the designated publications.

NYTimes Building

The decision to bury The Old Gray Lady as an official newspaper was a matter of economy.  Legal notices must be published in all designated papers.  A requirement the village, in the past, has honored in the breach.

co-op-clipart-gass-pump-clip-art

With the demolition of the firehouse the Village now needs a different fueling station for municipal vehicles.  The Village has been using Suffolk County refueling stations.  Tonight the Board authorized the Mayor to execute a Municipal Agreement for the purchase of fuel from Southampton Town.  The County and the Town each add a 15% surcharge.

The Trustees also authorized the Village Clerk to provide legal notice to bidders for the construction of a fuel dispensing system for the village to be located on the DPW property.

Fire Station 1The construction of the new firehouse appears to require more sanitary flow credits to meet Suffolk County Health Department requirements.  The Health Dept. expects more sewage to be produced at the new firehouse. 2)There remains some legal question as to whether the firehouse, as a municipal corporation may be able to get the necessary flow credits from Suffolk County without cost. We will leave it to the Sons of the Beach to comment on effluvium that flows in the back room.

The Village agreed to transfer some of its sanitary flow credits associated with the municipal parking lot (used for the Farmer’s Market) to the fire department in return for a perpetual easement granted to the village for parking on the fire district property with the exception of 20 stalls to be reserved exclusively for the department.  If it turns out the fire district does not need the sanitary flow credits the credits will revert to the village.

The Trustees then adjourned the meeting to enter executive session.

References   [ + ]

1. ↑ Newsday circulation scandal is not forgotten.
2. ↑ There remains some legal question as to whether the firehouse, as a municipal corporation may be able to get the necessary flow credits from Suffolk County without cost.
Solutions

Shellshocked The Movie

By:  Progress for WHB

On Sunday afternoon the Mayor attended a screening of Shellshocked presented at the Westhampton Beach Performing Art Center.  This documentary is a mixture of history lesson, biology instruction, a touch of water chemistry, and mostly an eye opener. The director of the movie, Emily Driscoll, was present and her enthusiasm for the subject was infectious.

For more information about Shellshocked the Movie see the website.

The Moriches Bay Project was instrumental in arranging the presentation at the P.A.C. and it has taken up the standard of working tirelessly to begin the restoration of our local marine waters.

cornell-cooperative-extension-suffolk-county-long-island

The Cornell Cooperative Extension has been providing education and support for aquaculture and, like seed oysters, their ideas are taking hold here in Moriches Bay as they have been successfully for years in Peconic Bay.    For more information about how you can grow oysters  visit the Cornell Cooperative Extension website.

 

work session

Sept. 24, 2014

By:  Progress for WHB

The work session had an early start this week at 5:30 p.m. to accommodate religious observances that begin tonight.

The Work-Session-Agenda began with a review of the 2013-14 Financial Report for the village.  It was recommended that an Employee Benefit Accrued Liability Reserve Fund be established for designated funds that, to date, have carried over each year as part of the operating budget.  It is a change with no financial impact, but will be in accordance with generally accepted accounting principals applicable to municipalities.  See NY State Comptroller Local Government Management Guide:  Reserve Funds.

Trustee Urban inquired whether a “Litigation Reserve Fund” could be established.  An “Insurance Reserve Fund” can be created (same thing, different name). The amount paid into this reserve fund during any fiscal year may not exceed the greater of $33,000 or 5 percent of the total budget of the fiscal year. There is no limit on the cash balance.  See Insurance Reserve Fund Gen. Muncipal Law § 6-n.

Building Inspector, Paul Houlihan, continued his storm water mitigation report to the Board of Trustees and one particularly wakeful resident, and advised that full compliance with the DEC’s requirements will be accomplished by early next week.

school_speed_limit

The Trustees discussed the school speed zone on Mill Road and the incongruity between the restricted speed in the village (by local law 15 mph, but posted at 20 mph) and the Town of Southampton portion of the zone from Oneck Road west on Mill Road to the flashing signals almost to the crest of the hill which is posted at 20 mph.  Also mentioned were the zones at the front of the high school on Lilac Road (30 mph) and on Oneck Road north of Mill Road (30 mph).

newspaperThe Mayor advised the Board that since it has designated 3 newspapers as the “official newspaper” of the village, legal notices would have to be published in all three for such notice to meet legal requirements.  (NY Times, Newsday and Southampton Press).  The Trustees will consider reducing the number of official newspapers.

There was some discussion about relocating the venue for the ice skating rink from the marina to either the municipal parking lot on Mill Road, or Glover’s Park — the pitch of the park will certainly be a consideration.

skating

The rink might not be a subject for a  Courier & Ives lithograph, but it could chase away the cabin fever when winter sets in.  DPW Superintendent, John Kearns, remarked that he had a workable substitute for a Zamboni, and while Apolo Ohno might disagree, Ohno retired last year and can take things slower.

The Trustees agreed to ruminate on these matters until the Board Meeting on October 2nd.

A motion was made to enter executive session for the purposes of discussing litigation and police personnel matters.  The public portion of the meeting was over until the conclusion of the executive session which took place at  9:20 p.m. when the meeting was adjourned.

By:  Progress for WHB