East Hampton Town Board Work Session Montauk 05/12/26

001East Hampton Town Board. We are live being streamed and recorded. Thank you. >> Thank you, LTV. Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the East Hampton Town Board work session of Tuesday, May 12th, 2026. Michael, if you could please read the roll call. >> Council member Flight. Present. >> Deputy Supervisor Lee. >> Present. >> Council member Rogers. >> Present. >> Council member Calder Pedmont. >> Present. >> Supervisor Burke Gonzalez. >> Present. If we could all please stand for the pledge. >> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to [clears throat] the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. So, we're going to open today's meeting with public portion. We ask you to kindly keep your comments to three minutes and then

002that'll be followed by our topics. Uh, first up is a recommendation for the RFP for the technology solution for managing compliance with short-term rental regulations and that'll be presented by Tina Lagaren. Then we have three department heads giving presentations on community development. Their 2025 accomplishments and 2026 goals. Tina Lagaren will be presenting for the planning department. Morgan Morgan Perez for housing and community develop development and Richard Norbo, the building department. Then we'll have a presentation by Rick Whan from the East Hampton Trails Preservation Society on a proposed trail at the Bamante Preserve here in Montalk. And that'll be followed by a presentation. Jake, I'm not sure if it's you or Charlie that's going to give it. >> Charlie's coming out. Okay. Charlie Collins on the UR map modification for 9 South Fernraftoft Place. That'll be

003followed by liaison reports and then resolutions. So we're going to start with public portion. I understand no one has signed up. Is there anyone in the room that would like to speak during public comment? Okay, Jason, is there anyone on the line? >> Yes, we have one caller on the line. >> Great. Please put them through. >> And in three, two. Hello, caller ending in 9004. You're on the air. Can you hear me? >> Yes, I can. Thank you. This is Gloria Frezy. Great, beautiful morning to everyone. Um I am calling for a couple of reasons. One is in favor of the uh the loop at the Bamanti uh preserve and we spend so much time in front of our screens and I happen to be on one now and the more that we can

004encourage our community and ourselves encourage ourselves to take every opportunity to reconnect with the environment and get outdoors, the better. and this trail behind the library. What a fabulous opportunity. Um, I'd just like to quickly mention another opportunity. Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 13th, uh, Ree Wild is planting a new pollinator garden at LTV Studios. Everyone is welcome. Come dig in the dirt with us and reconnect that way. That's 11:30 to 1:30 tomorrow. Um it will be the seventh community pollinator garden in uh the south fork between Bridgeampton and Montalk. Um, the second point I have to make is, wow, I'm I'm so looking forward to the community development uh portion because just working on a little bit of tech change and process improvement with a uh nonprofit like Rewild, I understand how complex it is and

005involved and just to think of the work that Tina at the planning department, Mark at the office of housing and community and community development and Richard at the building department are doing. It's just mindboggling. I can only imagine some of the many demands and priorities in front of them. It's always constant improvement and upgrades. And it never stops. So, huge kudos to those three folks, their departments, and every single person in the town who works for those departments and who oversees them. So, thank you. Have a great day. >> Thank you. >> You as well. Jason, is there anyone else on the line? >> We have no other callers, but I also want to say thank you very much to Gloria from us at LTP. >> Beautiful. I'm going to ask one more time anyone

006in the room that would like to come up and address the board, please. >> Welcome. Hello. My name is Amy Lusty. I'm uh the archavist and local history librarian here at the library and also in calling in support of the proposed trail on the Bamonte property. Uh we shared the plan with the library board of trustees. Been kind of spreading rumors with patrons and folks are very excited to have this very close access to a trail here. We see a lot of use on the trail from the parking lot to the pomach path and any way we can support trails preservation and preservation of our natural resources here in Montalk. Happy to happy to be on board there. >> Thank you Amy. All right, so we are going to move on to our topics. First

007up is the recommendation for the RFP that went out for technology solutions for managing compliance with short-term rental regulations. And Tina, I guess tag you're it. you got nominated to make the presentation today. >> I volunteered before I knew Rich was also going to be here, so you know that happens. >> Um, greetings board members. Thanks for having me today. I'm here on behalf of the selection committee that was convened for the technology solutions for managing compliance with short-term rentals RFP to share the recommendations of the committee. As we all know, the town already has rental registry regulations that provide a permitting framework for rentals in the town. The RFP was issued in recognition of the growing complexities associated with the rise in short-term rentals. The board has discussed this matter and recognized that all

008rentals in the town are not a concern. Um there's an established local tradition. Uh residents rent their um homes for supplemental income. that was not the concern that is driving this study. What is driving it is the rising prominence of investorowned properties um that where compliance with the rental registry rules are questionable and the impact community services and neighborhood character could be significant uh because single family homes could be turned into uses that are more like hotels than homes. So to better manage the short-term rentals or STRs I may call them, the objectives of the RFP were to automate compliance monitoring, facilitate reporting, enhance data management, improve communication, and generate reports. All to facilitate analytics to aid in smarter decision-m and future regulatory compliance objectives for this situation. In March, we received four responses to

009the RFP and a committee comprised of myself, Rich Normile, the director of the building department, Russell Young, the director of code enforcement, and Michael Hansen, the town clerk, were convened to score the RFPs according [clears throat] to the criteria that was listed. The top two firms were then interviewed. Um, at the end of that process, we're recommending that Decard Technologies be awarding the contract. The Decard product is called Rentalscape. It's a platform that's tailored to um automating automating compliance monitoring for this issue and it does monitoring based on an extensive list of available website data. The product was demonstrated for us during the interview process and it looked to be a very effective tool. The user interface was very intuitive, clean, the reporting seems to be very robust, looked like pretty much all we need

010wrapped up in the package. The Decker team was also very well organized and answered all the questions that the committee issued to them efficiently and effectively. Um there was an online registration portal that was part of the RFP. Uh the committee is not recommending that we purchase that at this time because we have open gov doing the registries. Uh so with that the cost is reduced and um the one-year value that we're recommending would be 43,120. Decard has offered to prorrate this for 6 months um the last six months of this year. So the value would be 21,560. Um so I'm happy to answer any questions the board has. >> You want to start Kate? >> Yes. So um this was a topic that we started came out of the zoning code amendments group when

011we were looking at uh house size and and GFA etc. Uh the first uh swipe at uh creating some kind of order and understanding of rentals came uh with the creation of the rental registry many years ago. And this is just a way that we can look at compliance for the now thousands of rentals that are out there. um we can determine um all aspects of the rentals. Um we can ensure that there's bedroom amount compliance. We can ensure that folks are using the rental registry numbers and are registering with the rental registry program. and we can analyze um and and look at future possible code changes for the the global industry that's happening and that we're a part of of um outside investors uh who don't live in the community um buying up housing

012stock uh for specifically short-term rentals. And then we uh would look at the balance between our codes for what we call a neighborhood and what we call a business and see how this all impacts our housing stock. Just right now we're looking at um upwards upward almost 10% of our housing stock um being advertised uh on short-term rental platforms. Uh we don't have any idea of ownership. Um, I know there is uh concerns about LLC's uh buying up properties through this technology. Um, we can analyze, we can look at ownership even when they're in LLC's. Uh, we can look for compliance all through software rather than having staff sit at a computer uh through the code enforcement department and constantly trying to catch one or two houses. This will give us a dashboard that will

013tell us what's happening in the immediacy in real time. We will have this up and running for uh July 1st if it's accepted by the board. So that's July, August, September, one of our major rental times to be able to bring that data back to the board over the winter and see um if we want to change codes, see what our compliance rate are. It also through with the code enforcement department can send out on town uh letter heads with code with code enforcement approval letters of compliance. So we're getting kind of a outreach and a a a way to collect the data, a way to ensure that our rental registry program is working and look to see what impacts are. the prorating for the um for the program cuts the cost in half for

014this year from what the town board set aside in the 2026 budget. So that's a positive for us as well. I also sent the proposal to Heath Leeman who is the head of IT for security compliance and he came back with a affirmative for all of our cyber security applian uh compliance. I have to circulate that memo to the board. Um, but that's this is all grown out of what we uh what we budgeted for when we did the 2026 budget. We want to take a look at uh the impacts of this industry on our town. >> Can you talk to the research that Russell did or Tina? I know that Russell had >> Russell uh yes uh Russell Young who's the director of code enforcement for uh when he he was part of the

015evaluation committee and he went um we all met there's it's a very formal process um when you have an RFP when we send out for a contract it's a very formal process run by Gina Corros Roza with an iron fist [laughter] thankfully um but Russell I I want to note that he went above and beyond and reached out to other municipalities that are using uh this technology, this particular company and also brought back um positive glowing reviews um for this particular company. So that was in addition to the formal process of us sitting down. So I want to mention that because I believe Southold uses Decker. >> Southhold and now since Suffach County is collecting a hotel tax, they also use Deckard. Um, so it's uh it's uh as as Heath wrote, it's a um

016uh award-winning AI powered compliance platform that helps governments recover lost tax revenue, streamline inspections, and ensure fair rental practices while safeguarding sensitive data with enterprisegrade encryption, rolebased access controls, and secure cloud infrastructure to protect community integrity and resident privacy. I will also say one of the um key points for the reviewing committee, I'm I wasn't a voting member, was the support uh the continuing support, direct support from the company uh which it's not a oneanddone. You're you have a project manager who uh is literally in contact with you constantly uh to offer support and training to the staff. So that was also another very important component for this uh RFP for me. board members have questions just so when we did the capital request for this we kind of said that this was going to

017be for monitoring and and kind of oversight are we now saying it's also going to potentially be used for enforcement because I want to be clear cuz like previously I don't think that had been part of the proposal if if we are looking to do that it's just slightly different so I just want to when you're saying that we might use it to send out letters of compliance that's a slight difference to where we were previously so okay >> yeah so we didn't know that we could uh when we put the RFP out um and the uh uh all of the four bids that came back had an ability but it isn't uh uh for compliance. Russell code enforcement would have to trigger the letters approve each letter that would go out and they are

018in if we if they approve the letter to go out the first letter is in the tone of saying hey you're not registered with the rental registry in order to keep advertising you need to register if there's no compliance. So the attempt is for compliance. There's no automatic finding. Um and then it would be an escalation um of that attempt as if things did not come into compliance. So I I not it's it's a way to I would call it more of an outreach tool than an enforcement tool. >> Okay. I mean just my only concern I mean like look we hear with AI and this uses AI to do a lot of the scrubbing is like false positives. So, do we have a procedure in place for people who do get falsely flagged potentially?

019Like what is, you know, their their mechanism for actually kind of coming and saying, "No, no, this is incorrect." That that's one of my initial concern. >> So, their method would be just like if the town reached out to them, uh, they would be able to reply because the letter any letter that's going to go out asking for compliance will not come from Rentalscape or Decard. It will have the town seal on it. the return address on the envelope and on the letter will be code enforcement. They will have the opportunity to reach out to code enforcement uh to say this is a false positive. >> Okay. And then my next questions, you know, one, you know, just data retention policies within the RFP, you know, how how long are they keeping the data for?

020If we do discontinue with their contract, do we still have access to the data? I do have a question for the town attorney which is you know is this vendor generated data and AI support findings sufficient to enforce um you know enforcement proceedings from your perspective. >> Thank you. I am unfamiliar with the exact provisions of the RFP and the answer there too. However, given our typical [clears throat] procurement policy and any standard contract, we have we have that standard language indicating that they have to comply with any and all laws and regulations which would include such retention policies. So, I am confident that the committee has done a good job in securing such. >> Okay. Um I'm glad thank you very much for following up with it regarding cyber security because that was one

021of my um other kind of ma major concerns with this um you know I I think you know then the other thing is um just just long-term costs of this you know annual renewals I it's great that they prated it this year but you know annual renewals do we have you know if this is something we're going to continue do we have any insight into that um support and maintenance you've covered um you I I think that's the key. The the the last kind of piece I really kind of want to understand from this is do they have any reporting on what their accuracy rates are? Yes. For this, >> it's in their proposal, >> right? >> Um so if you those were connected to they were uh posted with the um with the uh

022information that that we have here on the public website. If you go through the proposal, I don't have the answer right on top of me, but they they do supply that. The other thing is that any enforcement and we talked about this and this came up in the reviewing agency. Any enforcement would be by the code enforcement department and this would not this this is not a program that that violates you. It's a program that says well you you don't have a rental registry number that it can access or can see that you've rented out your property for a short-term rental more than twice in a six-month period. Um, so it doesn't usurp any authority of code enforcement. It simply reports that. So there would still need to be just like a neighbor reporting uh

023an investigation that would come through code enforcement for any potential violation. >> Thank you. Questions? So, I I uh I'm comfortable with the need. Uh I understand that I think uh we've all heard uh my concerns is that uh sources of income from short-term rentals is something that's historically been used uh in the town of Eastampton, including my family for decades. Uh but abuse of short-term rentals is skyrocketing and to try to encapsulate the data that is going to be mined here to use it to get to uh enforcement, compliance or adjudication, we'll have to go through that process internally. So, I read through the platform on there and I agreed with the recommendations. The only thing I would request is that in maybe September we come back to find out what this uh what

024the information was gathered and we can put that into a memo to the board that we appreciate, Kate. >> Yeah, I hopefully we'll be able to do that more often, David, if the board is interested. >> That's why I mean knowing that there's it's going to open up in the first I mean we're 10 days to Memorial Day, everyone, >> right? Uh >> don't say that. I mean, >> look at everyone just sweating it. >> Good if the good [laughter] if the good weather comes, you know, I'm good with it all completely because I I really enjoy summer and I enjoy the visitors and I enjoy the township. But um uh knowing there's a lot upcoming uh to get this in place and answer some of the questions Tom and other board members have. Uh

025that review period of this summer would be great and come back in September. I look forward to it. Thank you, Kate. >> Thank you, David. >> Yeah, I'm supportive as well. Um, I I mean, look, I think that that everybody knows that there's a problem. I I don't know the the scale of it or the details, but I think that there are definitely people out there who are, you know, using short-term rentals in in an appropriate way based on our code that there's too many of them, and perhaps the home is not even lived in at all. As Dave mentioned, I also know there's local families who who rent their homes, and that's been part of um life in East Hampton for a long time, and it's important that we we save that. Um, I

026I hope that this can lead to enforcement. Frankly, I think that understanding the scale of the problem is is is helpful. But I also think that we need to we do need to enforce if there are bad actors out there who are, you know, doing this on scale. And I have suspicion that that that's the case that there are some, you know, homes that are almost exclusively short-term rentals, that's different than somebody who does it one extra time or, you know, does it a couple of times of of year. So, I think we'll definitely be able to identify who's not re registered in general and that's helpful. Although I have a feeling there are people who aren't registered in our rental registry who ought to be who aren't the worst of the actors. I also

027hope that this can identify the number of of rentals. I think it will. Um and if somebody's renting their home, you know, consistently um or an LLC is, you know, 10 20 times a summer, I I hope that we can use that data that we get for enforcement, you know, with with code in servants uh code enforcement's additional investigation. Yeah, >> I absolutely agree. And and what what we're want to look at and I know is a concern to us and when we see people uh presenting all that they're doing on social media is that outside investor that is just buying up housing stock does not live in the community. I don't even know if you could use the word home at that point because it's not their home. Um, and we'd like to know

028how many how many houses are owned by uh groups like this or in one particular uh group uh and I hear anecdotally 14 houses over here but anecdotally is not factbased. So we need to make our decisions based on facts. And of course the prime >> prime guardrail for me is the respect for the tradition of renting your home here when you live here to help you make ends meet. Specifically now when the price of everything is going up is is paramount. Um that's a tradition that preceded everyone in this room and has been going on for decades. And it's not something that I want to impact in any way. In fact, I wouldn't take away any outside competition. >> Yeah. >> To doing that, you know, at least have uh people that uh live

029here. We can look at uh if if >> if there's such a disparity uh in in what we see as outside uh portfolio investors, I would call it, because these folks have homes in all of the tourist areas in the world. Uh it's not anything specific to East Hampton. Um I I want to see what that how that impacts our community members in terms of their ability to rent etc. And as we could see you know the lack of any type of affordable monthly rental it's just completely disappeared and and if that's just a trend that happens because of the way the community is moving that's one thing but if it's because of a global outside investor that's another thing to me. Yeah, I certainly don't want any, you know, invasive software and it doesn't

030sound like this is that. But I think the flip side of that is that if we make these rules, you know, it's it's, you know, people have to comply with it. It takes work and if, you know, the good actors are complying and have this extra difficulty and meanwhile other people are able to skirt them entirely, then we have a problem. And so, um, we need to make sure that the rules we have on the books are the right ones and that we enforce them. >> Yeah. I mean, and I know speaking to Supervisor Al Crupsky in South Hold that they've brought Decard on and uh he every time I run into him, he's telling me that they're really happy with with the product that they're getting and it's really giving them the data they

031need to make more informed decisions. And I also want to say, you know, for our neighborhoods, you hear from people, it's again, I I too, you know, support our year-round residents renting out their home. home. It helps them pay the mortgage and and put their kids through school. But it's another thing if you're living next door to one of these, you know, places that are flipping over every week and you don't know who your neighbor is from, you know, from day to day. And I know in my neighborhood sometimes it's like every time I look out the window, there's a different dog walk, you know, being walked down the block and they're not they don't live there. So, I think that this is something that is going to give us the tools that we need

032uh because it's the rental market. It's it's gotten very sophisticated and I'm I'm glad they're using AI in in in that way to to comb all the websites and um you know give Russell and his team the tools they need to you know make better decisions. So, happy to support the um resolution when it comes forward. >> Thank you. >> Okay. So, I guess Tina, don't move. I'm just gonna stay [laughter] here. So, now we're up to community development, the 2025 com accomplishments and 2026 goals. And Tina, you're here to present on the planning department. >> Thank you, supervisor. Okay. Thanks for having me to talk about this topic um 2025 goals, [clears throat] excuse me, and 2026 uh look ahead. So, um I'll start briefly with the planning department's mission statement. Um we all

033know that the planning department has a diverse array of responsibilities. We provide technical review services for the planning board, architectural review board and zoning board. We also review administrative permits directly to the planning department and we provide support to the town board for planning and analyses of various matters. We also support all the town departments and lead seeker review, state environmental quality review uh for town projects that help ensure that projects are um conducted in an environmentally appropriate manner. We also support the public. We provide assistance to the public, their applicants and agents regarding their questions about development, things like what can I do with my property or what's permissible here or there. We also participate in a variety of planning studies both at the local and regional level um as leaders and participants. All

034this work underscores the importance of the departments and directly supporting the town's policies preserving our natural resources, our communities and our cultural resources. So to talk a little bit about the metrics. So, this slide shows the year-end metrics associated with applications for the planning board, zoning board, ARB, and planning department. Um, the planning department's a very busy department with a small but dedicated staff. Uh, in 2025, similar to 2024, we had a very large volume. 800 um submissions were received and each of those submissions typically entails a variety of steps and is a complicated process we then undertake. So, some examples of the work we do, we produced over 320 technical reports for the planning board, zoning board, and ARB, analyzing proposed projects and their compliance with town code and policies. We produced about 300

035completeness reviews for the ARB and zoning board, looking at applications and seeing what has enough information to even be seen by the boards. Can it be a productive discussion? Our staff also regularly attends night meetings to support the boards and present their findings. Bless you. um in various uh contexts. We also delineate natural features associated with um applications for things like wetlands, dunes and bluffs and we did over 170 of those analyses. Other major efforts include our planner of the day hours where people can come in and ask us questions. We have those daily and major projects supported which include things like the planning efforts, the seeker reviews and um town committees that we participate in. Next to talk about some discrete projects. The significant volume of applications and tech technical complexity entailed in the

036review of those is only part of what we did. Um during 2025 we also advanced several other major planning initiatives. Um one of those is the sustainability planning and montalk grant. This is the 600,000 grant we received from the state dos years ago. After contracting with state EOS in 2024, in 2025, we issued an RFP and selected and awarded um the project to a consulting firm. We now have them on board and we're we're pretty much ready to get started. I'll talk about that um for 2026. We also submitted a new CFA grant application this year for natural resource inventory and we're very fortunate to win that $200,000 effort which is going to allow us to inventory natural resources throughout the town, study how they've changed over time and look about climate change threats and

037how they may be um preserved in the context of those emerging changes. Coastal planning was another focus. We supported the ditch dune restoration and the lake Montalk inlet dredging working with the town board. We also advanced several code changes in various categories for affordable housing. We increased density for non- senior housing. We supported changes to the ADU code. And we created a new use in the town, the affordable multiple residence code working with the town board and the office of housing and community development. All of these efforts continue to broaden the um reach of affordable housing opportunities in the town. Other important code changes were continued enhancements to the wireless programs and outdoor dining program extension. We also are continuing to try to advance the Wayne Scott implementation study and identified a manner to fund

038an a rightway study that will allow us to do the planning for that. So moving forward for 2026 um we've already had and will continue to have a busy year. I referenced earlier the progress made for the Montpock sustainable planning grant. Uh earlier this year, we invited several com community members to participate as members of a project advisory committee. It's going to be a local team that will work with the town and help guide the work of the grants. Soon I'll be in front of the town board asking for official creation of that uh committee and to talk to you about our work plan for moving forward in 2026. >> So Tina, just let me uh just one of the things you didn't put down in your roles all these things that you do is

039you are the project manager. >> Yes. >> Uh H for this grant. So you're uh everything goes through you. >> Yes, that too. We are um and I do have somebody working with me as a deputy project manager in the department and we are going to work closely with our consultant, the pack and the town board to coordinate this um effort moving forward. The Wayne Scott um implementation study I mentioned earlier. So on for approval actually today is a resolution to work with LKMA to do a right-of-way survey. One of the challenges of planning beautifification efforts for Wayne Scott is that we don't know exactly the limits of the right of way. Getting that information will allow us to vet what strategies are appropriate where um you know where we have property and where we

040need to work with property owners um so I'm excited to get that moving. We're also continuing initiatives to enhance the town code um in several different respects. So we have a lot of things identified where we want to add clarity to the code. We'll be bringing those forward. We are working on creating the outdoor dining program as a permanent program as opposed to the pilot. And that involves, you know, tweaked regulations to make that effective. And we're also considering additional ways to advance affordable housing as well as working with the agricultural community to listen to their feedback about how the site plan process impacts their farm operations. We also have initiated a review of industrial codes looking at what gaps may exist there and how they could be filled in ways that are protective of

041natural resources where there's um existence of industrial property. And finally, the last thing I'll mention is that we are working with regional partners on sustainable transportation projects and there's two major ones going on. One is the South Edge multi-use path design effort. We're working with Suffach County and their consultant on the potential for a multi-use path on South Edge to enhance the safety of that route which connects the train um train stop and downtown. And we are also lucky enough to be part of the Long Island Greenway initiative which just kicked off um a few weeks ago. That project we also partnered with Suffach County and received a large federal grant to work on the extension of the Empire State Trail that will connect Riverhead to Montalk. So I will be also bringing that down.

042That's not going to be immediate but in the next few months we will be before the board to share what's going on with that project and what the thinking of that group is. With that I will conclude and thank you very much for listening. >> Thank you Tina. Um if I may um I just want to also acknowledge your leadership uh in the department in um a department that also went through a transition a number of years ago. um and you've uh really turned that department around um through your work, your staffing, your work um and and and your work uh and I'll just say number one, you didn't mention the redesign of the planning department, planning board, zoning board, and architectural review board web pages to allow easier access to planning information and application

043instructions. We're also you're also always reviewing the procedures that the boards use and modernizing them, too. So, I just want to take this opportunity uh to thank you uh for the good work and your staff, the entire staff, for the good work that you're doing for the planning department and therefore for the town. Um it's a lot of work. It's a department that t takes on uh um so many projects. We we all know internally how much we go to the planning department for town projects along with their regular work and along with analyzing codes and and everything else. And I um must say that the way that you've uh reformulated that department is uh working really well and is a pleasure to walk into. Thank you. That means a lot. We all work hard.

044We have a great team. We're really lucky this year actually to be able to kind of attract new and retain um some young staff that want to stay on and it's a hardworking, very smart group. So very fortunate right now. Anyone have questions? >> No, I just echo my colleagues comments. I mean, the only other thing I'd add is like I it sometimes does confuse me as a relatively new board member as to what falls under the remitt of planning. Um, you know, wetland flagging like I would personally think that would be natural resources, but so there's there's some crossover there and there's some other areas where, you know, I potentially love to get planning more involved with, you know, emergency preparedness and things like that. I think you touch on some elements of it

045with coastal flooding and I think your department would be a great fit to kind of pick up some of that planning. Um but how and what you cover um you know I think it's it's partially determined by us as a board but I think you know getting some better understanding of that would be helpful. >> Yeah I mean I think it's planning really does hit all the wide spectrum of things. So I mean yes there are people who specialize in emergency planning in another life. That's one of the things I did for a part of my day. Um we also have transportation planners. We have I mean I think we should all consider ourselves environmental planners in this day and age like the impact of any development on the natural world I feel like always

046has to be in the forefront of our thinking. Um but you know whenever you ask us hopefully we answer the call because I do think we can bring a lot to different conversations. >> Yeah I think you have that holistic kind of geographic point of view. >> Yeah. Yeah. And if you look at the code in the town cove what the planning department does it is quite a holistic list. across the board and there are crossovers with natural resources and I'm happy to discuss that in the future as well. >> All [clears throat] right. >> I just I would also say thank you Tina. I know that I've given your your department plenty of work and and had lots of asks recently with housing initiatives and other things and uh you always run a very

047professional team and have been very helpful and I appreciate it. Thank you. >> Thank you. And you're our secret expert. [laughter] >> Thanks so much everyone. Appreciate it. >> All right. Next up is Mark Morgan Perez who oversees the Office of Housing and Community Development. Morning Mark. Is it still morning? Yeah, it's still morning. >> Thanks for having me. >> Sure. >> Hey, so I'm here representing the Office of Housing and Community Development. Uh the office of housing and community development provides housing opportunities and support for town residents primarily through section 8 which is the housing choice voucher program which provides rental subsidy for lower income residents. Community development block grants which includes funding for public services and public improvements. the affordable housing ownership program which basically has a portfolio of existing properties um that

048are made available to residents who fit certain income requirements. ADUs, which is a townwide strategy uh for accessory dwelling units which are rent restricted and made available to yearround residents and the community housing fund which is uh made possible by a half% real estate tax which goes into a fund to fund a variety of housing initiatives. So for 2025, the section 8 program distributed almost a million dollars in rental subsidies across 46 households. uh compliance and reporting which is very heavy for section 8 um was handled uh or I should say um added to by bringing in a third party consultant to deal with some again heavy compliance issues um given our limited staff and on that note we have um people at OCD training other staff to help manage the program going forward with

049respect to the community development block grant um we awarded last year over 120 $,000 in public service and public improvement proposals. Public services are to organizations like Ola of Eastern Long Island for family advocacy and support and Morin's Haven which funds homeless services. Then public improvements are basically uh for built improvements. So uh ADA kitchens in Wellone Village and kitchen replacements in Windmill. Also for 2025, the home ownership program, we updated our administrative plan, which was also a heavy lift. It was rather complicated and we wanted to bring it up to date to better deal with how the weight list and lottery are handled. We're organizing also the list of all of the properties which are in the different subdivisions in the HOP program. Uh there were three recaptures. A recapture is basically when there's

050a home in the program and the price of the property becomes too high to keep it in the program. So the town recaptures its investment in the home and redeploys that money for homes coming into the program. And on that note, there were two repurchases, homes that were retained in the program by the town, which will be made available very soon to uh to East Hampton residents at, of course, deeply discounted prices. Uh, Canwell Court has been moving along very well. Uh, pre-development site work was done in 2025. We submitted an RFA to New York State HCR for their move in New York crossmod program and that should bring homes again at very affordable houses that could not be achieved either via modular construction or by stickuilt construction. So these homes will be deeply affordable

051and really, you know, create 16 new opportunities for people hopefully in the very near future. Um, moving on to accessory dwelling units. Um, so new permits were issued. So there were three new ADUs added, renewals, it's an ongoing process. So every year people have to renew permits. Uh, we have a new tracking system which I introduced and we're actually adding to it so we can better track metrics to inform policy. Um, again, the ADU legislation was reviewed by our office by the planning uh department and CDLI, which is uh Community Development of Long Island, rolled out the New York State program, which basically gave $125,000 to homeowners to help them build ADUs. >> Mark, do you know how many we did in East Hampton through CDLI? >> For CDLI, we have I think 16 not

052completed. I think there are 11. There are 11 that are in process and maybe another five kind of in the pipeline moving through approvals. >> Great. Thank you. >> Um community housing fund as mentioned uh in 2025 $1,500,000 uh was granted to the housing authority to preserve four units in Sag Harbor at 109 Hampton Road. And those units are rent restricted in perpetuity. Um, and [clears throat] then there were again additional loan payments uh and grants done in 2025. $1 million for the green at Gardener's Point, $500,000 for the cottages on Route 114, and a $71,000 dispersement of a $338,000 loan for Windmill Senior Housing. Uh, moving on to 2026. So section 8 is again a complianceheavy program. It's complianceheavy reporting. It's a federal program. So we're continuing to work with a third party consultant

053on that and figuring out the future of the program. Uh again, there's only 46 uh vouchers being used right now. And again, it is an uh administratively heavy given the limited staff that we have. So, we're looking into options to in the future maybe again expanding working with a consultant or bringing in um we're just looking for opportunities to potentially see what the future of this program is and even potentially dealing with having more vouchers available. The problem is there's a limited number of landlords right now in the town accepting HCVs. So, >> we'd like to figure that out. um CDBG. Um there were $75,000 in unused funds for a county septic program that basically didn't work well with town regulations and the town has its own program. So we redeployed those phones to Wellbone.

054Um so that was good news. Uh the chess game table at Steven Hounds Path and the generator at Avalone and the Wellbone ADA renovations are moving forward. uh hopefully the game table and we'll be ready you know soonish that's a that's a goal and then we're always looking to uh for the year ahead because CDBG is an annual process where we receive proposals from different people so again we're always wanting to see new projects come in and of course maintain the existing ones that we have the home ownership program so uh 2025 five accomplishment was um sort of revising the plan and we were able to get it adopted in 2026. So that's really good news. There was also in 2026 another home uh repurchased by the town which will be made available very soon

055to a new buyer. Uh the HOP weight list again was a complicated process to sort out but we got through it. We did major outreach and we're beginning to bring the list down to a smaller list of vile candidates who we'll be able to hopefully very quickly match homes with going forward so that when a home becomes ready, we'll have somebody lined up to move into it. That's the goal. Um on that note, we would like to in the future um transition that process to an online system and we've spoken with it about that. The current process is a paper process. It's very labor intensive. So we'd like to streamline that using the available technology that there is. Um also we have one Habitat for Humanity opportunity which has been moving forward and we're awaiting

056the final plans from Habitat on that and coordinating with them and also getting the list ready to have somebody for that home. Uh Canwell Court. Um, we got lot clearing done during what was referred to as the BAT window. That was really key because if that clearing wasn't done within that period, the project could have potentially been delayed. So, I'm very glad that we were able to get that done. And um, that worked out really well. And so, again, at this point, we're in the end stages of getting news from HCR and getting the final bids from the people who could potentially provide the homes for the sites. And we're hoping that in the very near future, within the next week or two, to get definitive news from HCR on next steps for moving forward.

057>> Yeah. So, it's my understanding that there's a public meeting tomorrow of the HCR board and that this the proposal for East Hampton to get the 16 houses is going to be before the board for authorization. So, we might we should know tomorrow afternoon if it was approved. That's that's uh that's uh what HCR has said and you know we expect that to happen. So it's very good news for the town. >> And just to add on to that on the Campwell Court because knowing uh being the less on and working directly with uh with the former housing director who's here Tom R. Good to see you Tom and yourself and Eric Chance on there the first bid that we went out for bid for building of the homes came in very high. We have

058to understand that when the town comes in and commits to building affordable housing, they still have to be affordable and the cost to build out here is so high that the cost came in the bid was rejected and we looked into different paths. Fortunately, myself and the supervisor went to the east end supervisor mayor's meeting where we met with Sarah Lansdale who is uh the economic regional director for the Suffach County brought in uh individual to talk with uh New York State HCR uh and we were one of the first on their list. So without delay, the supervisor has put us forward to potentially have val homes built in in a way with collaboration with the state to be at a very affordable rate so individuals can move in. Last thing you want to do

059is provide a house for someone that they can't make the mortgage or they can't go out and raise a family because they have no extra funds and all they're doing is paying the mortgage. We understand how difficult that is. So additional timing on that I think will pay off for those 16 families. making sure that their quality of life and for the longevity of their life and their family on there could still be affordable and actually uh enjoyable then too instead of just trying to work to pay your play for the roof over your head then too. That was a huge factor to myself moving forward. >> And Mark, you did a presentation back in October on on the cross mods program >> and from it's a cross between a manufactured home and a sightbuilt

060home. >> Yes. And I recall that it said that you know once we get the go-ahad it happens you can happen in in six months or so. >> Yes. So that's the good news with this program is in addition to the fact that the homes should be deeply affordable the delivery timeline could be about 6 months. So, >> so right now you're looking at two manufacturers and you're waiting on plans and costs from both and then and then we decide which man we we don't go with both manufacturers. Correct. >> It gets the decision gets made which manufacturer and they'll have different models. >> Yes, they'll have different models. We want to assure aesthetic diversity and you know functional diversity so that these homes can accommodate different types of families. And once we get the

061bids in, we'll work together with HCR to determine what's the best fit and then move forward. >> And from what I read, they have basements, don't they? >> These have crawl spaces, not full bases. Basements >> and they're we're looking at two different models. One is two-bedroom, two bath, and one is threebedroom, two bath. >> We've asked we've asked the providers to give us different three-bedroom models and to provide two-bedroom models. So, we're waiting to hear to hear from them and see what they're capable of doing. >> By chance, I was uh visiting college with my daughter in Blackburg, Virginia. She's not going there. She's going to South Carolina now. But it's all good. [laughter] >> But you were on that tour. >> But I was on that tour and we p uh and we

062passed by uh one of the providers uh that was on the list and we stopped in actually and you know just you know pretending like I was just off the street just to get a visual point. And I know I know yourself maybe Tommy you mentioned doing that up in Albany at times but uh it's something that is ext I think extremely valuable to build and scale and affordable wousing to keep the cost down. Uh if the costs are too high it's not going to work in the end for the for the family and the individual. It's very important to take a little extra time to do it right. >> So this was a project that Governor Hogal did started as a pilot. She put $50 million in her 2020 I think it was the

0632025 capital plan and um the the looks like the resolution for tomorrow there's four uh awardees totaling $19 million. Ours is for 7 million. >> Yes. >> From what I understand it's a um it's a loan. So that we had originally thought we had to purchase the houses and then we would be made whole when the house is sold. But it looks like that's not the case that it gets the purchase gets made from the state or whoever they deem as I don't know if it's Sony May or the um and then uh they'll could be a sliding scale as far as what the house will cost depending on your uh your AMI. >> Yeah. The goal for the program is to employ income averaging to make sure that all of the houses aren't sold

064to people only at one income band. They want to have a range and ideally they initially suggested having the average AMI come out to be about 100% AMI which for reference the 100% AMI for a family of four Nassau Suffach which is the metric used is $164,300 130% AMI for a family of four is $213,000 for a family of four and again an 80% AMI is $131,000. Yeah. So, that's uh just to explain um the back clearing a little bit and the timing um and why it's important to do it um even before you're finalized uh because you are only allowed to actually clear properties for this type for for commercial thing uh and and housing projects during a certain window which I believe is December through February. Yes. And then if you don't do

065it in order to protect the long-eared bat and the DEEC's acknowledgement as an endangered species. Um and so if you don't take that opportunity and a a situation like this happened, we wouldn't be ready for it and we wouldn't be able to take advantage of it until 2027. So, um I think that uh you know moving along uh the projects as we can get them as far as we can get them until we get to the next step is critically important. >> Well, I think that was part of the the application, right? They had to be basically site ready. >> Yes. I mean that basically was our application was very strong because we had all of our ducks in a row and really pushed to get this work done >> to be >> I looked

066up the I you know when you came and gave us the presentation I looked at move in uh the the website and it's fertuitous that the uh that the state is is putting out this money because the issue with building homes uh is statewide um and and there are other municipalities obviously that are benefiting from this fund as well. So, uh it's good that the state had the foresight to understand the problems that all the municipalities face. >> Well, I think there's just this an article in News Day, right? In Suffach County, the median um home price is $700,000 and it's $840,000 in Nassau. And we just saw it first quarter uh out here. It's $2.4 million. So, I mean, this is something obviously that the governor has at the top of her agenda is

067affordable housing. And when I met with her um at the Montalk Playhouse at what is now the coat room uh when she was out to cut the ribbon on the Montalk Playhouse, we talked about this program because we had David and I had just learned about it at the Eastma meeting. So um we're grateful for the governor's partnership on this and of course all these programs and we should remember ourselves are taxf um supported and paid for. So, it's great to see our tax dollars coming back to East Hampton. I know that's important to Muk as well in other areas, but it's it's really good to know that some of what I am paying to the state is actually coming back to our community. >> Sorry, sidebar. Thank you, Mark. >> I also No, you're

068welcome. But before leaving, I also want to thank >> I was just we you only learned about this Friday night and we only spoke last night. So this was this was all news to me that it was on tomorrow's agenda. >> Yeah. Um before leaving I just want to thank the planning department and the building department. Uh OCD works closely with both of them and it's been really important support for me. Uh and also want to thank the staff at OCD, Linda Norris, assistant director who does an amazing job. Joanne Pilgrim, Anne Bell, Danny Peridan, and Jenny Munoz. >> But you're still this chart. We're still still you still have one page to go. >> Oh my gosh. Sorry, apologies. >> Sidebar got you, Mark. >> Where was I? >> We're on ADUs. >> ADUs.

069Okay. Um, okay. We were talking about >> the 2026 goals for ADUs. >> So, the ADU legislation that we were reviewing back in 2025 has been approved. So, it's basically going to enable the program to be expanded. Uh, the lot size was reduced from 20,000 ft² to 15,000 square ft. Um, basically, uh, both the primary house and the ADU can be rented. And again, these are going to be rentals for year round residents and they're going to be rent restricted. So, these are not temporary rentals, not short-term rentals. Um, so the idea is to expand the ability for people in the town to live here year round at affordable rates. Um, we're also again about to launch a construction loan assistance program similar to the New York State plus one program. Um so the proposal

070is to provide $100,000 in construction assistance uh in form of no interest loans which should really make an important dent in allowing people to build ADUs again and the ADUs will be permanently rent restricted and only available to year-round residents. uh going to the community housing fund. Uh there's always ongoing administration for active projects. Uh processing payments requests that come in for monies that have been allocated to them. Uh a market study was done to support the Route 114 housing authority project and there was a lot of good data in that report that OCD would like to use to inform policy going forward. Uh, as with many of the other programs in OCD, we really would like to trans uh to transition the paper applications to online at this point. It would just make things

071so much better and uh easier to manage for everyone. And again, we have a great CHAB board, so we'd like to basically work more closely with CHAB and see if their expertise can again help inform policy and strategies to get more housing built going forward. Sounds like a good plan. Well, >> thank you, Mark. Um, I mentioned, you know, during Tina's presentation that I have a lot of asks of the planning department and um, you know, assign work and that's certainly true of you because as the housing liaison, >> um, you know, it's it's one of the things I I think is the most important thing we can do for the town. I think that the housing problem is a is only increasing and getting bigger and so I'm I feel lucky to be a

072part of that and I know that I that means I have a lot of asks of you. So, um, whether it's legislation trying to create new opportunities for people to solve the problem on their own or the ADU changes that's now leading to, uh, the imminent launch of the ADU construction assistance program. I understand that there's a lot of details from all these things and we sit here and talk about the goodness of the concept and you have to deal with, you know, how to actually implement. So, I I recognize that and I appreciate your your partnership on that. And then also looking at, you know, larger projects that we can do. What's the next larger rental project? um you know and then working on the home ownership program and how to make those transfers

073as efficient as possible. Um and during all of that I realize that you're trying to memorialize and formalize procedures so that there's continuity for future staff there um and always improve and increase the data collection and that's I know a big job so that we can identify um precisely what the need is. I think we all know there's a great need out there, but specifically what you know the most important is and I know we did the 114 study that that you know spoke to that a little bit and and Tina and you were working on longer term um visions there and then also your your move towards online you know the world has changed in terms of computers and I think uh the launch of open gov I know Tom and the previous board

074worked a lot on that and how that might integrate whether it's open gov or some other platform to do a lot of the work online so you're maintaining your lists more electronically and efficiently. Um, so there's a lot going on. I recognize that and it's very important work and so um, you know, I think your job and your your department is just incredibly important for the future of East Hampton and I look forward to continue to work with you. >> Thank you. >> Yes. And Mark, I again uh I think um we have three fairly new department heads speaking today. Tina a little more senior um but not that long. Um and uh I really it's recognizable the work that you're bringing to that department. Um working with Ian and Tom um to be able

075to move that department to where it it is now as the housing crisis grows. You're as you could see the number of programs that you're looking into that you the procedure that you're trying to do is all to to mitigate the impacts as much as possible. and I see that in your work and in your philosophy and and again I want to thank your staff for um rising to the challenge. >> Thank you. >> Can I can I say one more thing? I also do want to recognize Tom Rule. Tom Rule, you were the housing director for forever and [laughter] I think I think you're famously qualified and know all sorts of things about all these different things. Um so I just, you know, I think nothing that I said is sort of any any

076judgment on how you ran it. I think you were there so long and did such a good job that um you know now as we move into the next phase >> I I know what the challenges are of the job and I give all the credit world to anyone currently engaged in trying to meet the challenge. It's gotten worse affordabilitywise even since I retired a few years ago. You know, it is successful that we have kept a community so valuable that everyone wants to live here, but the challenge of it is not everyone's affordable here and many of you that can't we wish would be able. >> And and I know that you were very helpful with the previous housing director and answering questions and continuity and um I just it's important to recognize. Thank

077you. >> Well, thank you. I you know it's a challenging job and you know I I I I love what working there as I agree with you that one of the single most important issues but it is it will be a challenge for for every you're lucky to have we have now to still have to have that on the side my former assistant director Casey >> yeah thank you for your service to the >> and it's gotten harder too because you you had built relationships with the mortgage lenders like Suffach County National Bank and Bridgeampton National Bank and that doesn't exist anymore. So, it's even that part of the job it's gotten harder because of, you know, we don't have, you know, small neighborhood banks anymore. >> Well, I was when I was there, I

078become the steam person amongst all the people doing housing on the on the east end because all the people before me, you know, retired. So then they got, you know, it got a certain age and things and I retired and now you know when you've got to remove people there's this challenge without going into any political things the challenge in dealing with Washington right now is an adventure even you know so yes there is a interesting >> yeah I became aware of you as a a resident of a a street adjacent to the green hollow project. Uh I was on Towi Towi Trail. So that was uh the first time I became aware of your efforts and the town's efforts and that is such a successful development um and seamlessly fit into the neighborhood and

079really is an example of for anyone that has fears of housing affordability doing something to your neighborhood, you should pop over to Green Hollow. Um and I know obviously the house prices I don't live there anymore. I wish I still did. Um, but the house prices have only exponentially increased to the maximum. So, it's that is such a model for for success. >> Boy, they said we were going to build slums. >> Hardly any affordable housing president was a slum. And I have taken people to see them and they go that's affordable housing. >> Yes. Because that's what housing can look like where we, you know, for everybody to be able to. Yes. >> And that includes the apartment complex. Yes. Everybody looks at the amigans for example the housing authority project doesn't go that's

080affordable housing that's you know what we do out here. >> So they're not slums we're building which people have used this in the 80s early 80s. Now you're building slums. Um and none of them have. >> Yeah has been more the other way. As you know we've got affordable houses you do an appraisal they're worth the million million and a half. like how can affordable housing. >> Thank you. >> All right. Thank you, Mark. >> Thank you. >> All right. We're up to the building department. Rich, your turn. Welcome. >> Thank you. Boy, two tough acts to follow [laughter] there. Great leadership in both departments and well spoken. Uh let me speak about the building department and uh our mission statement. The mission statement poured the building department to ensure compliance with the town zoning

081code and state building codes to ensure that structures throughout the town are safe, secure, and provide our residents with prompt and courteous and accurate services. Our 2025 accomplishments include reorganization of a staff and we recruited three new building inspectors to restaff the department. Identified issues with the open gov system and developed a plan to remedy and improve the system to streamline applications. We successfully integrated the use of blue beam for documentation review. All staff in the building department are now trained and using the new program in conjunction with open gov. We've created and staffed two new receptionist positions at the front desk, increasing availability to the public for walk-ins and phone calls, also while increasing inspector productivity. At the same time, I'd like to give you some 2025 building department numbers. We had 1342 building

082permits issued. We conducted 3,257 inspections. We issued 722 certificates of occupancy. 739 permit renewals were processed. 1397 certified copies of permits and certificates processed. 876 rental registry registrations were handled. 23 letters of buildability issued, 11 permits issued, all while the department handles 300 plus daily calls and an average of 40 plus walk-ins a day. Rich, before you move on to 2026, um you know, we have to acknowledge what's happened to the building department this in 2025 with the uh primarily uh impact of an 18month DA investigation upon the staff, the process, the timing of everything. So, um I want to also acknowledge that you started September >> September 30th. >> Yeah. the end of September, the beginning of October of last year, and any of these uh uh improvements to move the needle forward on

083the backlog that that uh became apparent to us. Um you have uh taken on immediately. Um so I know um you're talking about a hard act to follow, but the these departments are two years ahead of yours and didn't have a DA investigation. So, um I just uh want to note that um that you're talking about very trying times for the building department. I want to acknowledge the frustration of the community and uh and say that I feel that frustration with you and that we're doing everything we possibly can to turn that backlog around and I know you'll have some reporting on that. But I wanted to stop here and just acknowledge that you came on in October. you're a new department head and the goal of uh our board and everyone else is moving

084that rate of repair uh forward and faster. >> Well, I think we're all aware and uh of the challenges we're facing and this board has been tremendously supportive of rebuilding this department and uh I appreciate all of your support. So, moving forward, our 2026 goals included adding a building inspector and two full-time plans examiners for application review. Uh adding two additional office staff to assist with the CO processing. uh to continue to train staff on updated department procedures, increase permit issuance, speed, and clear the current backlog application, and to further streamline the plan review process with outside agencies. I'd like to give you a department update on some of those 2026 goals that we just outlined. When it comes to training, we retained Rich Vakio, who had 30 years plus municipal building experience for training

085the new building inspectors. He's been uh coming in a few days a week and out in the field uh bringing them up to speed. Uh staffing, new positions created and filled. We filled two plans examiner positions, a senior office assistant, another office assistant, an account clerk, and we're actively recruiting right now a Spanish-sp speakaking building inspector. >> Actually, we have her on for resolution today. >> That's excellent. >> So, that's six positions that were created and filled since the first of the year. >> Yes, we continue to extend the staff staff to face the challenges we're dealing with right now. And we've we've requested of civil service a couple of senior titles. We're asking for a senior plans examiner. We spoke this morning and you need an additional plans examiner. So, we need to make

086the case to civil service for that and we will. >> Yes. And we'll we'll continue to expand the department to to uh to fill the needs uh that we have to meet the applications that we're receiving. uh for plans res uh review we've uh retained four outside architectural firms uh CHA solutions H2M architects and engineers spaces and greenlight uh we've been dealing with them sending them applications for review technology we uh open gov 2 was launched on March 4th uh full fully online submission for five new permit types uh previously ly uh the open gov only allowed for one type of building permit creation and it uh it was the smaller applications got stuck in the backlog. We've now created five different permit types to better sort and process applications as they come in. uh

087workspace. We uh relocated the department to a new office to accommodate the hiring of additional staff and provide a better user experience. And we for plan review process, we intend to provide a clear and consistent plan review process for architects and expediters to uh help with our expectation expectations and their understanding of what we need to receive from them. So, we've we've spoken and what we're hearing from the from the building community now is that they want timelines. You know, they they understand what you know what Kate addressed as far as the uh the DA's investigation, it really hampered the the department's ability. But then you look at the numbers for 2025, you guys kept the doors on, you know, open and the lights on and it would it was incredible with what folks had

088to persevere through with that DA's investigation. I guess you'd have to live it to truly understand what it felt like. Um, so we talked about we got to get through this backlog because our goals goals interrupt. Our goals right now are to have the backlog weight reduced to three months by January 1st of this year and reduced to a two-week uh process for the smaller accessory type permits and four to six weeks for larger builds by May 1st of next year. So, we're looking at a year timeline to to tackle these issues and that includes the training of new staff, the continued expansion of the department and working our way through the current backlog. >> Right. And you can give some folks an idea though like right now you're up to September of 2025. >>

089Yes, we're just finishing with September right now. Um we're looking to get through October uh >> bless you >> October, November, December by mid July. >> Yeah. I mean, I I I find, look, I I admire everything you've done coming in to to fix things, but I I'll say that for many business operators out there, that's going to be hugely damaging like to to not get cos or for a year from now, like we're we're are there ways to fasttrack those timelines with additional resources? Well, that's not holding somebody CO for a year. That's working through the current backlog of what we had, right? >> What we have now. >> So, we're in May right now >> to get it reduced. >> So, a year out from May >> to get it reduced to a

090timeline that's more acceptable, >> right? So, an application that's submitted now, >> what are your expectations for when that person, if it's a fairly complex project, will get there? By the end of the year, we're we're hoping that we'll we'll have it reduced to uh by January 1st, we want to have it reduced to a three-month wait. >> That's that's our goal. >> And some and since there's no moratorium, which something I wouldn't support, >> applications are going to keep coming in. >> Yes. on the back side. Maybe not to the amount that came in in 24 25 on there, but those also will be have to get processed as you get to what your determined expectations might be. But to give individuals that guidance what to expect so that they can either prepare for

091their own finances, their own projects or if they have agents, expediters, architects on there on there. I think that's the time frames you're laying out. >> Yes. Well, the the department is expanding and changing and growing and it's a changing process for everybody. Uh the architects are learning what we're what our expectations are and uh as we expand the staff and train them. The you know this this is gaining steam as we go. The the the more we expand, the more we train, the more we deal with the architects, the faster things move. And this will only increase in momentum as we continue down this path. And you're seeing an increase in acceleration already. >> Yes. >> Yeah. That acceleration rate is is what I'd like to improve upon um as you know as we

092go on. That is that that's the goal, right? To have that >> that uh rate the rate of u of acceleration increase um till you get to that goal. And I think it's a goal we all share, right? We we want folks to be able to get things. It's not just important to folks in in the industry, but also residents and also ourselves. >> It's important to everybody. We fully understand the need to to get this done. >> My staff is working tirelessly to to meet this demand. >> Yes. And I think uh that's also I'd like to point out um having um since the investigation has gotten to the point of God being able to really interact with the staff again myself um it was it's I have to point out and thank your

093staff for the the work that they do the conscientiousness of their work and their own uh goals that they set for the department as well. everybody's on the same page and every single person that works in that department is working as hard as they can to restore the department um and to create a better department. >> We truly are. >> Yes. It's it's apparent. >> I I think one thing that would be helpful for the board to have would be on a monthly basis how many applications are in the system, how many new applications have been received, how many building permits have been issued, and how many cos have been issued. I think without that it's going to be hard for us to gauge. Are we effectively addressing the problem? Because I think the goals

094are, you know, they are what they are. I would love to be more aggressive on it, but we need to have that tracking clearly reported to us going forward. >> And is it my understanding now that we have the five categories, the tracking will be able to be done um because we can't really go back and track what was put in previously to the portal system. We created five new permit types to better sort the applications as they came in. We created a residential building permit which strictly deals with alterations or new builds of dwellings. We created an accessory building permit type which was meant to help accelerate the processing of smaller type permits, pools, sheds, patios, generators, things of that nature. um so they didn't get stuck in the backlog of the bigger applications.

095We created a commercial building permit type. We created a solar permit type and one for telecommunication facilities. Both of which type permits are on a shot clock which we have to issue by a certain amount of time. >> So in reference I I mean I agree with Tom on monthly reporting. Um I think it's essential uh for us. Uh but what I'm saying is from the launch of 2.0 you can track >> we can track those permit types >> without having to open each single application. >> Yes. >> Right. >> Yes. Previously with the one type of building permit we had to manually look at each permit and log what what it was to be able to give you those numbers. with these different permit types now it it's easily trackable. >> Yeah. And that's

096that's not the program. That's not uh I mean to that has nothing to do with Tom's efforts. I just want to be clear that has to do with the the way it was internally uh done. >> The way it was the way it was coded. >> The way it was coded. >> Yeah. I think the one thing that still and I've said this to my colleagues that confuses me on this is that historically prior to any kind of IT adaptations here a paper application would come in somewhat the front desk would review the application and say this application's incomplete um and they would also or they would identify the type of application it was and it would be assigned >> with the introduction of open gov applications came in but there was no one doing

097that view or that assignation of the application itself and I think what can you give some kind of background as to like was that due to the DA investigation because how how did we miss >> Rich wasn't there right I know but retrospective >> right right around Valentine's Day is that when it launched >> March yes 25 >> yeah open gov launched in in March of 2025 in in the town of East Hampton which is prior to my time here so I can't speak to how applications would be turned away at the front counter. I can tell you that that that gatekeeping process of applications being caught at the front desk while they were being submitted and uh turned away with an incomplete application. We've lost that. Applicants now have the ability to submit an

098application to our department regardless of whether they're complete or not. And we receive a large volume of applications which are incomplete and it creates a large bottleneck in our system. I often receive applications that don't have board of health approvals or stamped architectural plans or other required mandatory documentation. And there there is no way to stop an applicant from submitting that incomplete application. >> Yeah. And look, I think you and I have had this conversation in the past and I think, you know, the timing is not now, but like look, I I think one possible deterrent to people doing that is an application fee, you know, as applications come in because you're not going to submit something if it's it's not right because then you're going to get charged twice. >> And the other thing

099could be you you move to the back of the line. I mean, that's I mean, I was in Rich's office yesterday and he randomly opened up, you know, it was for a lower level and a gazebo. You know, they were finishing the basement and there were no plans. >> No, no plans. >> And then the the the affidavit wasn't signed >> and notorized. So, I think that's and and so I say to the folks that are, you know, that are waiting for their applications to be reviewed, you may want to go back in and make sure you have a complete application because that will speed the process up. If you haven't put in your Suffach County Health Department plans or you haven't put in stamp plans or you're missing docu your HERS rating for a

100new build, like do it now before you get to it, >> right? But but eventually, you know, as Tom said, now is not the time. Eventually, uh hopefully a process can be developed even with a software program um application that we're using now to accept applications. And I remember one of the selling points to me was that the idea that you couldn't go on to the next step unless you provided the proper uh piece of paper, you scanned and and put it in. Of course, with everything else, you find that there's loopholes and workaround, but I think that's also something that we should work to achieve is to be able to determine completeness >> even before we review in a reasonable amount of time. I know the planning department uh deals with that as well.

101>> Um the issue of completeness um and to try to get an application to the point where it can be reviewed um is an important part of the process. I just I I worry that we've lost that human element of the person at the front desk, you know, and do we have someone in place now who when a new application comes in is getting eyes on it because it's it's a I mean, open gov is is a database management system effectively. It's it's not got the capabilities to say you have faults with your survey or or this that or the other. It's kind of like it's an organizational structure. So look, if someone puts in a blank survey, you know, it's going to accept it because it doesn't know what a non-blank survey looks like.

102>> So we actually need those eyes on to ensure the applications are complete to be processed to to avoid that. Is that happening? >> No. The existing staff as it is right now have their hands full working with the jobs that we have. I cannot add additional procedures for them at this time until we're fully staffed and we have we're up to speed with this. What we are doing is continuing to expand the department to fill the roles that we need to get eyes on these applications. Uh the addition of two plans examiners and now looking for a third is going to be greatly helpful because we'll have full-time office staff in the in the office reviewing applications. right now. Currently, the way it worked prior to my arrival and the way it has been

103working is the building inspectors review applications in the time that they have in between answering the phones, helping the people when they come in, doing their inspections, logging their inspections, answering their emails, and when they have the time, reviewing plans, and issuing permits. So, it's a challenge. So it's really this is really for you as we get the plans reviewers in >> that critical step will then be addressed. >> It is a critical step because we need to have full-time eyes on applications every day. >> Yeah. So how I see it is that you're effectively managing your department and deciding how you want to move your department forward being here all of about a half a year. >> So kudos and congratulations. I haven't seen that as well as it's being done here in the

104last nine years. Well, >> thank you. Okay. What we have to do as a town board, we're the legislators. You do what we're supposed to be legislating and then we also are the hieres. You're recommending to us what you need to have in place to get all these pro plans processed and moving forward to put the town of East Hampton in 26 into 27 and into 2037 on a better uh terms than we were in 2425 early 26 going through right now. the recommendations for hiring and what you need. There's not going to be much that I'm going to say no to. And I think the town board is seeing that we know what we need to do and invest in to make sure all these things happen that Tom and others have mentioned on

105there. There are also other things that you can't legislate, but the town board can, and that's the code. And there's deficiencies within the town code that are either antiquated, deficient, or need to be changed. Those processes I know are in place also and are going to be moving forward with the help of some of the individuals that spoke here earlier also community members, attorneys and town board members. I look forward to doing that. Also, I think one of the last things I would like to see that the town board can move forward on parallel track that will probably help not just the residents but also your department is to reinvigorate the digitization of our paperwork. That will help a lot. I know we've invested into that. there's some uh there are some situations we have

106to work that out but as a town board members those are things I think we have to work on to assist you also uh and take your recommendations and guidance going forward so for that I thank you >> yeah and and from what I'm hearing right now from we I think we've touched base with it really what we need is the property card the survey and the co to be able to be available uh >> yeah so just for the public that's what we're talking about when we talk about digitization the ability for the public to access a property card without [clears throat] having to go into the office seeking assistance and having it. >> Yeah. I I think and this is something we've talked about in digitization quite a bit is that like look

107who owns specific data points. So the tax assessor's office, you know, is a critical point in this, you know, inputting and making sure that data is in there. I think a lot of our data is currently still on paper. We've been working with it to kind of get some of that done within OpenGV, but uh we we tried outsourcing it. that was not successful. I do think this is something that needs to be done internally, whether that's an intern project for the summer or becomes, you know, kind of a pseudo part-time or full-time position. Um, but I I I think, you know, making sure that the data in is correct is critical to these systems working. That's what we're seeing with with the open gov system in the building department. And, you know, if we're

108going to successfully move to digitization, our data integrity has to be absolutely positive. So could you work with Heath and come back with a recommendation just starting with for the building department getting the property card survey and CO available so that folks can uh access it so that the numbers I don't think that were on here is the counter research how many and it's in the thousands a year of people coming to the counter looking for these property card you know survey and if people could you know go to their computer and pull it up like we can do our GIS now. Um that is something that would be a great first step and that was something that came out >> a large number of the walk-ins where we receive daily people looking for information

109on existing properties, property cards, surveys. Um where's my cesspool? You know, >> that's the first place that people have to start. Um, even when you just purchase your property, now that I've been on the zoning board for over here, I would if I purchased another property, I would go, that's the first thing I would go and look at. Um, before I went to contract, actually, but also you do the building department is also tasked with title search uh, compliance. So, when all these title searchers go to look at the records, it's the these requests come into the staff of the building department and they have to certify that these records are correct. And that's a tremendous another volume of work. It's like planning. You don't really see all the avenues that you have to do.

110And I I if we can get to the digitization, I think that would be a a good good help. I I support that effort as well. >> Yeah. Thank you, Rich. Um you certainly have your hands full. You know, you came to you came to your job at an interesting time. [laughter] Um and and I'm grateful that you're here. I am because I I think that you you're a professional and you certainly know what you're doing. Um, but I also just want to say that I, you know, one of the things we all hear about very frequently, you know, the frustrations with the backlog. We're all aware of it. And I think that everything we can do, every resource that we can give you, you know, I want to I want to do that. Um,

111you know, whether it's staffing or other tools that you need. Um, and I want to be open to to new ideas that we haven't thought of. And so be open to the community and and bring in possible improvements. I think that Tom's idea of tracking progress. and we we've gotten some some numbers from your office recently, but I think that that's a a really good thing for us to build on and and and so we can see that the timeline is shrinking as we approach. And it was really helpful that you offered those timelines even if even if people wish that it was even quicker than that, I think it's helpful that they have some idea of of where we're heading or what what the goal is, what we think is reasonable. Um similarly I

112or on a related note I want to talk about the idea of incomplete applications going to the back of the line because I think that that's important. I don't think that and I but I think there's a difference between somebody who accidentally missed something or somebody who's submitting a a really poor application for the sake of they think they're holding the line and I think that the quicker we get to that answer so that people aren't hearing 8 months that they forgot to submit because I think there's innocent mistakes and then there's people who are doing it on purpose and so um you know as we get staffed and as we you know work towards reducing the timeline I think that you know having those eyes on as you you know you agree that we

113we need to do will be a very positive positive thing. So people find out, you know, two weeks in or a week in that, hey, my application's not complete. It's like it doesn't exist, which would go back to, you know, the days when you were seeing it at the counter and could make that decision instantly. Um, you know, getting some of that back. I think that the public information uh component is great. This is something I've heard a lot about from people and and it it's modernizing in a smart way that will save your office time but not at the sacrifice or the at the expense of people getting the information they need to run their businesses or or sell their home or purchase their home or whatever the case may be. Um I also

114want to recognize that you know you've you have brought a lot of um you know modernization and again this is not a a critique of any you know former department. I think that the times have changed and tools have changed. I think blue beam doing things online is just in it that you know when you're gone and somebody else is here it's going to be easier to see what has happened. You know everything is just more clear and I think standardized and I think that's a real benefit. Um I think the increase of staffing recognizes the complexity of building that's happening here and um again very very happy to support that. I think that the outside review, you know, it's a resource that we've all been in favor of giving you, but I recognize that

115it's not as easy as just saying, "Okay, now they're doing the perfect review for the town of East Hampton that you've had to synchronize." >> Yeah, we had to bring them up to speed to uh town of East Hampton zoning codes and requirements and what we were specifically looking for them to comment on. So, yeah, it was a training process for them as well. >> And I appreciate how much work that Sorry. >> Sorry. >> And I appreciate how much work that is. Um, so even though we were giving you a resource, I think in that in that case, we probably made it a little bit more complex when you came in and these applications were coming back that had been reviewed and you know, me as a board member, I didn't have the the

116tools to tell them what to do. So anyway, I recognize that there are all these things going on uh behind the scenes. I think David, you were instrumental in the new office, which is going to allow for a more efficient office and and a larger staff. That's great. Um, and so I appreciate all those things, but again, I do want to tell the public that I recognize that that probably doesn't hit home. You know, it doesn't it doesn't make you feel better about an application that is, you know, we all agree is is older than it should be. Um, and so I think that, you know, as a board and and Rich, I want to continue just to focus on whatever we can do to um to get through that backlog and continue to provide

117information to the community so they know what's happening. But I I think you've uh uh very happy you're here and I I respect you know what you're what you're doing with that department and I appreciate how difficult the job is right now. One of the things that we've done by moving offices is we've relocated the administration staff to a separate room not available to the public so they can stay on task and get their building permits and their cos issued in a more expeditious manner. uh being in the office with the building inspectors and the plans examiners, they were constantly pulled off task either by the phones, by walk-ins, by questions from the public. Uh and they were interrupted all day long. Now we have them in an area where they can focus on their

118jobs and we can the goal is to increase productivity for the office. >> He and I just helped with the pictures. >> Yes. Oh, it looks great. >> David, you were in instrumental. >> Yes. Two other things I wanted to bring up that we talked about. I know we had we had heard from someone had written in and said, "Can you make a checklist public? You know, this was an architect writing and I know you shared with me like a 100 pages of code that you check when you go through each plan." And I think we discussed that it would be helpful if we could make this public. I'm going to put together a spreadsheet and publish uh our checklist. I originally developed that as a training tool for plans, examiners, and building inspectors to

119uh learn to review documents. It's a basic list of uh simple codes that that we look for on every application. It's by no means inclusive. the an inclusive list is the state code book uh that it it contains everything but this list is a list of uh right about a 100 items which we go through every plan and we look for these items so I will publish it and release it to expediters architects whoever wants it so they can submit a more complete application to uh to our department and they'll be aware of the things that we're looking for at a basic level >> it would Good to have that uh link to that on the town website as well for folks. And the other thing we talked about is when we were looking randomly

120at different applications is how people name files >> slows you slows down the the plans examining. Uh some of these building permit applications submitted into open gov have 25 or 30 files uploaded to them and the names to which these files are uplated uploaded. Some have no rhyme or reason to what they are and it makes it a tedious process to have to open each file to see what it is. Is it a survey? Is it the board of health approval? Is it architectural structural plans? Is it energy code documentation? And sometimes it's really difficult to tell what each file is. And we spend a lot of time renaming and organizing files uploaded to our system just because we we have to there's there's no other way to manage it. >> So maybe we can

121have some guidelines on how to >> Yeah. Like best practice for for naming files if we could publish that as well. We talked about >> Can I say something to the checklist too? uh at the risk of exposing myself as a nonbuilder or building inspector. Um I understand the plans are very complicated and there's not really consistently from consistency from one builder architect to the next. So the suggestion for the checklist also >> they they said that maybe you could have almost used as an index and put the onus on the applicant to say if you're looking for my plumbing, you know, whatever look on this document, you know, so they would have to point to the document however it's named. Um, and maybe not for all 100 points, but you know, I understand that

122builds are pretty complicated and you you know, it's not there's no rhyme or reason necessarily from what I understand as to what order the plans are in. And so it might be helpful to put onus on the applicant to say exactly where that point you need to find is in their file. But just uh, >> you know, further into the same idea. Yeah. >> Table of contents. >> Yes, table of contents. if that would be something that you might >> It's something we'll explore. >> Yeah. Okay. Anyone else have comments or questions for Rich? >> Thank you, Rich. Thank you, Rich. >> Thank you all and thank you for all that you're doing support. Thank you. >> Okay, Rick. [laughter] We have a presentation this morning from Rick Whan, East Hampton Trails Preservation Society on

123the proposed trail for the Bamante preserve right here in Montalk. If >> I can just tee this up just a little bit. Uh I want to thank um uh the Tra Preservation Society. I also want to thank Scott Wilson uh from land acquisition and management, our land stewards. I also want to thank the Nation Preserve Committee uh for the review of uh of this trail. We also have the co-chair here Rich Mame in the audience also. Uh conversation is going to be led about a trail system that actually was recently purchased I believe 24 maybe lake 24. Uh it is within steps of this location of the library here and as you heard there is uh uh interesting good support for the trail and its connectivity to the library. So with that Rick thank you

124very much. >> Uh thank you madam supervisor members of the town board. Um, first of all, I just have to say I get I'm I'm heartened to see that you seem to have a grip on things. Uh, the stuff that you're talking about today feel like you you know >> out of character for us, right? [laughter] >> I'm glad you were here. >> Take the compliment, Ian. >> I'm glad I'm glad you kept see I'm glad you kept seam in there just to protect yourself. >> I'm glad you were here. You were here to observe. Thank you, Ray. >> So, the property in question on this David was indicating this is we called this the Baamonte preserve. The town bought about 12 acres from Fernando and Vicki Bamante in 2024. Uh the town owned about

125another 2.2 acres in the area already. So the preserve size is around 14.2 acres. And of course just to the south of it is the uh state parkway rightway, the part of the state parkway rightway which diverges from Route 27. So that's also open space. In fact, that's the area that the Pomar path runs through going east west. So the proposal as you can see the proposed trail is shown in blue. Uh the green is not actually the full boundary of the Bamonte preserve. First of all the map I should say that you're looking at was generated by uh the department of land management. Andy Gates and Andy Drake went out in [clears throat] the woods with the GPS pack. I think they both went or maybe one of them I think maybe it was

126Andy Drake and um um what's his name in it? uh >> Barnaby or I think they went out there. >> So the the blue we the trails first of all I'm should back up for a sec. Rick Whan represented the East Hampton Trails Preservation Society and I have Tom Rule a number another member of the trailside with me here today. Uh so we the trailside flagged the proposed route. We let land management know about it and I think it was Andy Drake and Barnaby went out and they GPSed it. So what you're seeing in blue is the proposed trail route following our flags. Um the route is not actually open. Some you know some areas we had to we had to cut just to get through. Um but the flags are followable and so that's

127what they're showing. The proposed trail would come off a existing trail which is shown in orange that goes off the back northwest corner of the library parking lot. So this ties to the Monttok library and as you heard from Aban Lusty earlier the library board of trustees Monttok library board of trustees supports the the trail. The idea is that you could do a short walk from the library, got to the corner of the parking lot, go over to the Palomar path, which runs where the power line poles are on the state parkway right away, cross over the parkway, cross over the palm path, and then go into this preserve. So, um, what we did and what you're going to see, and I think we will have some photos in a moment, uh, but basically what

128the trail does, the center part of the trail stays on the high ground within the preserve. There was an earlier when we wrote a letter to the board originally asking for permission to put a trail. We had a conceptual loop which was much broader because we had done very little recon at that point. So when we went out in the field and actually you know to flag the route there are wetlands to the east, there are wetlands to the west and those are low and they're much heavier [clears throat] vegetation. So the central part of the route stays for the most part on the high ground. It's drier. Um, it does t it does branch off to two different places. There's a branch that to the northwest to the left that goes to the end

129of north uh what's that? North >> South Faraday. >> Yeah, North or Well, yeah, Faraday. It's now I think they there's a north and a South Faraday now. So, that's now North Faraday. And the the other branch goes to Jackcraft's Pond. So, do we have the photographs? Can I go through as we go through photo? All right. Well, there's Jackcraft's Pond. All right. So that's the pond up at the top of the drawing that you were looking at. You have the paper >> print out to look at. >> Uh that pond was a wetland that was dug out by Jack Craft somewhere between 1978 and 1980. I believe Jack and Carl Craft ran a farm for a few years nearby on the north side called Ocean View Farm. I know a bit about it because

130I worked there in the late summer and the fall of 1981. And the pond was already there at the time. And he dug out the pond. I don't think they worried about permits too much. [laughter] Uh dug out the pond for irrigation. It was an irrigation pond for Ocean View Farm. So it looks bigger. You'll see a later photograph of it, too. Looks bigger there than it's only about a quarter of an acre. You It's not really that big a pond. So anyway, that Jack Chris pond. Okay, next photograph if we could. Ah, there it is. The old stone wall. Okay. So that runs just south of the pond and the old stone wall is a bit of Montalk history. It's first of all it's unique. There is when I say unique unique means one

131of a kind. So between 1823 and 1833 the East Hampton Town Trustees who at the time ran Monttok till 1851 the trustees were in charge. They commissioned the building of a stone wall that ran from the east side of Fort Pond to the west side of Great Pond, which is now Lake Montalk. >> Uh the the western end, for example, was just north of the uh uh the Maverick Malkque restaurant. That's where it would have hit Fort Pond. >> The wall ran for about 7,200 ft. So maybe about a mile and a third. As I said, it was built over a period of about 10 years. The dimensions of the trail, this all in the town trusty journal, all recorded. The wall was to be 4 and 1/2 ft high with a base 3 ft

132wide. Now, what remains of the trail, and there are only a few places where it remains. One of them, obviously, is in the Bamante preserve, you're going to find rubble. Um, two things have occurred over the years. One of it, of course, is stone walls. You know, they're not maintained. They tend to fall down. And the other thing is from the late 1800s into the early 1900s um if people needed stone for a project, a construction project, they just went to the old stone wall. It was accessible. You didn't have much jungle. You didn't have all these, you know, woods and shrubs until middle of the 20th century. So you could drive over there, go in, find the wall, take what you wanted, and take it away. So what you have now is kind of

133a line of rubble. Uh but it was unique because this was there's two significant aspects to it historically. One is that it's the only place in the town of East Hampton that I'm aware where a stone wall was built to use to serve as a livestock barrier. U all the fences or barriers that were built were always with wood >> trees. >> Yeah. Well, lobster but also they built they built four rail fences and there's a lot of references to all these fences. You know, if you go to Block Island, Block Island has a lot of open fields and stuff like that, open land. You'll see stone walls. People on Black Island had no choice because Black Island was denuted to vegetation very early on. Mtok had more woods. It had hitherwoods. It had the

134point woods. But by the 1820s and 1830s, and we kind of know this from a geodet US coast and geodetic survey in 1838, they were beginning to eat into that. Maybe there was about 1500 acres of woods left in the woods in Monto. My guess is that they were thinking that uh hey, we better economize in our Woodstock. Let's take one of our main barriers. make that out of stone. So that's what they did. The other aspect that's interesting is this wall was pretty much the boundary between the outside field or the common pasture which lay to the south and went to the ocean for example to the bluffs and Shadmmore. That was the outside field. North of this wall was the north neck field. North Neck Mtok which was the land between Fort Pond

135and Lake Mtok. So, it was a, you know, kind of a significant barrier, one of a kind, and, uh, it still exists within this preserve. So, the trail goes to it and goes right over it and then goes to Jackcraft's pond. So, that's what we're trying to get to. Um, I wish >> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Tom Tom's got some information. >> You want to be on the mic, though, so we can pick you up. >> Thanks, Tom. I didn't want to respond because you talk about it. >> Probably you know what this is but if you don't >> 1976 bsentennial map done by >> Edward Bour >> uh Tom Thorson >> Frank Bour >> Frank Borg >> um >> Norton Daniels >> and Norton Daniels did the did the work and this is the this

136is one copy of the the bsentennial map. This wall was important enough that 50 years ago on May 6th, the town board included that wall on the on the um the map. And amazingly enough, we're not here asking you to preserve it. You already did that. We're asking you to let us put a trail to it so the the public can see the wall that was deemed 50 years ago worthy enough of being included on this map. That's my pitch for the wall. >> Thank you, Tom. >> Show the other photographs. There just some other other things there. Rick, do you get the photo credits for all these photos? >> Yes, these are all my photos. All of them. So, I just want to give you a sense of it. So, the area where we're

137going for the most part is relatively open land kind of high. So, uh okay, next photograph. Uh again, kind well that that's actually looking to the east. The land drops down to the east towards a wetland where we are not going. Okay, next photo. again sort of give you an idea of a lot of kind of open still semi-g grassland area. Next photo. Yeah, kind of more of the same. We're kind of showing the higher more open ground for the most part. Thank you. Next photo. It's dropping down. There were roads on this property um into the early 20th century. I'll speak about that. One of the reasons for the roads. So, there are some places where we're kind of following like an old roaded other places where there aren't any roads. And we have

138the flag a new route. Next photo. So, the trail encounters wetlands only two places. One of them is right here. That is a stream on the right that's going from your right to the left and it's coververted under the old roaded. So we don't have to build a bridge. We just it's a culvert go it's disappearing into a culvert. Uh and the other wetland obviously is we go to the shore of Jackcraft's pond. Okay. Next photo. So you see that hole in the set that's kind of an excavated hole in the middle of that. You know what that is? In the early 2000s, there were a lot of um mature shad bush trees in the property and we I don't know whether it was the owner or whether they got permission from the owner. I

139mean, it wasn't done illegally, but somebody went in. As I said, there were kind of these old roads you could drive they could drive in off. They came in off of um uh what was it again? North Faraday. >> Yeah. >> And uh they excavated Shadmush because they probably worth $20,000 a piece or something like that. So they so you'll find these excavated areas and those were all where somebody went in and took out Shad Bush and you know presumably sold them. Next photo we have two more. So that's that's another photograph of the uh the remains of the stone wall. Uh as you can see it's no longer four and a half ft high. And next left photo which I think is the last one. Yeah that that's that was taken a month or

140so ago. So that's again that Jack France pond [snorts] looks bigger in the photographs. Um but as I said it's only about a quarter of an acre in size. >> What's the depth of the pond? >> I don't know. I would assume it's not too deep. Um and I anticipate you might ask but I don't know. >> Yeah. No, I mean look that's that's one of the concerns I've raised previously is like with this trail I think it's wonderful. You know I can also see like families wanting to go out there and ice ice skate if it's a cold winter and like having a life ring, you know, if we do have access to the pond. >> Good idea. I that the first photograph of the pond which was taken in the winter there was

141not as much water in it and you kind of see the edges are they seem to be very shallow. >> Uh but I you know you have to send somebody out there to go and >> find out on you know. >> So yeah but that's it. Thank you very much guys. Um any questions? >> Who to be installing the trail? >> We will I'm he's in charge of planning. I'm in charge of maintenance. uh trail society will will open up the trail soon as it's approved. But we did we did as minimal work as possible to get in there today because we didn't want to, you know, build the trail and then say, "Hey, can we build it here?" Um so, but we'll take care of that. >> I actually just want to say like,

142look, that winter storm we had decimated so many of our trails. I've seen numerous members of the Trails Preservation Society out there getting them back on shape. Thank you all so much for doing that. It's, you know, it's incredible. It's, we have a huge trail system and that's a lot of work. So, >> they're out there today, aren't they? Isn't Tuesday's Isn't Tuesdays the day? >> Storial splendor. And I have a pair of pants on this third house trying to get the trail from third house to the White House and it's mostly open, but there's a section. >> Rick, do Rich, do you have any comments from the Nation Preserve Committee? >> No. I mean, we do recommend that um the board discussed last year. >> Thank you, sir. >> Uh, so I'm thank you

143very much for the presentation and the history of it. >> I do like this trail. I think as was mentioned, access, appropriate access to town lands for the residents is exactly why we want to preserve open space and do it not just environmentally, but also historically as you put together here. Uh I I love some of the trails in the northwest, you know, from the old ghost walks and that. And is this an area that you might want to put a a small uh small plaques up there to show what >> that idea came up? Yes. With the stone wall, no one's going to know what it is unless we put them a sign up. So >> that's the same thing by the fan sky fans schoolhouse or well, you wouldn't know what they were

144either unless you really were looking at or educated. But the way you educate kids is by putting it in front of them, by taking them to there and giving them something to read. And that's one of those kids and now this is where I'm doing it and this is what you learn. So if it works there, maybe this might be a location. So I'm pretty comfortable with that. I like that. I like the loop on here. As far as the the buoys, we are uh we have coordinated uh with land management and ocean rescue about putting buoys in some uh life rings in some of the areas u uh that historically been used for um ice skating. We can continue to look at that. This one if this one >> well once the trail is

145in coming in from south from Faraday it's a very short distance and somebody can bring a raft or a float or something if they go out and just see how deep it is. >> Sure. Um, as far as the branch off of Faraday, that's a little bit new to me. So, I I don't know. I mean, let me look as as a whole. I'm very comfortable with this. Uh, Alpha Faraday, I don't know as much. >> That was the original that was the old the old the road that is now grown over in the last 20 years came in from the end of Faraday. >> Understood. Uh, but anyway, I I support this. I think the trails preservation society is very similar to the North Neck Trail that I believe you installed 245ish. >> 24.

146That one's pretty neat, man. The way it turned out and, you know, and uh I thank you for the collaboration. So, I would support it. >> Thank you. >> Other board members. >> Yeah, I'm I'm supportive. Um I also want to kind of call out I think you've given adequate spacing of the trail to residential properties. >> Yeah, we're not, as you can see, we're not anywhere near houses. We're well away from any residences. >> I'm fully supportive um of the trail. I think the more opportunities folks have to get into nature and the more they understand the value and the necessity to protect it as long and also for your own mental health in today's world. It's nice to get out there um and just be where it's quiet. So I these areas are

147treasures uh for us. They're gifts and uh it's important to be able to access them so people can see that. Also, the Trails Preservation Society is also a gift uh to the town, the work that you all do. Um, and the trails from all the way from Wayne Scott all the way through to the lighthouse. It's amazing work. And again, I want to acknowledge uh the work the passion you have uh for protecting our our access to outdoor spaces. Thank you. >> Yeah, thanks Rick. I'm I'm fully supportive as well. I think that, you know, there's a lot of things to love about East Hampton and the trails are certainly one of them. Uh I'm I'm very lucky to live in a part of Springs that's densely populated but has a ton of trails just

148you know a quarter mile away that I I use frequently especially in the winter. Um and I think you can find that almost anywhere you live in East Hampton that there are are really quality trails nearby. So fully supportive. I do have one question. How long is the the hike in and out roughly? >> Not very my guess, you know, we didn't get a measurement from Department of Land Management. My guess is probably less than a mile total. >> Okay. It's perfect for my third grader. It is perfect for me. >> That's enough. >> So, it is >> I'm supportive. I mean, the fact that you're here as a volunteer presenting this, I think says a lot for the trail society. I know that land management also works on trails and there's there's a committee

149as well. So, um, thank you all to make who make it, you know, happen. >> And I would recommend folks in the community sign up for East Hampton Trails Preservation Society, become a member or at the very least sign on to the email list. I get them once a week. The hikes that you folks are doing are are incredible. >> You don't even need to be a member. We if you show up for our hike, you don't have to be a member. We won't let anyone hike. >> Yeah. No, it's one of these days. [laughter] >> Yes. Say that. >> So, uh, >> one of these days, >> thank you very much. Thank you. >> Next step, next steps to the town board. Uh, I will I'll get a resolution drafted for authorization and then

150we'll we'll proceed to forward that land stewards and trails preservation society. >> Beautiful. Thank you for coming today. >> Thank you. >> Thanks. >> All right. So, Charlie, >> you're you're the cleanup batter today. >> Try this again. Exactly. What's going on with that thing? It's just too There we go. There we go. Lid. I keep forgetting the lids on cuz I have others that don't have the litter. >> The memo. Is there uh a map? >> It kind of depends though. I mean, I appreciate it. We're matching. >> Welcome Charlie. >> Hello. >> Okay. Um, yeah, you can use that. Uh, I think it probably be better to do the the old file the Memphis map will probably be better. That's a survey. >> Yeah. Uh, go back to the last one. >> Yeah.

151So, this is for a change to the urban renewal map. [snorts] Uh, it's an old filed map. It is a subdivision of lot number 55. Uh, that was approved by the planning board. uh about two weeks ago, two or three weeks ago. So, they've already approved it, but a condition of the planning board's approval for the subdivision is that the town board signs off on changing the old file map to conform to their approval. >> And that would be the next page, right? The the >> Yeah, the next one is what it would look like. So there will be a scenic easement in the front uh partially on one and fully on the other and then an access easement over one of them onto the other lot because there's a kind of a bit of

152a grade change here. That's what they're trying to avoid that. Uh it's a pretty steep slope uh of 55B. So they're going to try to not have a driveway through that just to protect that area. Um >> so where would the access point be to 55B? That you see that arrow >> like kind of it's >> Thank you. >> That would be the driveway. Yeah. 55A would have its own driveway. >> Okay. >> Some point this was in front of the zoning board a million years ago for something. I recall that it was awkward um to to be able to put a driveway in on Bay um because of the topography. >> Yeah, the the survey shows it. If you want to go back a few of the grade change. >> Yeah. You can see

153the gradient there along the road is fairly. >> So that's appropriate place for a scenic easement. >> Yes. Yeah. And that's all but been approved to and accepted by the planning board and the engineer and everybody signed off on all of this. This is just because of the nature of the urban renewal maps. The town board also has to weigh in on this one. When >> was this property cleared already? >> There was a house there. >> Oh, sorry about that. was a house that was built. So that's the only >> quirk of this one. This this property was developed before the urban renewal parcel. It was probably developed at least in the 50s I think sometime. >> So it predates urban renewal. So it didn't there's no um you wouldn't have to do any

154road improvements because the house was already if they had kept it as is. But because they have torn the house down and then split it up there, it is a question as to are road improvements um required. >> Primarily my my concerns were the highway and some of the drainage. I know the high before the slope was stabilized. Uh highway had issues with uh runoff on there that was silting up their drainage cylinders. >> Yeah. >> In the town right away. In the county right away also I believe too. Definitely. Yeah. So I the question would be if the board wants to move forward is if that how you will address the requirement to do road improvements. Um if nothing was done on this lot if the house was still there they would never have

155had to done road improvements because the house predated the map. So there's no requirement to do the road improvements. But because you're creating a lot does that how we how do you address that? Does you one of the lots need to do road improvements? Does both, you know, that's up to the board. Um, >> and is that a decision you want today to as well or you just >> Well, I would kind of need to have an idea. Um, because I would have to put it on a resolution to be for a public hearing. >> So, just Charlie, for clarification, when you say do road improvements, could you just say what that means? >> Urban renewal maps require road improvements. Uh, every map is different and a mount, but it could be anywhere from paving

156to um putting in drainage to surveying to whatever the engineer decides needs to be done in that map in this area. And then um they're done as a condition to get a building permit. Um so they had it and they had to be completed before you get a CO. And so in this case, because the house was already there, no road improvements are required of this lot. If you hadn't sub after the subdivision, there is a new lot. So the question is, does the new lot need to do there's no house there anymore. Do both lots need it? Does the new lot need it? Uh does one of the two lots need it? Um cuz I think that that is something that has been frankly I've probably planning board should have addressed that in my

157opinion they they seem to have missed that uh during their deliberations. Um >> but this map is pretty much completely developed. >> Oh yeah this is an old this was I yeah this is an old >> they have 20 items of conditions of approval. They have 20 already on >> sub minor subdivision. Yeah, it's um it just with or it's just it's a quirk of the urban renewal plan >> uh but that requires road improvements >> this >> so neither lot have structures we theoretically >> not currently >> so we could theoretically require both to just >> yeah I there's a question of fairness uh considering that the house was this property de was developed before the existence of a renewal so it's up to the board I >> seems like they have an approved

158road and drainage plan already prepared by uh it's in number 15 of their condition. >> Yeah. No, that's something different though. >> Okay. >> That's just that's what condition of the for the subdivision, not a condition of the urban renewal plant. >> But they've already developed one is what I'm saying. >> Well, if the engineer Yeah. I assuming I don't know. Uh because the engine like when you get road improvement units, the map has a a certain amount of improvements assigned to it. It's right now it's $5 a unit. So I don't know exactly off the top of my head how many are required for this map. I don't have the full map here. I don't think the full map has it. >> So my point is they already have a plan. >> Yeah, but

159it's that's slightly it's again that was part of the subdivision, not the urban renewal process. That's a separate >> I get that >> they're creating a new lot. So it seems like that lot should be required to make road improvements. Is there a way to take that amount and spread it evenly over the two? >> Yeah, I mean you can do whatever you want because board has full control over their brand new map. >> But does that from your you know as a legal expert does that seem like a reasonable idea? >> I think it would be reasonable. >> I mean it would be hard to assign it to one and not the other if they're both going to be developed. So maybe it spreads the the pain out over both. And then >> I

160mean this isn't just to be punitive either. I mean roads I'm sure that road needs improvement. Um, >> yeah. Um, yeah. And it's it's in the map, too. It doesn't necessarily just be it's also not directly in front of this property anywhere. It could be anywhere within this map 1016. >> Yeah. I mean, look, I I I'm actually in favor. There's a Suffach County vector pipe that crosses right over Ferncraftoft just adjacent to this. So I would definitely want to get engineer eyes on this and if there is an improvement to ensure the effective functioning of that yeah >> then I would want to see that road improvement done. >> Okay. Um >> yeah. Um, >> so I just see I'm just noting a a a planning board memo um from Vincent Guardello um that

161states that they have reviewed a driveway plan um in accordance to our previous comments dated February 3rd 2026 a grading and drainage plan for the driveway serving lot 2 has been prepared for the project. Yeah, that's >> this engineer is finding that plan acceptable, >> but that's not that's just for the property itself. >> I understand. I'm just saying that that they advanced a plan. >> So, I support what where Ian's moving on that to as far as the one lot instead of both lots on there because it's the new the subdivision. There's a benefit to the applicant which would be the subdivision of one lot and the two. they are still in the UR map on there then two but not to be punitive since one house was already there pre-existing to that to

162the one [clears throat] I would support that for the one map if it spread over two lots uh the the route improvements or whatever the cost might be uh to be determined I'm not as hard I don't have any discussion on that but for one yes I think that it's appropriate if they can be if if that gets targeted to a vector pipe or not I don't know how that works Tom that's more assigned by the engineer goes the map and sees what needs to be done in the map >> and that could be something that might be a little weird because that's county so we might not have the power to really do anything with that. I don't know usually it's just you know paving and yeah >> throwing in a drainage ditch and

163things like My main thing is is it's is not for the purview of this discussion but the future discussion would be uh once once or if a building permit it is released on this uh uh that the construction meth methodology that the runoff of that this property doesn't affect the drainage cylinders are currently there there because that's happened in the past already. >> Yeah. Yeah. For sure. >> And that's all we have. >> Okay. So, we've had two board members that are good with charging just a road improvements just for the new lot, but dispersing it over both lots. >> Yeah, I support that as well. >> All right. >> Yep. So, well, I just from practicality just to understand how these work. When you go get a building permit, you need to get a

164sign off by the engineer that the road improvements were assigned. So, are you saying that each lot is going to get half of the if there's I don't know the number off the top of my head, 3,000 road improvement units for this lot. Are we saying 1500 for each? Are we saying 3,000 for one of them and then we're going to hold up the building permits for both? >> Saying 1,500 for each. >> Okay. So, half of the road improvements go to each lot. >> Okay. >> Does that make sense? I mean, would that is that there's some procedural thing that makes that difficult to do or >> No, because then it would allow each one to be developed in its in it in like its own way. If somebody wants to build on one

165and not both at the same time, do that. >> They're not tied. >> It gives some flexibility. Yeah. They're not tied together. >> They're the decision is tied to it, but overall their development is single separate. >> Yeah. >> Good. Okay. I can do that and I can draft a notice of public hearing because you have to have a public hearing. >> Yes. >> Uh so that would probably be because it has to be 10 days for renewal. So probably not going to be until >> at this point it would be late June >> for the public hearing. Yeah. Good to see you Charlie. >> All right, now we're up to liaison reports. Tom, >> thank you, Madam Supervisor. Um, last night the Amigans assistance advisory committee met um was a very discussion um around

166a lot of water quality issues um discussed, you know, the recent Dr. Goldbler report about um bacteria and virus in our water and just the sensationalization of that. Um, you know, it did come up though that look, we do have some bodies of water that um, you know, see more consistent high bacterial levels and, you know, as and when the town would consider putting signage up to advise against swimming or water activities in those areas. Um, just something for for consideration in the future. Um, bridge update for Cranby Hall Road Bridge. Um, we reached out to Long Island Railroad. The plan is for that contract to be awarded later this month. Fingers crossed. Uh and for work to begin at the end of this year. Um the main street lighting project, I would like to

167put on a work session for early June to take the board through where we are with that project. Um just an overview of the existing situation, the proposed plan and the pricing for that. Um I also have on the resolutions today um two um resolutions for uh bonding for the parking light uh parking lot municipal parking lot for lighting in there as well. Uh and lastly from them last night the Amigantic Chamber of Commerce um is looking for sites where they could potentially hook into wide internet to provide live feeds. Uh if board members have thoughts on that where might be appropriate um please get back to me and we can partner with them as possible. >> [gasps] >> human services, senior nutrition, um unduplicated client server in the congregate meal program for the week

168of May 4th through May 8th was 95. Uh and for the graband- go program, same week was 77. So, we're seeing consistent numbers there. Uh today at in about 15 minutes, we have our drawing and painting class um uh in the uh senior center in the lounge uh with Kate Goldman presenting that. Uh we also tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. uh we mentioned this last week, we have the tech talks program taking place. Um members, uh please call Joel at the senior center 631-3296939 to register for that talk. Uh Quiong dance is cancelled for this Thursday, May 14th. Uh and then lastly on May 19th at 9:30 a.m. the Tuesday uh we will have intergenerational grains program with the spring school diversity club who will be visiting the senior center for morning games with the seniors.

169Uh I met last week with the trustees. Uh just meeting objective was to discuss common interests between the town and the trustees how to work in a more collaborative manner and explore areas of concern. Um you know really from the sector that persective just coordination and risk mitigation. Um, you know, they've identified several areas of shared responsibilities with the town that they would like to work with us to get clearer coordination and liability protection. Um, the beaches, you know, where the town code requires joint town board and trustee approval for beach vehicle permits, special events, lifeguards, beach fire regulations. Um, trustees want to confirm that they can be covered under the town's liability insurance if we're permitting events to take place on those properties. Uh for the roads um you know trustee roads are increasingly

170becoming part of town and fire access uh fire access planning uh trustees are requesting you know involvement in that planning that any incorporation includes conveyant easements and maintenance responsibilities and liability coverage. So I want to go back and forth on >> what's that last one? So they're they >> so if we're going to be using trusty roads for regular far um access considerations, you know, what is the um what maintenance would we be responsible for? What maintenance they be responsible for? What easements might be maintained? Um and what liability coverage could potentially be there as well. Um waterways um town managed shellfish and oyster programs operating in trusty waters. um just you know they want to discuss you know how how we could protect the trustees from any liability related to oyster equipment or related

171incidents in those waters. Um then um you know just just this is something we're seeing not only in the trustees but also in town as well just increasing legal exposure. The trustees just requesting confirmation that town insurance covers trustes beaches, roads, ponds, harbor and underwater lands. If not, can they be named as an additional insured um or you indidentifiate or introduce indemnification protections um accordingly? >> Do they have their own coverage? >> They do on some areas and not not on all. But I think that the point here is is that if we are utilizing or permitting activities through the town on trustee properties to have them as named insured in our policy I think is the right thing to do there. It's something we require people when we issue the permit on townlands. So

172to if it's if it's not a significant cost to the town to do like it isn't for any kind organization who's using the townland to be named insured I think it's something for us to consider >> and vice versa. >> Yeah I think yeah it should be a two-way thing. Um recent incidents um lastly you know they brought up the bird flu concerns at the Georgia pond location. This actually came up in the Amigans meeting last night as well. um you know just highlighting the need in issues of public safety or public health issues you know for coordinated emergency response protocols um you know I think this is something that's near and dear to my heart it goes back to the suffer county hazard mitigation plan look these are identified hazards that we will continue

173to face um you know we we should have plans in place for how to respond to them um the trustees have some resources but they're a far smaller um entity than us as we part of the county and the state and I think in issues of public safety and public health, we need to ensure we have effective partnership with them on that as well. Um, sanitation, I just want to remind people because I've been getting a lot of feedback from the department. A lot of people are showing up without the new stickers claiming that stickers at home, I'll put it on my car later. Look, that's, you know, we're into May now. Um, you need to have your new stickers on your car. um you know we will have to start enforcing fees if that

174doesn't take place. I also want to update the public as well. We're working with the town engineers on a program to use license plate readers at the sanitation department. Um, this is something that, you know, uh, it's a it's an program we're looking to engineer that would allow people to drive in, their license plate would be read, and if you have, uh, purchased a permit, um, you you would not you would be able to kind of go through. If you've not purchased a permit, you'd be sent a corresponding request to pay the fee for the usage of the facility. So, um, right now we have LKMA working on those plans. I would look to bring those to the board later. Um probably I'm thinking early July um just to present what that might look like.

175Um marine museum >> in the budget Tom. >> Yes, we did capital budget of 100,000 for that. >> Great. >> Uh marine museum restoration. Um so the town of East Hampton and historical society are moving forward with a multi-year renovation of the East Hampton Town Marine Museum following significant winter damage caused by a worst pip burst pipe. Uh the incident prompted a broader assessment of the building, revealing the need for substantial long-term upgrades rather than temporary repairs. The museum will remain closed during the renovation work, including throughout the summer season. Planned improvements include interior renovations, electrical, HVAC upgrades, um ADA accessibility improvements, flooring, exterior repairs, and other infrastructure upgrades. The town, the historical society are coordinating closely on public messaging and long-term planning. Steve Long of the Historical Society provided um significant feedback from the

176historical society perspective um and how we can uh effectively um incorporate management of exhibitions in this renovation. Um [snorts] um we are not only repairing the damage but we're looking to preserve and modernize this incredible historical facility for future generations. Um and that is everything on my le update. >> Great David. Sure. >> Tennis is currently still working with the United States Army Corps of Engineers to try to finish off the crossover uh project. There's only one crossover in the downtown Montalk area that's still to be worked and that is down by the Lo Stein Court area for a landing. We hope to get shop drawings last week for uh installation shortly. As far as the dish plane uh dune restoration efforts uh part of the initial RFP that is under uh going underway as

177of start as as of yesterday. The conference station parking lot will be closed during those um during that um construction the construction will not happen uh in the evening time or on the weekends. The Steven hands path I believe they started paving today. Uh so that would be for the new additional parking that will be over there. last week, last Tuesday because of the date change by request. I thank all for for that. The Montalk Citizens Advisory Committee met uh we went over two uh two discussion points. The main discussion point was about an intersection at South Emory uh and Montalk Highway and how this intersection might potentially have conflicts or be used in the in the coming months, years uh with new um new businesses being developed there. There was no consensus to move

178forward there. The other discussion point was uh about the West Lake uh parking lot which is on Westlake Drive just north of Gossman's that has had uh that's something that we brought up here at the town board and also the Monttok CAC maybe back in January even uh new sign has been installed that tells the decade old uh parking regulations there one one hour parking the Mont CAC put a motion forward uh and it was approved uh split vote uh to have two-hour parking in that location with third uh sorry, two-hour permit parking in that location with 15minute parking and designated painted stripes to be hopefully uh along the viewshed of the uh of Block Island Sound. I also want to thank the uh town staff and the supervisor and the MTalk chamber and also

179the MA talk library for the preseason um preseason meeting that we had here last Wednesday and also the members of the community. There were a large amount of community members that were here probably close to 30 I would think Kathy >> or more. Yeah, it was Thursday. >> It was Thursday. I apologize. Thank you. Wednesday was another softball game. Um but uh yes and that all went really well to get the information out there. Uh, so I appreciate that. As far as aquaculture, uh, we're having some issues with growing of the clams this year. Uh, some of them are dying, but they, uh, they are work. John Dunn and staff are working to figure out, sorry, figure out why. Uh, otherwise, oysters at the nursery should have some good surplus to potentially sell. There's another

180oyster spawn on for today if anyone's interested for the second reef that is in Three Mo Harbor. uh scallops and hybrid stocks from the other areas. Uh we're looking to see if they're going to have better uh better survival rates uh such as Maitius and Massachusetts. So that is a a good news story that we hope to see some some fortitude in our scallop stocks. Fingers crossed. Otherwise, waiting waiting for the weather to get back to normal for uh warmer shellfish, growing water, and temperatures. And from recreation, please uh be advised to sign up for all your uh winter programs. Just just to go back to about the marine museum. Uh uh I there is the definite need for the marine museum for uh uh a revamped marine museum on there. Um and I understand

181the coordination the collaboration with the historical society. I personally would have hoped that we'd be able to keep it open for this calendar year as plans would be developed but understand that under the holdover lency uh with the historical society a lot of that decision gets based on them. Um but more to come on that. Thank you very much and that's my leazison report. >> Thank you David Kate. Yes, I'm going to um only speak about one thing and and bring the rest of my liaison report back for next week. Um I want to let the public know that uh the East Hampton Veterary Group is holding a vaccine clinic uh for free rabies shots. Both canine and feline rabies vaccinations are provided. If this is a booster vaccine, proof of vaccination will be required.

182This is going to be held on Sunday, May 17th from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the East Hampton Veterary Group, 22 Mtok Highway, East Hampton, New York. Um, and at the vaccine clinic, you will also be able to uh meet East Hampton Town Animal Control and they are available and will be able to issue dog licenses on site and also the animal rescue fund of the Hamptons offering pet adoption. So, if you don't bring a dog or a cat for rabies uh vaccines, you can adopt one to do so in the future. The phone number for any further information is 631-3242 uh82 and uh you know u getting your animals vaccinated against rabies is critical for your dog ownership to be responsible pet owner. Um we do see spikes in rabies in wild animals

183that your animals can be impacted by. So this is these shots are free for everyone. So, please, if you need a vaccination for your dog or cat, head over to the East Hampton Veterary Group on Sunday, May 17th. >> And that's I'm going to stop there. Thank you, Kate. Ian, >> uh, yeah, the Springs Park uh, mugwart remediation project took place last week and is completed and it looks great. Um, mugwarts are very invasive species that's, you know, all over the area and disturbed spots including that park. And so the idea again there is to try to remove that mugw wart uh and establish native wild flowers and grasses for a more traditional true uh locally appropriate meadow. Uh I want to thank Long Island Conservancy for their general donation and actually it came from

184a a single donor who I believe still wants to be anonymous. Um but very grateful that they dedicated that towards Springs Park and and looking forward to seeing how that develops. Uh Maidstone playground is still under construction where they're placing the additional equipment. Uh the new playground that was designed um that is still on track hopefully to be done by Memorial Day which is just around the corner. Um which will be very exciting to see. A [snorts] advisory committee was scheduled to meet this Thursday. That meeting um I believe is going to be cancelled. You can confirm by checking the website on Thursday. There's been a lot of work going on um from Tina in planning and Britney in the attorney's office to help look at some changes that they requested a while back and

185they're still reviewing a draft and might postpone for when they have more substantive comments on what the the town has brought to them. Uh spring CAC will meet next Tuesday at Ashwog Hall at 6:30. Always open to the public. I don't have an agenda yet, but I will update you next Tuesday. My lean report for all three of the people still listening. Um, and lastly, Springs Library parking lot is is a project that's in the 2026 capital plan. It's been talked about uh a lot here and in the Springs uh CAC as well. Um, I've started to receive some, you know, opposition comments, which is fully expected. That's the point of making these things public so we get all the comments we can. Uh, many of those comments have been very constructive and and, you

186know, specific about what they don't like or how they think it should be changed. other comments um haven't been so helpful and it's just calling names and um I certainly don't want to tell anybody how to address us. We'll always listen to um any comment and try to take you know the the totality of public comments to do what we think is best for East Hampton. But unsolicited advice would be if you want to affect change or have a project turn out more to your liking, just tell us what you think. You know, calling names is not going to be helpful. So that's all I have. >> Thanks Ian. Uh I have a a brief uh leazison report as well. Uh 2026 capital plan. Once we pass today's bond resolution, we will have fully funded

187our 2026 capital plan. Uh which totals 108 projects. Um we just got the CPF and CHF audits back. Community preservation fund, community housing fund audits have come back. They've come back clean and I will have a resolution on to adopt them on May 21st. If you'd like a copy, um, I have a copy in my office or you could reach out to Becky Hansen. And then lastly, I just want to introduce John Lopez. I had mentioned last week that we were getting an intern in the supervisor's office and today's John's first day, and we welcome him to town hall. >> Well, John, pleasure to be here. >> If you say dress for the job you want, we should all be very nervous. He looks pretty sharp. >> Exactly. [laughter] Okay. Um, madam supervisor, I'd like

188to it's my privilege to offer resolution 2026815. This is uh for the authorized the CPF project plan addition for 134 second house road whereas the town board had the public hearing on May 7th, 2026. >> Second. All in favor? >> I 8:16 is authorized the CPF acquisition amend the 2026 management and stewardship plan for 134 second house road Montalk. This authorizes the CPF acquisition. Proporter owner, it was double Holdings Corporation. Location is 134 Second House Road, Monttok, Suffach County Tax Map 300-27-4-30. Public hearing is held on May 7th, 2026. Approximately 4.14 acres. Purchase price is $7.25 million. >> Second. All in favor? >> I. >> 817 is amend resolution 2026 309. This is for the East Hampton and Volunteer Ocean Rescue where we're the requested to appoint additional participants as follows for auxiliary and rescue

189swimmers. >> Second >> rescue a swimmers. I apologize. And also portion of that is uh to amend uh amend other names of the list below. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I have resolution 818 which is to accept a grant of scenic and conservation easement at 16 Dune Lane Amaganz. This public hearing was held on May 7th and the grantor is the estate of Margaret Hirs. The location is 16 Dane Amaganzit. The reviewing agency is the zoning board of appeals. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Resolution 819 is to accept LK McClean's proposal for to topographic and professional mapping. Uh this is uh Tina mentioned this today. Uh this is to prepare a topographical boundary survey of Montalk Highway in Waynecott between Westgate Road and Hedges Lane. Uh the price is

190not to exceed $45,000 200 and um we will uh retain resolve that we retain LK clean associates for the professional services as set forth in proposal. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. Resolution 820 is provisional appointment to building inspector Spanish speaking for Kelly Barios. Resolved that Kelly is hereby appointed on a provisional basis to the full-time position of building inspector Spanish speaking with the building department at the hourly rate of $37.36 grade 29 starting step which is the annual salary of $77,712.13 for a 40hour work week. >> Second. All in favor? I >> resolution 821. This is to approve a 2026 CDBG budget modification. Uh the following modifications are prop are proposed from moving from East Hampton Septic Replacement to Whalebone Village ADA Rehab, $75,000. Moving $98.71 from St. Michael's Senior Housing to

191Whale Bone Village ADA Rehab. Moving $124.95 from Windmill Village Apartments to Windmill Village uh One Kitchen Rena. and moving $378.17 from windmill village one and two equipment to windmill village one kitchen reno. The total requested budget modification are $75,000 $6183. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Resolution 822. This is the authorized travel reimbursement uh for all rise drug court conference and this is for Justice Steven Dowski uh who is eligible to be reimbursed for registration fees, travel, food and lodging in an amount not to exceed $3,000. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I have resolution 2026823 to appoint temporary office assistant in the town attorney's office, Dartian Lis. We know him as Nick at the hourly rate of $265 and he will be starting May 26th. >> Second. >> All in

192favor? >> 8.24 is a payout upon retirement for Thomas Strong. Thomas Strong has retired from his full-time position as a police officer with the East Hampton Town Police Off Department effective January 11th, 2026. and audited time records indicate he has acred vacation time and acrewed personal time and it will be a gross total uh payout of $12,519 and24. Second all in favor I >> 825 is a payout upon retirement for John Anderson Jr. John Anderson Jr. has retired from his full-time position as a police detective with the East Hampton Town Police Department effective March 31st. Audited time records indicate he has acred vacation time, acrudeed sick time, and acred personal time. And he will get a gross final pay gross total final payout of $151,38125. >> Second. All in favor? >> I. >> Resolution 2026826

193is to adopt a local law to amend chapter 211 of the East Hampton Town Code, Public Safety, and Accountability. This resolution builds on something we've been saying clearly as a town. Our Latino and immigrant neighbors are part of our one community. East Hampton is their home. Over the past several months, we have heard from residents who are living with real fear. People are afraid to go to work. They are afraid to go to the doctor. They are afraid to go to church. They are afraid to bring their children to school, to ask for help, or to call the police when they need them. That should break our hearts because these are not abstract fears. These are mothers and fathers trying to get through the day. They are these are children listening at the kitchen table

194and wondering if everything is going to be okay. These are people who work hard, worship here, raise families here, care for loved ones here, and show up for this community every single day. They are our friends. They are our co-workers. They are our neighbors. They are part of the fabric of East Hampton. And today I want them to hear this clearly. You are not alone and you belong here. You should not have to choose between your health and your fear. You should not have to hesitate before walking into church or school or town hall. You should not have to wonder whether it is safe to ask for help in the community you call home. Local government cannot take away every fear. But we can listen. We can show up. We can make sure people know

195they matter. and we can do everything in our power to make sure every resident feels seen, heard, and protected. This is the East Hampton we believe in. One community, one home, and a place where every family deserves to feel safe. >> Second. All in favor? >> I resolution 2026 827. This is secret determination for the bomb resolution for engineering to install lighting in the town owned municipal lot in amigans it be resolved the town board finds the following project is classified as a type two action under securra um and as such no environmental analysis of the proposed project is required >> second all in favor I >> 828 is for a bond for $35,000 for lighting upgrades to the Armagansit parking lot >> second >> we get a roll call please >> council member flight

196>> I deputy supervisor lease Hi, >> Council Member Rogers. >> I, >> Council Member Calder Pedmont, >> I, >> Supervisor Burke Gonzalez. >> I have resolution 829, which is to accept proposal RFP number EH 2026 101 technology solution for managing compliance with short-term rental regulations to Decert Technologies. um resolved uh that the at the recommendation of the evaluation committee and Gene Corrosa, senior purchasing agent and the proposal of Decarder Technologies for the technology solutions for managing compliance with short-term rental regulation improvements to provide services in accordance with their proposals is hereby accepted. Resolved that the town supervisor is authorized to enter into a contract with Decard Technologies for management and compliance of short-term rental regulations. Um, the annual contract is $43,120 per year. However, the pr-rated amount for 2026 is $21,560 payable from the appropriate

197fundline. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. Resolution 8:30. This is notice of public hearing to launch accessory dwelling unit construction assistant pilot program. This is for $100,000 loans, a total of 10 of them, um, in the amount of a million dollars out of the CH funds. Um, and the public hearing will be held on June 4th, 2026 at 6 p.m. Second. >> All in favor? >> I have 2026 8:31. It's to approve 2026 scholarships for the town summer recreation program at spring school. And this waves the town's fee for up to 7 a.m. and 700 p.m. scholarships. and for those students that have been identified by spring school personnel as being in financial need. Second. All in favor? >> I. >> Resolution 832. This is notice of a public hearing to amend chapter

198255 zoning of the East Hampton Town Code to allow for accessory staff housing. The public hearing is scheduled to be held on June 4th, 2026 at 6 p.m. >> Second. >> All in favor? >> I. >> Okay. I think those are all the resolutions for today. Do I have a motion to go into exact session? like to make a motion to go to executive session, discuss CPF, real estate, advice of counsel, leases, contracts, public safety, and personnel. >> Second. All in favor? >> I. Thank you everyone for