001East Hampton Village Board. We are live. Good morning everyone. Uh welcome to East Hampton Village Board's special meeting June 5th, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. If we could stand for a pledge. Pledge allegiance to the flag United States of America to the republicy and justice for all. Thank you. All right. First, I have an announcement. Uh, tomorrow will be tomorrow. No, today's not Friday. Today's Thursday. So, Saturday is our pride parade, our fourth annual pride parade. So, hopefully everybody can turn up. It's uh supposed to be a nice day after all. I think less less chance of rain. What time is it? It starts at noon. So, we should we're anticipating a pretty large crowd. So, hopefully everybody can make it. Uh next, can we do roll call? Mayor Jerry Larson here. Deputy Mayor Chris Manardi
002here. Trustee Sand Melendez here. Trustee Carrie Doyle here. Trustee Sarah Amdan here. Administrator Marcos Balladron has an excused absence. He's actually with us um on Zoom. He's on Zoom, right? And village attorney Lisa Pillo, who's not here, but Tim Hill. Okay. Tim is filling in for her. Okay. Hasn't excused absence. Great. Uh next we're going to do a public hearing. Introductory number 17 of 2025, a proposed local law amending village of East Hampton Code, chapter 267, vehicles and traffic, section 26715, penalties for offenses B, E, and F. Great. Anybody like to be heard on this? Anybody from the board? All right. Are we making a motion to close the hearing? Second. All in favor? All right. Hearing is closed. So next I would just like I asked the garden club to be here this morning
003and just address the board on this issue of the ivy that is fallen down. I think we have some photos of it in um in the little park that we have on Main Street that the garden club maintains for the village. So yeselcome. Okay. Hi. So, I'm Michelle Alman and I'm head of community gardens for the for the garden club and um as as you all know uh we have had a long history with Milstone Garden and um uh you know feel like it it is really just a very beautiful special oasis in the middle of the village and um commercial district and it is probably the most visited uh public garden um in in the village and we take care of uh you know 10 to 12 different spaces and so we're very devoted
004to it. Um, and yes, we're hugely appreciative that you all you've already worked on the ivy as um as we've seen that you've cut it. And there there's the picture of uh what happened in the storm that I I uh you know, I guess it was a combination of factors that that made it fall over. But it is uh from what we know it's about 30 years old of growth that was on there and um you know very unfortunate that the trellis fell over. Um, but the side of the structure is just so unattractive that we feel it really, really would just destroy that beautiful space not to make every attempt to try to repair the ivy. So, we can see that you've already cut it, you know, and there's some wood supports holding it
005up now. And then um you know with time it can grow taller again and um you know we're we're just very appreciative that you're doing that. Yeah. The reason I asked you to come is I I really wanted to hear and I wanted our board to hear because it's it's a quite a large expense to put it back up and I know the garden club has done a great job not only in this park but all over the village the train station and all the things that you maintain for the village. Yes. and we we certainly appreciate that, but this is like a $60,000 expense and I just wanted to make sure that it's something the garden club really wants. Oh, well, we do. I mean, we feel like that if this were not there
006that this green space would just be totally different. And um you know, it's hard to walk by there and see it empty. In other words, you can walk by there at almost any time of the day and there is someone or more than one person sitting in there and enjoying it. And and we feel like it's it's a very very important space um for the community. And so yes, we are um what we do is we have various work teams that take care of all the gardens. So, we're very serious and dedicated to all the gardens that we take care of. And for Millstone, we have a team of 15 that goes over there every other week for one to two hours. And then we have an alternate team of um individuals that go every
007week to water. So, we do put quite a lot of time into maintaining this garden as well as all of the others, right, that we take care of because nature nature trail as well. Yeah, exactly. The nature trail. We've just installed all of the um greenery for the pots at the new ER. Um you know, which again we feel we're we're honored to be able to do this for the community, but we also take it very seriously with our work teams and our manpower and feel that it's really important what we're doing. Right. Well, thank you very much. Yeah, I was going to say, does the board have any questions? So, yes. Um, we do appreciate everything the Garden Club does. I just have some questions. Would you constitute this as an emergency that we
008need to replace this? Yes, because you've already picked it up off of the ground and the small bed that it had crushed. And so, you know, we're again grateful you did this very, very quickly and a very nice job of getting it back up. It's now propped up with some wooden um uh uh post or you know a wooden framing to hold it back up. Yes, definitely an emergency situation from the storm. I I guess the combination of the water and the weight um pulled it over. So um I mean replacing it with the trellis right now is an emergency action that needs to be taken. Yes. Because just to contextualize, we have this emergency fund that a couple years ago we had about $3 million in it and now we only have $360,000 in
009it. Okay? And that's used for our comprehensive plan to replace roofs. God forbid there was a hurricane, right? That's our fund. We have $360,000. So, previously the previous trellis was built by the Department of Public Works, Scott Fibian. So now because it's constituted as an emergency, we're not putting it out to bid. We're just going to the Kreben Kpinsky who's given us this price of $61,000 for trellis. So had it not been an emergency, we could send this out to bid and maybe it wouldn't cost our our constituents that much money. Right now we're very sensitive because this is the first year that our administration has raised taxes. So before we had a little more luxury with where we spent our money, but now that we're raising taxes, I think we have to be more
010thoughtful. So just want to confirm that the garden club thinks this is an emergency to build a trellus immediately because I know we don't own the building that is adjacent. So it's complicated with the side of the building. Yeah. Yes. Well, I mean, we think it's an emergency because it's so awful looking the side of the building. Isn't it awful looking though? partly because the IV was there covering it for 30 years. Yes, that is the reason that it was covered. Yes. Exactly. Right. apparently from from what I've understood um and this this may not be accurate but my understanding and I wasn't here 30 years ago when that um space uh was was used back then but it was my understanding that initially it had some trees in the middle of the space and
011that the trees were removed because grass wouldn't go and that people really used it as a dog park and that no one was enjoying it are sitting in there and I think along with the garden club obviously since I'm representing them and Debbie Duker our president um that it it would really really be a shame to not have that space usable for people just to sit and enjoy while while they're enjoying our village. And I think the other issue that made it an emergency is that if we don't get the ivy back where it should be, it's going to die. You risk the chance of it dying. Yes, exactly. And it looks like the way you've picked it up already that the damage has been minimal. I mean, it does look like they we may
012have to replant some of it. And again, we haven't looked at it carefully because we realize that, you know, it's in process, but um but I think if you look at it from that standpoint, even though you're spending what you're spending to rebuild the trellis, um you're probably coming out ahead rather than taking it all out, replanting, bidding it, doing another trellis. Great. Anybody else? Is there a reason, Marcos, that we didn't um do the trellis, build it in-house? Um I don't think I don't think we want to do that is build it in house. I think we want professionals to be able to build it properly, right? I agree. And the other thing too to u trust Doyy's point is that yes, this is the same account that we're utilizing um the uh assigned
013undesated, but that that exact fund is one that we replenish every year when we have surpluses. This year will be one of them. So we're going to probably do about another million and a half close to that and about that's July board meeting. So that fund will be replenished again as we do each year. And we also have another fund of 9 million that we have in reserve for u emergencies. So, and and I I actually live on Main Street just as as Sarah and Carrie know, not far from there. And so I am up and down that area multiple times a day. And honestly, I think if you just were to sit and listen to what people say as they're walking by, not only do people really enjoy the space, but even those that
014don't go into it, no one rarely walks by, doesn't turn their head and say, "What a lovely space." And it would take years for that to grow back again. So yes, we support it being used as an emer from the emergency fund and appreciate your willingness to do that because we have devoted a lot of energy into that space. Great. And I just want to be clear with the board. I'm sorry. Um it it is being considered as an emergency expense so that we may act quickly to fix it. Um it's something that, you know, our auditors obviously allow us to do. We use it very rarely, but when we do, it's for situations like this where time is of the essence and um you know, or else it could take months, right? Anybody else?
015I had a question that I'm sure you might be able to answer is how fast does Ivy grow? Um well to get the area covered the way it is my guess it would take five to seven years. I mean we what do you all think? What do you think Sarah and Carrie? It it's not it it would take a long time and and it's just so unattractive without it. I mean, it was definitely part an integral part of the aesthetics when the design of that space was done to have something cover that wall like that. So, does it grow a foot a year, a half a foot a year? I'm just trying and this really is no bearing on it. I'm more curious on how how fast does ivy grow? Is it a fast growing
016plant or is it a I don't I I cannot tell you for sure. Um, but I would think it might grow 6 to 8 in 6 in a year possibly under great circumstances. And then to cover a wall like that, you have the unevenness. It grows in some places and not in others. And so it would really really change the aesthetics of of the of the garden if it came down and you started over. I think we're lucky that you've been able to save it the way you have. Great. Anybody else? No. Thank you so much. Okay. Thank you. Thanks. And I I I just want to say thank you to Michelle because she's she's represents the garden club, but she's not you're not a a landscape architect. So, yeah, exactly. So, thank you for
017coming in. Thank you. And thanks to the garden club for everything you do. It's really Well, we we it's an honor to do what we do for the village. very much enjoy. Yeah, I don't know what we would do without the garden club and the LBIS. Really? And historical society, of course. Yeah. Well, we're complimenting everyone. Guild Hall. Yeah, Guild Hall, of course, in the library. I don't want to miss anyone. I know we're missing someone. Thank you very much. Thank you, Michelle. All right. Uh, so we'll go into resolutions. Resolution number 208 of 2025, approve adoption of a home rule message request stating East Hampton Village's support for pending state legislation, New York State A8502, New York State Senate 7945, which shall authorize the village to establish a demonstration program imposing monetary liability on
018the owner of a vehicle for failure to comply with posted maximum speed limits and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof, effective retroactively to May 23rd, 2025. So moved. Second. All in favor? I passed and carried. This is a huge piece of legislation and I want to thank Assemblyman Tommy John Scavone and um our Senator Anthony Palumbo for putting this legislation forward for us. Um myself and Bill Manganger, who's the mayor of Southampton Village, traveled up to Albany. We met with them and they both agreed to do this for us. So this is huge legislation for us for Southampton Village. We would be the first villages in the state of New York to be able to get this permission to issue tickets through the mail to the registered owner of vehicles instead
019of what we have to do now. We can only issue speeding tickets to the driver of vehicles. So this would uh this is legislation similar to what New York City has in their school zones. And this would be a huge help for us to keep speeders and big trucks off our back roads, off our side roads. So this is uh been a work in progress that I've been working on the last two years with Fred Theel and now with Assemblyman Tommy John Scavone. But this is actually moving forward. And what I would ask the community to do is write letters to your senator and to your assemblymen supporting this legislation. So that will help them get this through the assembly and get it through the Senate and hopefully get it onto the governor's desk by
020December. So, okay, next resolution number 209, approve $1,794.38 quote from carpet one for labor and installation of a stairway runner at Village Hall. So moved. Second. All in favor? I passed and carried. This is the runner that was donated to us by Mariela Mohler, whose mom uh made this runner in 1951 51. Took her two years, right? 1951 to 1953, and it's just a beautiful runner that's going to go on their stairwell at Village Hall. So, we thank her and her family for that donation. Resolution number 210, approve $61,6343 quote from Ben Kpinsky Builders for an emergency repair and new installation of the trellis at Milstone Park to be paid from the assigned unappropriated fund balance. Second. All in favor? Any opposed? No. Okay. No. Um, next. Oh, I'm sorry. Uh, passed and carried. Thank
021you. Resolution number 211 approved the memorandum of agreement between the East Hampton Village and the East Hampton Village Police Benevolent Association for a two tour work schedule effective retroactively to May 13th, 2025. So moved. Second. All in favor? I passed and carried. There's just a comment about this. This was uh a a uh pilot program we did with the PD with the police department. And this is a better schedule for the men and women who are in the police department. It's healthier, it's safer, and it's better for them and their families. But this costs the village an extra $40,000 a year to allow them to have this. And we did this and we didn't ask for anything back because we just felt that this was better for them and it was something that this village
022board decided to do and and we're proud of that. And I I wanted to uh let the public know that we we care about our employees and if it's better for them, even if it costs us a little money, it's worth doing. So, thank you all for voting on that. We did vote on it just now. Next, resolution number 212, approve employment of 2025 seasonal beach lifeguard staff at the rates and effective dates listed in Drew Smith's May 23rd, 2025 memo. Second. All in favor? I passed and carried. Resolution number 213, adopt local law of 2025, introductory number 17 of 2025, a proposed local law amending village of East Hampton Code, chapter 267, vehicles and traffic, section 26715, penalties for offenses B, E, and F. Second. All in favor? Passed and carried. Resolution number 214
023of 2025 approved the $21,7747.13 payout to Thomas Priato retiring May 31st of 2025 to be paid on June 13th 2025 from the general fund for accumulated time. Second. All in favor? Passed and carried. And that correct concludes our meeting and I want to thank everybody for coming out and um hopefully we'll see you at the pride parade on Saturday. Thanks.