Town Hall Notebook: Alarms, Fees, and a Union Agreement

The Riverhead Town Board held a board meeting this week as well as its weekly work session. Here are a few items discussed:

• Multiple false alarms causing alarm
  • The town board amended the town code to punish those who repeatedly sound false fire alarms. While the first and second fire or police department responds to false alarms within a calendar year remain free of charge, and the third remains a $100 charge, the board instituted new fees for subsequent false alarms. From now on, a fourth false emergency alarm per calendar year will result in a $200 charge, and a fifth false alarms and beyond are $300 a piece. Penalty for a failure to pay was upped from $250 to $750. The vote was unanimous.
• Town seeking workforce housing builder
  • In an effort to increase the town's affordable housing stock, the town's Community Development Agency has put out a request for proposal for a builder to reconstruct a town-owned property on Wilson Avenue. People eligible for workforce housing must have a median income no higher than 80 percent of the county's, which equates to $72,800 for a family of four. Interested parties (non-profit agencies only) are asked to contact Chris Kempner in the CDA. In a related story, this past week that will allow victims of natural disaster - such as those on Horton Avenue - to head to the front of the affordable housing list.
• Town Hall closes, plows get time and a half
  • The town board passed a resolution which allows Supervisor Sean Walter to enter into an agreement which will give union workers who worked on Dec. 27, 2010 - a day on which Town Hall was closed due to snow - a pay rate of time and one-half. Walter said similar agreements have been made in the past, and the agreement was made since white collar workers got a paid day off while those plowing snow still worked. In a discussion on the topic at last week's work session, Councilwoman Jodi Giglio - the only board member to vote against the resolution - expressed concern. Giglio, estimating the cost to the town around $50,000, said Town Hall should not have been closed and those who couldn't come in should be charged a vacation day instead of paying out more money to those who worked.
• Further fee fluctuations
  • In order to obtain pre-approval for occupancy of an accessory apartment, the board unanimously voted to post notice to consider an amendment to the town code which would institute a $150 non-refundable administration fee. At last week's work session, Giglio said that sometimes permits do not come to fruition, therefore costing the town time and resources.
  • The town board unanimously voted to hold a public hearing to discuss a decrease in the deposit developers must pay when subdividing recreational parcels, from $5,000 to $3,000
• Public hearing for Peconic River Community Zoning
  
  • The town board unanimously voted to hold a public hearing on March 1 on another zoning code amendment to create a Peconic River Community Zoning District, which would span West Main Street and up part of Pulaski Street and Mill Road. While restricted uses in the amendment state industrial uses, dry cleaning establishments, and motor vehicle sales, Giglio added that she doesn't believe drug rehab facilities are appropriate for the West Main Street area, and the amended code takes out the institutional use which would allow for such operations.

For more informtaion on what went on at Town Hall this past week, check out our from Thursday and a the town recently signed.