Town Hall Notes: Local Parade Set to Mark 10th Anniversary of 9/11

The town will hold a memorial parade and ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Councilman Jim Wooten said at the Town Board's work session on Thursday morning. 

The parade will begin at 1 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 11, from the front of Riley Avenue School and end at the World Trade Center memorial at the corner of Riley and Edwards avenues, where a ceremony will be held, with guest speakers not yet determined.

The idea for the parade was suggested by Calverton resident Tom Lasandro, Wooten said.

Wooten added he has been in contact with civic associations, veterans groups and fire departments, asking them to participate, noting that he has asked each fire department to provide one truck along with a marching contingent.

Councilman John Dunleavy suggested that Boy Scout troops and Cub Scout packs be invited to participate. Supervisor Sean Walter promised to have his office issue a press release to encourage a large turnout.

New 2 percent tax cap discussed

The supervisor brought up the matter of New York State’s recently enacted two percent tax cap at Thursday's Town Board work session during a presentation by Highway Superintendent George “Gio” Woodson of his preliminary budget for 2012.

Walter explained that under the new law, tax hikes by the town and all special taxing districts, including highway departments, fire departments and emergency medical services, must be held to either 2 percent or the prevailing annual rate of inflation, whichever is lower.

He said that since the inflation rate, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, now stands at 1.7 percent, that’s the percentage of tax increases that will be allowed in 2011.

Walter said towns could exceed the cap, but only after a public hearing and a super majority vote – meaning approval by four Town Board members – which is something, he said, he would not want to pursue.

Walter wants marketing video for downtown

The supervisor suggested Thursday that the town should look into the idea of producing a video to serve as a marketing tool for selling businesses on the idea of setting up shop in downtown Riverhead.

The suggestion followed the screening of a YouTube video the Town of Brookhaven produced to market that town’s “Blight into Light” program to developers.

According to Stacey Epifane Sikes, deputy chief of staff for Brookhaven Supervisor Mark Lesko, the program offers a broad range of incentives – including tax breaks, reduced fees and expedited approvals – to developers who invest in bringing blighted commercial areas back to life.

The goal, Sikes said, is "to encourage businesses to see blight as opportunity.” The amount of incentives offered, she explained, is determined case by case, based on a sliding scale of criteria set forth in new town codes approved last July.

Dunleavy said that while Riverhead doesn’t have the kind of blighted commercial areas found in Brookhaven, “we certainly have rundown sections that could use help,” and said he was in favor of both a video and changing codes to offer more incentives, especially quicker reviews and approvals.

Sikes said the video cost $25,000 to produce. Walter suggested, and his colleagues agreed, to issue a request for proposals by video producers to determine how much a video would cost Riverhead.

The supervisor also said he would like to see a marketing video for Enterprise Park at Calverton, but would wait until new zoning is written and a subdivision approved for the 2,100-acre town-owned property.