At
its December 4 meeting, the Town Board scheduled its meetings for the
2019 Year, appointed a Deputy Director of Information Technology,
amended the Town Code to streamline
government services, and scheduled public hearings for the December 18
Town Board meeting, including a hearing to consider strengthening the
Town’s Ethics Code, among other Town business.
The Town Board scheduled its 2019 Town Board Meeting dates: Tuesday,
January 22 at 2:00 PM; Wednesday, February
13 at 7:00 PM; Tuesday, March 5 at 2:00 PM; Tuesday, April 16 at 2:00 PM; Wednesday, May 29 at 2:00 PM; Tuesday,
June 18 at 7:00 PM; Tuesday, July 16 at 2:00 PM; Tuesday, August 6 at
7:00 PM; Wednesday, September 4 at 2:00 PM;
Wednesday, October 16 at 7:00 PM; Thursday, November 7 at 7:00 PM; and
Tuesday, December 10 at 2:00 PM.
The
Town Board unanimously approved Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci’s
appointment of Indranie Sanichar, an information technology leader with
over 30 years’ experience in
the IT field,
as Deputy Director of Information Technology, effective December 10, in
anticipation of the mid-December retirement of the current Director of
Information Technology, Bill Crowley.
“While
we met with several highly qualified candidates for this critical role,
the overall consensus was that Ms. Sanichar possessed the most
well-rounded skillset and background
qualifying her as the best candidate to lead the Town’s IT department
upon Mr. Crowley’s departure,” said Supervisor Lupinacci, who sponsored
the resolution appointing Ms. Sanichar.
The Town Board amended the Town Code to streamline the notice requirement procedure for the Zoning Board of Appeals.
In the event a ZBA meeting is cancelled, hearings scheduled for that
date will automatically be rescheduled for the next scheduled ZBA
hearing date with no re-advertising required, saving the Town from
duplicative costs of advertising, and so that applicants
do not need to wait an additional six to eight weeks to be heard. A
public hearing on this amendment was held on November 20, 2018.
“We’ve
been looking at processes and procedures to find ways to cut red tape,
reduce the operational cost of government and streamline services; this
automated rescheduling
of ZBA hearings accomplishes just that,” said Supervisor Chad A.
Lupinacci, who sponsored the resolution and original public hearing to
consider the amendment.
In other action, the Town Board:
- Reappointed
James Kelly as a member of the Town of Huntington Audit Committee for a
term of January 1, 2019 through December 31, 2021.
- Rescinded
a prior 2018 Town Board Resolution accepting a $100,000 donation from
Half Hollow Hills Little League for the installation of lighting at
Otsego Park due to Half Hollow Hills Little League rescinding
the offer to donate the $100,000 sum.
- The
Town Board amended the Town Code to be consistent with New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Law. This amendment
allows farmers who qualify to receive a deer damage permit from the
DEC to protect their crops. Current Town Code language bars the DEC from
issuing Deer Damage Permits outside of deer hunting season, which has
compromised the livelihoods of resident farmers whose crops have been
destroyed, an issue related to the overpopulation
of deer. A public hearing on this amendment was held on October 10,
2018.
- Authorized
the research of the eminent domain procedure as it relates to the
Northport Power Plant property and possible benefits to Huntington’s
taxpayers and the Northport-East Northport School District.
- Scheduled public hearings for the Tuesday, December 18, 2018 Town Board Meeting at 7:00 PM:
- To
consider amending the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 21
Environmental Open Space and Park Funds, to update and more accurately
reflect the administration of EOSPA and criteria to be followed by
EOSPA,
specifically reflecting the use of revenue rather than the use of bonds,
setting forth the criteria the Committee will utilize in making its
annual recommendations to the Town Board, and removing the sunset
provision set forth in this Chapter.
- To
consider amending the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 29
(Ethics), specifically adding clarifications and amendments to the Town
Ethics Code to be consistent with State Law.
- To
consider replacing existing Yield Signs with Stop Signs at the
intersection of Wolf Hill Road and Schwab Road due to the recent
installation of pedestrian crosswalks based on the recommendation of the
Department
of Transportation and Traffic Safety.
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