At its
February 13 meeting, the Huntington Town Board scheduled public hearings to
consider measures cracking down on parking enforcement and banning recreational
uses of marijuana, among other Town business.
The
Town Board scheduled a public hearing for the Tuesday, March 5, 2019 Town Board
meeting at 2:00 PM to consider enhancing the Town’s ability to process and
collect on parking violations, which will result in increased revenues to the
Town and is expected to assist in alleviating parking issues at the Huntington
train station and downtown Huntington village.
“The
Town Attorney, together with our Public Safety Department, conducted a review
of the Traffic Code to identify ways in which collection enforcement can be
improved,” said Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci. “This review was prompted after
discovering lost revenues in excess of $1.8 million due to unpaid parking
summonses and penalties.”
Violators
will be required to respond to a ticket within 30 days and failure to do so
will result in the imposition of a default judgment, nonrenewal of New York
State motor vehicle registration (if applicable) and/or immobilization. In
addition, scofflaws will not be eligible to obtain various Town-issued permits
and licenses, including: taxi and tow truck licenses, commuter parking permits,
and Town recreational cards.
In response
to Governor Cuomo’s proposal to legalize recreational marijuana, many Towns on
Long Island have “opted out” of legalizing marijuana sales.
The
Town Board scheduled a public hearing for the Tuesday, June 18, 2019 Town Board
meeting at 7:00 PM to consider prohibiting the sale, distribution, and use of
recreational marijuana in any building or property; prohibiting the cultivation
of the drug on any lot; and banning the distribution or consumption of
recreational marijuana in any town park, beach or place. Recreational marijuana is defined
as the use of marijuana without medical justification.
Councilman
Mark Cuthbertson, who sponsored the resolution, stated: “There are many issues
that we as a municipality have to consider, we want to make sure that we
carefully look at all sides of the Governor’s legislation to see what is best
for the residents of Huntington. The public hearing will give our residents a
chance to voice their opinions.”
The
Town Board also scheduled a public hearing for the Tuesday, March 5, 2019 Town
Board meeting at 2:00 PM to consider formalizing a pilot program, which started
in August 2018, for earlier commercial refuse collection at the request of
business owners, as to not interfere with the arrival of early dining patrons and
rush hour traffic in the Huntington Business Improvement District.
“The
earlier commercial pickup pilot program was well-received in 2018, so much so
that local merchants and food establishments asked for the earlier start time
to be made permanent, so this business-friendly amendment will assist in
improving the Huntington Village experience for merchants and visitors alike,”
said Supervisor Lupinacci.
The
Town Board also approved an official undertaking, formalizing Supervisor
Lupinacci’s appointment of Nicholas R. Ciappetta as Deputy Supervisor of the
Town of Huntington.
Supervisor
Chad A. Lupinacci officially appointed Town Attorney Ciappetta as Deputy
Supervisor, who is taking the title without a stipend, on Wednesday, January
30, 2019. Supervisor Lupinacci appointed Gregory Atherton as Chief of Operations, taking over the
daily operational duties of former Deputy Supervisor Pat Del Col, who retired
on January 29.
“The
insight Greg possesses from his years of experience at various levels of government
service will assist my administration in providing an efficient day-to-day
operation while helping streamline coordination with outside agencies in our
dealings with the County and the State,” said Supervisor Lupinacci.
Gregory
Atherton was Chief of Staff to the Supervisor during his first term in the
Assembly and is a lifelong Northport resident. He joins the Town most recently
from former New York State Senator Carl Marcellino’s office, serving as counsel
to the Senator, and prior to that he served as Chief Legislative Aide to
Suffolk County Legislator and then-Minority Leader Kevin McCaffrey.
In
other action, the Town Board:
·
Renamed
the Dix Hills Water District Administration Building in memory of Sheila Saks,
the longtime Dix Hills resident and community advocate who passed away in July
2018, as the Sheila Saks Administrative Offices, formally recognizing Ms. Saks
for her contributions to the Dix Hills Water District and acknowledging her
tireless efforts to improve the quality of life for residents of Dix Hills.
·
Memorialized
opposition to offshore drilling for oil and gas in the ocean in proximity to
Huntington’s waterways, its negative effects on our local waters and quality of
life, and the potential disruption to the livelihoods of commercial fisherman
and small businesses relying on clean waters and beaches.
·
Appointed
Paul Ehrlich as Chairperson and Mara Manin Amendola, Esq. as Vice Chairperson
to the Town of Huntington Planning Board: Paul Ehrlich served as Vice Chair of
the Planning Board prior to his appointment as Chair; Mara Manin Amendola,
Esq., also an existing member of the Planning Board, is a real estate attorney,
the Village Attorney of Huntington Bay, and formerly an alternate member of the
Zoning Board before she was appointed Vice Chair.
·
Appointed
Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci as a Marriage Officer for the Town of Huntington,
for the period of May 1, 2019 through May 31, 2019, for the purpose of
solemnizing a marriage.
·
Appointed
Roger Weaving, Richard Koubek, Ken Christensen, Elizabeth Hubbard, and Ron
Epstein as members of the Town of Huntington Affordable Housing Advisory Board.
·
Reappointed
volunteers to the Park Stewardship Program, coordinated through the Huntington
Conservation Board and the Departments of Parks and Recreation, General
Services and Planning, providing surveillance and maintenance assistance on
Town park properties.
·
Amended
the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 178 Taxation, Article IV
Alternative Veterans Exemption, to provide a real estate tax exemption to
resident service men and women of the Town of Huntington who participated in
Operation Graphic Hand during the 1970 U.S. Postal worker strike in order to
maintain postal service operations.
·
Extended
the time to pay real property taxes for persons who were furloughed or
designated a non-pay federal employee due to the lapse in discretionary
appropriations by the federal government.
·
Acting
in their role as the Board of the Huntington Community Development Agency,
accepted a donation of approximately 30 chairs from the Huntington Library for
the Huntington Opportunity Resource Center.
·
Scheduled
additional public hearings for the Tuesday, March 5, 2019 Town Board meeting at
2:00 PM:
Ø To consider the increase and
improvement of facilities of the consolidated refuse district, in the Town of
Huntington, in the County of Suffolk, New York, pursuant to Section 202-B of
the Town Law, consisting of the acquisition of two packer truck bodies.
Ø To consider the increase and
improvement of facilities of the South Huntington Water District, in the Town
of Huntington, in the County of Suffolk, New York, pursuant to Section 202-b of
the Town Law, consisting of wellhead treatment improvements at Well No. 10.
Ø To consider the increase and
improvement of facilities of the Greenlawn Water District, in the Town of
Huntington, in the County of Suffolk, New York, pursuant to Section 202-b of
the Town Law, consisting of wellhead treatment improvements at Well No. 12.
Ø To consider granting a license
agreement to S & J Food Services Inc., 192 Bayview Avenue, Amityville, NY,
to operate and manage the banquet room and snack bar at Crab Meadow Golf Course
in the Town of Huntington.
Ø To consider awarding a franchise
agreement to Aloha Fitness, LLC DBA Huntington Stand-Up Paddle to conduct a kayaking
program for the Town of Huntington Department of Parks and Recreation.
Ø To consider amending the Uniform
Traffic Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 2, Article I, §2-1, Schedule A,
regarding the installation of an emergency vehicle traffic control signal on
Railroad Street at Huntington Community First Aid Squad in Huntington Station.
Ø To consider installing Stop Signs
for northbound traffic on Cotswold Drive at Shorewood Lane and for southbound
traffic on Cotswold Drive at Carnbrook Court in Centerport.
Ø To consider installing Stop Signs
for southbound traffic on Pine Hollow Court at Pine Hollow Lane; for eastbound
traffic on Pine Hollow Lane at Northgate Drive; for southbound traffic on Stone
Court at Stone Drive; for southbound traffic on Stone Drive at Pine Hollow
Lane; and for westbound traffic on Stone Drive at Bartel Drive in Greenlawn.
Ø To consider amending the Code of the
Town of Huntington, Chapter 169 (Coastal Erosion Management), transferring
responsibility from the Department of Engineering to the Department of Maritime
Services for program implementation.
·
Scheduled
a public hearing for the Tuesday, April 16, 2019 Town Board meeting at 2:00 PM to consider zone change application
#2015-ZM-417, CAF Huntington, LLC, to change the zoning from C-6 General
Business District & R-5 Residence District to C-6 General Business District
for property located on the west side of Walt Whitman Road, North of
Jericho Turnpike, Huntington Station, SCTM #0400-194-04-096.004 &
0400-195-01-031, upon the recommendation of the Planning Board with conditions.
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