NORTH HAVEN NEWS
May, 2023
Vol. 3, Issue 5
Letter from Mayor Chris Fiore
Hello all --
May's Flower Moon -- the full moon of this month ushered in a spectacular weekend which I hope you all enjoyed.
Spring is definitely in full force and Lovelady Park is looking better than ever. We have a newly formed 501-c-3 Board. It includes Rob Remkus, Camille Petrillo, Suzanne Karkas, John Hovekamp and Kathleen Zappola. A terrific team of residents who are volunteering their time and energy to create further development and raise funds to support their plans, (which must be approved by the Board of Trustees). Currently, there is a north side stone path under development and they are looking into engineering advice on Sam Panton's proposed footbridge over the pond. Let them know your thoughts on what you would like to see incorporated -- and start giving some thought, too, to a possible donation!
Our first call to our new partners in Code Enforcement saw a response time of under 10 minutes for a leaf blower issue. The Sag Harbor CE team has partnered with us for coverage that began May 1. Again, tell your landscapers they cannot use gas powered leaf blowers between May 1 and October 31. The fine will be levied on the homeowner, not the landscaper, so please communicate the rules with those who work on your lawns.
You may have noticed eight (hard to miss) big yellow and blue NYS Department of Transportation trucks on 114 this past Monday -- repairing Belgian blocks in the roundabout, replacing missing signs and traffic indicators in the circle and the median in front of Village Hall. More work is expected. At long last, the speed limit between the circle and the Sag Harbor bridge will be lowered to 35mph before the end of this month. Assemblyman Fred Thiele has arranged a Zoom call for us to speak with the Regional Director of the DOT. I will be requesting additional speed reduction measures to insure 114 -- especially for warm weather walkers and bikers, is a safe thoroughfare. Do you have thoughts on this state route and additional concerns you would like me to raise? email me please: mayor@northhavenvillage.org and let me know.
As seems to be the case these days with important issues, there has been a good deal of misinformation going around about the Marsden Street purchase proposed by the Sag Harbor School Board. It behooves us all to know the facts and the Express and 27east have a plethora of information as of this past week's issue. The vote is May 16. Understand the facts, evaluate the proposal and choose, but by all means please vote on May 16!
There are initiatives underway by your Board of Trustees that include our proposal for accessory living spaces for families (separate from the affordable housing issue), wetland setbacks, a fresh look at our complicated fence code, and there is a group looking at cell service.
All these people -- the men and women who populate our various boards and committees -- Planning, Zoning, ARB, Lovelady, our BOT -- they all volunteer their time -- in every case a substantial contribution -- all for the betterment of the community we call home. When you see them, please thank them for their service. It is these people who help make North Haven the special place it has become!
Thanks again for all the bikes!!
Enjoy yourselves this month!
Chris
Chris Fiore
Mayor
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This month’s newsletter edition will recap the highlights from the April Village of North Haven Board of Trustee meeting, and the April Board of Trustees Work Session. We will also preview agenda items of interest for the May Village Board Meeting.
Recordings of the Village meetings can be found on the Village website or by clicking HERE.
Going forward, if you have any questions or if there are any other topics you would like to read about, please contact Terie Diat (Village Trustee) at tdiat@northhavenvillage.org.
Upcoming Board of Trustees Meeting
The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 17th at 5 p.m. at Village Hall and via Zoom. All residents are welcome and encouraged to attend. The agenda for this meeting will be posted on the Village website (northhavenny.us) under Minutes and Agendas the Friday before the meeting date. The Zoom meeting link can be found on the home page of the Village website under the calendar entry for the Board of Trustee meeting.
Public Hearings Scheduled for May 17th at 5 p.m.
1. A LOCAL LAW AMENDING CHAPTER 163 – ARTICLE I GENERAL PROVISIONS §163-5 DEFINITIONS AND WORD USAGE AND ENACTING ARTICLE XIII – WETLAND/COASTAL SETBACKS AND EXCEPTIONS
View the proposed code HERE.
o It is the intent to introduce minimum setbacks for building activities, structures, and accessory structures within wetlands or coastal setbacks in order to protect and preserve environmental areas.
2. There will be a review of a proposed dock application at 24 Forest Road.
Village Updates:
Short Beach Road Electronic Speed Limit Enforcement Update
The results of the electronic speed monitoring on Short Beach Road from 1/27/23 through 4/25/23 showed that inbound traffic is up by approximately 10% vs the prior period to 2,879 vehicles per day and outbound traffic is up by about 32% to an average of 2,847 vehicles per day.
Inbound average speed was 36.8mph and outbound average speed was 38.2 mph. The marked speed limit is 25mph.
A new mobile electronic speed limit monitoring station has been deployed and has been placed initially on Tyndall Road. We urge all North Haven residents to please set the example and observe the posted speed limits.
Save the Date! Saturday, June 3rd, North Haven Water Quality Improvement Committee to Host Edwina von Gal, Perfect Earth Project
The North Haven Water Quality Improvement Committee is excited to host Edwina von Gal from the Perfect Earth Project on Saturday, June 3rd - 10:00 a.m., at Village Hall, and via Zoom who will speak about environmentally friendly alternatives for garden and lawn care.
Please mark your calendars, to come and learn how easy it is to have nature based, beautiful, toxic-free gardens that are good for our health, our pets, and the birds and pollinators, as well as for North Haven’s bays, creeks, ponds and estuaries. https://Perfectearthproject.org
Code Enforcement Update
Commencing Monday, May 1, all Code Enforcement work will be performed by the Village of Sag Harbor Code Enforcement officers. (We have ended our relationship with Southampton Town).
Here's how it will work:
On WEEKDAYS:
All calls from residents should be sent to the staff at North Haven Village Hall (631-725-1378). North Haven Village Staff will forward your issue to the Sag Harbor Code Enforcement team, who will respond; they will be here more quickly, they know our Village, our residents and our codes. They will respond in a marked vehicle and address the issue.
AFTER 4PM WEEKDAYS and ON WEEKENDS:
As always, if an emergency situation occurs, dial 911. For non- emergencies (loud parties or inappropriate noise, etc.) call the non emergency number for the Southampton Town police:
631-728-3400.
The Village Clerk, Eileen Tuohy, will keep records of residents' calls and the appropriate follow-up. Should a violation or a court appearance be required (which is quite unusual), the Court will now be the Sag Harbor Village Court. So, this is seamless from your perspective, but we expect superior service and greater attention from our Code Enforcement service.
Updates from the March 15th Board of Trustee’s Meeting:
Public Hearings:
1. Wetland/Coastal Setbacks
· A LOCAL LAW AMENDING CHAPTER 163 – ARTICLE I GENERAL PROVISIONS §163-5 DEFINITIONS AND WORD USAGE AND ENACTING ARTICLE XIII – WETLAND/COASTAL SETBACKS AND EXCEPTIONS
· Trustee Diat introduced the proposed code as the intent to introduce minimum setbacks for building activities, structures, and accessory structures within wetlands or coastal setbacks in order to protect and preserve environmental areas.
· Summarized as follows:
o Wetland Setbacks – no building, structure or accessory structure shall be erected, constructed, placed, enlarged, installed on or within a wetland, or within 75 feet of the upland boundary of a wetland.
o Coastal Setbacks – No building, structure or accessory structure shall be erected, constructed, placed, enlarged, installed, on a beach, dune or bluff or seaward of the bluff line or dune crest. Properties situated in high bluff areas as defined in 163-98 no building structure or accessory structures shall be erected, constructed, placed, enlarged, installed within 100 feet of the bluff line, dune crest or the landward most edge of the beach. All other properties no building structure or accessory structures shall be erected, constructed, placed, enlarged, installed within 75 feet of the bluff line, dune crest or the landward most edge of the beach. Trustee Diat explained that the proposed code has been modified to delete the provision for 100 foot setbacks for high bluffs and all properties will be subject to the 75 foot setback. The revisions were not made in-time to be published so the public hearing will be held over to May for public comments on the most recent set of revisions.
· No comments were offered by the public. The hearing was held open until May.
2. Approval to Pierce the 2% Tax Levy Cap for the 2023/2024 Budget, if Necessary
· Clerk/Treasurer Tuohy explained that it was not going to be necessary to pierce the 2% tax levy Cap for the 2023/2024 Budget
· No comments were made by the public. The public hearing was closed.
3. 2023/2024 BUDGET PRESENTATION –
Summary of Final Approved 2023/2024 North Haven Budget
· The Village Board of Trustees voted to approve the 2023/2024 budget on April 12, 2023. The tax rate per $1,000 of taxable assessed value will be $0.5072 which is an increase of 3.2% vs the 2022/2023 budget.
· The total spending budget for the Village is $2,323,619 an increase of $292,443 or 14.4% vs prior year.
o The increases are driven primarily by $216K or 30% from Fire and Ambulance costs from Sag Harbor, $119K to increase the 4-Poster/Wildlife Management Program from 7 units to 18 units and an increase in salaries and benefits, offset by reductions in other line items.
· The spending budget of $2,323,619 is summarized as follows:
Fire & Ambulance allocation from Sag Harbor 40%
Personnel salary & benefits 25%
Contractual costs 17%
4 Poster/Wildlife costs 9%
Street and park maintenance 4%
Planning studies and costs 3%
Village Hall building and grounds costs 2%
· The budgeted revenue for the Village is comprised of $1,140,876 raised from property taxes, $740,015 from revenue such as building permits, mortgage tax and other miscellaneous revenue, $49,500 special assessment for leaf pickup and $393,228 surplus from the fund balance
· View the final approved budget HERE
Water Quality Committee Update
Trustee Diat provided an update that the Water Quality Improvement Committee held a meeting with Southampton Trustees Ann Welker and Bill Parash to discuss restoring the health of Great Salt Pond, Fresh Pond and Genet Creek. The next step will be for the committee to go to the full Southampton Trustee Board meeting in May to:
· Request that Genet Creek be placed back on the priority list for Suffolk County dredging upon repair of the North Haven Point bulkhead repair
· Endorse the pending DEC permit and upcoming 2023 dredging of Fresh Pond
· Discuss next steps to obtain permits to dredge Great Salt Pond
Lovelady Park Discussion
In light of recent concerns expressed by residents, Trustee Diat requested an independent review be conducted by the Village Environmental Consultant to determine if proper environmental procedures have been followed in Lovelady Park, and in particular Cilli Pond, with a written report to be delivered to the Trustees that can be posted on the website and made available to residents to provide full transparency. All Board members present agreed.
Trustee Diat also commented that it appeared that the area of the North Path appeared to be over-cleared vs the plans that had been presented. Mayor Fiore and Deputy Mayor Abraham expressed that they did not feel the area was over cleared. Trustee Diat asked who was in charge of providing direction and oversight to the park, Mayor Fiore replied that he thought it was Trustee Skilbred and Robert Remkus.
Resolutions Approved by the Board of Trustees:
§ Authorization to request services from the County of Suffolk Board of Elections and obtain the services of at least (4) Election Inspectors for the Village of North Haven Village Election to be held on Tuesday, June 20th 2023
§ Per Village Law Section 3-300 (2)(a), authorizes the residency requirements for the position of election inspector to encompass all of Suffolk County
§ The following persons shall be appointed as Election Inspectors to serve on Election Day, June 20, 2023. Compensation shall be at the rate of $19.00 per hour for inspectors and $21.00 per hour for Chairperson. Inspectors: Adriana Barone, Ann M. Sutphen, Elfriede E. Winkle, Muriel Hanson Falborn (Alternate). Chairperson: Thomas W. Ratcliffe
§ The Harbor Master Agreement as discussed by the Village of Sag Harbor for the services in season from the period of April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024 in the amount of $25,000 is hereby approved and the Mayor is authorized to sign the agreement with the Village of Sag Harbor
Working Session – April 25th – Topics Discussed
· MS-4 Report
· Accessory Living Spaces Code
· Water Quality Improvement Committee – Community Programs
North Haven Heritage Passage – A Step Back in Time
The Reginald Barclay Estate in West Banks was designed by Guy Lowell between 1910-1912. Barclay was a socialite and yachtsman. The estate included a garage, barn, stable vegetable garden and woods. See the attached brochure advertising the Estate for sale for $75,000 HERE.
