Justice Kerri N. Lechtrecher, sworn in for a four-year term, and trustees Steven Mackin and Nathan Rohrmeier, both for two-year terms, kicked off the Bellport Village Work Session Monday night. The next scheduled meeting will have a professional setup with microphones, etc., and filming.
Mayor Veitch commented about the village residents who picketed and protested the garbage drop-off pilot program at the Department of Public Works on Sunday afternoon on New Jersey Avenue.
(Notice about the program is on the village website under the Department of Public Works page. Residents can drop off household garbage, recycling, and/or recycling paper bags for landscaping debris from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. until Sept. 8.)
“It’s not turning into a dump,” Veitch said. “We’re trying to solve the problem of people leaving garbage out long before our sanitation pickup.”
The three-hour window allows residents to come to the yard, show their village ID card or proof of residency to a staffer, and drop off garbage.
“There were 10 people who dropped off garbage and 40 bags,” she said.
Veitch explained that the garbage pickups, for example, on Saturday morning remain in the closed garbage trucks at DPW on 1st Street and are taken to the Brookhaven Town landfill Monday or Tuesday. (Sunday drop-offs apply also.)
“So the highway yard isn’t turning into a dump,” she said. Several residents had attended, presumably to comment.
“You can’t comment during work session. I ask you to come to the board meeting,” she said. “You’ll see in two weeks what’s happening. If people are really interested in discussing this, I’ll talk with you.”
The middle school melee, a group of young people who trashed CVS at the end of the school year, was brought up.
“The Fifth Precinct is increasing their visibility,” Veitch said, that a Suffolk County Police Department officer met with the board and that more patrolling is also being conducted, some now on bikes. “We wrote to the chief legal counsel of CVS that they needed to take responsibility for security,” she added. “There are limits on what code enforcement can do. We also met with [South Country] School superintendent Santana and the school board last week.”
The following was also discussed:
HUD grant - A meeting took place with the engineering firm, VHB and the waterfront commission. It will be vetted when more information is finalized.
FEMA – 2nd payment received
A check happily came in last week to the village for $614,000, the second payment for the grant submitted last August. An additional ten percent will be requested, Mayor Veitch said.
Howells Point Project – The village has funding to move along the project east of the golf course via a $3.3 million grant thanks to support from U.S. Sen. Schumer, congresswoman Gillibrand and congressman Garbarino.
Brown’s Lane & Shore Road – A garden keeping aesthetics, drainage and low maintenance in mind is still in the works. The road has opened.
A nod to Sherry and Tom Binnington
The couple did plantings at the beach, but deer thought they were yummy. Ever determined, they replanted with fingers crossed. Sherry said Jason Crane ordered two more planters to enhance the area.
Solar panels – Funds for $150,000 were received from PSE&G for new solar panels. Jason Crane fixed the situation temporarily in the meantime. The contract will come in 10 days; it will be addressed after Labor Day and specs will go out to bid. There was a discussion whether more kilowatts over the 8 to 10 thought necessary, were needed. Crane and the Waterfront Commission are meeting to weigh that.
Tax revenue collected – The village is at almost 90 percent with collections.
Trustees report in – Steve Mackin reported that the Bellport Fire Department Car Show was a big success; 170 youngsters are enrolled in Kids Camp.
Nathan Rohrmeier asked if having the crossing guard at the Kids Camp couldn’t be utilized at the Four Corners. The golf and tennis programs are running well. Roads will be closed on July 14 at 4:30 p.m. for the Bellport Bay 5K Race. Use of walkie talkies via volunteers, South Country Ambulance, and the Bellport Fire Department will be there. (Sign up for the race on the Bellport Village website under Bellport Village Program Fund.)
Lorraine Kuehn said the senior program is still at the Bellport Fire House due to work at the Community Center. The location is quite a hit.
Mike Young said a surprising amount of replies are coming in on how to improve the Architecture Review Board. He suggested a four-way stop sign at South Howells and South Country Road as drivers speed at that road transition. “I asked Legis. Dominick Thorne about the possibility at the car show,” he said, adding Thorne would look into it. Veitch said she was having a meeting with Jonathan Keyes (director of Downtown and Transit Oriented Development for Suffolk County), biking the area with him as a second part of the village walkability study. Steve Mackin reiterated that intersection is poorly designed for pedestrians.
Other issues
A discussion about a planning committee meeting on July 3 involving an application by The Gateway to expand property for a parking lot that was mailed out and that the meeting was 48 hours after that took place. Mayor Veitch said the head of The Gateway went personally to neighbors and that maybe the village could do a better job communicating a notice like that in the future. It was for a site planning. Push notifications are now sent out every week, Sunday mornings to residents, notifying them of the week’s calendar of events. Residents can sign up for them on the village website.
New York State Sen. Dean Murray is sponsoring Boat Safety next Saturday.
An inventory of Survey Projects revealed nearly 100.
Code Enforcement issued 36 notices of violations. Residents should read codes including putting out garbage on Sunday when it’s picked up on Tuesday.
Open permits – there are 600 open permits, some since 1953. Mayor Veitch said a letter was sent out with tax notifications and was grateful for those who came to the office. The village offered amnesty.
Golf membership is up to 410, which includes 25 new members. The waitlist is at 329. Tennis has 154 members with 22 new ones. Mayor Veitch said a company was hired to do a master plan on the golf course facility.
Revenue from boat slips is $243,000; a license costs $73. The marina has 143 paying slips.
Review of rental policies/Airbnb’s for Suffolk County Villages – Katie Mehrkens reviewed 32 Suffolk County villages. Three, Bellport included, don’t have one. The village will be reviewing the former b&b law they had, to see if it’s fixable.
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