A town press conference over Ho-Hum

No Zoom meeting was available due to loss of the internet because of the storm, but while Tuesday night’s Bellport Village board meeting at the Community Center covered a number of items, the main one touched upon was Brookhaven Town’s efforts to provide free passes to Ho-Hum Beach via water taxi at the marina for Bellport residents for Aug. 25, Sept. 1 and Sept. 8, without notifying or consulting with mayor Maureen Veitch.

The Instagram notice came last Friday, Aug. 23, the day after a group from the Boys & Girls Club of the Bellport Area were ferried over to Ho-Hum with CEED staffers for an environmental day applauded by county executive Ed Romaine.

H2O Taxi Service, hired to ferry the residents who were bused from the Kreamer Street school, was issued a summons for illegal docking without a permit.

“Friday night, I was made aware of the [town] ferry service,” Veitch said. She released emails to Bellport Village residents about the town action on Aug. 24.

Veitch has repeatedly commented that her attempts to contact town supervisor Dan Panico have not been returned, and that the village routinely welcomes non-resident guests to Ho-Hum Beach in collaboration with various groups.

Panico received a separate email from Veitch, also on Aug. 24. Copies of both emails were distributed to the audience.

Her concerns were beach safety—there is only one lifeguard—limited facilities (the tract of land is 17 acres) and has minimal septic and water-pumping facilities. She questioned who was paying for jitneys and the H2O water taxi. She questioned how many town tax dollars were being spent on this issue.

“I received notification not from the town, but a press release that the NAACP and the town were holding a press conference Tuesday morning. We do not feel it has any merit,” she said.

The press announcement said: “NAACP and Brookhaven Town to join Outraged Residents and Local Organizations That Allege Discrimination Over Access to Fire Island Beach.” Besides Brookhaven supervisor Panico, NAACP’s Georgette Grier-Key and former acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (and former town supervisor) Mark Lesko were heading up the rally. (The press release referred to on the Bellport Village Residents page had a Feb. 21, 2024 issue date.) Thomas Schultz wrote: … “I will be attending this event tomorrow and pushing back on this political attack that the community I live in and love is a racist community.”

“Bellport Village does host outside groups,” reiterated Veitch, who mentioned the Boys & Girls Club who were ferried over. “Other groups have used the beach always with village coordination, so it’s handled in a safe manner. I had a meeting with Eddie Morris, Brookhaven’s parks commissioner, that we would definitely entertain teens or a youth group.”

Trustee Mike Young was adamant about Ho-Hum’s purchase, and that was 1963. 

According to People v Hermus, 61 Misc., “the Village of Bellport purchased Ho-Hum Beach on [April 10] 1963.” It was purchased from two individuals and the thinking was the trustees saw FINS legislation coming soon, knew the use of Old Inlet would be taken away in the future, and they wanted to preserve the Fire Island Beach for Bellport Village residents in the future.

Panico contends that in September 2018 at the request of the village, the Brookhaven Town Board authorized an annexation to the village of Bellport with one condition: continued use and benefit of the property known as Ho-Hum Beach for the residents of the Town of Brookhaven.

“We did do something with Brookhaven annexing the beach as part of Bellport Village, but I don’t remember agreeing to that it would be open to Brookhaven Town residents,” said former Bellport Village mayor Fell. “I don’t remember any of that discussion. Bellport bought it in 1963; it was separate, and we had to annex it as part of the village, an extension to the village of Bellport. Anyone can come over, but they have to be a guest of a resident. Bellport owns Ho-Hum Beach, Bellport owns the ferry, Bellport owns the dock. I don’t know how the town can use the ferry landing to pull up and unload passengers—that’s my understanding.”

Village issues:

Sunday Garbage Drop Off - Trustee Steve Mackin gave a summary on the garbage drop off. To date it’s been 11 people per week, 27 bags a week. There have been no vermin reports or odor. No garbage left out front the DPW yard. “What I will say is that the fears (from New Jersey Avenue residents) are relevant, but they have not been realized,” said Mayor Veitch. “We’ll evaluate the program after Sept. 8.”

HUD – Mayor Veitch said the village had $2.8 million or 75 percent of the project to improve conditions at the marina and safety at Ho-Hum. The next step is to finalize the plans and have a public hearing.

FEMA – Deciding whether or not to hire an engineer has been part of the process. The village has proceeded with two of the three reimbursements. It takes two months to put together documents and 8-to-9 months to get a check from FEMA.

GEI/Howells Creek Resiliency Project – Looking at permits to open up the mouth of the creek and at South Country Road drains that may drain into the creek. The village is asking the county to research that.

Solar panels at Ho-Hum Beach – They are 30 years old and will hopefully be replaced in the fall. PSE&G will give the village $150,000; $75,000 has been sent, the rest will come at year’s end.

That got applause.

Code book – The code book was written in the 1970’s, reviewing the codes and amending some takes legal input. The village is up to Chapter 12.

Speed, tree trimming, fire marshal – Deputy mayor and trustee Mackin reported that the Suffolk County Police were working with code enforcement on the speed recorder to identify speeding areas.

Trees were being trimmed and streets were being repaved in the next couple of weeks and the fire marshal has been visiting businesses and apartments to ensure compliance and safety.

Two new businesses – Trustee Lorraine Kuehn reported that Finesse next to Porter’s and the Michele Mariaud Gallery at 155 South Country Road. No Zuma until first Friday in September that starts at 10:30 a.m.

Bellport Village Fund, Shore Road, Architectural Review Board – Trustee Michael Young said 327 tickets were sold for the Bellport Village Fund Gala (the organization encourages Bellport residents to improve the village by paying for projects). Shore Road held up with no flooding with the recent storms. (Hooray!)

Electric bikes in the business district have become an issue as has Row Boat Beach.

Young said he’s completed 70 meetings and prepared 11 recommendations regarding the Architectural Review Board which are in draft form. “If you have a pet peeve, feel free to raise them,” he said.