Full Transcript

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Good. Good. That is awesome. Thank you. Thank you. That's great. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Good. Supervisor Devin Higgins to read the resolutions. Good afternoon members of the board. Good afternoon. Happy New Year everybody. Thank you. So we have a long packet of resolutions and we'll get started. Resolution number one, set salaries of elected officials for year 2026. Just sort of a blanket statement, of course, I guess the bulk of these resolutions are sort of the organizational resolutions that we do. Typically the first meeting of the year. So kind of these are kind of standard procedure resolutions for the most part. All right. Resolution number two, set salaries of general town employees for year 2026. And, of course, these salaries are listed on the back of the resolutions. You guys will have a copy and, of course, it's online for the public to review. These are all salaries that were budgeted for in the 2026 budget. Just to remind the public, no merit raises were included in that budget. These are all just promotional raises, if any raises at all. All right. Contractual. I'm sorry, contractual. I'm sorry. Here I am trying to help and I'm not helping much. Resolution number three, set salaries of the highway department for year 2026. Resolution four, set salaries of police officers for the year 2026. All right. Resolution number five, set salaries of sewer scavenger waste district for year 2026. Resolution number six, set salaries of street lighting districts for year 2026. Resolution number seven, set salaries of the water district for year 2026. Resolution number eight, set salaries of various boards for the year 2026. And, of course, this is not me, board, if anybody has any questions or anything. Want any further review of anything, just let me know. Resolution number nine, set salaries for 2026 call-in and seasonal recreational personnel. Number ten, rehires and set salaries for various call-in recreation personnel for 2026. So I'm told that there may be a slight adjustment that's needed to some of the rates that are included on resolution number nine and resolution number ten with regard to the rec call-in. All right. So accounting just has to double-check that. But if we have to make any adjustments, of course, everybody will be aware of that, and that would be reflected in the final packet, you know, for the board meeting on Tuesday. Resolution number 11, appoints financial advisor. This is Munisat. Resolution number 12, appoints a water treatment plant operator trainee. Resolution number 13, appoints a wastewater treatment plant operator 4A, internally designated as deputy sewer district superintendent. This was originally provisional, and this makes it permanent. Number 14, ratifies the appointment of a wastewater treatment plant operator 2A. Number 15, amends and corrects resolution 2025-981, appointing deputy sewer district superintendent. This is for Andrew Dick. Just two things we had to correct. We had his title incorrectly listed, his prior position. We had him listed as construction equipment, not heavy equipment. And we had to just change the effective date. So this is just sort of a cleanup resolution. Resolution number 16, ratifies the reclassification of a maintenance mechanic 3 to a maintenance mechanic 4. This is just a clean-up resolution. Resolution number 16, ratifies the reclassification of a maintenance mechanic 3 to a maintenance mechanic 4. This is just a cleanup resolution. This is just a cleanup resolution. This is just a cleanup resolution. Number 17, Water District Capital Project number 82520, the Zenith Group budget adoption. This is develop or born funds. Number 18, budget transfer for 2025 legal fees. And I think the town attorney is going to just come up and just give a quick overview of this legal fee. Professor. Yes, sir. All right, so this budget transfer is being put in and requested. There are unanticipated legal fees associated with the even-year election law case that we agreed to join with Nassau, Suffolk counties, Town of Hempstead, Town of Oyster Bay, Town of Brookhaven and Huntington, and Leif Smith Town, too. The legal fees are a little bit high. If you would like an executive session, I can go into a little more of the finer points of the details of litigation and what I've done to address some of these unanticipated legal costs. I would like that. Yeah, we can turn that off for today. Sure, we can then. Yeah. Okay. Hey, Greg. Hey, Greg. Hey, Greg.

Okay, resolution number 19, budget adjustment for final demolition costs at 39 Pie Lane, Jamesport, New York. Number 20, approved sewer district request for change order number one related to Class A biosolids upgrade project and also resolution 21 is a change order number two related to the same biosolids upgrade project. So we have the head of the sewer district, Tim Allen, here with us today. He's going to just review the project and the substance of the two changes which are... Yeah, Tim, let's just come sit at the table. Oh, okay. Even better. Come on up here. Here you go, Tim. You got it. Unless you have a cold. Oh. We don't know this, sir. Yeah, the one change order is for a sign that they have to put up in the front of the plant. And the other one is, I believe it's because it was bid out two years ago. And it's a cost change for the contract, I believe. Right? And there's still no cost because they have enough in the contingent fund to approve it. I mean to not change the price. It's just making that relative today, bringing it up today. Yep. Still no costs. Still no costs? You're an amazing man. Yeah, that's not me. It's right there. That's not me. I try. I would have gone higher. I would have gone higher. I would have gone higher. Double no costs. Thank you so much. Really appreciate you doing a great job. I asked Tim to join us today for this in case the board had any specific questions about the biosolids project that I wouldn't be able to answer. But. Another change order coming, but it's not good. Look forward to it. Tim, you're like the umbrella. We bring you, we don't need you. You know, it's like if I didn't have you, we wouldn't need a job. All right. Resolution 22 authorizes the removal of fixed-dose materials from the plant. And I think that's a good one. I think that's a good one. I think that's a good one. I think that's a good one. I think that's a good one. I think that's a good one. I think that's a good one.

I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. I think it's a good one. 2026 annual meeting and training school held by the Association of Towns February 15 through 18 2026 for Councilwoman Merrifield and I would anticipate we're going to have a similar resolution for uh Supervisor Halpin uh shortly it's a great training school there really is and it's nice that it's in the city and you don't have to get all the way up to Albany which is nice resolution 26 authorization for one police department employee to attend training this is drug recognition expert field certification training number 27 ratifies the authorization for police department employees to attend training this is hazardous material certification training number 28 authorizes attendance at seminar by fire marshal

number 29 this resolution is included in the packet in duplicate because the board already approved this resolution at the prior meeting so it is an administrative error and it can simply be removed from the packet entirely so we'll take care of that for you guys for Tuesday when you have the board meeting number 30 appoints bond counsel number 31 approves the retirement of a heavy equipment operator

32 approves accepts the opportunity of a pilot and is required to perform an opportunity of piloting and ! !

the retirement of a police sergeant.

Number 33 accepts the retirement of a public safety dispatcher.

Number 34 ratifies the resignation of a maintenance mechanic three. This employee is leaving, going to a nearby municipality for more money. Number 35 ratifies the resignation of an automotive equipment operator. We're told this particular employee is leaving and leaving the state of New York, going to a less expensive part of the country.

Number 36 ratifies the approval of an unpaid leave of absence.

Number 37 authorizes the supervisor to execute memorandum of understanding with the county of Suffolk and Suffolk County Sheriff related to flock, safety cameras. These are existing cameras that the county has in place. And with this agreement, our police will have access to those cameras. Sorry? New cameras. I thought they were existing. Do you want to expand on that? Come on up here. We'd love to have you here.

Sorry, they're new cameras. They're going to be installed along right of way of town roads. The ones we do have. We do have. We have flock safety cameras in the town already, but they're on county roads or state roads. So what this agreement does is just a memorandum of agreement with the county that allows them access to our rights of way to install these and further maintain them. There's hold harmless language in there for us. And then there's also language that allows our police department to access these cameras in the event that they need to for public safety. Fantastic. All right. Patience. Sounds good. Thank you, Eric. You're welcome. Thanks. Have a good one. Okay. Resolution number 38 authorizes the supervisor to execute a 2026 musical works license agreement with CSAC. This is kind of a blanket that covers the whole town. We do this every year. So what did you say? Number 39 authorizes the supervisor to execute an agreement with Assistant Recreation Services. And this is a very important agreement. And it's a very important agreement. And it's a very important agreement. Thank you. And then number 40 authorizes the supervisor to execute an agreement with the Association Superintendent 1. There is an agreement that I'm told is still being finalized that is referenced here. It's going to be attached when it's finalized. And that may be the subject of further discussion. I'm not entirely sure. Same thing for the next resolution, which is number 40. Authorize the supervisor to execute an agreement with Network and Systems Administrator. Again, references an agreement which I am told is close, if not finalized, close to being finalized, which of course will be provided to the Board and then made available to the public. Resolution number 41 authorizes the filing of an application for New York State assistance from the Household Hazardous Waste, HHW State Assistance Program and signing of the associated state contract under the appropriate laws of New York State. Can we just ask for the? Can we do a little of these? Okay. So, we have some of these resolutions for the recreation superintendents and so forth, but we don't have dollar amounts. We don't know, like, I just want to know that that's not something that's going to appear like immediately before. Yeah. I don't know why the resolutions are in place without any, you know, not being. Yeah, good question. I would like to have this discussed during executive session today, please. I just don't want to set poor precedence for putting resolutions in when it has no dollar amounts or no figures and there's nothing to discuss, so I don't know why the resolution's there. I think it's a good question, Mr. Councilman, and it certainly, if the agreements aren't going to be ready for Tuesday or in advance for the Board to review, then certainly the resolutions should be pulled. I think even they should be that if we want to discuss them in executive session about dollar amounts and, you know, what pertains to the budget, you're changing the budget. Yeah, dollar amounts would be in that agreement. We should at least be able to go into, like, executive session as opposed to them appearing the day before town board meeting and then we're kind of voting blind and I just think that. Absolutely. I agree. I'm guessing it's for both. Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? Are there any comments for members? just we'd be voting blind I just don't think it's a well in fairness I think that with the interruption of the holidays but executive sessions that maybe it was just kind of a formality but again I would like to have a discussion on that during executive session today great point well made yeah appreciate that input that's a good stuff let's go okay so that will be for 39 and 40 and I think 41 we covered the hazardous waste 42 authorizes town clerk to post and public notice a public hearing to amend Town Code chapter 301 article 1 entitled type entitled title purpose definitions and interpretation this relates to golf cottages the public hearing it's going to be two public hearings on the same subject they're both going to take place on the same subject and the public hearing will be held on January 21st at 6 p.m. they'll just be one after the other this one number 42 relates to definitions interpretation and then the next one resolution number 43 relates to the TDR portion of that proposed code change there's a Roman numeral there I'm going to need some help with that because I didn't Google it in advance but authorizes Town Clerk to publish and post notice a public hearing to amend Town Code chapter 301 article 301 ! 301 entitled transfer development rights 42 42 okay thank you okay resolution number 44 approved special event chapter 255 application for east end emerald society this is james ford st patrick's day parade coming up in march

all right resolution 45 adopts 2026 donation policy and i know we have deputy town attorney emery predente who was involved in the authorship i think of this resolution she's going to review it with the board

oh and financial administrator jeanette depaul great good afternoon good afternoon happy new year great to see you guys come here to make donations so basically it is a requirement particularly for our auditor board members that we have a formal donation policy so i'll read you a brief statement the purpose of the policy is to evaluate the criteria for the donation suitability potential liabilities the value the conditions and limitations that the donor may put on it regarding how it's used and the required documentation and a requirement for the resolution of the town board so town boards well aware each year we get audited every gift every donation that we receive actually has to go on that audit spreadsheet and we have to have all the backup documentation to support even the value that is being quote alleged given to the town we also have to follow up on how we utilize that gift if we want to use it in the future we have to have all the documentation to provide it for Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Sale Kanakaki Foundation has been donating to the town because it's such a significant amount of money. We want to make sure we have a policy in place and that there's confirmation on both ends, whatever we're capitalizing the costs that they're also donating on their end on their financial statements. So they need to be in agreement with one another, too. We've also, interestingly, had the federal government donate vehicles to our police department. What were those type vehicles? Very expensive. Tahoe's. No. No, it was. Was it a motorcycle? No. They were. That was from the county, right? Oh, the Hummer. Oh, yeah. So we have to be able to account for that. And we have to give it back. And so we have to account for the value that we received over the 10 years we've been holding one particular Hummer. And we have to give it back? It's really on loan. Oh, I was going to say that's not a good thing. We don't actually. That one is kind of an exception. Not an exception, but we don't have to capitalize that one because it's really on loan. But we get these strange scenarios, and it just brings up a lot of accounting questions. Any questions? When we talk about donations, so that I've been the liaison to RBAC, and we have been actively doing a fund drive, and we have a donation committee supervisor that meets on a regular basis weekly. And as of this week, we have now collected about $6.4 million in donations towards the construction of the building. We expect the building to run between $8 million and $9 million. But we also set up with RBAC a few years ago. When I came on board, we allowed them to start doing medical billing. And so when medical billing will kick in, their bond payments are going to be much lower. And the medical billing now, medical billing is over about $1 million a year. They'll be able to cover. Their bond payments. So we're building this facility through donations like this and because of donations like this without a single dollar cost to the taxpayers. So when we say we, when we say we, it's not we that the town are soliciting donations. It's the RBAC. Yeah, so do we still need to confirm? Because they're really being donated to RBAC. So that's my question is how does this policy affect RBAC in any way? I don't think so, right? Because it's not the answer. It's through Arvac and then Arvac would be funding the building. But anytime we hear the word donations, we have to look in the camera and say we're very grateful to the public for us. Yes, of course. The people have to step forward. Yeah, and anything that makes it easier for people to give, that's fantastic. And I read through this this morning and it looks really good. Yeah. But I agree with Denise. If we're giving it back, is that a donation? And what do you use a Hummer for? Curious. It's a Chief Frost question. I know. Yeah. What? It's one of the greatest trucks I ever owned. Questions? Comments? Questions on it? Yeah, it's a really, I looked at, yeah, it's a really, comments has perfect sense. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you for donating your time on this. Put it back together. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Should I make note of that? You know, put that in the donation section.

Okay. Resolution number 46. Adopts 2026. Salutes and policies. Can I have the investments and donations? Are we investing the donations? Ah, yeah. Number 47. Ratifies authorization of a grant application. This is for bulletproof vests. There is no match, just so the board's clear. These were bulletproof vests that PD was going to be purchasing anyway. And this grant allows us to recoup or to offset as much as 50% of that if we get the grant. So. That's great. It's sort of like a grant. Yeah. sort of like found money. And 48 pays the bills. Thank you, Devin. Thank you very much. And thank you, everyone. I think this concludes our work session for today. And in a moment, I would like to ask for a first and a second to enter executive session. And the matters surrounding terms and conditions for an employee from Stripling Teo. And also, I believe we've added two other items, if you would like to repeat those as those were put up. So we'll make an additional amendment to the agenda, the executive session agenda, to include an update on legal, on litigation between the town of Riverhead and regarding the even-year election law. That's number one. It will be a litigation matter. Or a legal matter. And then also terms and conditions of employees under personal with Ashland Stripling Teo. All right? Thank you. Thank you very much. So moved. So moved. Seconded. All in favor? Aye. Thank you, guys. Have a great day.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.