Full Transcript

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Devin. And... Okay. Okay. We are... Tonight, we're here tonight to talk about the comprehensive plan and the possibility of the town adopting and I say possibility because it's actually not going to happen tonight. In a late... So hang on, hang on before you clap. Before you clap. In a late turn of events within the past about 45 minutes, we realized that there was an issue with what was posted online and it's incorrect. And we need to amend it to make it correct and we thought the best way to do that would be to put this... The... Adoption of this off for two weeks for the September 4th meeting to do because we also had a lot of complaints from people saying they didn't have enough time to digest this. So this, in effect, is kind of a blessing in disguise because it will give people a lot more time to go through it because it's... It's thick. There's a lot of reading in here, right? So... Is this all online? Yes. It will be corrected online and we are going to... Once we start, we are going to make a motion. We are going to make a motion to table this tonight for September 4th. And for further explanation, I'm going to turn it over to Dawn Thomas. Good. Is it going to be an afternoon meeting or an evening meeting? Hello? It's a 2 o'clock scheduled meeting for September 4th. So, good evening, everybody. And the supervisor did a great job of explaining. I want to apologize to the board and to the public. The document that was attached to the resolution was an earlier version. It was an earlier version. It's a resolution of the final comp plan. We have the final comp plan. What I will point out is that the finding statement and the FGEIS, which were adopted on August 6th, contain all of the changes that will be in the final document. But because the final document was not available to the public in a timely manner, as pointed out by some of the individuals at last night's meeting, we are suggesting that the board table the resolution. We will post the correct... The final version, the right final version, and then the public will have another couple of weeks to review it. But there's nothing that will be in that final version that hasn't been published and posted and available since August 6th. As was mentioned by Greg Bergman at our meeting yesterday, we have just another couple of weeks to get this process completed. And so we will be doing that if we do it on September 4th in a timely way. And so I will leave it to the board. But again, apologies to the board and to the public for that oversight. Thank you. Yeah, my apologies for everybody coming out tonight. But there's no way we could have gotten information out to you in the last 45 minutes to let you know what had just transpired. And in all honesty, we could have taken it tonight, opened it up. We could have made the changes and voted to make the changes and accept it tonight. But in my... And the board was fully cooperative with this. To be fully transparent, we thought that looked icky. So we wanted to make sure that you had full time and now you'll have the full 29 days to go over everything that's here if you haven't gotten a chance to finish it already. And the changes that are going to be made are extremely minute. And they really don't affect much of anything. But again, in full transparency, we felt better that you had longer time to look at this. So that's what we're going to do at this point in time. Okay? All right. What you have to do is come on up to the mic if you have a question about this. And if you have any questions about the procedure and what's going on, state your name.

Amanda Grahams, Riverhead. Could you just show us on the website correctly? Because I heard it was embedded in other links. So here... You were talking about the red line version last night of the EGEIS. But to actually have most of the public who was here tonight would like to see what a comprehensive plan probably looks like. And just peruse it a little bit. Is it just a one straight line item for that comprehensive plan? Or is it embedded to another lengthy way? I'll let Dawn explain it. It's really pretty easy the way it's... The change has to be made. The red line version is part of the FGEIS, which was adopted by the board along with the finding statement on August 6th. That's been posted. It's right up in front. And I don't know, maybe Justin... I think they're going to pull it up. Yeah, we can show you where to find it. Can we even... Can we put a link right on the cover page? I'm sure Chip and Justin and John West can do anything that you want. I think if we... That would be great. And then everyone just click on a link on the opening moment. Yeah, the final comp plan to be adopted, yeah. That'd be great. Yeah, Chip is saying yes. So it'll be on the landing page as soon as you go to the website. You'll be able to hit it and go right to it. Okay. Perfect. I can't see it. How do you get there? Okay. So you roll... Can you go back and just show people right now how to get there? I'm computer savvy. Oh, good. Heather's got it. Good. Perfect.

Okay. So that's our home page. Copy. It's a top left. So it's quickly. Copy the plan. Yeah, it's going to be easier than that. Top right. Right. Yes. Yes. Simple. Where's the red line? And where's the red line? It's on the top left. That's the one, yeah. That's the red line. Yep. So if you look at the table of contents of that document, it explains where the changes are located, and if you scroll down, you'll see the red typeset that shows the red line version. Roll down. I mean, Heather knows where to go. Yeah. There you go. Have fun. And if anybody is having trouble, they can always contact us and we'll help. Oh, absolutely. Don't be afraid to reach out to Town Hall to get instructions if you get home and it's not working or you can't figure it out. We'll talk it through. Monday through Friday, 8.30 to 4.30, we gladly will help with that. And by the way, our town website is horrible. We are aware of that. We are out. We're in the process of interviewing some companies to come in and redo it and make it user friendly, because I think it's one of the worst websites I've seen. And I go on many of the other town websites on Long Island, and theirs are so much better. So we're going to make it easier to use. Okay. Thank you. Just for clarification, has that been updated or will be updated? So this red line version and the finding statement have been posted on this website since August 6th for public review. That's the correct version. That's the correct version. That's always been the correct version. That's correct. The final version of the comp plan, which the board will eventually adopt, will contain only those changes. And those... And that version... That version will be published... Not the finding statement. Not the finding statement. Just the FGEIS. Oh, I'm sorry. The FGEIS, right. Right, the FGEIS. That's... The red line changes are going on the plan. The red line changes are the only thing that you'll see in the plan when it's finalized. Perfect. But it won't be red. Okay. Okay. Does anybody have any questions? Again, I apologize. We just... There's no way we could have possibly told you... Come on up to the microphone, sir. There's no way we could have told you. We could have told you in time once we realized what had happened. Hi. My name is John Benfield. I live on Mallard Court over on the north side of Sound Avenue. A question for... A point of... Not a point of order. A question for information and then a question. The information... When the proposal gets passed, or if it passes... When the comprehensive plan gets passed? Comprehensive plan. Okay. Does that automatically trigger the zoning changes that are mentioned in it? No. No, no, no. We discussed this last night at the board meeting. All the comp plan really is is a list of recommendations. And those recommendations then have to go out and be codified. Got it. Which means if it's not in your current law, we have to go out, we have to hold public hearings on each and everything we look to put into law. Public hearings are held on each individual matter. Each item. Okay. And then the public would have a chance to come out and have their say. Okay. Yay or nay, what they like or don't like or whatever the case may be. Terrific. Now I don't have a question. Thank you. Okay. Okay. Yeah. A lot of people have actually asked that. So it's a confusing document. It's a confusing process. And thank God it's kind of only done once every 20 years, quite honestly, because the work that went into this, as some people know, the prior company we had, we weren't happy with. So we got rid of them and we kind of went back and started over again. And it's been a long process. But we finally got there and barring this little mistake tonight, we will hopefully will be there by September 4th. I have one caller online I'll take. You're on R.D.G. Can you hear us? Yes. Yes. I can hear you. This is Ron. I can hear you. This is Ron Hariri of Aqabaq. I actually have a question I'd like to address to Dawn Thomas. Ms. Thomas, can you hear me? Yes, we can hear you. State your name, sir, for the record, please. I think back in. It's Ron Hariri. Yes. Ron Hariri of Aqabaq. Back in May, I submitted a Freedom of Information Act request regarding documentation pertaining to both agritourism and the Town Square project. I received only a partial response provided by the town attorney's office. And the town attorney's office referred my request to Ms. Thomas' office. It's been several weeks. Ms. Thomas asked for a further extension of time to respond to my request. I would request respectfully that the documents requested as part of that FOIL be provided prior to any action. Okay. I'll head over to you, Sean. head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head head a backup and interaction between town officials and the developers involved. So can you tell me, Ms. Thomas, when you'll be able to respond to my Freedom of Information Act request?

I don't know if you want to address a non-related comment. Yeah, this is not regarding our resolution tonight, so it shouldn't be quizzed. It's actually entirely related because it relates to the comprehensive plan and its terms regarding agritourism. So it's directly related. Is this just another cover-up, Ms. Thomas?

Okay. We're not going to address it, Mr. Herrera. I could just let you know that we did submit our response, and it's being reviewed by the town attorney's office, and it'll be released to Mr. Herrera as soon as it's completed. Okay. I would just note that this was also material that was foiled by Riverhead Local and supplied to Riverhead Local by my office. Okay. All right. Should this be on the website? You have to, unfortunately, because people at home can't hear the question if you speak from out there. Peter Gardino. Hello, Peter Gardino. The gentleman that just spoke has requested information. He's going to receive the information that does seem to be related specifically to what we were supposed to be doing here tonight. And he hasn't received an answer. They just told him he's going to receive the information. When? After the meeting's done and after everything's voted on? No, when we send the information to him. Probably tomorrow. Oh, great. Will we be made aware of that information also? Give me your phone number, and I'll call you at home, and I'll tell you that we sent it to him tomorrow. Okay. Do you have a pen? I do. I have a pen. You keep it. That's my name on it.

You have to, but you will. Yeah, I was just going to ask you.

I know what I was looking for. It's not that important. Everything that's going in here, you made the statement, right? There's two parts to this. There's the comprehensive plan, and there's the addition of agritourism. Well, no, that's not correct. They're too specific to me. It seems a little general, as a matter of fact. Well, that's an opinion in any role. You can put in any request that you prefer, and they can be directed directly to you. Thank you, sir. Keep it. Okay. John. John. Mark Holliff, Rolling Woods, Roanoke Landing. I thought what I heard him asking was whether the freedom of information response would be available on the website. Was that the question that was being asked? It could have been. I don't often hear everything he says. Yeah, no, no. But I will tell you it would not be on the website. It would not normally be. That's not protocol for oil. Yeah, people can... No. Additional people can ask for it. Right. Correct. But it's not... And that information, as Councilor said, that information has always already been foiled by Riverhead Local and posted by Riverhead Local. Okay. Well, I don't want to go into that at all. First, I want to thank you for the decision that you made. Well, it was the right decision because we needed... It was the right decision, and I think... We realized... Even without the mistake, it would have been the right decision. Well, we felt horrible because we brought everybody down here, and they're not going to get what they came for tonight necessarily. But in a way, they're getting more because they are going to have more time to look this up. Right. I think we would all appreciate that. But one of my questions is, is there any reason why you can't change that meeting from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.? Simply because it's a regularly scheduled 2 o'clock meeting. We're going to end it here. Thank you. We have a 30-day... Here. Say it again because we couldn't hear for the... It's a regularly scheduled meeting, and we have other stuff that's put on that meeting already, specifically for the... Specifically because it is an afternoon meeting. So, no, we have never changed from 2 to 6 or 6 to 2 unless an emergency came up. And this isn't considered the emergency by the guidelines that we use to change the time. Okay. I would think, given the nature of this, that you might consider splitting the session and having a regular meeting at 2 and a second half of the meeting at 6 so that it would be to discuss the... We'll take that under consideration. Yeah. No, it's just... But I can tell you, John, I don't think it's going to happen. Well, all right. I think that's... I think that would be helpful. You can always write in letters to us as well, as you have been doing. Yeah, I know, but letters are not as... Oh, I disagree with that. I disagree with that. The letters we've gotten in the past three weeks or so, everyone has read every single one. Oh, I'm not saying that aren't important. And, again, I think that what Mr.... What has been done in putting the text of the letters on the site, I mean, I agree that there are problems with the town website, but you ought to... Yeah. You ought to compliment yourselves and your staff, Mr. Wooten, for what has been done in terms of the way agendas are now put available and the documentation is available and the letters are available. And if you do what was suggested last night of linking the agenda items to the resolution, I think you've gone tremendous steps already along those lines. So my question then is, as the letter that I sent you earlier today is... hopefully before that meeting on the 4th I hope you will remove all of the sections that have to do with agro-tourism for the reasons that I outlined in my letter that really didn't come out of the organic process of the comprehensive plan and if I mean I agree with you that it's a list of recommendations but it is also more than that or we've spent a lot of money and a lot of time and a lot of effort on something that is much less than we thought it was going to be and I think in fact it will be 5 years from now, 10 years from now as was stated last night that's going to be the comprehensive plan and all of this discussion that's gone into it and all of the discussion that takes place on the 4th won't make any difference if it's not reflected in a change in the text of the comprehensive plan so I think you would save yourselves and us a lot of anxiety if you withdrew all of the ag-tourism stuff or not the ag-tourism stuff, the ag-resort stuff and simply took it out of what you're going to present on the 4th and hold it up until after the public information meeting on the 18th and then if you go to another hearing after that hearing and after the action by the board I think at that point if it goes through in whatever form it goes through those sections could be added back into the comprehensive plan and but if you know they shouldn't be in the document we're talking about on the 4th or really going to go off away from a lot of other very important things to talk about. Thanks. Thank you, John.

One last one online. Hi. It's Laura Jen Smith from Laurel. I just wanted to reiterate what John said about a 6 o'clock meeting. I think during the week on a Wednesday, you know, I was talking about the fact that the meeting today at 2 o'clock will be difficult for people to get to. So I'm hoping that the board will consider either doing a special meeting to have a 6 o'clock meeting so people can attend for this important, you know, legislation. So I'm hoping that you will consider it, you know, and that the board members will express their concern that they'd like to have it as a 6 o'clock meeting. The other question I have is because this is the comp plan and the adoption of the final meeting. I'm just curious about the impact statement. What are the requirements for posting that it will take place at a meeting? Is there a timeframe that has to happen? Laura, the timeframe for posting what? Because this is the comp plan and you're adopting the final impact statement, I know that there's a period, I think, that has to wait. And I'm just curious what the legal requirements are for that and posting it. it's 30 days from the date that the town board adopts or accepts the final FGE is so if we do this on the fourth that would be the 29th today so wouldn't that be a day earlier than the 30 days yes the math is correct yes that's what we're doing would you be able to 10-day minimum 30-day maximum right Laura 10 days minimum and 30-day maximum but what about as far as posting and publishing it for the public the meeting the requirement for the adoption of it when you decide what day the meeting is going to be is a requirement for posting it to the public you know whether it's in the local paper any of those are there any requirements for that a 14-day requirement or anything like that which document are you referring to I'm referring to the final final impact statement the adoption of it that was done that was already done on August 6th right but what is it I don't have the verbiage in front of you what are you doing with it tonight what's that called the the board isn't doing anything tonight no but what was proposed to be done tonight oh adopt the final adopted adopt the final comprehensive plan and there's nothing with the impacts that was done already what the final statement the finding statement I know okay okay I'm sorry I didn't hear you no I just um I don't I'm not sure if I understand the question if there or if there is a question still pending I thought tonight was for the adoption of the comp plan as well as something with the finding statement in addition to that or no yes and what would what was that what was what I'm tonight not understanding the question of the comp plan so in the finding okay so then my question which in the comp plan is there are you and approve the finding statement correct are you asking the reason for that? yes so in approving the finding statement for the board to approve the finding statement is there is there some sort of specifications for notification to the public that that is to take place like does that have to be published in the paper for two weeks or anything else correct it's not a public hearing it's an adoption of a resolution that needed to be done no sooner than 10 days after the adoption of the FGEI act. I'm sorry. so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so so Correct. You realize that's the first day of school in Rivet? It's the first day of a lot of things. I know, but it's a big deal. These are what the board meetings are scheduled. You're going to cut into where a lot of people are not going to be able to show up. It's scheduled a year away. It is what it is. Of course it is. You have every opportunity to write and comment. You're not being shut out or cut out of this in any means, so it really should not be a big deal. As a matter of fact, Mr. McCullough said last night that that would be fine at 2 o'clock as long as everybody had the extra two weeks to go over it. That's what we're doing. I said it would be better, not that it would be fine. Kimberly Wilder, Osborne Avenue, Riverhead. I just have a silly technical idea, and that is I think you said that there were other things scheduled for the 2 o'clock meeting. Sometimes people, when they're trying to get together and understand, they just have trouble with timing. I wonder if you could say it's a 2 o'clock meeting, but give some assurance or put on the agenda so that the discussion of it doesn't happen until later, like 4 or 5. Schedule it for the last part of the meeting? Yes, something like that. We can do that. There are two public signs already scheduled for that day, so it's going to be later. Good idea. That was a great idea. Yes. Okay. At this time, we're going to read the resolution, and then we will make a motion. The table is the same, and have a vote on it. Okay. We have Resolution 760. Issues finding statement. Folks, hold it down, please. Issues finding statement. Pursuant to 6NYCRR Part 617.11 and adopts the Town of Riverhead 2024 Comprehensive Plan Update, pursuant to New York Town Law 272-A, I make a motion to table. Second. Okay. Vote, please. Waskey. Yes. Merrifield. Yes. Kern. Yes. Rothwell. Yes, to table. Hubbard. Yes. Resolution has been tabled. That concludes our resolution. Okay. September 4th. We'll put it on the end of the agenda, so it'll be the latter part of the meeting, and we hope to see everybody there. If you can't make it, please write in. And in the meantime, you have two more weeks to go through the information, and if you have any questions, do not hesitate to call our planning department. Okay? They're more than happy, and they've said this numerous times to help you out with any questions. I apologize you all came out tonight, but I'm glad you're here, and I'm glad you see what we're doing, and hopefully we'll see you again. We'll see you all again on September 4th. Thank you for coming, everybody. Thank you. We'll do it . What's that? I think it's .