[This transcript was generated automatically from audio using AI and hasn't been reviewed by a person -- it can contain mistakes, including plausible-sounding sentences that were never actually said. Treat it as a starting point, not a verbatim record.]

[4:54] It's happening ceremony.
[4:57] Is there a issue?
[4:58] It's a cuter issue, actually. We need a new hard drive.
[5:01] Okay.
[5:01] Carol, if you would read the roll call, please.
[5:06] Present.
[5:10] Here.
[5:11] Here.
[5:14] Please join us in the Pledge of Allegiance.
[5:40] Agenda is a one-public hearing.
[5:44] We have a public portion for public comment.
[5:49] Looks like we have about ten people who have signed up.
[5:52] If you haven't signed up, don't panic, give you a chance to raise your hand when we're
[5:57] finished with the people who signed up, if you'd like to speak to the board.
[6:01] And then we have our town resolutions to consider.
[6:07] So let's begin first with Mr. King, who would like to share a few words of wisdom to begin.
[6:18] That was good, right, Hugh?
[6:20] Yeah.
[6:20] Was that taken 14 months or something?
[6:24] Remember you?
[6:25] Are you up for re-election?
[6:27] Yeah.
[6:29] I'm working on it, you know.
[6:31] I understand, Mr. Supervisor, you saw Stuart, or you talked to Stuart.
[6:36] I'm glad you brought that up.
[6:37] I got a chance to see Stuart Vorpal a couple of days ago.
[6:40] He looks much better, he was in great spirits, and he's eager to get back to speaking
[6:46] before the camp board and we pray that he will soon.
[6:50] He said he's not up to his usual horsepower yet,
[6:54] but he does wish you good luck in all your endeavors tonight.
[6:59] One other thing I'm going to talk about this next time.
[7:01] This is the anniversary of the Spring's Fire Department this year.
[7:05] I believe Councilman Overton is an original member of the Fire Department,
[7:09] formed in 1898.
[7:11] Oh, no. Thank you.
[7:13] Now, it's 19, this is the 50th anniversary of the Springs Fire Department.
[7:18] Okay, the subject of a town landing field for airplanes was brought up for the first time in the summer of 1930.
[7:27] A field used by Robert Appleton on further lane near the present two-mile hollow beach was being used by private planes,
[7:34] and the people in the vicinity objected to the noise and low-flying planes.
[7:38] Sound familiar? In October, a group called the East End Associates petitioned the
[7:44] town board to find a suitable place for a landing field. The Ladies Village
[7:49] Improvement Society lodged a protest against further noise on further lane
[7:53] and asked for a more secluded spot. Two possible sites mentioned were Hog Creek
[8:00] and Nappy Beach. Can you imagine Hog Creek? That would have been neat.
[8:05] In 1932, Winter Gardner suggested the town lease its 80-acre clearing between Gardner
[8:11] Dock in 3 Mile Harbor and Dub Creek for a municipal airport.
[8:16] No action was taken on this proposal.
[8:19] In 1934, Leonard Edwards and J. H. L. Grower of the Civil Works Administration spoke of
[8:25] the possibility of obtaining federal CWA funds for the construction of the airport.
[8:30] All the construction labor costs were paid for by federal funds.
[8:33] The town would have to buy or lease an upland for two runways 300 feet wide and 2,500 feet
[8:41] long.
[8:42] The total cost would be $74,000, with the federal share amounting to $52,000 and the town share
[8:50] $22,000, mostly for equipment rentals.
[8:55] The figures varied later on, but the federal government paid for the lion's share of the
[8:59] construction.
[8:59] However, as we shall see, government money means government control.
[9:06] In December of 1934, it was suggested that the town by property between Fireplace Road
[9:12] and Akabana-Kiway, a tax sale land for an airport, a legal hitch developed with the lands
[9:18] of the town abandoned the idea.
[9:21] Judge Merton Edwards, who was on the town board, how can that be?
[9:26] Remember years ago the town board consisted of the four justices of the peace and the supervisor.
[9:32] It wasn't until Lady Ecker was elected councilman in 1955 or 1965 that we had councilmen.
[9:40] Mert Edwards then proposed the town choir land at Midhamptons and applied to the federal government for funds to establish an airport.
[9:49] Most of the land was tax-fail property. Where's Midhamptons?
[9:55] That's where the airport is right now.
[9:57] Right. Okay.
[9:58] For the next two years, Town Clerk Richard T. Gilmartin, Town Engineer John Whitby, Leonard Edwards,
[10:03] Murt Edwards, George Miller, Superintendent of the Highways, Juan Tripp, President of Pan-American Airways,
[10:09] Supervisor Perry Durie and another supervisor, William A. Green, along with others,
[10:14] wandered in and about the Mayhampens, searching for an appropriate site for the airport.
[10:19] The town originally planned to purchase 500 acres, but the federal government thought this was too much.
[10:28] So half the land went back to the county. I believe most of this land was tax sale property.
[10:33] Next, the Civil Works Administration, official in charge of building LaGuardia Airport,
[10:38] as well as East Antman Airport said there had to be three runways instead of two.
[10:44] This was agreed to by the town, and the fall of 1936 work began.
[10:48] Over 100 men were employed working on the field.
[10:52] A new entrance under the railroad track was constructed,
[10:55] constructed, and the Wayne Scott Northwest Road
[10:57] was diverted around the airfield instead of running through it.
[11:02] By April of 1938, the airfield was almost ready to use.
[11:06] The Town Board had hoped for a ceremonious opening
[11:09] to tie in with National Air Week.
[11:11] Town Clerk Bill Martin hoped a special stamp may be issued.
[11:15] But for reasons not apparent in the minutes of the time
[11:17] that was never a grand opening. The county agreed in November of 1942 to cooperate in
[11:23] obtaining more land for the airport through condemnation proceedings. This was six years
[11:28] after the town board originally obtained ample land only to be told by the federal government
[11:33] that they were not needing. And that is the beginning of the airport and this is the
[11:38] beginning of this meeting. Have a good one.
[11:44] No comment.
[11:46] You know we had an airstrip in Spring too, right?
[11:49] No.
[11:56] It was one of his farm fields on a regular basis and take off from there, left his plane there,
[12:01] and also when, I believe it was Murray Ossarisi, when he moved back into Spring,
[12:06] he also flew in and out of there on a fairly regular basis.
[12:10] Wasn't there an airplane on Long Lane?
[12:13] in east Hampton. It may have been just a farm dirt, you know, a farm field.
[12:17] I guess what this was, a farm dirt farm field.
[12:19] I'll
[12:24] have a good one.
[12:44] Section 247 of the General Municipal Law of the State of New York
[12:47] and the provisions of the East Hampton Town Code,
[12:49] the Town Board of the Town of East Hampton will hold a public hearing
[12:52] in the Town Hall Meeting Room.
[12:54] 159 Pannonville Road, East Hampton Thursday.
[12:58] APM were as soon thereafter as this matter may be heard
[13:01] concerning the following Granite Scenic and Conservation Eastman
[13:04] to the town of East Hampton. The grand tour is Matthew Nadell and Amy Saminsky, scenic
[13:10] and conservation easement dated February 18th at 18 San Piper Lane in Amagansett, Suffolk
[13:16] County Tax Mat 300 175 47 and the reviewing agency is Izzy B.A.
[13:54] Elaine Jones, Reg Cornelia, Jeremy Samuelson, Cindy Herbst and Bruno Schrecht.
[13:59] But
[14:39] I do know that this has been a contentious issue in East Hampton, at least since 1980.
[14:45] It goes back a long ways.
[14:47] I've been involved in trying to solve this problem for 17 years myself, kind of hard to imagine,
[14:53] older than my children.
[14:56] I know you are keenly aware that there is some...
[15:00] Significant disappointment on the part of many because one of the proposals that had been
[15:05] tabled in February for a weekend ban on helicopters is not going to move forward tonight. I just
[15:12] want to make clear, if it's not already clear for the public, that this is not because anyone
[15:18] has concluded that the problem is not as serious or confounding as we had believed,
[15:24] But in fact, because it is more serious and more confounding than we had believed.
[15:30] The decision not to go forward with that one proposal is out of concern about possible diversions to other airports in the area,
[15:40] in West Hampton, in South Hampton Village, and most important in Montauk.
[15:45] And what this tells us is that no one in this community is prepared to tolerate this noise.
[15:50] It's no one, not in West Hampton, not in South Hampton, not in Wayne Scott, not in East Hampton and not in Montauk.
[15:58] Ultimately, it is going to be brought to an end. It's just not clear standing here tonight how that is.
[16:05] I want to say also to the helicopter companies, some of whom are represented here, they've in effect gotten a reprieve because of this decision.
[16:16] They have another opportunity, one more year to demonstrate to this community that their
[16:21] claims that it is possible to solve this problem with voluntary measures of various kinds is
[16:28] actually true and possible.
[16:30] They now have one more opportunity after 2014, which was a big failure, to demonstrate to
[16:37] us that their voluntary measures can succeed, and I heartily invite them to do that.
[16:43] But if that doesn't work, sooner or later, it's us or them.
[16:48] And we live here and we're not going anywhere.
[16:50] Thank you.
[16:52] Hey, Vincent Covello.
[17:01] Good evening.
[17:02] My name is Dr. Vincent Covello.
[17:05] My wife and I have been residents in East Hampton for three decades.
[17:09] We both serve on several boards, local boards.
[17:12] I'm a member of the World Health Organization Ebola Emergency Committee.
[17:17] I flew here yesterday to be able to address you.
[17:21] We'll now thank you to moving from the town of East Hampton.
[17:25] We're also questioning as many others if this is the type of town
[17:29] that we want to live in for the rest of our lives.
[17:32] Last month, my wife and I wrote a letter published in the East Hampton Star
[17:35] thanking you for the work related to airport noise.
[17:39] We believe now that that thank you letter may have been premature.
[17:42] We are deeply disappointed by your decision to drop the ban on helicopter traveling during
[17:47] the weekends.
[17:48] I know you have heard many arguments born against excessive noise from the airport.
[17:52] I would like to add several, but perhaps you have not heard before.
[17:56] First, families who live in northwest woods are currently being advised by their real
[18:00] estate agents to not sell their property until the noise issue, particularly helicopter
[18:04] noise, is fully resolved.
[18:08] If it is not resolved by this summer, real estate agents are advising people to hold
[18:12] on selling their property, as it will get much less than the property is worth. If this
[18:17] happens, the blame will be placed squarely on you, the Board. Families are also being
[18:23] advised to apply for property tax reduction and to consider other legal action against
[18:28] the Board. If property relief is not is granted and if production has become widely
[18:33] known, this will have a huge impact on the town's budget.
[18:38] Second, the families who live in the historic Black neighborhoods of Sac Harbor, affected
[18:44] by last year's routing of helicopters over their homes, are meeting to consider filing
[18:49] a civil rights case against the town if the routing is identified again for this summer.
[18:54] I remind you that if you allow helicopters on weekends, you will have to deal with the
[18:58] routing issue again.
[19:00] Given that the town can't advise the airport manager, as did the town board member that
[19:04] the only last year to advise pilots to take a preferred route.
[19:08] The historically black neighborhoods of Sag Harbor are prepared to file a claim of racial discrimination if this reoccurs.
[19:16] Third, Dan's paper last week compared the helicopter noise with dog poop.
[19:21] The recommendation of one flight a week by the nosy planes would be equivalent to saying a person can have dog poop once on my property
[19:29] and not pick it up as long as it is only done once a week.
[19:33] this is patly absurd. Fourth, the diversion issue related to South Hampton is
[19:39] considered by many to be a smokescreen at best and perhaps a cover-up at worst.
[19:44] South Hampton can limit helicopters on the helipad if there was an overflow
[19:50] from the east Hampton. Please do not insult our intelligence by claiming otherwise.
[19:55] Fourth, we deeply distrust the aviation lawyer advising you, Mr. Peter
[19:59] Perkersh. Mr. Kerr served previous administrations and helped create the press current mess. He
[20:05] is tainted, compromised, and has conflicts of interest. Please dismiss him.
[20:11] Finally, if there is another horrible somber helicopter noise caused by the dropping of
[20:15] the weekend ban, there will be so much outrage among the affected populations that voters
[20:20] will likely turn their anger onto the two board members of the reelection. I ask you,
[20:25] Are you willing to take the risk? Please have the courage to do what you know is right. Thank you.
[20:31] What
[20:34] do you have of all of us that...
[21:13] That there is noise emanating from aircraft, but I believe as does the memorializing statement
[21:21] that you folks are going to vote on a little bit later in the existence of a safe,
[21:28] well-maintained, efficient, well-paying airport. And to that end, I want to address
[21:35] some of the statements on the town website, which provides openly a great amount of information
[21:42] that we can all glean through. However, there is a statement attributed to
[21:48] Councilwoman Burke Gonzalez from April 7th about the airport. This document, posted
[21:57] on the town website, claims to offer a well-maintained safe airport entirely supported by user
[22:04] groups, not costing the taxpayers anything, refusing $0.95 on the dollar from grant funds
[22:11] while establishing true input for non-stakeholding towns, reducing noise, fighting lawsuits,
[22:18] and moving forward on capital improvements. This is smoke reflected in distorted mirrors.
[22:24] That can't be. The claim is made that operations will be reduced by approximately 25%.
[22:32] percent. Conversely, it's claimed that sufficient revenue remains to fund all desirable airport
[22:38] expenditures. But all things for all people claims in this statement, which is mirrored
[22:44] in upcoming Resolution 418, memorializing goals for the East Hampton Airport do not coincide
[22:50] with reality. It is stated that East Hampton's 2015 adopted airport budget assumes a decrease
[22:58] and landing fee revenue. In reality, the Town Board passed a budget that increased the budgeted
[23:05] revenue for landing fees from $1,130,000 in 2014 to $1,446,000 in 2015 and anticipated
[23:20] 27% increase of the year before, or 314 grand.
[23:26] From time immemorial, the town board has been conservative on revenue projections, but not this year.
[23:32] The airport as a whole is budgeted to bring in 18% more revenue in 2015.
[23:39] Housewoman Burke Gonzalez goes on to say that unanticipated costs can be covered by the $321,000 budgeted for contingency.
[23:49] Unfortunately, any shortfalls in revenue would impact that very contingency fund.
[23:55] The only money coming in to pay for the airport is going to come from the squeezed users.
[24:00] The same non-existent revenue cannot be used twice.
[24:04] There is a pledge to fight litigation, one ever and wherever.
[24:09] One has to wonder whether that pledge applies to the actions of the anti-airport zealots
[24:13] who have cost the town so much over the years.
[24:17] That expense, so hastily adopted, can be a festering sore for years.
[24:21] Inevitably, there will be a recourse to the existing surplus gained through conservative
[24:26] budgeting, which will diminish.
[24:28] Already, the operational lines in the budget are being committed.
[24:31] The subcontract line in the budget may have only $200,000 unencumbered of its original
[24:37] $681,000, which is being expended on data collection.
[24:41] History says this is not how to fund safety and maintenance.
[24:45] The point of exposing the false statements made about the airport is to show that the
[24:49] town board is deluding itself in its ability to fund an operational airport unless it
[24:55] considers that its actions have consequences.
[24:58] These consequences have not been adequately considered or reviewed and one of East Hampton's
[25:03] major assets is being needlessly endangered at great potential future costs to our town.
[25:10] Thank you.
[25:11] Talk
[25:22] about something completely different than the airport.
[25:27] I only did it once before and I was, because I'm here to talk about a different three
[25:33] events, was wondering what kind of tone to take and so I'm a little relieved to
[25:37] know that I'm probably not going to be the most urgent sounding person.
[25:41] I am a resident of Dolphin Drive. It is my primary residence.
[25:48] I vote here. I may
[25:57] not have been following the story.
[25:59] This is the street in Amaganza, 20 feet wide, where after 40 years
[26:05] of signs that said no parking anytime in August, the highway department came
[26:11] and changed the signage to parking by town permit overnight.
[26:17] It was a surprise, I'm told, to the members of the board here.
[26:21] They knew nothing about it.
[26:22] Somebody else gave the order.
[26:24] The board has only compensated for that action
[26:27] or taken action on our distress about it
[26:31] by removing all signage in December.
[26:34] A resolution to restore the no parking signs
[26:36] has not to this day been voted on.
[26:39] I'm here tonight because we are about less than six weeks away from Memorial Day.
[26:46] And if we go into the existing state of no signage whatsoever, it is going to be a disaster for that street.
[26:56] I'm not here tonight talking about politics. I'm not here talking about beach access.
[27:01] I am talking about what will happen if I call an ambulance and it cannot get through.
[27:07] If you visit my street and you take a look at him narrow, it is and try the experiment as we have done
[27:14] I showed you the picture when I was here last time of what happens when you park a car in a ordinary sized car on
[27:20] Either side as your own police chief also informed you in his testimony
[27:24] You will not be able to get an ambulance through or a fire truck. That is not a tolerable situation
[27:31] We're here tonight talking about the
[27:35] the welfare and safety of your constituents, and that has got to outbalance any other consideration
[27:43] that there is.
[27:44] So I am here making the appeal to you that you step up and do the right thing and restore
[27:52] the signage to Dolphin Drive for the summer season, regardless of the political process
[27:58] going on in the background.
[28:00] It doesn't prejudice you in any way in terms of creating a management plan for the nature-preserved next door.
[28:09] It simply protects the people that you're responsible for from the consequences of not having any signs whatsoever.
[28:16] It's a matter of common sense that a complete lack of signage communicates that anybody can park anywhere at any time with or without a town permit.
[28:26] You yourselves have dealt or tried to deal in the past year or so with the issue of party
[28:32] houses in this town, share houses.
[28:35] Share houses, as they have been universally throughout the town, have been a significant
[28:40] and growingly visible problem on our beach in Amaganset.
[28:46] You can take a walk anytime during the season and you will see groups of people, alcohol,
[28:53] You will see the remnants in the mornings of illegal bonfires and so I'm very frightened that the status of dolphin drive
[29:03] without
[29:06] signage and
[29:07] With the word going around like wildfire will be
[29:11] That it will become the party beach the sharehouse Beach
[29:15] Might as well change the name of the street
[29:17] To sharehouse parking street. That's what we're going to see in the summertime
[29:24] You guys have the authority to prevent that from happening and I am here tonight asking you to exercise that authority. Thank you.
[29:31] Thank you, Jonathan.
[29:33] Greg Mansley?
[29:48] Thank you very much. I'm Greg Mansley from Aberdeen. I came out here originally in 72 when we both had dark care, okay?
[29:56] Back in the day of mortels.
[29:57] Can we raise a little more hell in those days, I think, right?
[30:00] I know about you. We've got pictures. Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone for having me up here tonight.
[30:08] And before that, I really came from an area called the Five Towns. The Five Towns is basically you at Woodmere and so on.
[30:15] And I grew up under one of the approaches for, at that time, IdaLog Airport, all right, when they first came out with the jets, all right,
[30:24] had prop planes before that. And yes, there was a tremendous uproar about jet engines
[30:29] because the new 707s, when racing in hell when they took off, when they landed and put
[30:34] the frost reverses on, racing in hell could go miles away. That changed. And technology
[30:41] does change things. That's something we have to know about. I think that the second
[30:45] point of that is, somebody is mentioning about the fact that the house values will
[30:49] low poverty. The one in real estate, I worked with the main realtors in New York at developing
[30:54] properties, we had a big sized U.S. company, and right now I can tell you, in the five
[31:00] towns in New York, was there any suffering of the value of the houses? No. We're talking
[31:07] one of the five top zip codes in the United States. I think they challenged tag-a-ponic
[31:11] at times in so far as the value of the homes, the income of the people, and the
[31:19] and then I taught school with Bob Elby out here.
[31:23] What we really need to look at here, in my opinion,
[31:27] is I came up here to speak about one specific topic.
[31:30] Yes, it's true. The house values will come back.
[31:33] There's no issue in my mind about that.
[31:36] There's no issue in my mind that technology will probably
[31:39] be able to work something out with the helicopters,
[31:41] but that's not today.
[31:42] However, I would encourage some sort of action saying,
[31:46] Okay guys, you want to land on a weekend, have one of the new helicopters that they have, I think in Germany or wherever.
[31:52] Not much quiet in the ones we have here, all right? They're more expensive, but you know what?
[31:57] That's the price of admission, all right? If you want to be here, that's how you have to do it.
[32:02] And it's feeling more than enough money here to do that.
[32:06] The thing I'm really concerned about is, and the doctor brought it up well, is enough for Southampton.
[32:13] How well the research was done.
[32:16] I've worked with big companies, doing heavy research,
[32:19] working with Jack Welch, maybe we need a little Jack Welch here this time.
[32:22] And the thing is, why at this point in time, if the years and years and years,
[32:27] are we finding that we're pulling back something?
[32:30] I've had unspoken consequences.
[32:33] If that's the case, did anybody really do their homework?
[32:37] And that's what you're elected to do.
[32:39] You're going to do the homework for us.
[32:41] has that been done? I'm not sure and I'm concerned. If the things you're trying to
[32:46] power it past today, if the things you're trying to put through today are based
[32:50] upon false assumptions or incomplete work, why pass them? Especially when
[32:58] safety is concerned. From what I understand from the article in the East
[33:03] tempestar, the Americans understand the diversion of aircraft from East Hampton to South Hampton's
[33:12] Heliport, which is 10% of what we have, my statement from the paper, the 10% will more
[33:19] than double what they have. And they do not have, apparently, the safety equipment or
[33:24] the air traffic control required to do this. All right? What are we doing? All right?
[33:29] Are we setting up a disaster?
[33:32] I don't know.
[33:33] That's my point.
[33:34] Have we done the work that needs to be done?
[33:37] Or should we start to look at this and say,
[33:39] guys, it's time to think about it again?
[33:41] Thank you.
[33:42] Thank you, Greg.
[33:43] Elaine?
[33:44] Elaine Jones?
[33:51] Good evening.
[33:54] I'm very short.
[33:57] As I go to many meetings all over our town,
[34:00] and I've done it for many years,
[34:02] I notice that the town doesn't have the room
[34:05] for many of these meetings.
[34:06] The trustee's room is so small,
[34:08] you either feel like a sardine or have to stand out in the hall where you can't hear.
[34:14] Amicants of Citizens Committee meetings are held at a little room in the library, and as
[34:18] long as there are only a few people there, it's okay.
[34:21] Many of our buildings were neglected by the past administration, and although there
[34:26] was a money situation, there was no excuse to let go of the very people who could
[34:30] have kept these buildings repaired.
[34:32] The
[34:36] senior citizen centers are desperate for a new building.
[34:43] The present building is a perfect example of the neglect and is dilapidated.
[34:48] I met with Fred Theol on Tuesday and he suggested to me there is a very,
[34:54] there is a way, although we purchase it with CPF funds to buy back the building on 555,
[35:00] which is the former principi property.
[35:04] That building is approximately 8,000 square feet and I am told that it would not only
[35:10] service the senior citizens, it would also be a public community center or whatever
[35:16] you want to make it in Eastampton. This building,
[35:20] I can't even read my own writing,
[35:23] this building is a gem and it's beautiful and it is beautiful.
[35:28] Everybody I've talked to said it's a beautiful building.
[35:33] You do have the property, and this is my suggestion, it's only a suggestion,
[35:37] you do have the property where the present senior citizen center is now on Springs Fireplace Road,
[35:42] which could be sold to help defray the cost.
[35:45] I know someone who paid almost $4 million for a piece of property presently on Springs Fireplace Road.
[35:52] On one hand, you have the opportunity to give an 8,000 square foot building to special interests,
[35:59] Or you can use that building and create a new citizen center, community center.
[36:06] This board would then have a legacy for supporting the entire community.
[36:12] You would have a legacy that you supported the entire community from Montauk to whatever.
[36:18] It would be a nice meeting center for people.
[36:20] One thing before you decide though is please, please have a public hearing.
[36:26] Thank you.
[36:26] Thank you Elaine. Reg Cornelia?
[36:39] Not like you move as fast as you used to. That's
[36:43] for sure.
[36:48] My name is Reg Cornelia. I just want to address a follow-up, actually a
[36:53] couple of previous comments. The film in the movie Top Gun, whenever our time
[37:00] cruise would say, I feel the need for speed, his navigator would just
[37:07] You go, no, ma'am, don't do this, don't do this.
[37:09] And of course, it would always lead to some sort of problem
[37:13] for them down the road.
[37:15] Excuse me.
[37:17] I just feel that this is being rushed through.
[37:25] You need to restructure.
[37:26] I don't believe the financial part of Kathy's letter.
[37:32] I just don't believe that those numbers work.
[37:34] I don't believe they're on no account.
[37:37] The list of things that you're going to consider, I'm sorry, the list of things that you're
[37:41] going to consider as memorialized is a good one, except that's what we should be discussing.
[37:49] We're going to spend a lot of time on this already.
[37:51] But I think to very least, at this point, with the ban on helicopter traffic, which
[37:57] is obviously going to cause you to know, I think that you're hurrying it up unnecessarily.
[38:03] I think the unintended consequences, you mentioned technology on your last point here on the
[38:09] goals, but it doesn't mention what Mr. Lansley mentioned, which is improving the technology
[38:15] of the aircraft, particularly of the helicopters themselves.
[38:18] I think these are the kinds of things that need to be considered.
[38:21] I think this is rushing it a bit.
[38:23] Thank you.
[38:23] Just hang on there, Reggie.
[38:25] I'm in a good mood.
[38:26] I'm in a good mood tonight.
[38:29] No, I wanted to mention.
[38:31] I understand that you recently escorted a group of
[38:39] Normandy,
[38:43] so many things that you've
[38:44] done on behalf of veterans, and I also understand that two of the veterans who went were World
[38:51] War II veterans who served and fought at Normandy, if I'm correct, and they were Gene Beckwith
[38:57] and Joe de Christefauro.
[38:59] Is that true?
[38:59] Absolutely.
[39:00] And say a little prayer for Joe right now.
[39:02] The last two days of the trip, he was my roommate, so I'm very aware of his circumstances.
[39:07] There's these rules on these boats are pretty small.
[39:10] He is suffering a pretty severe bokeh thing right now.
[39:14] He was in South North of the hospital for a few days,
[39:16] just came out yesterday, but I call him today again.
[39:18] He's still feeling a little under the weather,
[39:20] but can I elaborate on that trip a little bit?
[39:23] I have a cell phone which I'm going to get to you
[39:25] so they figure I had to get him out of my smart camera,
[39:27] which I'm not smart enough to operate.
[39:30] They, I have pictures of Joe at the D-Day Memorial
[39:34] and at these cemeteries, which, I mean,
[39:36] that you can't help it. You just see row on row. You go over the hell and there's just
[39:41] more rows on this. Anyway, we had some very moving moments on that trail. I didn't escort
[39:47] them. I was just part of the troop.
[39:50] I'm sure you're helping out.
[39:51] Yeah, we did what we could. But it was very, people were coming up. Joe had his World
[39:55] War II veteran head on. People were literally coming up, schoolgirls kissing him. He
[40:00] got kissed more than anybody, including married guys. I guarantee you that. So thank you
[40:05] for your consideration.
[40:05] Next.
[40:16] Then we have Cindy Herbst and Bruno Schreck to follow.
[40:29] Good evening, Jeremy Samuelson. Concerned citizens of Montauk.
[40:35] I want to thank you for the opportunity to comment on the proposed airport legislation.
[40:42] You know, look, the Frank reality is that we have a noise problem now,
[40:49] And we're still going to have a noise problem after this legislation goes through.
[40:54] This is not a magic wand. You haven't pitched it as such, and I don't think anyone who wants to be forthright would describe it that way.
[41:03] What you have done is proposed a series of measured steps.
[41:10] This is not a perfect solution.
[41:12] The first attempts at addressing a problem that, as we heard earlier, goes back to the 1930s.
[41:20] First attempts to deal with problems of that magnitude rarely get the whole thing right out of the gate.
[41:28] So I want to remind you of a couple of commitments that you've made in conversations
[41:32] and ask you to stand by those as you go forward.
[41:35] As I understand it, you have agreed to monitor the impacts of this proposed legislation not
[41:43] only after the season, but on an ongoing basis.
[41:47] And I would ask you to confirm that because, you know, I think whether you live in Wayne
[41:52] Scott or Montauk or Southampton, it will go a long way to have some assurance for
[41:59] the board that if there are unintended consequences of the proposals that you're passing
[42:05] this evening that caused us to spiral out of control, you have the ability to pull back
[42:10] on the reins.
[42:12] If we need to modify our way through the summer, the proposals that are on the table now, you've
[42:20] indicated in conversations that you're willing to do that, and I would ask you to reaffirm
[42:24] that.
[42:25] In addition, I would ask you to continue along the road that you've started down
[42:31] with the diversion study.
[42:32] You know, when these proposals were first put on the board, or put out by the board,
[42:37] I should say, you know, the organization that I represent raised concerns about potential
[42:44] impacts to Montauk, and the response was to come up with the idea of a diversion study.
[42:50] And I think that was a good first step, but it's not a complete step, and again,
[42:54] to be fair, you haven't described it as a complete step.
[42:57] But the data that we have now coming into this season isn't full.
[43:04] We need to continue to develop data throughout the season, and there's a couple of very specific
[43:09] ways you can do that.
[43:10] One is to modify the noise complaint line that the town currently maintains to ensure
[43:16] that data that comes in, fresh data, is able to be tracked by Hamlet, and if it's
[43:23] outside of Eastampton Town as it currently does track that as well.
[43:26] Now, as I understand the system's current configuration, it wouldn't necessarily isolate complaints
[43:33] that come out of Montauk for potentially new helicopter traffic that's out there.
[43:39] That should be a pretty easy fix.
[43:41] If we don't make a fix like that now, we're going to look back over our shoulder in a
[43:45] couple of months, and we're going to say, wow, we probably should have taken a couple
[43:48] of proactive steps to ensure that the data that you're recording this summer that's
[43:52] going to inform your future decisions actually allows you to break out Montauk and the airport
[43:59] out there from the East Hampton airport. So that's something you've indicated in conversation
[44:03] that you're willing to do and I would ask you to follow through on that.
[44:06] Similarly, I think as you went, started to go down the road of the diversion study,
[44:11] there was a long list of things that you wished you had access to in terms of data,
[44:17] you know, final destinations. Where do people go? You know, when they fly in here,
[44:21] Where are they really going?
[44:23] How many are Sagaponic?
[44:24] How many are Britchampton?
[44:25] How many are Montauk already?
[44:27] To the extent that you have some ability
[44:29] to think outside the box and start generating that data,
[44:33] I think you will be thankful when you take that look back,
[44:36] whether it is midway through the season
[44:38] or after the season.
[44:40] We are not gonna solve this problem here tonight.
[44:42] I would suggest that the steps
[44:44] that you have proposed are reasonable steps.
[44:47] They're balanced steps.
[44:49] There's two options here.
[44:50] Either folks, nobody's completely happy because this thing is entirely wrong or nobody's completely happy because nobody got everything.
[45:00] I'll vote for the latter and suggest that these are reasonable, well-measured, balanced
[45:05] proposals that you've put on the table. I'll thank you for your time in creating them, but
[45:10] we'll ask you to offer some assurance that you're going to take that look back and modify
[45:15] as necessary and do so with the benefit of additional data that you will have the
[45:19] ability to reflect upon because you take steps in advance of this summer. So, thank you
[45:24] for your time.
[45:24] Thank you. You're on me. Cindy Herbst. The
[45:33] audience is waiting.
[45:41] Good evening. I'm Cindy Herbst. I'm here tonight on behalf of Sound Aircraft Services.
[45:46] As you are aware, Sound Aircraft is one of the fixed-based operators at East Hampton Airport.
[45:51] I've expressed my concern about the impact that the resolution is providing for a curfew
[45:55] and extended curfew for noisy aircraft and a one-trip-per-week limit on noisy aircraft
[46:00] during the season we'll have on Sound Aircraft and on the airport overall.
[46:04] The purpose of my comment tonight is not to restate those concerns.
[46:07] Earlier this week, it came to my attention that the Town Board intends to notice a public hearing to consider a local law amending Chapter 75 Airport of the Town Code, clarifying penalties, provisions and definitions in the law, and providing for an evaluation of the effectiveness of the restrictions.
[46:25] The additional proposed law relates to the three restrictions I just referenced.
[46:31] Tonight I'm here to urge you to table a vote on the curfew, the extended curfew and the one trip per week restriction
[46:36] until such a time as those restrictions can be considered with the related proposed law
[46:41] which provides the definition necessary to interpret the three restrictions.
[46:47] Whether the definitions are adopted will dramatically impact how the restrictions can and will be enforced.
[46:53] Therefore, it's only fair that the four proposed laws should be considered together.
[46:58] Thank you.
[46:58] Thank you, Cindy.
[47:08] I'll reflect on
[47:12] unintended consequences.
[47:14] What does that reflect?
[47:16] It reflects something that's not fully thought out.
[47:20] Consequences, there are some, they're not known.
[47:23] And yet, even though we had four proposals,
[47:25] there's only the suggestion of pulling back on one of them.
[47:29] The other proposals have presumptions built in.
[47:33] One of the presumptions is that the airport was always intended to be for small amateur
[47:40] pilots, so I forget the exact term, but basically not for commercial purposes, written right
[47:47] there in the proposal when, meanwhile, we know that it was paid for by the Department
[47:53] of Commerce and has always been used for commercial purposes in some sense, even having
[47:59] airlines flying.
[48:00] So the idea of unintended consequences doesn't even reflect the proper research of what's been going on and what should go on out here.
[48:12] The idea that we're going to survey only noise is another way to turn you back on half the issues.
[48:19] We didn't survey, never, passenger volume, who they are, where they live, what value they bring to the community.
[48:28] We know there's value.
[48:29] But instead, we have some people who will say it's only 100 pilots that we're talking about, 100 pilots.
[48:36] The 100 pilots are transporting 8,600 people out here, by my estimate, but the town has never found out whether that could be true.
[48:46] But it complains about the number of flights. It says 25,000 flights.
[48:51] Well, are they all empty? There must be a volume of people that see the benefit of that airport.
[48:57] The next thing, it has always been said that it won't affect the small local pilot.
[49:05] Even the people opposed to the airport have always said,
[49:08] oh, it's not about you guys with the little single engine plane.
[49:12] And now the proposal that you're about to rule on says that you can't fly in from 11 to 7.
[49:20] You can't fly in.
[49:21] You could be stuck with weather out west and you're going to show up a half an hour late because of the weather.
[49:28] You can't get home without paying $1,000 fine.
[49:32] And how many times in the summer do we have bad enough weather that you're not going to be paying $2,000 the next time, $3,000 the next time?
[49:40] That's what you're proposing.
[49:42] So it's about even the small planes, even the local people.
[49:49] And anyway, it sounds like we're about to rule on something that hasn't been fully thought out.
[49:58] It's a rush to judgment, and we're going to pay a price, and we don't even know what it is.
[50:04] Thank you.
[50:04] Thank you, Bruno.
[50:06] Anyone else who has not been heard like Charles?
[50:39] Months and months and years and thousands and thousands of hours of your time
[50:44] and your advisory committee's time have gone into this.
[50:49] So for the three proposals that I think about to enact, do it.
[50:56] And with respect to the, and of course, along with that,
[51:02] the notion that you're going to continually monitor what's going on.
[51:07] And we would endorse the notion that you should monitor starting the first day
[51:12] that these laws are in place, and perhaps be prepared to make changes during the summer.
[51:18] And we would argue that you should keep an open mind that one of the changes that you
[51:23] might adopt during the summer, if the data supports it, would be the ban on helicopters
[51:30] that would have been your item number four.
[51:34] With respect to the unanticipated consequences,
[51:40] I'd like to speak to just one point.
[51:42] It's been asserted that, including one comment here tonight,
[51:49] that a possible divergence from East Hampton to South Hampton might double their traffic.
[51:57] Well, whoever talks about that doesn't note that the heliport at South Hampton is subject to
[52:07] complete control on the part of the village of Southampton.
[52:12] They have never had federal money.
[52:15] They have at least as much control over that heliport
[52:18] as you have here.
[52:19] And they have imposed over the years restrictions.
[52:23] And they could completely avoid that increase
[52:28] if they were to do so, if they wanted to do so.
[52:30] They have the legal authority to do it.
[52:33] So the stuff that you've heard from the Southampton
[52:35] people about that is pure baloney and I thank you. Thank you Charles. We'll get back to
[52:44] anyone who views
[52:53] after we get there.
[52:57] No prepared remarks. Again, I want to compliment Kathy
[53:01] Berkins-Alles in particular and the whole board for taking a huge step forward in terms
[53:07] of noise abatement. It's been a long time coming.
[53:13] And I want to respond to something
[53:14] that Mr. Samuelson said, and really take it a couple of steps further, the non-system
[53:23] from Vector that you're going to vote on tonight gives you the ability for the first
[53:29] time to correlate complaints with actual flights. And that's huge. I mean, the landing,
[53:37] The data we were getting from Vector last year was landings only because that's what they were billing for, that was their purpose.
[53:47] We now will have the ability not only to look at landings but departures and to correlate those with complaints.
[53:58] Just speaking much more broadly, I think that it's important to develop a study protocol
[54:07] even before the summer starts to decide what it is you really want to look at during the
[54:12] summer and after the summer in the event that you feel the need to make amendments
[54:18] to the law is going forward, and I haven't really thought through how to put that together,
[54:25] but I think there are a number of people in this room who should participate in that.
[54:30] And one other housekeeping item, there is one, according to the whereas clauses in here,
[54:39] there is one public meeting at a place in the year 3,014, so you might want to correct that.
[54:47] October 30th, 3,000, 14th.
[55:06] First of all, I want to thank
[55:08] Town Planning Director Marguerite Wilson for reminding all of us
[55:13] that we have an awesome master plan. It's a plan many of us
[55:17] worked on, long and hard, and it's a plan that points out
[55:21] that our economy relies on our environment and not
[55:24] how many helicopters we can land on a Friday afternoon.
[55:28] People don't come here. They don't rent here. They don't buy here, based on how fast they can get here.
[55:35] They come, they rent, and they buy here, because it's really nice here.
[55:40] And each summer, each season, gets a little less noise.
[55:45] Because there are no rules that are appropriate.
[55:47] None. Zero. Zeroch. Nada.
[55:52] The noted statesman, Dominic Stanzione, once said.
[55:56] Yeah, just step back on the mic.
[55:57] Sure.
[55:58] Just a little.
[55:59] There you go.
[56:00] Out there?
[56:01] That's perfect.
[56:02] I can do it without a microphone.
[56:04] I'm sure you can.
[56:05] I'll just go for it here.
[56:06] The noted statesman, Dominic Stanzione, once said that when it comes to airport noise
[56:11] we should all share the pain.
[56:13] Probably don't need to remind us that in the town board election shortly after Stanzione's
[56:18] John's remark, the one-term Solomon of the skies finished to distant last.
[56:22] As it turns out, Mayor Mark Epley of Southampton Village doesn't want to share the pain.
[56:29] And the Throne Host, supervisor of Southampton Town, doesn't want to share the pain.
[56:34] Jeremy Sammelson, Concerned Citizens of Montauk, they don't want to share the pain.
[56:39] It amazes me that instead of looking for volunteers to share pain, these and other politicians
[56:46] like you, can't simply say, there's no need for any pain.
[56:51] There's no need for commuter helicopters on the East End.
[56:56] Snake oil salesman from Saqqaq is one to sell his ferries, helicopters, submarines.
[57:02] We've heard it all. We'll fly friendly. We'll fly higher. We'll fly over water.
[57:09] None of it happens, and some of it is, in fact, impossible.
[57:13] Noted, Geographer Barry Raybeck asked, how is it possible to have an overwater route to a landlocked airport?
[57:21] Like others, I'm torn between disgust at the lack of ability to follow through now on what we all know has to happen
[57:28] and joy at the fact that we are finally doing something.
[57:32] So for now, I'll just say thanks for doing something.
[57:35] Let's keep working towards doing the right thing.
[57:38] I just wanted to say two things about things that people have said rushing this through.
[57:46] Well, I was on the noise abatement committee, and we met every other week for hours and hours on end,
[57:51] for more than a year. Hours of questions, data, research, answers, alternatives.
[57:57] Now, the pilots had a committee as well, and they had the same opportunity.
[58:00] They met once and concluded they were better off not being part of the solution,
[58:04] waiting until the process concluded, now showing up and then arguing against the process
[58:10] because they fail every time, dealing with the facts.
[58:14] As for CCOM, almost three years ago,
[58:17] Quiet Sky's founders went out to Montauk, met with them, and offered them a place at the table.
[58:22] CCOM said, not our problem. I guess it is now.
[58:26] The solution is very clear here.
[58:29] No commuter helicopters, meaningful curfews, real noise abatement.
[58:39] Good
[58:52] evening,
[58:58] information on who owns Southampton Heliport.
[59:00] Jeff, could you just state your name for the rest?
[59:02] I'm sorry, Jess Smith with the Eastern Region Helicopter Council.
[59:04] I think there needs to be more looking into who owns Southampton Heliport
[59:08] and how the restrictions are going to impact that.
[59:13] Estimating how operators will react to the proposed restrictions
[59:17] involves a high degree of uncertainty.
[59:21] The initial estimates are based on experience from other new ways impacted general aviation
[59:26] airports but do not reflect survey data or other direct information from HTO operators.
[59:34] Surveys are unlikely to provide reliable information about potential responses because of competition
[59:39] among carriers providing air service and privacy concerns among their passengers.
[59:44] As a result, the estimates are subject to change in the future as additional data
[59:48] becomes available.
[59:48] I did not say this. This was a new report sent to you from Peter Stump, your diversion study consultant. Thank you.
[59:57] Thank you, Jeff.
[1:00:11] Good evening. I want to start by thanking you for the proposals that you guys have considered.
[1:00:19] And even bringing that up is an important step.
[1:00:22] And that can't go overlooked by anybody here, and I don't think it is.
[1:00:27] But, as Mr. McDivin said...
[1:00:29] You could just identify yourself.
[1:00:31] Oh, Walker Braggman, 26 years old, registered voter in this town.
[1:00:38] And I grew up here.
[1:00:40] And as I got older, I saw a lot of people that I cared about move away because they could no longer afford to live here.
[1:00:49] And every time somebody has come to this town and said, we have to do this or else, the economy will suffer.
[1:00:57] Well, and we do it. The economy suffers anyway, and the community suffers anyway.
[1:01:03] and people that we know for years leave.
[1:01:08] And I don't like that trend.
[1:01:10] And the airport issue is another issue like that,
[1:01:14] where one side has told us,
[1:01:15] we need to keep it the way it is,
[1:01:18] we need it unregulated,
[1:01:20] because otherwise the economy will suffer.
[1:01:21] Well, guess what?
[1:01:23] No, it won't.
[1:01:26] It absolutely won't.
[1:01:27] This is the Hanson's.
[1:01:28] We have the beaches.
[1:01:29] We've got quiet.
[1:01:31] And people are going to come here no matter what.
[1:01:33] They've been coming here for years.
[1:01:35] And the weekend ban on helicopters is a great idea.
[1:01:39] It's a great idea, and it's something that we need.
[1:01:43] But if this board doesn't have the ability to pass that now,
[1:01:47] then it should strongly consider it in the future.
[1:01:50] Because who does this town really serve?
[1:01:53] Who are we in this town?
[1:01:56] Are we a Washington Aviation Lobby, or are we a community?
[1:02:00] I think we're a community.
[1:02:03] And that's really all I've got to say. Thank you very much.
[1:02:05] Thanks for being here, Walker.
[1:02:09] Anyone else who has not been heard that would like to be heard?
[1:02:20] Purple Blouse.
[1:02:20] Purple Blouse.
[1:02:22] Looking around, thinking I'm pointing to somebody else.
[1:02:25] I'm pointing to you.
[1:02:28] And then I think we had Edwin.
[1:02:30] Edwin, did you have your April at worst of wisdom for us?
[1:02:38] Before I start my little tirade that I wrote down, that's where I'm late.
[1:02:43] I'm sorry, could you just state your name please?
[1:02:45] John Palumbo from Montauk.
[1:02:49] And in the old days I had commercial pilots raiding.
[1:02:54] My first cross country was from Amityville to your airport over here in East Hampton.
[1:03:03] When I got out of my airplane, there was Cliff Robertson, and that just like made my day.
[1:03:09] I thought this was so groovy.
[1:03:11] But in those days, back, I don't know, many, many moons, it was only civil aviation here.
[1:03:21] I flew out of Long Island.
[1:03:22] I needed a flying service, which was in competition with republics, so we had quite a to-do over there.
[1:03:30] and it was always small airplanes except a couple of guys had patrol aircraft which came
[1:03:39] in and made a big-noise statement.
[1:03:43] Anyway, this is what I wrote down.
[1:03:47] Good evening, ladies and gentlemen and elected board members.
[1:03:50] My name is Joan Palumbo and I speak tonight on behalf of myself, my family, and unbeknownst
[1:03:56] to them some citizens in Montauk.
[1:03:58] I have a few questions and a few points to make, so I wish that you will bear with me.
[1:04:04] If East Hampton Airport is closed to air traffic between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.,
[1:04:11] does that mean that between 11 or 1 p.m. and 6.59 a.m.,
[1:04:16] Montauk will be receiving the consummate noise and potential accident effluent?
[1:04:24] How will passengers be transported to and from their destinations?
[1:04:27] Route 27 through Amagansett is dark and congested at night.
[1:04:33] In fact, there was a man killed there last year.
[1:04:36] The forest through Deer Park Disney World is perilous.
[1:04:43] And Montauk, which is party-hardy in the middle of town on Route 27,
[1:04:49] is awash with bodies all night long.
[1:04:52] Montauk is a working community with a capital W,
[1:04:55] which stands for working, which I guess requires no sleep.
[1:05:01] The Long Island railroad diesels that discourage throughout the South Fork are parking-lotted year-round in Montauk
[1:05:09] with their pulsating engines this past week starting at 4 a.m. in the morning,
[1:05:16] as if they were jets that never take off.
[1:05:19] The noise deflects off of Fort Pong Lake into everyone's bedrooms
[1:05:24] as you know water does not absorb sound waves. Would that these were these
[1:05:30] entitled disturb- disturbers of the peace parked all night in East Hampton I
[1:05:36] would assume there would be tumultuous human cry. Montauk also has a severe
[1:05:44] summer long spring break atmosphere that issues from anything for buck joints
[1:05:52] with noise, noise, noise. These lists go on and on that there are concerns beyond the
[1:06:00] auditory rampage. Besides your ears, does anyone have eyes? Look up and look for a pure
[1:06:09] blue sky with sometimes billowy clouds. What do you see? Do you see? What are those planes
[1:06:18] doing up there using our sacred skies to mark them with graffiti as if they were
[1:06:24] subways. What are they spraying wherever I go? Florida, Maine, the Smokies,
[1:06:31] Albuquerque this past year, this afternoon in Montauk. These are not
[1:06:37] contrails which dissipate in a few minutes. They remain and coalesce and
[1:06:43] blur together to create an almost constant haze. The analysis of the makeup is not pretty
[1:06:50] unless you believe that aluminum and barium etc are good for you, our dear earth and all
[1:06:56] that struggles to survive on it. I have just one more little thing. I know it's off the
[1:07:03] point but it has to do with our health. Another 30 seconds of the play. We are paying for
[1:07:10] this poison. Why don't you know anything about what you're paying for? When I travel, I ask
[1:07:16] questions. Sometimes people know what I'm talking about and are very helpful. Sometimes they
[1:07:22] will tell me which airfields these pilots are flying out of. Sometimes I stop at Native
[1:07:27] American reservations or what Russell Means used to call before he died concentration
[1:07:33] camps and what many are aware of these many people know what's going on. I do
[1:07:42] believe that this endless weather modification almost preempts all of
[1:07:47] our other whiny disquietude. Thank you for your time.
[1:07:51] Thank you Jane.
[1:07:55] April?
[1:08:17] I just want to tell you that the airport was built by the three seas in
[1:08:24] late 1930s. I don't think that comes under the Department of Commerce. The
[1:08:31] three C's were not set up to be operated by the Department of Commerce. I don't
[1:08:37] think, do you? I don't know. I don't think so. Anyway, it provided the airport
[1:08:43] provided jobs for a lot of men in this town during the deep depression when
[1:08:49] there was just nothing for anyone. And they were the ones that laid the
[1:08:53] tracks in the runway originally. I wanted also my main purpose for standing up
[1:09:03] here is that I want to protest the discourtesy of aircraft owners who fly
[1:09:10] over my house regularly at 4 a.m. I probably have a rotten disposition
[1:09:17] because of them.
[1:09:27] I'm also furious with those who think it's fun to fly at 2 a.m.
[1:09:34] They do, and they come right over my house. I don't need more studies or
[1:09:42] examinations, or tests, or experts, or any other type of thing, to know how much these
[1:09:51] planes and copters are interfering with my life.
[1:09:55] And I urge immediate adoption of this much needed legislation, and I thank you for all
[1:10:06] your work.
[1:10:32] It's not a big speech. It's just to answer the ladies question.
[1:10:37] I want to get into a back and forth.
[1:10:41] It was the Department of Interior, Department of Commerce that paid for it.
[1:10:46] I don't know if the CCC, they provided labor, but it was Department of Commerce money.
[1:10:52] And I based this on an article in the East Hampton Star in 1937.
[1:10:58] It was one of the articles on my big poster.
[1:11:01] And it's still available online.
[1:11:04] Were it part of the WPA program?
[1:11:06] Well, yeah.
[1:11:07] But it's under the auspices of the Department of Commerce.
[1:11:11] And it was the Department of Commerce people that flew in and the town board showed
[1:11:17] up at the airport to thank them for the money.
[1:11:20] Thank you.
[1:11:23] David.
[1:11:23] for
[1:11:31] the second opportunity.
[1:11:32] I just want to correct the record about something, changing hats.
[1:11:38] It's been said here this evening that you have rushed to judgment.
[1:11:43] I want to reiterate part what Charles said.
[1:11:46] The committee that I chaired has been meeting every two weeks for more than a year, about
[1:11:50] 14 months, produced 13 sets of findings and a final report.
[1:11:55] You've had, I think, no less than four professional studies on which you are basing your actions.
[1:12:02] There was a committee parallel to my own of aviation interests that met as frequently as it chose to.
[1:12:11] And what not everyone is aware of is that there was also a financial advisory committee
[1:12:16] chaired by Arthur Malman, in which there were both aviation representatives and community representatives.
[1:12:22] That committee concluded a year ago, back in April, in a motion that was adopted unanimously.
[1:12:30] It was moved by Tom Toomey before his very unfortunate death and seconded by me.
[1:12:38] And that resolution advised the board that the airport could be financially self-sustaining
[1:12:42] without any helicopter traffic at all. And that finding still stands.
[1:12:47] The reason is that contrary to what you heard here tonight,
[1:12:51] it is not the case that the airport landing fees were $1.1 million last year,
[1:12:58] they were $1.7 million last year.
[1:13:01] And the airport has more than enough money at its current level to sustain
[1:13:05] all of the capital expenditures that it needs to pay an extravagant litigation budget.
[1:13:12] Yes, if traffic is reduced, something will have to be done to replace that revenue.
[1:13:18] I'm quite confident that the very well-heeled travelers to East Hampton can pay a modest increase.
[1:13:26] It would be for a small aircraft $6 per landing.
[1:13:30] For Gulfstream 5, it would amount to three additional minutes of travel time, the equivalent cost.
[1:13:36] I'm sure that can be sustained and that the finding of a year ago that the airport is financially self-sustaining
[1:13:42] without any helicopter traffic at all will certainly be true now that there's
[1:13:47] going to be still substantial helicopter traffic. Thank you.
[1:13:55] Susan has not spoken, Susan.
[1:14:02] Am I far enough away? You can hear me?
[1:14:04] I had not planned to speak. I'm Susan McGraw-Kieber. I live in Eastampton.
[1:14:09] You all know me. Thank you so much for having the meeting this evening for the public.
[1:14:14] I just have a quick question because this came to my mind today,
[1:14:18] and I am wondering if anybody else has wondered about it, I'm sure you have, but the helicopters
[1:14:23] are the single most egregious aircraft for our home in particular.
[1:14:29] The other things I can deal with, but the helicopters are the main disturbance over
[1:14:38] our house, and I'm wondering, since I have been looking up the helicopter companies
[1:14:43] that are taxi companies for commuters, I believe that we're going to be able to
[1:14:49] record their numbers when they land, and that's a way that we'll know that they
[1:14:53] come in once a week, but many of them don't own their own aircraft. They lease
[1:14:58] them, so
[1:15:00] It seems to me that they'll just start rotating, and that means one per week will be 10 per week or 20 per week.
[1:15:07] I don't know how many aircraft are owned by each of these companies.
[1:15:12] So is there a way that you have already thought about, you know, how to address that?
[1:15:17] I don't know. But it came to mind, and I'm trying to figure this out because it does...
[1:15:22] I'm sure they're going to figure out a way to get around that.
[1:15:25] So I don't know. It's just a thought, and I wanted to pass it along because I am...
[1:15:29] No
[1:15:32] one else who has not been heard that would like to be heard.
[1:15:35] Okay, I think completed
[1:15:40] our public.
[1:15:51] Resolution 2015-401 is approval of claims for warrant 4b for totals $1,551,348.32
[1:16:02] and utility warrant that totals $141,310.66.
[1:16:08] Second.
[1:16:09] September
[1:16:14] a mini bus driver Debra Morici to the Human Services Department at the hourly rate of 30 second
[1:16:21] Nation
[1:16:26] for five bond resolutions the acquisition of equipment for the police department acquisition of equipment for the town
[1:16:32] Acquisition of tandem yard semi tractor acquisition of heavy-duty
[1:16:55] on resolutions the Southlake well replacement in Montauk
[1:16:58] The water main replacement and the head of Harbor dock and Springs storage shed buildings and grounds
[1:17:04] reconstruction of highway truck and acquisition and installation of bleachers again these capital
[1:17:09] projects are class
[1:18:21] H14006 it's the semi-annual contract for the supply
[1:18:34] to extend another contract
[1:18:36] EH14042 again the semi-annual contract for the supply and delivery of groceries this was from
[1:18:41] october 2014 number
[1:19:13] 11 is to adopt local law amending chapter 75 of the town code regulating
[1:19:17] night-time operation of aircraft at East Hampton Airport.
[1:19:23] Second.
[1:19:36] 2015-412 is to adopt local law amending Chapter 75 of the Town Code, regulating evening, night-time,
[1:19:42] and early morning operations of noisy aircraft at East Hampton Airport.
[1:19:49] Second.
[1:19:59] 2015-413 is to adopt local law amending Chapter 75 of the Town Code, regulating operation
[1:20:05] of noisy aircraft at East Hampton Airport.
[1:20:08] This is the one trip a week, and this is where Peter found on page 35 we need to
[1:20:12] correct, the third whereas it's the October 30th, 2014, 24th.
[1:20:19] Seconded as amended.
[1:20:21] We'll have a roll call on that.
[1:20:23] Thank you.
[1:20:24] Thank you for giving me a chance to speak.
[1:20:27] I'd like to start by thanking Kathy and all of the airport
[1:20:31] committees and the various attorneys for getting us
[1:20:35] to this point.
[1:20:36] It's a very deliberate and exhausting process.
[1:20:39] And I appreciate that my colleagues are trying very
[1:20:41] hard to achieve a balance between restrictions at the airport, operations, and the needs
[1:20:47] of the community. I believe that for the two of the restrictions, the balance requires
[1:20:52] that we impose nighttime, evening, and morning curfews. I also appreciate that there is no
[1:20:58] clear answer to the balancing and that our job as town board members is to review
[1:21:02] the data and to reach the conclusion that we believe is best after reviewing the
[1:21:08] data, I do not believe that the balancing requires the two operations per week restriction.
[1:21:14] This restriction will seriously inconvenience airport users, and I'm not yet convinced that
[1:21:19] it will produce as many benefits as my colleagues believe.
[1:21:23] I would prefer to conduct the balancing in a manner that slightly favors the users
[1:21:27] at the airport.
[1:21:29] I respect and support the concept that the town board should reevaluate restrictions
[1:21:33] after the end of the 2015 session, concerned that politically it will be difficult for
[1:21:40] this Board to relax restrictions that are already in place.
[1:21:45] Therefore, I favor an approach which does not try to adopt all the possible restrictions
[1:21:50] at once.
[1:21:51] Instead, I favor an incremental approach.
[1:21:54] Let's impose the fewest restrictions possible, and if it proves unnecessary, we can impose
[1:22:00] additional restrictions next year.
[1:22:02] I think that that approach is politically more realistic than the possibility that the
[1:22:06] Town Board will reduce or eliminate restrictions at the end of the 2015 season.
[1:22:12] I remain concerned about the diversion of traffic to other airports.
[1:22:16] I appreciate that no one can, no one advance exactly how airport users will react to the
[1:22:21] restrictions.
[1:22:22] But I am not as willing as my colleagues to take a risk that traffic will be diverted
[1:22:27] to other airports.
[1:22:29] And finally, we need to be realistic about litigation. Simply stated, I believe that
[1:22:34] more restrictions we adopt, the greater the cost and complexity of litigation. We cannot
[1:22:40] prevent litigation, but we can reduce the number of parties who would have an incentive
[1:22:45] to sue. I believe that we will reduce our litigation exposure if we adopt just the
[1:22:50] curfews at this time and not the limit of two operations per week.
[1:23:08] I. Councilman Alburton. No. Supervisor Cantlow. Aye.
[1:23:38] 15-414 is to amend the 2015 Grant
[1:23:42] Agreement with Family Service League. The grant is still $50,000. We just had to revise Schedule
[1:23:47] A. Second. All those in favor? Aye.
[1:23:53] 15-415 is to authorize an order on consent with the
[1:23:56] Suffolk County Health Services in the amount of $2,250. Second. All those in favor? Aye.
[1:24:03] So carry.
[1:24:04] Force 16 is to pay a prior invoice to ECHO Lab for a dishwasher rental in the amount
[1:24:11] of $122.95.
[1:24:13] Second.
[1:24:14] To
[1:24:17] authorize three appraisals of the industrial park and one to
[1:24:26] memorialize eight goals for
[1:24:28] the East Hampton Airport to maintain the airport is safe and efficient, to enact the
[1:24:32] local laws, study the effectiveness of
[1:24:36] an advisory committee, coordinate with the
[1:24:39] congressional delegation, partner with Eastern Region Helicopter Council, work
[1:24:43] with the FAA on flight tracks. Second,
[1:24:53] various cap will improve.
[1:25:00] Councilwoman Burke on dollars.
[1:25:02] Aye. Councilman Vance Goya.
[1:25:04] Aye. Councilwoman Overby.
[1:25:05] Aye. Councilman Overton.
[1:25:06] Aye. Supervisor Catwell.
[1:25:08] All
[1:25:56] right, refinancing. The town will save over $2 million over the life of those bonds.
[1:26:05] And in addition to that, that bond offering received a $2 million premium in the market,
[1:26:11] and that $2 million will go towards reducing the total indebtedness of the town.
[1:26:18] When the board took office in 2014, January of 2014,
[1:26:24] one of these tampons had $119 million of total indebtedness.
[1:26:31] The debt service, the annual payments on that,
[1:26:34] caused
[1:27:04] the total indebtedness of the town by $10 million.
[1:27:07] The
[1:27:10] state
[1:27:27] that also our bond rating has been increased
[1:27:30] and our percentage rate as a result of that.
[1:27:41] The next resolution is 2015-420 and this is a bond for $50,000 for a tandem yard semi-tractor.
[1:27:56] Councilwoman Burke Gonzalez.
[1:27:58] Aye.
[1:27:58] Councilman Vance Goyak.
[1:27:59] Aye.
[1:28:00] Councilwoman Overby.
[1:28:01] Aye.
[1:28:01] Councilman Overton.
[1:28:02] Aye.
[1:28:03] Supervisor Cantwell.
[1:28:04] Aye.
[1:28:04] 2015-421 is a bond for $150,000 Reconstruct Heavy Duty Truck Highway.
[1:28:12] Councilwoman Burke Gonzalez.
[1:28:13] Aye.
[1:28:14] Councilwoman Vance Goyak.
[1:28:15] Aye.
[1:28:16] Councilwoman Overby.
[1:28:17] Aye.
[1:28:17] Councilman Overton, Supervisor Cantwell.
[1:28:21] 2015,
[1:28:25] Construction and Improvements to various town buildings.
[1:28:29] Councilwoman Burke-Gonzalez.
[1:28:31] Aye.
[1:28:31] Councilman Vance Goyak.
[1:28:32] Aye.
[1:28:33] Councilwoman Overby.
[1:28:34] Aye.
[1:28:35] Councilman Overton.
[1:28:36] Aye.
[1:28:36] Supervisor Cantwell.
[1:28:37] Aye.
[1:28:40] 2015, 423 is a bond for 255,000.
[1:28:48] Councilwoman Burke-Gonzalez.
[1:28:49] Aye.
[1:28:49] Councilman Vance Goyak.
[1:28:51] Aye.
[1:28:51] Councilwoman Overby.
[1:28:52] Aye.
[1:28:53] Councilman Overton.
[1:28:54] Aye.
[1:28:54] Supervisor Cantwell.
[1:28:55] Aye.
[1:28:56] 424 is to appoint part-time recreation aides to the Recreation Department
[1:29:00] Retur-
[1:30:00] $6,000 for contingency to radio line. Second.
[1:30:05] All those in favor?
[1:30:06] I
[1:30:12] raise a budget adjustment, insurance recovery for Hill Cemetery in the amount of $2,100.
[1:30:16] Second.
[1:30:20] 15-429, pay previous year invoice for FP,
[1:32:31] the downtown Montauk Recycling Bend project.
[1:32:34] This
[1:33:29] is the work session and we decided to go forward. There was some discussion that
[1:33:34] There is currently a plan to management plan for
[1:38:25] Montauk Avenue.
[1:38:28] Resolution 448.
[1:39:01] Position of a boat for the Marine Patrol.
[1:39:05] Councilwoman Burke-Gonzalez.
[1:39:08] Vance Goyak.
[1:39:08] Aye.
[1:39:09] Councilwoman Overby.
[1:39:10] Aye.
[1:39:11] Councilman Overton.
[1:39:12] Aye.
[1:39:12] Supervisor Cantwell.
[1:39:17] 450 is a bond for $75,000 for additional monies for record digitization system.
[1:39:27] Councilwoman Burke-Gonzalez.
[1:39:29] Aye.
[1:39:29] Councilman Vance Goyak.
[1:39:30] Aye.
[1:39:31] Councilwoman Overby.
[1:39:32] Aye.
[1:39:32] Councilman Overton.
[1:39:33] Aye.
[1:39:34] Supervisor Cantman.
[1:39:35] Hi.
[1:39:37] Honest to the approval of various mass gathering permits.
[1:39:57] Defense Club, Arts and Crafts Fair, September 5th and 6th.
[1:40:01] Devon Yacht Club, Club Sailing Regatta, August 12th.
[1:40:05] American Heart Association, Ride, May 16th.
[1:40:09] Devon Yacht Club, End of Season, September 26th.
[1:40:14] Devon Yacht Club, Dinner, July 25th.
[1:40:17] Devon Yacht Club, Fourth of July, Fireworks, July 4th.
[1:40:21] Eastampton Rotary, Run, August 1st, Mooded Warrior Soldier Ride, July 18th, Montauk Sports Triathlon, June 13th,
[1:40:33] National MS Society Bike Ride, September 12th, Ross School Starlight Ball, May 9th,
[1:40:41] and Nick Antoni's Farmers Market, Fridays from May 22nd through September 4th.
[1:40:48] Yes.
[1:40:58] 52 is to amend building permit fees.
[1:41:05] 53 is to accept bid EH-15-009. It's the annual
[1:41:11] contract for the Supply and Delivery of International Truck Parts. 2015, SCIOSIC truck sale
[1:41:26] contract
[1:41:26] for the Supply and Delivery of Hino Truck Parts. 2015, Gabriel Gabrieli. Truck sales,
[1:41:34] 2nd.
[1:41:35] All those in favor?
[1:41:36] Aye.
[1:41:39] 455 is the accept bid, EH-15-010.
[1:41:43] It's the annual contract for the supply and delivery of Mitsubishi truck parts.
[1:41:49] 2015, Siasat truck parts.
[1:42:15] Bloomberg-Gondolas.
[1:42:16] Aye.
[1:42:17] Councilman Vance Goyak.
[1:42:18] Aye.
[1:42:18] Councilwoman Overby.
[1:42:19] Aye.
[1:42:20] Councilman Overton.
[1:42:21] Aye.
[1:42:22] Supervisor Cantrell.
[1:42:26] The 8th is a bond resolution in the amount of $535,000.
[1:42:41] Vance Goyak.
[1:42:42] Councilwoman Overby.
[1:42:44] Councilman Overton.
[1:42:45] Supervisor Campo.
[1:42:47] And this is not a CPF acronym.
[1:43:37] Gonzalez.
[1:43:38] Councilman Vance Goyak.
[1:43:40] Councilwoman Overby.
[1:43:41] Councilman Overton.
[1:44:22] F1s are done by Scott and these other ones are...
[1:45:00] Down trustees have agreed, and we will
[1:48:59] retain George Walbridge surveyors for the
[1:49:05] Flora Nature
[1:49:06] Reserve to
[1:49:09] survey to locate the eastern edge of the pavement along Dolphin Drive and to find
[1:49:15] the property line every 125 feet and keep-