September 29th Meeting Notes

Intro to Trustees role and HBCA business

Passing of Eve Houlihan announcement
Motion to delay elections Janice motion, Jacquie second, all in favor
Pledge of Allegiance
Ed Warner, Jr., Incumbent
HB local resident, family fishing for decades
SCCC marine technology student, commercial payment
Trustee for 10 years
1985 realized the bay had changed, first brown tide
Trustees have supported Chris Goebler in replenishment of marine shellfish, with success
Scott Horowitz, Incumbent
HB local resident
SH College grad, part time Bay Constable, seasonal PO, businessman now
Worked on Ponquogue Bridge fishing pier plan to maintain ecosystem and public access
Liaison to Bay Constables, secured funding to purchase a boat for them
Worked to get sunken Smiths Creek vessel removed
Eric Schultz, Incumbent
Planning Board, Conservation Board member
Feels wealthy homeowners are attacking the access rights of the general public to the
waterfront
Adamant that a strong board is necessary to fight these battles
Politics has no place in Trustees, vote for the appropriate people who can do the job
Wants to see increased access to the waterfront, for a longer season
Water quality is the other big issue
William Pell, incumbent
Wants to fight for beach access for everyone
Adamant we need a strong board to fight for this access
Ray Overton, incumbent
Just completing his first term on the board
Says we need to work across party lines and jurisdictional lines
Working with villages to ensure they do not pass legislation to restrict Town resident access
from village beachfront
Water quality is a major issue
Need to work with property owners to upgrade septic systems especially near the bays
Tim Corwin, candidate
Local resident, family has been here since 1600s, owns Corwins jewelers
Says bays never recovered since the 1985 tipping point
Water quality is the biggest problem
All new construction should be required to have latest technology septic systems
CPF funds should be tapped into for funding to assist with upgrades of septic

Don Law, candidate

Local resident, bayman for many years, has a charter boat business
Said this year he has seen for the first time some scallops and some recovery of marine life
Dongan Patent rights need to be fought for
We need to upgrade septic systems and end lawn runoffs to help water quality
Bruce Stafford,
Sag Harbor resident, self-employed, avid fisherman and beach goer
37 years as volunteer fireman, 2 years as Sag Harbor Trustee, responsible for docks and
firemen
Says water quality is the main issue
Would like to get grants to assist people with upgrading septic systems
Says sewer systems can be helpful
Southampton Water Protection Plan
Ed Warner, Jr.
Crafted the document for years with the Town and then the Trustees stepped out of it
Document has many positive things
If Town doesnt adopt it as LWRP with the state, the Town should adopt it locally as an appendix
onto the Master Plan
Includes important plans for global warming and grant money
Scott Horowitz
This plan appears to be cookie cutter, not unique like this Town
Need elected officials at every level that understand the need to protect access
Wants to work locally to protect the water/waterfront, grant money is not worth it to adopt as
LWRP
Eric Schultz
2 years ago convened meeting with Southold and East Hampton trustees with consultants
They all said the plan was horrible for Southold so they adopted reso to not adopt it
Every decision must pass through a consistency officer to make sure it meets with the plans
guidelines
There are good things in the plan but should not be LWRP, should be done as part of the Master
Plan
William Pell
Should not adopt the plan as LWRP
Ray Overton
Plan does not include the villages or the County, cannot be successful this way
Need to get everyone to the table to agree on preservation of waterfront, from the governor on
down
If adopted by all agencies, it could be a good plan, otherwise make part of the Master Plan
Tim Corwin
Agrees we should not adopt the plan

Don Law
Cautious about the plan as well
Adopt what works for us as part of the Master Plan
Bruce Stafford
Up to the Trustees to iron out details of the plan, keep it local for now
Questions from the Audience:
1. North Sea homeowner concerned about funding to accomplish what we need to do. How
much money should Southampton Town commit to shellfish hatchery?

Ed Warner: Town used to give $25K/year, now $0. Trustees should ask Town Board for
$100K for an oystery.

Scott Horowitz: Trustees have been working creatively as no funding has been forthcoming.

Eric Schultz: $300K wasted on lawsuits with no help from the Town Board. All funded
programs have been cut by the Town Board and they had to resort to selling sand to buy
new trucks. Hopes this years Town Board budget will include $30K to start seeding.

William Pell: We dont have a budget like East Hampton. Maybe we should follow East
Hampton methods - they are much more strict on shellfish regulations and they have a
hatchery.

Ray Overton: Town governed by the NYS tax cap so how can we do this without tax
money? Partner with organizations like Scouts. Wants to encourage outside organizations
to recruit funding from private sources. Most funding for restoration of these types
(Narragansett, Chesapeake) comes from private sources. We need to do a better job
getting the word out for the need for private donations.

Tim Corwin: We should support shellfish hatcheries. Does not think we have a problem
with clams, just with oysters. Doesnt think nitrogen is the main problem.

Don Law: Cant believe the Board has not provided funding for the necessary remedies.
Need to press the Board to allocate more funding.

Bruce Stafford: Thinks we should be able to get grant money and also work with Cornell on
hatchery and re-seeding. We need to also address the septic system problem.
2. Trustees are seen as less political than other politicians. How can they use that reputation
as a bully pulpit to gather support from members of the community for help?

Ed Warner: They have been proactive to reach out to all elected officials in other agencies
at all levels to work with the Trustees, including Federal government.

Scott Horowitz: They have used support of community at public meetings on particular
issues as leverage to increase overtime budget for water protection agencies. Town Board
has also agreed to fund 50% of Trustees legal battles also because of public support from

meetings like the Civics. They need more people to speak up in support.

Eric Schultz: Sincerely grateful the Civic devoted a whole evening to the Trustees. Feels
this is due to public support and the fact that they have televised their meetings and made a
Facebook page. They have encouraged public to ask questions of Town Board candidates
about what they will do to help the Trustees and protect water quality.

William Pell: Town Board needs to realize the Trustees are working hard to protect what the
public loves. They need to get on board to help.

Ray Overton: Public needs to spread the word more among their friends to encourage
people to get involved. The attendance of this meeting is not nearly enough for what we
should see in Hampton Bays. We need to figure out a way to get people to realize the
importance of the Trustees and the issues they are dealing with, and not just pay attention
when its a development project. People need to speak out about support for the Trustees
and not just about controversial issues.

Tim Corwin: Would like to see the Trustees have a separate tax line so funds go directly to
the Trustees. Need an up-to-date Trustees web site and more interaction by e-mail with the
public.

Don Law: We need to educate the public about what the Trustees do. Most of the public
does not know.

Bruce Stafford: Trustees need to remain part of the Town government or else they will have
to duplicate services. He says community members must vote and be more vocal.
3. Did the Trustees get back the money they were ruled unable to keep that they had gotten for
sand sales? It appears in the Town budget that they are starting to get respect back from
the Board. Make sure the new Town Board respects Trustees authority.

Scott Horowitz: The Trustees never turned over any money. They got a stay of the
injunction and in the meantime forged a relationship with the Town Comptroller, whose
responsibility is only to make sure the money is safeguarded and in compliance with general
municipal law. The Trustees never gave the Town Board control over any funds. The
Trustees are now using the most current technology to protect the taxpayers and make the
Trustees more impervious to legal challenges. Since the Trustees adopted a public budget
for the first time ever this year, they are fully transparent, which is important.

Ray Overton: It was homeowners that sued to block the funds. The Trustees worked with
the Town Board as soon as the injunction was made and everyones goal was to get the
Trustees back in control of their own finances.

Ed Warner, Jr.: Court ruling said the Trustees have been handling finances properly for 400
years so should be allowed to continue to do so. They are very happy with the ruling, as is
the Town Board.

Tim Corwin: Reiterated that the Trustees should have a separate tax line.

4. The Town Boards use of PDDs has cut the Trustees out of the process of water protection
and waterfront access decisions. How will you prevent this from happening in the future?

Ed Warner, Jr.: Planning department has come to the Trustees for input on a project
recently so maybe this is changing. Since the Trustees have built a better working
relationship with the Board, he hopes this will not happen again. If it did, he would reach out
to the Board to allow their input, although the Canal itself is not Trustees jurisdiction, but
access to the canal is.

Scott Horowitz: Trustees are frequently asked for their input on development projects. In
projects where the Trustees have no jurisdiction, all they can do is make it clear they are
concerned about water quality. Wants to see the environmental impact statements for all
large projects.

Eric Schultz: Trustees have expressed disappointment with not being involved in beginning
discussions of some big projects in the past but he feels this has changed due to public
pressure and will be different in the future.

William Pell: Agrees with the first three.

Ray Overton: Trustees should only comment once the environmental impact statement is
complete.

Tim Corwin: Trustees need a working relationship with the Board. Endorses Julie Lofsted
and John Bouvier because of that.

Don Law: Gray area because of Trustees jurisdiction but they should be involved in
anything that jeopardizes health of the bays.

Bruce Stafford: Working relationship with the Board is important. The Trustees will
comment on any issue relating to the bay bottoms.