Source: http://huntingtonny.qscend.com/news/?FeedID=3692
Timestamp: 2019-02-22 09:17:46
Document Index: 369654409

Matched Legal Cases: ['§156', '§159', '§198', '§198', '§198', '§198']

1/30/2019 - Huntington Enacts Ethics Reforms, Strengthening Ethics Code & Financial Disclosure Requirements
At its January 29 meeting, this first of 2019, the Huntington Town Board enacted ethics reforms, strengthening the Town’s Ethics Code and financial disclosure requirements, scheduled fourteen public hearings for the February 13 Town Board meeting, among other Town business.
The Town Board voted to add clarifications and amendments to the Town Ethics Code to be consistent with State Law. Amendments included adding grandparents and grandchildren to the definition of “Relative;” adding dependents to reporting requirements; requiring Town political party chairpersons to file annual statements of financial disclosure; expanding the window, from 30 to 90 days, prohibiting Town officers and employees from seeking or accepting future private post-government employment with persons or organizations with certain matters pending before the employee or any board or commission; strengthening rules preventing nepotism; requiring reporting persons hired after the reporting deadline to file disclosure statements within 30 days of starting employment; and shortening the window, from six months to three months, in which newly elected, appointed or hired officers and employees must receive ethics training.
Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci stated: “Ethics reform has been a priority of my administration and I am pleased to announce that in addition to enacting term limits in my first month in office and successfully enhancing the independence of the Ethics Board from Town leadership during my first year, we have now strengthened the Town’s Ethics Code to ensure our government is as open and transparent as possible for the residents we serve.”
The Town Board also amended the Town of Huntington Annual Statement of Financial Disclosure, per the recommendation of Ethics Board counsel Stephen Leventhal, providing updated contact information for the Board of Ethics should a reporting person have an inquiry; making the box for checking “none” more conspicuous; excluding the reporting of credit card debt; and allowing for the aggregation of investments of less than 5% of publically-held corporations by identifying the brokerage firm (instead of individual stocks).
The Town Board allocated up to $115,000 in Neighborhood Enhancement funding from the EOSPA Open Space Land and Park Improvements Reserve Fund for parking and streetscape enhancements to the Poe Place right-of-way in East Northport, near Kew Avenue Park and John J. Walsh Park.
“My office has worked with the neighboring residents, East Northport Public Library and Larkfield Little League, holding meetings with multiple Town departments to address the parking and traffic safety concerns near the library and the Town’s parks and ball fields,” said Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci. “The much-needed improvements, supporting the usage of the Town’s parks and open space, includes 27 standard and two handicap-accessible parking spaces, concrete curbs, sidewalk, and handicap-accessible ramps, crosswalks, and signage along Poe Place to create safe community access to the parks and alleviate traffic flow issues.”
The Town Board approved the purchase a .25-acre vacant lot on the southeast corner of New York Avenue and Pulaski Road in Huntington Station from the County of Suffolk to establish much-needed parking in the area. While the parcel was listed at $10,000, Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci was able to negotiate a significantly discounted price of $2,500.
· Urged the New York State Legislature and Governor Cuomo to restore $1.1 million in funding for the Town of Huntington, which the Governor proposed be cut from the State’s Aid and Incentives for Municipalities Program.
· Urged the New York State Legislature and Governor Cuomo to enact legislation and appropriate funding to protect taxpayers in the Town of Huntington and the Northport-East Northport School District in the event of a settlement or an adverse judgment in the pending tax certiorari challenges brought by the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) and National Grid Generation, LLC.
· Renamed the Town of Huntington Opioid Task Force to the Town of Huntington Opioid and Addiction Task Force.
· Authorized the Town of Huntington Department of Planning and Environment to apply for free trees from the National Wildlife Federation’s trees for Wildlife Program to support the Town’s 2019 Earth Day and Arbor Day events.
· Amended the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 21 Environmental Open Space and Park Funds, to update and more accurately reflect the administration of EOSPA and criteria to be followed by EOSPA, specifically reflecting the use of revenue rather than the use of bonds, setting forth the criteria the Committee will utilize in making its annual recommendations to the Town Board, and removing the sunset provision set forth in this Chapter.
· Authorized the Supervisor to enter into an agreement with Cool Events, Inc. DBA Eventpower to produce the Town of Huntington Project P.L.A.Y. 5K Run Fundraising Event on May 18, 2019.
· Appointed Marietta Costa as a member of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee for the Dix Hills Water District to fill a vacancy on the committee upon the recommendation of other members of the committee.
· Appointed Susan Coleman as a member of the Advisory Committee pursuant to the Community Benefits Agreement to fill a vacancy on the committee.
· Appointed an organizational representative from the Fort Salonga Property Owners Association to serve as a member of the Crab Meadow Watershed Advisory Committee.
· Appointed Jeffrey M. Bartholomew and Kathleen Casey and reappointed Sam Miller and Sheryl L. Randazzo, Esq. as members of the Town of Huntington Board of Ethics.
· Appointed Nicholas D. Loizides and reappointed Jennifer Casey, Robert S. Kissam, Elissa Kyle, N. Christian Hansen, Lawrence Leek, and Alfred Walker as members of the Historic Preservation Commission.
· Reappointed John Borelli, Paul J. Ponturo, P.E., and Peter A. Wolpensinger, P.E. as members of the Plumbing Advisory Board of the Town of Huntington.
· Amended the name of the Dr. Samuel Teich House to the Dr. & Mrs. Samuel Teich House, at the request of the Teich family.
· Scheduled public hearings for the Wednesday, February 13, 2019 Town Board meeting at 7:00 PM:
Ø To consider awarding a license agreement for the use of private locker room space at Dix Hills Park Ice Rink with the Long Island Rebels.
Ø To consider issuing a Certificate of Approval in an Historic District Re: 22 Goose Hill Road, Cold Spring Harbor – Cold Spring Harbor Historic District.
Ø To consider installing a Stop Sign for westbound traffic on Catalpa Drive at Crest Drive in East Northport.
Ø To consider authorizing various actions be taken upon certain properties designated as blighted in accordance with Chapter 156, Article VII, §156-60 (Blighted Property).
Ø To consider exempting the Huntington Manor Fire District from Site Plan Review and the Town of Huntington Code as is necessary to build an exercise building on the east side New York Avenue, between East 12th Street and East 13th Street, Huntington Station.
Ø To consider adding a Stop Sign for northbound traffic on Sleepy Hollow Lane at Wildwood Drive in Dix Hills.
Ø To consider adding No Stopping restrictions on the west side of Tobey Place from 250 feet south of 5th Avenue south for 25 feet in East Northport.
Ø To consider amending the code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 159 (Recreational Facilities), Article III, (Permit for use of Park Facilities) §159-31 (Permit: Application, Conditions and Issuance), to adopt permit fees for the use of recreation or park facilities and establish a late fee if required documents are not submitted within the specified time period.
Ø To consider amending the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 160 (Registration and Permitting of Property), Article IV (Short Term Rentals), to require resident applicants to comply with all applicable state, federal, and local laws; to reduce the number of calendar days per year that a property may be used as a short-term rental from 120 to 90; and to strengthen the effect of the revocation of a short-term rental permit.
Ø To consider amending the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 178 Taxation, Article IV Alternative Veterans Exemption, to provide a real estate tax exemption to resident service men and women of the Town of Huntington who participated in Operation Graphic Hand during the 1970 U.S. Postal worker strike in order to maintain postal service operations.
Ø To consider amending the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 198 (Zoning), Article XVII (Planning Board Approvals), to help the Assessor’s office conduct a more accurate assessment on merged commercial properties and avoid placing an undue burden on commercial property owners with multiple tenants.
Ø To consider amending the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 198 Zoning, Article XVI Zoning Board of Appeals, §198-108 Continuation of Board; Members; Alternate Members; Term of Office, and Article XVII (Planning Board Approvals), §198-112 Rules as to Procedure; Hearings; Notice; §198-117 Term of Office; Procedural Rules and Regulations, to codify the authorization of the Town Board to select a Vice Chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) and Planning Board and establishing the Chairman’s duties.
Ø To consider amending the Code of the Town of Huntington, Chapter 198 Zoning, Article XVI Zoning Board of Appeals §198-113 Expiration of Special Use Permit, Special Exception or variance, to allow the ZBA to grant an additional extension to obtain a building permit at the conclusion of an initial six-month extension if the ZBA determines the applicant has demonstrated compelling reasons for the delay.
Ø To consider the execution of an extension to a license agreement nunc pro tunc pursuant to the Marine Conservation Law, Town Code Chapter 137, to maintain a residential pier assemblage. Owner: Douglas C. Horn and Robin K. Horn, Location: 14 Harbor Park Court, Centerport, N.Y.
Attachment: Existing Conditions and Removals at Kew Avenue and Poe Place in East Northport; Proposed Concept Plan for Kew Avenue and Poe Place in East Northport.