Town Hall

The adopted budget covers about half of what the transfer station cost to run. Public Works Director Matthew Walsh told the council Sept. 22 that it is funded basically through January, perhaps a couple of months longer with the fee increases already approved.

His memo lays out three paths: close it, share a neighboring town's station, or cut back how bulky waste is accepted. The council asked staff to schedule a public workshop.

The council on Sept. 22 set a public hearing for Tuesday, Oct. 13, on a change the Agriculture Commission asked for: dropping its requirement for three nonvoting youth members, and instead directing the commission to "encourage and solicit active participation" by local young people interested in agriculture.

The change also labels the animal control officer's seat as nonvoting.

The council voted 6-0 on Sept. 8 to spend $15,444.25 of the town's opioid settlement money on a LUCAS mechanical CPR device for the East Hampton Ambulance Association, plus $15,000 for training. The town had about $110,000 in settlement money, which must be spent under the settlement's rules.

Chris Wherry, the association's chief of service, said it runs three ambulances and would ideally have a device on each; one existing device was out of service and another had reached its recommended service life.

On Sept. 8 the council added a paragraph to its Aug. 11 minutes timing how long resident Becky Abbott spoke during public comment, then tabled the minutes. On Sept. 22 Council member Richard Knotek moved to strike the paragraph, calling it "a form of intimidation." The amendment passed with one no vote, from Ted Hintz Jr.

Chairman Dean Markham asked the council's bylaws subcommittee to look at how town boards write minutes and take public comment.

The town swapped North Cone Road into this fall's paving in place of Childs Road, which needs too much drainage work to finish before paving season ends. Crews have reclaimed Abbey Road and North Cone Road, grinding up the old pavement to reuse as the base, and the paving contractor was tentatively scheduled to start Sept. 21, weather permitting.

Drainage work on Childs Road starts later this fall. Separately, crews are replacing rusted drain pipes on Barton Hill and Wangonk Trail, where sinkholes opened after heavy rain.