On Tuesday morning it appeared that a compromise allowing both the Montauk Artists Association and the Montauk Veterans Association to proceed with their Memorial Day weekend plans, both of which involve using the Montauk green, would be struck by the time a town board work session concluded. But whether the veterans would sign on to an idea developed by Councilman Dominick Stanzione in concert with Ken Walles, a member of the group, remained up in the air.

    At a meeting tonight, however, the town board is planning to approve the Montauk Artists Association’s mass-gathering permit request, giving them use of the green on the Friday, Saturday, and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, with the exception, on Sunday, of the area around the veterans memorial.

    Mr. Stanzione outlined the potential scenario on Tuesday: While the artists would proceed with their show and sale on the green, the veterans association would begin its Sunday parade at the western edge of town, at Second House, and conclude the march at the memorial on the green.

    The councilman said he had worked with East Hampton Town Police Chief Edward Ecker on plans to close an adjacent section of the traffic circle to cars, in order to provide more space for the veterans activities.

    On Monday, Memorial Day, the artists are to have vacated the green, which would be dedicated to the veterans use.

    Although Mr. Stanzione and Mr. Walles had gone through details of the plan, Tom Bogdan, another member of the veterans group, told the town board on Tuesday that, if the artists are to be allowed to use the green on Memorial Day weekend, his group would withdraw its request and base its activities solely at Second House instead. In return, however, he requested the board members’ “personal commitment” that the green would be reserved for the veterans exclusive use next year. “What you recommend is chaos,” he told Mr. Stanzione. “We’ll move.”

    But Mr. Stanzione pointed out that it is unlikely that the board would agree to a promise regarding next year.

    Supervisor Bill Wilkinson, who said he would recuse himself from a vote on the issue, as he is a veteran, called for a comprehensive discussion, in the fall, of how the green should be used. “There is a pretty good split” of opinions on the matter, he said, with some in Montauk of the belief that the central downtown open area should not be used for moneymaking enterprises.

    Councilwoman Theresa Quigley, while acknowledging the contributions of veterans, said to Mr. Bogdan that “artists are also a member of the community.” She agreed with comments made by Hy Brodsky, a Montauk resident who stressed the meaning of Memorial Day and its history as a one-day remembrance.

    “From day one, Decoration Day — now called Memorial Day — has been a one-day event,” Mr. Brodsky said. “It was compacted, and therefore it wasn’t diluted,” he said. “The meaning and significance was clear.” He said the holiday is a “passive day . . . to think about the lives of people who died. You don’t stretch that out,” he said. “You bring it all together in one day.”

    Ms. Quigley said she was unwilling to make a promise to allow only the veterans to use the green next year.

    Mr. Walles told the board that he would have to confer with other members of the veterans group as to whether Mr. Stanzione’s solution is acceptable.

    But, he said of the proposed compromise, “This is basically the leftovers. And I think it’s time we recognize the veterans. Let’s not give them the leftovers. Let’s not treat them as secondary citizens.”

    The future of the final parcel of undeveloped beachfront property on the dunes that run along Marine Boulevard in Beach Hampton in Amagansett was debated Tuesday night at an East Hampton Town Zoning Board of Appeals meeting.

    The applicants, a local family who own the half-acre property as Pandion L.L.C., had originally started an application process in 2008, but pulled their application in order to assess the impact of new Federal Emergency Management Agency regulations, according to Stephen Latham, their attorney.

    They want to build a one-story 2,173-square-foot house with a 1,400-square-foot deck, each about 40 feet from the crest of the dune, where 100 feet are required.

    Robert Grover, an environmental scientist hired by the applicants, told the board that the clearance is not needed in this case because the Amagansett dune is one of the most stable on the entire East Coast. “We’re in a big, massive surplus of sand that makes for a very stable shoreline,” he said.

    Speaking for the East Hampton Town Planning Department, Brian Frank, a chief environmental analyst, strongly opposed the variances requested, arguing, in part, that if granted, they would create a dangerous precedent for future variance appeals in the same area.

    Mr. Frank also disputed the testimony of Mr. Grover, pointing out that the patterns of sand movement from beach to beach are cyclical, and that it is impossible to say whether the dune could be breached in a massive storm.

    “Most coastlines are very dynamic. . . . You can walk here in the winter and see a very narrow beach,” Mr. Frank said later.

    Reading from a letter from the East Hampton Town Trustees, Deborah Klughers, a trustee, called the applicants’ requests “excessive and unnecessary.”

    One thing both sides seemed to agree on is the eclectic nature of the houses along Marine Boulevard. Some are relatively small and close to the street. Others are quite large, with green lawns and pebbled drives.

    Laurie Wiltshire of Land Planning Services, a firm hired by the applicants, argued that the size, relative location, and scope of the proposed building fell within the averages of the 25 surrounding houses in terms of proximity to dune crest, distance to the road, and overall size of the houses.

    Mr. Frank called the houses along the beach a stylistic hodgepodge built during different eras. He urged the board not to use the most egregious examples in an average when planning future building. “You can’t compare structures built in the 1990s or earlier to structures we are building now,” he said.

    The debate grew a bit heated when Mr. Frank requested that the hearing be left open for an additional week in order to respond to what he characterized as new information brought forward by the applicants.

    Don Cirillo, acting as chairman in Alex Walters’s absence, initially declined the request. Mr. Frank responded that such a request had never before been denied and that, in particular, the unusual plan for the septic system did require review. Sharon McCobb, a board member, then made a motion to leave the hearing open for one week, but only for the septic system aspects, and suggested giving the applicants an additional week to respond. The motion carried three to one, with Mr. Cirillo the lone dissenter.

    The East Hampton Town Board recently appointed new members to the East Hampton Town Planning Board, Town Zoning Board of Appeals, and the Architectural Review Board, bringing a number of new names into Town Hall.

    Last Thursday, the town board unanimously appointed James Patrick Foster and Ian Calder-Piedmonte to the planning board, and appointed Ruth Vered to the architectural review board. On Tuesday, Bryan Gosman of Montauk was appointed to the zoning board of appeals for a five-year term, and Lee White, whose term had expired, was appointed to fill the remaining two years of Phil Gamble’s term. Mr. Gamble resigned after 32 years on the zoning board. Alex Walter will become chairman of the zoning board.

    With Eileen Catalano’s unexpected resignation from the planning board earlier this month, there were three seats in play on that board. Mr. Foster will serve the remainder of Ms. Catalano’s term, through the end of 2013. Mr. Calder-Piedmonte will take up the final year of Peter Van Scoyoc’s term following Mr. Van Scoyoc’s election to the town board. The town board also reappointed Patrick Schutte to the planning board for another seven-year term, through 2018, reappointed Reed Jones as planning board chairman, and named Diana Weir the new vice chairwoman. Mr. Van Scoyoc abstained from the vote on the planning board appointments.

    “I actually did not plan on coming back, and quite a few people lobbied for me from the town, and asked me to come back,” said Mr. Schutte, who owns and manages Hampton Septic. “I do feel an obligation to help people with the process,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a great working board this year, and I’m excited about our future. I hope it will be harmonious.”

    Of her tenure on the planning board, Ms. Catalano said, “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served the town, and I look forward to continuing to do so in any way that I can in the future. I love East Hampton — it is an incredibly special place.”

    Mr. Foster has lived in East Hampton for 23 years, and is originally from Sag Harbor. “My family has been based in East Hampton and Southampton for many generations,” he said. He is a supervisor of the 911 center at East Hampton Village’s Emergency Services Building and is a vice president for Town and Country Real Estate in East Hampton.

    The planning board is “something I’d always been interested in, truthfully. I’ve got a lot of history in the town family-wise, and I just want to be a part of the future going forward,” Mr. Foster said. “I look forward to getting started.” 

    Mr. Calder-Piedmonte is from Monroe, Mich., and has lived in East Hampton for the past eight years. He is a partial owner of Basalm Farms and runs the farm’s stand in Amagansett. He said Tuesday that his appointment “was a little unexpected. I’m not by nature a really political person. It’s not something I sought out,” but “when I was asked I really recognized it as an honor, and I think it’s something I can do.”

    Mr. Calder-Piedmonte said he was “flattered with the response. I’ve had nothing but encouragement and positive words from the Planning Department and planning board. It seems like a lot of really good people, and I’m looking forward to meeting everybody.”

    Mr. Jones, a licensed insurance broker at Amaden Gay Agencies in East Hampton, said he is “very excited about our board and this upcoming term. We have some new youthful members that provide a wonderful balance of representation. . . . J.P. Foster has been a lifelong resident of the town and has tremendous experience. It is also a plus to have Ian Calder-Piedmonte. His farming background will provide us with an added benefit on farm related applications.”

    Ms. Weir, the new vice chairwoman, is the executive vice president of the Long Island Housing Partnership. She was appointed to the board in December to complete Frank Falcone’s term, which expires in 2018. Ms. Weir promised to “work diligently for East Hampton’s residents and businesses.”

    The town board discussed the zoning board appointments during a short executive session on Tuesday.

    When a resolution approving all of the appointments was offered during a subsequent public session, both Democratic board members, Sylvia Overby and Mr. Van Scoyoc, said that they had requested a separate vote on each appointment, but that the board majority had declined.

    Ms. Overby said that, though she supported the appointment of Lee White, and of Alex Walter as Z.B.A. chairman, she could not approve the appointment of Mr. Gosman, whom she did not know, or Don Cirillo’s designation as vice chairman.

    “In his capacity as vice chair,” she said, “he wrote a memo that said he doesn’t believe in the process — the process he was ruling on . . . and that the environmental assessment forms could safely be ignored.”

    “I can’t support someone in a leadership position who doesn’t believe in that process,” Ms. Overby said. “I think you have to believe in the process to render fair and accurate decisions for the community.”

    Councilwoman Theresa Quigley and Town Supervisor Bill Wilkinson disagreed with her assessment. “It’s inaccurate to say that Mr. Cirillo said that the environmental assessment forms could be ignored,” Ms. Quigley said. “I believe that’s your interpretation of what he said.”

    “I fully support Don Cirillo . . . because he has dared to ask important questions. He has dared to try to look at a process. . . ,” Ms. Quigley said.

    After Ms. Overby read from the memo in question, Mr. Wilkinson said that Mr. Cirillo “was writing about specific comments — what I believe were, at best, editorial comments on the part of the planners.”

    “Mr. Don Cirillo, as far as I am concerned, has brought a business dynamic to the zoning board,” the supervisor said. “People often confuse, as they do with us, business practices with abrasiveness, or pace of things, pushing things through.”

    Ms. Overby abstained from the vote on the appointments. Mr. Van Scoyoc, while noting again his objection to having to vote on all of them as a block, voted to approve them. Town Councilman Dominick Stanzione said he fully supported the resolution and that he had “great confidence” in the appointees.

     “I appreciate the support of the board,” Mr. Cirillo said yesterday. “Unfortunately, it couldn’t have been unanimous. It is what it is,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with Mr. Gosman,” he added, “I don’t have a problem with Alex being chair, I think he’ll be great. I thank Phil for his service, and I look forward to going forward with the board.”

    All of the town board members joined in acknowledging the 32-year tenure of Mr. Gamble, who received a proclamation at the Z.B.A. meeting Tuesday night. “He left a legacy of being plain-spoken and clear,” Ms. Quigley said at the town board meeting Tuesday. “I think that people see him as being fair,” she said, adding that he “looked out for our local community.”

    “These are very big shoes to fill,” said Mr. Walter, the new Z.B.A. chairman. Mr. Gamble has “redefined public service over the past 32 years.”

    “I think we made progress in refining some of the processes,” Mr. Walter said. “I think we can continue to do that, and find the balance between the property owners’ needs, the taxpayers’ needs, and at the same time protect the environment we live in. If we find that balance, we’re doing our job.”

    Mr. White, who fills out Mr. Gamble’s term, works in property management for John Lycke Home Services.

    Mr. Gosman works at Gosman’s Wholesale Seafood Fish Market in Montauk. As of press time, he had not returned calls for an interview.

    Ms. Vered, who lives in Sag Harbor, was appointed by a unanimous vote to a five-year term on the architectural review board and will serve through 2016, following Richard Baxter’s resignation. Owner of the Vered Gallery in East Hampton, she is involved with fund-raising locally for the East Hampton Fire Department, the Retreat, and the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons.

    “I’m really looking forward and very proud and happy to give something back to the community,” she said. “And I think I’m going to do a very good job because I care about East Hampton.”

     Robert Schwagerl, the architectural review board chairman, and Christopher DiSunno, the vice chairman, will continue in their positions.

With Reporting by Joanne Pilgrim

East Hampton Town

Constable’s Case Upheld

    The New York State Department of Labor has upheld a judge’s ruling that Kevin Maier, a former senior bay constable who worked for East Hampton Town for more than 23 years, before retiring in 2010, did so under duress in a “climate of fear and uncertainty” after Supervisor Bill Wilkinson threatened employees with layoffs, and so was entitled to unemployment benefits. Mr. Maier was initially denied the benefits, but that decision was reversed after a hearing.

    The town had argued that no particular positions had been targeted for cuts, but the judge said in his initial decision that Mr. Wilkinson “refused to talk to anyone, including the other members of [the] board,” creating “an atmosphere of uncertainty surrounding the claimant’s job security.”

    In its denial of the town’s appeal, the appeals board said that given the lack of specific information, and the potential for Mr. Maier to lose accrued sick leave pay, health coverage, and an opportunity to accept a retirement incentive, he had “good cause” to accept the retirement offer.

Welcome to the Board

    The East Hampton Group for Good Government will host a get-together on Saturday with the newly elected members of the town board, Sylvia Overby and Peter Van Scoyoc, who both ran on the Democratic ticket. The event will take place at 2 p.m. at the residence of Steven and Lauren Schwartz at 48 Ruxton Road in East Hampton.

Life-Saving Station Report

    Robert Hefner, a historic-preservation consultant to East Hampton Town, has completed a report on the Amagansett Life-Saving Station. The report details the history and architecture of the building, constructed in 1902 as one of a network of such stations along the South Shore, and makes recommendations for its restoration.

    The highest priorities, Mr. Hefner says, are to restore the porch, the boat-room doors, entrances and windows, and the boat-room interior. Restoring the station to how it appeared at any time from 1902 through July 1942, a month after a guard from the station encountered four Nazi agents who had landed from a U-boat, would maintain the building’s historical integrity, Mr. Hefner said in his report.

    The Coast Guard sold the station in 1966 to Joel Carmichael, who moved it to Bluff Road and used it as a residence, and whose family donated it to the town in 2007. It was moved back to its original location off Atlantic Avenue, and a committee recently formed to oversee and raise money for its restoration for use as a community center.

New G.O.P. Chairman

    The East Hampton Town Republican Committee unanimously elected Kurt Kappel as its new chairman at a committee meeting on Jan. 11. Mr. Kappel, a builder by trade who lives in Springs, has served as a Republican committeeman for eight years. He replaces Trace Duryea as the local party leader. Ms. Duryea steered the party through the 2009 and 2011 town elections and will continue her involvement in local G.O.P. politics as a committeewoman.

    In a release from the party, Mr. Kappel said he wants to use interest in the 2012 presidential election to get East Hampton voters more interested in town politics. “I want to remind people how East Hampton Republicans have restored our town’s finances, defended traditional rights like beach driving, and kept property taxes from rising,” he said. “Each one of these important issues help protect our residents and future generations. However, more work needs to be done. For instance, East Hampton still needs to provide an environment to create local year-round jobs and work on maintaining and preserving our beaches and fishing industries.”

    Mr. Kappel’s wife, Lisa R. Rana, is an East Hampton Town justice.

New York State

East End Redistricting

    A proposal to redraw New York State legislative districts, released by a legislative task force last week, would redraw the boundaries of the East End district represented by Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., of which East Hampton is a part. Currently the Second Assembly District, Mr. Thiele’s district would become the First Assembly District under the proposal, and Southold and Shelter Island Towns would be included, while the hamlets of Mastic, Mastic Beach, and Shirley would be transferred to another district.

    Under constitutional guidelines based on census population figures, each New York Assembly District should include 129,089 residents. The existing Second District contains 142,833 constituents; the new district would have 128,929, within the acceptable range. The proposed redistricting plan will be subject to public hearings. An initial response from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s office was negative, and the governor had vowed to veto district maps that were not drawn by an independent commission.

    In a release, Mr. Thiele said he also had supported independent, nonpartisan redistricting, sponsoring legislation that would have instituted such a process. He said it was “disappointing” that this year’s redistricting proposal was not done independently and that he would not vote for any redistricting plan this year that does not include a constitutional amendment ensuring that all future redistricting plans be prepared by an independent, nonpartisan commission.

    However, he said that after analyzing the proposed new First District he found that it meets “objective, nonpartisan criteria,” including that districts do not favor or oppose any political party, elected official, or candidate. “When a final plan is adopted, it will be in effect for the 2012 election,” the assemblyman said.

Money for More Rail Service

    Money for the purchase of small diesel trains that could be used for an East End integrated bus and rail shuttle service, which has been studied and discussed as a way to decrease traffic and provide more public transportation here, has been included in a proposed amendment to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s five-year capital plan. The amendment calls for a $37.2 million expenditure on five of the trains, which could provide additional service in the non-electrified parts of the Long Island Rail Road service area east of Ronkonkoma.

    According to a release issued by Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo’s proposed state budget for 2012 provides the first funding installment for the M.T.A. capital plan. A localized rail shuttle was “proven viable” during a L.I.R.R. pilot project, Mr. Thiele said, and the purchase of lighter, cost-effective shuttle trains is the next step toward increasing service here.

Grants for Storm Damage

    Grants are available for communities and businesses in New York that were damaged by Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. A total of $21 million has been allocated by the Business Flood Recovery Grant Program, administered by Empire State Development, for grants of up to $20,000 for eligible small business, farms, multiple dwellings, and not-for-profits to help offset the costs of storm-related repairs that are not covered by other federal, state, or local programs.

    The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and Empire State Development are awarding grants of $300,000 to $500,000, from a total of $9 million, for flood mitigation or flood control projects in waterways affected by the storms.

    With two new members sitting at the table for the first time on Jan. 25, the East Hampton Town Planning Board presented a unified front as it reached several significant decisions.

    In a 6-0 vote, with one member, Diana Weir, the vice chairwoman, recusing herself, the board approved a site plan application for Wainscott Wombles on the corner of Sayre’s Path and Montauk Highway in Wainscott. Ms. Weir had been the chairwoman of the Wainscott Citizens Advisory Committee before being appointed to the planning board earlier this winter, and had written letters to the town board on behalf of the committee regarding the project. “I thought it would not be appropriate to weigh in since it was in the works before I was appointed, and the committee had registered an opinion publicly,” she said in an e-mail Monday.

    Michael Davis, the applicant, plans to tear down a 1,375-square-foot building and replace it with a one-story office building with a full basement and the same dimensions as what is there now. He also plans to build a 600-square-foot, two-story residence for his son Zachary, with a first-floor garage along with eight parking spaces, and a new sanitary and water-supply system on the parcel. The property is a commercial site in a residential district. The existing building does not conform with current zoning for the district, but was built before those rules were in place.

    At a hearing on Dec. 7, people opposed to the project questioned the legalities for both a commercial and residential use on a residential lot. Other speakers expressed concern that the project would alter the landscape and mar the rural character of the area. Many claimed it would be a catalyst pushing other commercial properties to expand to a dual use, and lead to more density.

    David Eagan of MacLachlan and Eagan, the attorney for the Concerned Citizens of Wainscott, has appealed a determination by Tom Preiato, the town’s senior building inspector, which allows for a commercial and residential use on the property, to the East Hampton Town Zoning Board of Appeals. According to Mr. Eagan, the two uses, commercial and residential, cannot co-exist on the same lot. The appeal was scheduled for a public hearing on Jan. 17, but was postponed as appointments to the Z.B.A. had not been finalized. A new date has not been set.

    The planning board does not have jurisdiction over zoning, and did not address the issue. Denise Schoen, the applicant’s attorney, informed the board at the hearing that town code permits two uses on a commercial property, and this lot already had an office and retail use. Its nonconforming business use, she said, also allows for there to be two uses on the site — the retail business and an office, as well as the proposed single family residence.

    Ms. Schoen presented the board with a list of almost 20 commercial properties in the area with secondary residential uses. Land Planning Services, which represents the applicant and has offices two lots east of Wainscott Wombles, was given as an example of an existing commercial site with both a business and residential use.

    The Planning Department found 17 parcels in the vicinity and said most of them had uses that pre-existed zoning. These parcels are located in residential zoning districts with some containing more than one commercial use, and others a mixture of residential and commercial uses. The residential use became an accessory use when added to a pre-existing commercial use. Two specific examples were cited where a residence had been added to a commercial use and one where a second commercial use was added to a parcel in a residential zone.

    In a separate memo to the board, the planning board’s attorney, Kathryn Santiago, said that the two uses were legal, and the Planning Department concluded that the proposal was in keeping with town code.

    “Of course, there has been a bit of drama involved with it,” said Bob Schaeffer, a board member, but he added, “I think it’s an improvement to the character of Wainscott.” Parking will be located behind the building instead of in front of it, and the building will no longer house a retail business or a diner, as it once did, he said. “I think the building is new and better looking than the old one, and the landscaping is improved. Which will be a better sight when one is driving through Wainscott,” he said.

    During the hearing a speaker had compared the completed project to something on County Road 39 in Southampton, and Mr. Schaeffer strongly disagreed, claiming there was “no merit in that at all.” Also, he said, “I don’t agree this would be precedent setting. . . . We were asked for counsel to advise us, so she has. I recommend to the board no further changes necessary.”

    The rest of the board agreed with Mr. Schaeffer. “I’ve supported this application from the beginning; my opinion hasn’t changed. The Planning Department has addressed all the concerns, and it all falls within town law,” said Nancy Keeshan, a board member.

    “We have a pre-existing nonconforming with two uses already there, an office and residence — we promote this. We’ve been trying to get these apartments over structures for a long time,” Pat Schutte, a board member, said. “I am comfortable with our counsel’s determination and the building inspector that this is legal. I’m comfortable with this application moving forward,” he said.

    The two new members to the board also concurred. “From what I’ve gone through, and the recommendation from legal and the building inspector, I’m very comfortable,” said J.P. Foster.

    “I’ve been briefed on this application, and many of the issues of this are out of our jurisdiction. Let this go to the building inspector. This all seems in compliance with town code, I support this application going forward,” said Ian Calder-Piedmonte.

    Reed Jones, the chairman, concluded the vote, “This was a very spirited public hearing. Both sides had good points. After the public hearing a lot of research was done, and I’m comfortable with what counsel has shown us,” he said.

    The board also added a covenant that the garage will be solely for residential use.

    Later that evening, in a unanimous decision, the board also approved Red Wolf Broadcasting’s application for a tower to serve a new radio station. The station, 94.9 FM, will be located in Montauk, and could be up and running by the spring.

    A concrete and gunite plant found to have been operating illegally on part of a five-acre property behind the Agway site on Snake Hollow Road in Bridgehampton has been removed following a successful lawsuit against its owners by the Town of Southampton and neighboring property owners.

    After East End Concrete and its principal, David Schiavoni, were sued in 2008, a court stipulation called for the plant to cease operations and all materials and structures to be removed from the site.

    Mr. Schiavoni and his company were subsequently found to be in contempt of that court order, and last month, an appeals court upheld that decision, Eric Bregman, a Southampton attorney representing the neighbors, reported.

Continued industrial activities at the property after the initial court stipulation that they cease resulted in a determination in May 2010 that the company and Mr. Schiavoni were guilty of both civil and criminal contempt. The court found that, instead of stopping work, it had continued, and retaining walls and concrete walls had been poured for a new building at the site, which was unapproved. Fines were imposed, including $15,000 on the criminal contempt charges, and Mr. Schiavoni was conditionally sentenced to 30 days in jail if they were not paid.   

    It is a national and state election year and more people than just the candidates are throwing their hats into the ring. Diana Weir, who only last week retired from her job as executive vice president of the Long Island Housing Partnership, will take the reins as manager for the congressional campaign of Randy Altschuler, the likely nominee of the Republicans to challenge Representative Tim Bishop’s re-election campaign.

    Mr. Bishop, a Democrat, and Mr. Altschuler faced off in 2010 in a hard-fought, sometimes bitterly negative, and very close race that was not officially decided until weeks after the election and then by only 593 votes.

    While Mr. Altschuler was targeted as a carpetbagger in the last election, adding Ms. Weir to his team should help allay that characterization. “I know so many people, living here for so long. I hear concerns and will do outreach to all: the community leaders and the different groups I’ve been working with all of my life. I will provide a very local face to show how Randy really cares about the community,” she said.

    On Tuesday, Chris Russell, a spokesman for the Altschuler campaign, agreed that choosing Ms. Weir to run the campaign would put a local face on the election effort. He dismissed the previous portrayal of Mr. Altschuler as an outsider, noting that “Randy has been a member of the community for several years along with his wife and is raising his kids here.” Still, “Diana is a prominent figure locally and that’s a plus for us. She will be able to use those connections across the wide range of public and private entities in Suffolk County,” which, he added, is struggling economically in comparison to the rest of New York.

    Mr. Altschuler went into the last race battle weary from a late primary battle with two other challengers. This time, he has the endorsement of both state and county Republican leaders, including Edward Cox, the state party chairman and father of Mr. Altschuler’s previous primary opponent Chris Cox, and John Jay LaValle, the county party chairman. Other officials who have endorsed him include former Governor George Pataki and the Conservative Party’s state chairman, Mike Long.

    George Demos, who was the other primary opponent in 2010, is expected to mount another challenge this year should the Republican and Conservative parties endorse Mr. Altschuler. Even so, the primary is now scheduled for June, well ahead of the November election.

    Ms. Weir, who was former Representative Michael Forbes’s chief of staff before he became a Democrat, played key roles in his campaigns. She is a former East Hampton Town Board member and was the first Hispanic councilwoman to serve the town. Her résumé includes other public sector roles, including serving on the board of Long Island Power Authority, the Stony Brook University Council, and as a county human rights commissioner. She holds various honors from El Diario/La Prensa, the Suffolk County Hispanic Heritage Month, and the United States Small Business Administration. She was also recently appointed to the East Hampton Town Planning Board.

    Ms. Weir said that Mr. Altschuler’s “pulled-up-by-his-bootstraps” background inspired her and she felt she was needed by the campaign. “He understands what it is to survive tough times. Raised by a single mother, he and his brother had to struggle to get where they are and he is very proud of that.”

    She said this year’s election will be about jobs. In a new rebuff to assertions that Mr. Altschuler’s first company, Office Tiger, was a job outsourcer, she said the Obama administration “outsourced the space mission to Russia. It’s just the way it is” in the global economy. Still, she said that should not detract from the need for people in government who “have had to make a payroll, make a business happen, make jobs happen.” Mr. Altschuler sold Office Tiger in 2006 and now owns a domestic electronic equipment recycling company called CloudBlue that has created more than 300 American jobs, according to his campaign.

    Local issues will count, but it is the state of the national economy trickling down to large job losses on Long Island that will be a centerpiece of the campaign, Ms. Weir said. “At different times, we have different needs. Right now, it’s the economy. You can’t get away from it.” Pressures on small businesses from new health mandates and tight credit and a “housing market in shambles” will also be key issues. “We need a major shake up.”

    And, once again, things could get ugly. Asked about the negative and sometimes scurrilous ads put forward by both sides last time, Ms. Weir said it was possible to see more of the same this time. “It’s just the business of things on both sides. We will go on the record with hard facts and build our message.”

    Since Mr. Altschuler has not been officially designated as the Republican candidate, Ms. Weir said the campaign will continue to work relatively quietly until then. An announcement is possible in the next week or so, according to Mr. Russell.

    Although Mr. Altschuler lost last time, she said it’s a different election this year and this has always been a swing district. “I figure Tim Bishop has been in office a long time, eight years. We have momentum, we will keep it going.”

New York State

LaValle Tapped for Library Committee

    State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle, who represents New York’s First District, has been named to the newly formed Senate Select Committee on Libraries. The committee is charged with gauging the future needs of the state’s more than 7,000 public and school libraries and making recommendations on library-related state legislation.

Federal

Temporary Jobs Open at U.S.P.S.

    The United States Postal Service has announced that it is hiring postal workers on the East End of Long Island, including in East Hampton, through an online-only application system. The number of workers hired for each East End office will vary. The East Hampton Post Office has five positions open, according to John Loehr, the East Hampton postmaster “These are not permanent positions,” he said, and do not offer benefits, but they could be for up to a year. The Postal Service will begin accepting applications today and close entries on Feb. 23. The pay scale ranges from $14.60 to $22.15, depending upon the position. Applications can be made at usps.com/employment. Those interested can click the “Search jobs & apply online” link to see what is available and create an applicant profile.

East Hampton Town

Going Private at Terry King

    The town tennis courts at the Terry King recreational area on Abraham’s Path in Amagansett could become the next facility to be handed to a private entity to operate, as the town board agreed last week to issue a request for proposals from potential operators.

    Operation of the adjacent enclosed roller hockey rink has already been privatized, with Sportime, a company that runs a nearby camp, now in charge of the facility. A public tennis court in Montauk is also being operated by an outside company, and the board will this week receive proposals from companies interested in running the scavenger waste facility.

    The Terry King tennis courts are in need of work, and the specifications for proposals, which are available at the Purchasing Department, call for bidders to do the renovations. Proposals must be submitted by 3 p.m. on Feb. 16.

Intersection Redo

    After hearing from the town police chief, highway superintendent, and town engineer, the town board approved a proposal to change the traffic pattern at the intersection of Accabonac Road and Abraham’s Path in East Hampton, requiring traffic on Accabonac Road to come to a stop at the corner, and allowing drivers on Abraham’s Path to continue through the intersection without stopping.

    At present, drivers going north and south on Abraham’s Path encounter a stop sign, while those on Accabonac are not required to stop at the intersection. There have been 23 accidents at that spot in the last 10 years — “not a lot” according to Tom Talmage, the engineer — but traffic along Abraham’s Path has increased, perhaps because of trucks being rerouted as a result of limitations enacted by East Hampton Village. To allow drivers to become accustomed to the new rules, new stop signs will be put up with the old ones kept in place until the fall, making a four-way stop.

    Also according to a vote last week, stop signs will be placed at South Elmwood Avenue in Montauk for traffic heading east-northeast, and at South Edgemere Street, affecting those bound west-southwest.

New Charity Committee

    Councilwoman Theresa Quigley got the go-ahead from the rest of the town board to form a charity committee charged with discussing ways the town can help private nonprofits. Annual grants to some groups have been cut virtually completely out of the town budget, but, Ms. Quigley said, “When money runs dry, there are other ways we can support them” — helping disparate groups coordinate to share services or space, for instance.

Expediting Solar Panels

    After a hearing last Thursday night that drew no speakers, the board passed a local law allowing for expedited review and permitting of the installation of rooftop solar panels on residential buildings. Councilman Dominick Stanzione has been working in conjunction with the county and members of other municipalities on uniform laws for solar installations, and the law is a result of that process.

    Under the new criteria, building permits can be issued at no cost for solar equipment that does not require architectural review board approval, is flush-mounted no more than six inches above the roof, and meets other specific criteria. The equipment must be installed by a certified installer using approved materials. Permits must be issued within 14 days of a complete application.

    In addition, the Building Department will maintain a list of solar installations, and the addresses at which they are placed will be shared with emergency responders. Signs indicating that a solar-electric system is operating must be placed on site, with utility meters and disconnect switches marked.

    Another law approved by the board last Thursday after a hearing with no speakers provides for the concurrent processing of site plan applications by the planning board and the architectural review board, “in order to increase efficiency,” according to the resolution.

STAR Exemption Deadline

    March 1 is the deadline for applications for property tax exemptions such as the School Tax Assessment Relief, or STAR, exemption, and those offered to senior citizens, veterans, and people with disabilities or limited incomes. Application forms and additional information can be obtained from the East Hampton Town Tax Assessors’ office and must be submitted to that office.

    In East Hampton, households with less than $500,000 in annual income are eligible for the basic STAR exemption. Those who have already applied do not need to reapply each year. Annual renewal is required, however, for a senior-citizen exemption offered to those 65 or older with gross earnings of less than $37,400 a year and for the enhanced STAR program, which provides a tax exemption for those over 65 with an annual adjusted gross income of $79,050 or less.   

    East Hampton Town’s longtime director of natural resources, Larry Penny, confirmed reports this week that he has been absent from the department’s offices for several weeks, ever since town officials announced they had dropped 16 disciplinary charges against him and said he planned to retire.

 “I’m not free to talk about the situation,” Mr. Penny said. He referred further questions to his attorney, Thomas Horn, who, in turn, said on Tuesday that he was limited in what he could say. “A more normal schedule and round of duties will be taking place,” Mr. Horn said.

    According to the town attorney, John Jilnicki, Mr. Penny “is working on special projects outside the office and in, as needed.”  Mr. Jilnicki said Tuesday that Mr. Penny, whose annual salary is $95,910, remains on the town payroll and had not yet submitted formal retirement papers. Mr. Horn verified that was the case.

    The natural resources director was suspended for 30 days without pay on Dec. 7, and presented with a lengthy list of complaints, including misconduct, incompetence, and insubordination. A document detailing the charges included a failure to oversee his employees and the department’s financial matters and a lack of oversight of work done under environmental permits. It also cited a collection of animal remains in a basement freezer beneath the natural resources offices, which Mr. Penny  previously had been ordered to dispose of.

    Town officials’ sudden reversal of that hard line was left largely unexplained. “Now, after frank discussion between both sides, the town board believes it is in the best interest of everyone to close the matter,” a press release in January said. In the release, Town Supervisor Bill Wilkinson complimented Mr. Penny, saying, “His efforts to preserve the natural resources of the town have had a direct impact on the quality of life of the residents of the town.” 

    Meanwhile, East Hampton Town Councilman Dominick Stanzione, the town board’s liaison to the Natural Resources Department, said that candidates for Mr. Penny’s position were being interviewed. Officials also appear to be making new plans for the future of the department.

    Speaking to Diane McNally, the clerk of the East Hampton Town Trustees, at a board meeting last Thursday night, Councilman Stanzione said that, with changes in the department, he looked forward to renewed cooperation and accomplishments with the trustees. He declined to elaborate this week.