With swimming season set to begin soon, a question remains about whether the public should be warned against taking a dip in Lake Montauk from a beach along the shore at South Lake where parents have long brought children to wade and splash. Water tests have revealed skyrocketing levels of organisms that indicate fecal contamination, particularly after heavy rain.

    In a presentation to the East Hampton Town Board earlier this year, the Lake Montauk Technical Watershed Advisory Committee, which has been working on an anti-pollution plan, recommended replacing a sign at the beach that says “Swimming Prohibited: No Lifeguard on Duty,” with a more explicit message stating that “all water contact in this area should be avoided.”

    That proposed sign, complete with a depiction of a swimmer circled in red with a red slash, drew criticism from Councilwoman Theresa Quigley, who called it “completely contradictory” to the town’s goal of having people enjoy the beach. “The intent of the sign is to let people know that there is a possible health risk there,” Brian Frank, a town planner and watershed committee member, told her. 

    The South Lake beach has traditionally been the site of sailing lessons offered by the Town Recreation Department. The lessons are set to begin on June 24, though a new location is being considered, the County Health Department having recommended that the program be moved because of the water-quality issue.

    Because South Lake has no lifeguard it is not considered an official county bathing beach. (The county mandates the “no swimming” notices wherever bathers are unprotected.)

    Ed Michels, the town’s chief marine patrol officer, called the situation “a catch-22,” and has been seeking a firm answer from the Health Department as to whether he should be enforcing “no swimming” at the Lake Montauk beach based on health concerns. If that is the case, he said this week, it could also be true at a number of other town beaches. He said he believes the contamination stems from stormwater runoff, but “if that water is constantly contaminated” he would feel compelled to have officers keep swimmers out.

     Mr. Michels’s inquiries resulted in the county recommendation to move the sailing program.

    The county normally performs water-quality tests only at official bathing beaches, from May through September, including after heavy rainfall. If a public health hazard is found, the beach must be conspicuously posted with a sign prohibiting its use. Water samples are tested for levels of “indicator organisms,” harmless microbes found in the intestinal tracts of humans and other warm-blooded animals, that can indicate fecal contamination and potential disease-causing pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

    At marine beaches, the organism that is measured is enterococcus. A base measure equals 104 “colony-forming units” per milliliters of water.  The results of water tests done at South Lake last year and in 2011, at the town’s request, show levels as high as 1,740 c.f.u. at one point in 2011, with a range from less than 4 c.f.u. to levels in the 800s on an August day in 2011, and a range from 20 to 136 c.f.u. in four test results from last summer. The levels spike after heavy rains and then return to a safe and normal range.

     The pathogens can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and fever, as well as upper respiratory illnesses and skin, eye, ear, nose, and throat infections. Individuals with compromised immune systems, the elderly, and children, because of the possible ingestion of water, are most vulnerable to those illnesses.

    Since stormwater runoff is a principal mechanism by which contaminants are introduced to coastal waters, particularly those, like Lake Montauk, in harbors or other enclosed areas that do not experience a full tidal flush, the Health Department recommends not swimming in those locations for at least 24 hours, preferably 48, after heavy rains.

    The watershed committee members have recommended more frequent testing of areas all around Lake Montauk, even if the town has to supplement Health Department procedure.

    Last summer, according to Kim Shaw, the director of natural resources, after the town asked the county to perform new tests, the sources of contamination at South Lake were determined to be two stormwater drains on either side of the beach. The county said afterward that it would do no further testing, save for state-required sampling done after significant rains, until something was done about the drains.

    The process of solving Lake Montauk’s ecological problems is well under way, Ms. Shaw said, with a study overseen by her department and the watershed advisory committee to identify failing or inadequate septic systems that can discharge pollutants that end up in the lake. A public meeting this summer will provide an update and additional opportunity for data-gathering, she said, and a draft watershed management plan should be completed next spring.

    Supervisor Bill Wilkinson requested water tests at South Lake in August 2011, after discussions of Lake Montauk’s overall health by members of the lake advisory committee. They revealed a heavy influx of enterococcus bacteria following heavy rain, but an almost total absence of the bacteria two days later. “The south end should be closed to bathing for a time after heavy rains,” Mr. Wilkinson said then.

    When water quality standards for bathing beaches were upgraded, Ms. Shaw said, it became clear that, based on water testing results, the beach would be ineligible for county designation as a bathing beach, even if a lifeguard were to be assigned.

    In an e-mail sent to Ms. Shaw last summer, Nancy B. Pierson, a senior public health sanitarian in the Health Department’s Office of Ecology, said that because of indicators of fecal contamination in both streams adjacent to the bathing area, she did not recommend establishing a “permitted bathing beach off South Lake Drive in Montauk until something is done to rectify the contamination.”

    Last summer, the Concerned Citizens of Montauk offered to donate a sign that the town could install at South Lake, fully informing the public of the situation there.  “People are making decisions based on bad information, and they’re making decisions that are not without consequence,” Jeremy Samuelson, the organization’s executive director, said recently.

    “Should the town be more aggressive in making sure that the places that are commonly accepted as bathing beaches are safe enough to put their kids there? Yes,” he said. “What we know is that we have bacteria that is harmful that is coming through at alarming rates. Whether the problem is continual or only after rainfall — “I think we need science to tell us that,” Mr. Samuelson said. In the meantime, he said, “I think you spend 150 bucks on a sign.”

    Ms. Shaw, formerly a principal environmental analyst with the county’s Health Department, said guidelines recommend showering, or rinsing off, after wading in water that may be contaminated. “What the Health Department is concerned about is your head being immersed; your nose, your eyes, your mouth,” she said, adding that she supports the Lake Montauk committee’s suggestion that a no-swimming sign include information about the water quality. The sign could warn people to stay out of the water specifically after rainfall, Ms. Shaw said.

    It is not known whether there have actually been any documented health problems caused by a swim in Lake Montauk.

The Springs School District has turned over information to the Testing Integrity Unit of the New York State Education Department concerning possible a testing "irregularity" related to a recent state assessment.

A press release the district issued Saturday afternoon said that the allegation of a possible irregularity concerns one Springs staff member and one student -- though it does not identify either individual by name.

For most schools on the East End, state exams were administered during the month of April, though dates varied at each school. The Test Security Unit, based in Albany, is responsible for ensuring the security and integrity of New York State assessments.

“The district immediately turned over this information to its attorney and as per state law, the Testing Integrity Unit of the State Education Department was notified,” read the release. “It is anticipated that the special unit will conduct its own investigation of this matter.”

The release further stated that it is still unknown how long such an investigation would take, though said, “it is not expected to be a significant period of time.”

“We have high expectations for our students and our staff and take pride in the integrity they display each and every day,” said Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, the school board president, in the release. "This allegation is an isolated incident concerning one staff member and one student, but regardless, we have to ensure that state-mandated testing protocols are completely followed."

"Aside from the question about this one particular allegation, we are confident that our recent assessments were delivered appropriately by our professional staff. We will continue to update the community as we learn more about this matter," Ms. Burke-Gonzalez said.

A call for comment to Dominic Mucci, the Springs School superintendent, went unreturned.

It is undetermined whether the recent absences of Eric Casale, the Springs principal, and Katherine Byrnes, the assistant principal, were related to the pending investigation.

On May 2, after reportedly complaining of chest pains, Mr. Casale left the school by ambulance and was taken to Southampton Hospital. Out on sick leave ever since, he has yet to return to his post. Then on Wednesday at a hastily called early morning meeting, the Springs School Board unanimously voted to accept Ms. Byrnes's sudden resignation. She had not been seen at the school since May 1.

            The nomination of Zachary Cohen for East Hampton Town councilman from the floor at the Democrats’ nominating convention Wednesday night made for some tense moments for Job Potter and Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, the candidates favored by the party’s screening committee. In the end, Mr. Potter and Ms. Burke-Gonzalez prevailed.

            They will share the top of the ticket with Larry Cantwell, the outgoing East Hampton Village administrator, who is also running on the Independence Party line.

            Mr. Cohen ran for town supervisor in 2011, losing by just 15 votes to Supervisor Bill Wilkinson. Until earlier this month, Mr. Cohen was hotly pursing the Democrats’ nomination for supervisor, but in the wake of the screening committee’s announcement last week that it would back Mr. Cantwell, he withdrew his name from consideration. On Wednesday morning, he said he had “urged everyone to support Larry.”

            Kathy Cunningham was also nominated from the floor for town board and Joe Giannini got a floor nomination for town justice. The committee voted to nominate Steven Tekulsky for town justice. It will also back the Republican highway superintendent, Stephen Lynch, for a second run, and Carole Brennan, the assistant town clerk, to run for town clerk. Both are also supported by the Independence and Republican Parties.

    Civility and courtesy mostly ruled the night, as the three men vying for two openings on the Springs School Board made their opinions known during a meet-the-candidates forum Tuesday.

    For the nearly 25 residents in attendance, the gathering provided the only opportunity to hear the positions of each candidate before Tuesday’s budget vote and school board election.

    The three candidates — Martin Drew, Jeffrey Miller, and Adam Wilson — discussed the state-imposed 2-percent tax cap, the feasibility of school consolidation, and issues related to housing and taxes, among other concerns.

    Laura Anker-Grossman, a former East Hampton School Board president, moderated the forum, which was jointly sponsored by the Springs PTA and the nonpartisan East Hampton Group for Good Government.

    “I grew up in Springs. I care about what happens here,” said Mr. Miller, 42, who attended Springs School and East Hampton High School. He has two daughters; the youngest is in the second grade at Springs. “This is a great place to live. And I plan to be here until the day I die,” he said.

    A graduate of the Suffolk County Police Academy, Mr. Miller has been a member of the Springs Fire Department for more than 24 years and currently serves as the deputy fire coordinator for Suffolk County, a volunteer position. He also works as a heavy equipment operator for East Hampton Village’s Department of Public Works. His wife is the vice president of the Springs PTA.

    Among his many priorities, Mr. Miller hopes to “clean up the documentation process,” referring to the concern of some parents that non-Springs residents attend the school by being dropped off at local bus stops early each morning. If elected, he would urge that the issue would be further investigated and that a truancy officer be hired to enforce such policies.

    Though candidates signed affidavits agreeing not to spend over $500 on campaign materials, Mr. Miller, who is relying on word of mouth, says he has yet to spend a penny.

    Sag Harbor’s Village Hall was packed with police officers on Tuesday evening, there to accuse Mayor Brian Gilbride of having an unspecified personal agenda in connection with the layoff of Officer David Driscoll, the department’s officer of the year in 2012.

    The mayor repeatedly asked, without success, for a motion to go into executive session.

    Mr. Gilbride’s attempt to keep Southampton Town Police Detective Kevin Gwinn from speaking on the grounds that he is not a village taxpayer was met with catcalls. When the detective, who is vice president of the Southampton Town P.B.A., finally made it to the podium at the audience’s insistence, he began by telling Mayor Gilbride that he had “a great deal of respect” for him. “I don’t want your job,” he said. “These are brutal times.”

    “I don’t want it now either,” replied the mayor.

    “We get paid for what can happen,” Mr. Gwinn began, and, he said, with summer coming, this was no time for layoffs. “I think it is insulting,” he said. “You are not prepared, sir. No disrespect.”

    “You are not going to get help from Southampton,” the detective warned. “We are at bare bones.”

    “Did everyone know on your board that a full-time police officer would be let go?” he continued. “Can you poll them now?”

    “I don’t have to,” said the mayor.

    Kevin Duchemin, a board member, broke in to say that when he voted to approve the general budget, “I was waiting for the police budget to come up,” not realizing, he explained, that the general budget included police expenditures.

    Mr. Gwynn then asked Mr. Gilbride again to “revisit the issue.”

    “Then it would have been 3 to 1,” said the mayor.

    “Can you go back as a group, for this community?”

    “I’ll save you the time,” said Mr. Gilbride. “It’s a tight budget. That is a no.”

    “I think that is a disgraceful answer, Mr. Gilbride,” said Mr. Gwinn.

    Tom Fabiano, chief of the Sag Harbor force, who had been a constant presence at board meetings over the last few months, made “one last appeal not to lose another officer.” He was told to keep his appeal to two minutes.

    Before this meeting, the chief told the board he could shave $70,000 from the police budget if necessary, but that Mr. Gilbride has never let him know just how much it would take to keep Officer Driscoll on the street.

    The chief told Tuesday night’s audience he’d heard of a federal grant that might help in just such a situation, paying a percentage of a laid-off officer’s salary over a three-year period. He plans to meet this week with a grant-writer to apply for it, he said. The application is due by Monday; grants are awarded in late September.

    “Can we keep the position until the grant kicks in?” asked Mr. Duchemin, the newest board member, who is a police officer in the Village of East Hampton.

    “No,” said the mayor. “It is not in the budget.”

    Mr. Driscoll, who was hired from the Southampton Town force less than three years ago, said after the meeting that he would have never made the switch had he known of its short term. He was accompanied that night by his two little girls and his wife, Lori, who told The Star that she was traumatized by the layoff, wondering how they would pay their mortgage or continue to receive help for one of their children who has special needs. Mr. Driscoll said he had no idea how he would continue to put food on the table for his family.

    Patrick Milazzo, the Sag Harbor P.B.A. president, was another speaker. He asked how much it would take to save Mr. Driscoll’s job. “Roughly $183,000,” was the answer.

    Citing the numbers of calls to the police in April, the mayor added, “We can get away with 10 people, actually we can get away with 9,” and again asked for a motion to go into executive session.

    But Mr. Milazzo went on. “We will not remain silent any longer,” he said. “I  think you think it’s a personal issue. As it sits now, we work shifts alone. I worked alone last week. You are setting us up for failure . . . you are not giving us the resources we need to do the job. It’s a serious decision, it needs a little more thought and consideration.”

    “It’s what the village can afford,” said Mayor Gilbride. “More than half the tax bill goes to support the police.”

    Mr. Duchemin told the mayor that looking at April calls for service “is not what we’re going to be looking at between now and October.”

    In other business, board members agreed to waive a building permit renewal fee in the amount of $45,005 for East End Development’s Water Street condominium project, which made the request after a similar waiver was granted to the Bulova watchcase factory.

    A law limiting parking to 72 hours in long-term lots, introduced by Robby Stein, was adopted unanimously. Cars have been taking up spots for four or five days in a village where parking is an issue, Mr. Stein had said.

“Anything new on the 555 front?” East Hampton Town Councilwoman Sylvia Overby said she inquired casually on Monday afternoon as she passed Marguerite Wolffsohn’s office at Town Hall.

“As a matter of fact, there is,” replied Ms. Wolffsohn, the director of the town Planning Department, handing over a hot-off-the-printer copy of the initial site plan evaluation for the controversial Amagansett development. “And you’re the first to see it.”

Ms. Overby summed up the preliminary report a few hours later at the monthly meeting of the Amagansett Citizens Advisory Committee, most of whose members had listened in stony silence last month as the Connecticut developer of the proposed 89-unit complex on the former Principi property east of the hamlet ticked off its advantages, including a vast tax benefit for the town with no corresponding increase in school taxes. That, the developer, Francis Jenkins III of Putnam Bridge, said, was because the units — 23 apartments and 63 single-family residences — would be marketed to well-off baby boomers 55 and over, presumably empty-nesters, at market-rate prices presently set at $850,000 to $1.8 million.

Mr. Jenkins argued that East Hampton Town, with a growing population of older people, needs a community designed “with the active senior citizen in mind.” According to the preliminary plan submitted to the town planning board, 555 would include two tennis courts, two paddle tennis courts, a 12,000-square-foot pool house with two “fitness centers,” a common swimming pool, a groundskeeper’s residence, a greenhouse, a “field house,” and a “decorative windmill.”

But the site at 555 Montauk Highway is not presently zoned for senior housing, which, for its developers, is the largest of a number of stumbling blocks. Before its representatives could even begin discussions with the planning board, the town board would have to amend the town code. Or, as Councilwoman Overby put it Monday night, “If we don’t change the code, the whole thing is moot.”

The Planning Department’s advisory memo is intended, she explained, to “give the town board direction.”

Prepared by JoAnne Pahwul, the assistant planning director, it refers in considerable part to a report called “Senior Housing Needs in the Town of East Hampton,” which was written by a consultant to Putnam Bridge and submitted to planners in March along with the preliminary site plan. In 2012, that report states, the median age in the town was 43.8, with people 55 and over representing 32 percent of the population. Almost half of Amagansett — 46.2 percent — was over 55 last year, the report says, bolstering the developers’ case that more senior housing is needed there.

Ms. Pahwul, while acknowledging in her review that the statistics were “well documented,” pointed out that “the 2000 U.S. Census indicated that seasonal housing in Amagansett constituted 65 percent of all units.” She suggested that “the applicant should indicate what assurances can be given that this development would be supported by year-round residents,” and reinforced the point in noting the relatively high sales prices. “It is questionable as to how many of the town’s year-round senior residents could avail themselves of the proposed condominiums,” she wrote.

The developers’ report emphasized that 555 would be conveniently close to “health services, stores, public spaces, and transit hubs [the Amagansett train station],” but planners appeared unimpressed. “The project appears to be designed for an affluent population that is not known to support public transportation,” Ms. Pahwul wrote.

“They make a case for the fact that there’s an aging population, but not for the project,” she said by phone on Tuesday.

She concluded in her review that 555 “is not consistent with the scale and character of the community [. . .] does not meet zoning with respect to density, coverage, and setbacks [. . .] and “would eliminate scenic and rural vistas and result in the loss of 100 percent of the prime agricultural soils found on the parcel.”

Before Ms. Overby’s presentation, Sue Avedon addressed the Amagansett committee, suggesting that each hamlet send a representative to form a “citizens’ emergency response task force” that would help prepare for catastrophes on the order of Hurricane Sandy. For example, she said, they might map out the locations of generators all over town, so people would know where to find light, warmth, and communications. “The East Hampton Health Care Center [on Pantigo Road] has its own generator, but nobody knew and nobody came,” said Ms. Avedon.

“I think the town did as well as I expected,” said Kieran Brew, chairman of the advisory committee. “They blocked off the beach, cleared the roads, saved Montauk from being cut off. Have this conversation with the town board first.”

Michael Diesenhaus agreed. “Don’t form the committee first,” he said. “It sounds like an adversarial position. Address the emergency services people first. Not ‘You can do better,’ but ‘You did great, now how can we do better?’ ”

Ms. Avedon seemed amenable, saying she’d go first to the various advisory committees, whose town board liaisons could then bring the matter up before the board.

With Memorial Day rapidly approaching, the evening ended with a brief discussion of Indian Wells beach. The town’s new plan to control last summer’s rowdy crowds by limiting the weight and length of vehicles, restricting them to a maximum of eight passengers, posting no-parking signs on nearby side streets, and allowing only cars with resident stickers to pass a small “guardhouse” near Bluff Road to park or drop off passengers, will not be fully implemented until mid-June, said Councilwoman Overby, as code changes are necessary. The new restrictions would be enforced only on weekends and holidays, or on other peak days as determined by the police.

    The Springs School District announced Saturday that it had turned over information to the Testing Integrity Unit of the New York State Education Department concerning a possible  testing irregularity related to a recent state assessment.

    A press release the district issued said that the allegation of a possible irregularity concerns one Springs staff member and one student — though the district declined to identify either individual by name.

    For most schools on the East End, state exams were administered during the months of April and May, though dates varied at each school. The Test Security Unit, based in Albany, is responsible for ensuring the security and integrity of New York State assessments.

    “The district immediately turned over this information to its attorney and as per state law, the Testing Integrity Unit of the State Education Department was notified,” read the release. “It is anticipated that the special unit will conduct its own investigation of this matter.”

    “We can’t confirm or deny whether an investigation is going on,” said Antonia Valentine, a spokesperson with the New York State Education Department. Incident reports are first submitted on the Testing Security Unit’s Web site.

    “If/when an investigation results in a final agency action against an educator’s certificate(s) or a school district action regarding a tenured educator’s employment, then certain information will be available under the Freedom of Information Law,” Ms. Valentine wrote in an e-mail.

    She said the education commissioner’s regulations “authorize the Education Department to investigate allegations of poor moral character lodged against certified educators and applicants for certification. Any educator facing charges in accordance with Part 83 regulations is afforded the opportunity for a full due process hearing. At issue when the Department initiates disciplinary charges is whether the certified educator retains the certificate(s) held or [is] issued the certificate(s) applied for.”

    The press release from Springs School said that it is still unknown how long such an investigation would take, though “it is not expected to be a significant period of time.”

     “Disciplinary proceedings at both the school district and state level may result in a range of penalties or outcomes,” Ms. Valentine wrote. “School district discipline may result in formal reprimand, counseling or medical treatment, fine, suspension of employment without pay, or termination. State action may result in revocation, suspension of certification, fine, requirement of continued education or training, or, in the case of an applicant, denial of a certificate.”

     “We have high expectations for our students and our staff and take pride in the integrity they display each and every day,” Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, the school board president, said in the release. “This allegation is an isolated incident concerning one staff member and one student, but regardless, we have to ensure that state-mandated testing protocols are completely followed.”

     “Aside from the question about this one particular allegation, we are confident that our recent assessments were delivered appropriately by our professional staff. We will continue to update the community as we learn more about this matter,” Ms. Burke-Gonzalez said.

     “As our community is aware, we have followed the protocol established by the State Education Department,” Dominic Mucci, the Springs School superintendent, said yesterday. On Monday night, the board indicated it intends to reappoint Mr. Mucci to his current part-time post. As a retiree, he is allowed to serve for an additional year, provided he first secures a waiver from New York State. “As a school district, we have taken the actions we believe necessary to maintain the integrity of the Springs School.”

    At Springs School over the past month, two officials have resigned: Katherine Byrnes, the assistant principal, and David Baird, the head bus driver. The Springs School Board convened an unannounced special meeting on the morning of May 8, at which the board unanimously accepted Dr. Byrne’s resignation, effective May 7. On Monday night, the board voted to accept Mr. Baird’s resignation, effective June 30.

    Due to an editing error, an article in last week’s paper about Dr. Byrnes’s departure from Springs may have led readers to believe that there were 28 special education students at the district where she was previously employed. In fact, that number referred to the special education students at the Springs School. 

    Apart from Dr. Byrne’s abrupt departure, adding to the confusion was the recent absence of Eric Casale, the Springs School principal. May 1 was the last day Dr. Byrnes was seen on campus. The next day, after reportedly complaining of chest pains, Mr. Casale left the school by ambulance and was taken to Southampton Hospital. He returned to his post on Monday morning.

    This is not the first time in his career that Mr. Casale has had to deal with allegations of testing irregularities at a school he has helmed. A 2005 New York Post story reported on a cheating incident that occurred while Mr. Casale was principal of P.S. 91 in the Bronx. In that case, according to the Post, Barbara Lee, a former math coach who had become assistant principal, was accused of helping students cheat during a New York State Regents exam in the spring of 2004.

    The story included allegations that Mr. Casale destroyed student and teacher testimonies related to potential wrongdoing to protect the assistant principal, but a 2010 Post follow-up reported that the city eventually terminated Ms. Lee’s employment following a protracted, and costly, legal battle.

    “There is no connection between what happened here and that article,” Mr. Casale said Tuesday afternoon. “It was taken care of in 2005. The teacher was terminated in 2010 when the investigation concluded.”

    Mr. Casale began his tenure at Springs School in the fall of 2005. “This has been my home for the last eight years,” he said.

    In East Hampton on Monday night, about 50 audience members sat through a 90-minute meet-the-candidates forum at the John M. Marshall Elementary School to hear from five newcomers and one incumbent with their sights set on three openings on the East Hampton School Board.

    It’s quite a contest compared to last spring, when two candidates ran unopposed for the two open seats.

    The forum, sponsored by the John Marshall PTA, provided the only opportunity for residents to hear the positions of each candidate before Tuesday’s budget vote and school board election.

    The six candidates are Alison Anderson, Nicholas Boland, J.P. Foster, Wendy Geehreng, Mary Ella Moeller, and Richard Wilson. Ms. Anderson, the incumbent, is seeking a second three-year term. The other two seats are being vacated by George Aman, the board president, and Lauren Dempsey, who have decided to step down.

    “Three years go by very quickly,” said Ms. Anderson. “I’d like to continue to be involved in work that’s already in progress.”

    On Monday evening, talk of consistency and continuity ruled the night, with several candidates referring to administrative chaos that has plagued the district’s upper ranks in recent years.

    “Our eighth graders have had three principals and three assistant principals in as many years,” said Ms. Geehreng on Monday night. “John Marshall has had four principals in six years. I’m looking forward to making things more consistent. We can’t move forward and make progress without that happening.”

    The candidates also presented their views on issues related to the 2-percent tax cap, the sharing of services between districts, and the possibility of piercing the cap in future years to ensure that a quality education could continue being offered to the district’s students.

    Longstanding ties to the community were also a frequent topic of discussion.

    “I’m not a Bonacker,” said Mr. Wilson, with a smile. “I’ve only been here since 1968.”

    Both Laura Anker-Grossman, a former East Hampton School Board president, and Priscilla Campbell, the teachers association president, asked questions related to how board members would respond to issues of diversity.

    “This room does not represent the diversity of East Hampton,” said Ms. Campbell, likely referring to the largely white audience. “The high school is 45 percent Spanish-speaking, and John Marshall has an even a larger number. It’s no fault of anyone here that this room does not represent the diversity of our district, but what could you do to get our community more involved in the district and the decision-making process?”

    “It comes back to communication,” said Mr. Boland. “If you increase the communication, you will allow the public to have confidence in the system.”

    In addition to increasing the outreach of Ana Nunez, the district’s Spanish-speaking liaison who was hired in December, several of the candidates also weighed whether the district would consider a bilingual program in future years.

     Concerning the oftentimes thankless, not to mention unpaid, position, Ms. Moeller, already a regular attendee at bimonthly meetings, where she frequently sits in the front row, offered the following: “It’s your choice whether I sit on this side of the table or that side of the table. Either way, I will be there.”

    Ms. Anderson, 49, is a lifelong resident of East Hampton. Her three grown children all graduated from East Hampton High School. In past years, she worked as a religious teacher at Most Holy Trinity Parish and served as a PTA president at both the high school and the middle school. She studied business at Suffolk Community College and SUNY Cobleskill.

    Mr. Boland, 48, is a former lawyer who moved to East Hampton in 1996. While he doesn’t have any children, his wife teaches first grade at John Marshall. As a self-described “small-business entrepreneur” and graduate of Cornell University, he started a home improvement business and then a company called Fuel Renewal.

    Mr. Foster, 42, has two children at East Hampton Middle School and last ran for the school board in 2005. He now works as a supervisor in East Hampton Village’s emergency operations center and is a real estate agent with the East Hampton office of Town and Country. He also sits on the East Hampton Town Planning Board.

    Ms. Geehreng, 41, works as a part-time pediatric nurse-practitioner at Southampton Pediatric Associates and as a real estate saleswoman at the East Hampton branch of Brown Harris Stevens. She has four children in the district, and come fall will have at least one child at each of the district’s three schools.

    Ms. Moeller, 75, is a retired home economics teacher, who grew up in East Hampton and now lives on Newtown Lane in the house that her parents formerly occupied. Since returning to East Hampton in 1996, she has participated in the East Hampton Town Citizens Advisory Committee and the Ladies Village Improvement Society and volunteers at the East Hampton Healthcare Center.

    Mr. Wilson, 73, is a retired Sag Harbor science teacher and former Citizens Advisory Committee member who has consulted with the district in helping to establish the FOSS science curriculum in kindergarten through eighth grade. He hopes to improve the district’s science and technology program so that future generations are well-equipped to enter the job market. His four grandchildren attend the East Hampton schools.

    Several of the candidates are heading into the weekend by continuing to put up signs, making phone calls, and meeting with local residents — hoping to sway any undecided voters. Additionally, LTV taped Monday evening’s forum and will likely rebroadcast it in the coming days.

    On Tuesday, East Hampton will convene its annual budget and school board vote. Residents can cast their ballots in the high school’s auditorium from 1 to 8 p.m. A school board meeting is also scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the district office on Long Lane.

    A new budget, a new village administrator, a new lighted crosswalk, and a new source of fuel at the Emergency Services Building were topics of discussion at an East Hampton Village Board work session last Thursday.

    Mayor Paul F. Rickenbach Jr. announced the tentative 2013-14 operating budget, which, at $19.6 million, would represent a spending increase of 3.2 percent, or $617,322.

    Reading from a prepared statement, the mayor said there will be an increase in the tax rate of 2.2 percent and that the spending increase will be partially offset by a non-tax revenue increase of 6 percent, or $458,407. “The resulting increase in the amount to be raised by taxes is $258,913, which is $12,141 less than the state-mandated 2-percent tax cap formula,” which, he said, was the important point.

    After soliciting but receiving no comment from the public, the board had just authorized a property tax levy in excess of the 2-percent cap. “Had we had to override that 2-percent tax cap, we had the ability in place . . . we don’t have to,” Mayor Rickenbach said. “The board is happy to announce to the public that we’re staying below the 2-percent tax cap formula.”

    The spending increase here, as in many other communities, is mostly attributable to an increase to the state retirement contribution ($198,112) and a $339,781 increase in debt service, the mayor said. “The annual debt service payment will remain low, at a level of just under 6 percent of our total budget. That’s way below our maximum ceiling,” he said. “Budget spending is basically flat.”

    Capital projects transfers provide funds for $200,000 of roadwork, $80,000 to install a lighted crosswalk on Newtown Lane, and $65,000 to replace the beach tractor. “We believe that the lighted crosswalks on Main Street have worked,” the mayor said.

    The increase in non-tax revenue is attributable to services to other governments for emergency communications ($146,277), fines returned from Town Justice Court ($105,000), beach parking and building permits ($99,500), and rentals ($58,000). The mortgage tax, the mayor said, would raise $40,000.

    The added funds for emergency communications reflects the increased cost of a new three-year contract between the village and fire and ambulance responders in Montauk, Amagansett, Springs, and Sag Harbor, Larry Cantwell, the village administrator, told The Star on Tuesday. The increase in fines, he said, is due to better collection for minor infractions. “A year ago, the town and village agreed to a new contract with a new firm that does the collections,” Mr. Cantwell said. “Their collection rate has gone up.” A 3-percent rent increase was levied at the Sea Spray Cottages and the concession at Main Beach Pavilion, the Chowder Bowl.

    “It’s important to note that over the last six years, the tax rate in the Village of East Hampton has gone up by an average of 2.1 percent,” said the mayor. “The finances of many governments at all levels have deteriorated. We, the village, have managed to maintain an accumulated fund balance or surplus. We believe we have struck a balance between funding necessary services, maintaining our infrastructure and buildings, cutting expenses where they are prudent, and modestly increasing revenues where appropriate.”

    There have been targeted salary increases for some village employees, he said, but “on balance, we’re trying to maintain that legitimate cost frame for the residents that have to pay the taxes.”

    Mayor Rickenbach also asked that the board recognize Mr. Cantwell and the various department heads “for working closely in achieving the goal that we’re announcing today. It was a lot of hard work by a lot of people to come up with a valid product.”

    A hearing on the tentative budget will be held on June 6.

    The mayor also cited savings resulting from the Emergency Services Building’s transition from oil to natural gas — $8,000 over the first three months of 2013 relative to the same period last year. “I think that’s phenomenal,” said the mayor.

    Rebecca Molinaro, the new village administrator, had assumed her new role the day before. Mr. Cantwell, said the mayor, “has set a very high bar for Becky to follow, but given Becky’s professional and municipal background, I think your board agrees that it’s going to be as seamless a transition as it possibly can be.” Addressing Ms. Molinaro, he wished her luck and promised that the board would “put [her] feet to the fire.”

    “Your honor,” Mr. Cantwell said, “there’s optimism about Becky. We worked together yesterday for the first time. And she came back today,” he said, to much laughter.

    The question of whether a manager or administrator is appropriate and advisable for the Town of East Hampton was the subject of a lively debate at the village’s Emergency Services Building on Saturday.

    Sponsored by the East Hampton Group for Good Government, the League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, and the East Hampton Business Alliance, the 90-minute forum provided residents a range of opinions from elected officials and others.

    Lynn Sherr, formerly of ABC News and an East Hampton resident since 1980, moderated a panel consisting of Steven Altieri, administrator of the Town of Mamaroneck; Howard Arden, supervisor of North Castle, N.Y., which added an administrator in October; Carole Campolo, a retired New York City government executive and resident of Springs; Larry Cantwell, the East Hampton Village administrator; Zachary Cohen, a 2011 candidate for East Hampton Town supervisor, and Barbara Jordan, former president of the League of Women Voters of the Hamptons.

    The League of Women Voters, Ms. Jordan said, began to study the issue in 2008 and held a forum on the subject the following year. That study led to the league’s advocacy of the council-manager form of government. Its support for a change in the organizational structure, she said, “is based on the fact that since its inception our local town government has grown in complexity to the point where we believe professional management of the administrative details of government should be in the hands of professionals.”

    The town board, she said, spends “an inordinate amount of time on administrative details, many of which people are truly not qualified to do, but it’s part of the job.” This discourages otherwise qualified and talented people from running for office, she said.

    Combining the leadership of elected officials with the managerial experience of a trained administrator who would oversee delivery of public services would produce more effective and efficient government, Ms. Jordan said.

    A town manager’s duties would include serving as the board’s chief adviser, preparing budgets, hiring and firing department heads, supervising day-to-day operations, formulating and implementing personnel policies, negotiating contracts with employees, and enforcing local laws and ordinances, she said. (An administrator would have a similar job description, but would not have hiring and firing authority.)

    Mr. Altieri quoted Alfred Gatta, manager of the Village of Scarsdale, who he said had made an interesting comment at the 2009 forum. “He said, ‘Council members are elected to do the right thing, and managers are hired to do things right.’ “ A professional manager, he said, provides continuity, interdepartmental management, and efficiencies in staffing, borrowing, finances, and budgeting.

    Interdepartmental management is lacking in the present town government, Mr. Cohen said, and a town manager becomes a point of centralized knowledge, critical in the event of a newly elected board consisting of neophytes. “All of us who have proposed the town manager system are hoping it’s not a politicized system that changes with every supervisor change.”

    It is a form of government that can work in the town, said Mr. Cantwell, who is retiring from his position as village administrator and has announced his candidacy for town supervisor. His position had grown organically from within, he said, “because the board felt there was a need to have someone in place who would help them carry out their policies in an efficient way, and also provide institutional memory over time, and stability and continuity so that policy was carried out evenly over time.”

    “You don’t necessarily have to think of this in terms of establishing the office and bringing someone in to create a new department. . . . If you can find someone within the organization who has the skill and ability to take on additional responsibilities and fill this role, that may be the best way to implement it,” he said.

    Ms. Campolo, who Ms. Sherr said specialized in budgeting and operations over 30 years in New York City and State governments, was a lone dissenting voice. “I feel like the ants at the picnic,” she joked, before citing the town’s 2009 budget deficit of $27 million, which she called the most serious crisis in the town’s history after the Hurricane of 1938. “We were on the precipice of bankruptcy.” This was avoided, she said, thanks to “incredibly impressive organizational efficiencies and reforms. Departments were reduced from 21 to 13. Headcount was reduced from a staggering 400 full-time staff to 300. The budget was reduced from $72 million to $64 million.”

    This was accomplished without a town manager. “I’m not sure why we would then look to increase our headcount once more,” she said. Even with recent staffing and budget cuts, the town government remains bloated, she said. “Before we increase the size of the staff, the elected officials and town leaders . . . need to take a hard look at how to bring down the current number of employees, how to continue reforms in making government more efficient.”

    “There’s no doubt in my mind,” Mr. Arden countered, “that you would not have a $29 million deficit that you’re having to pay back if you had a town administrator five years ago.”

    Such was Mr. Arden’s confidence that he campaigned for supervisor on the platform of bringing in a town administrator. “I already knew how valuable it was,” he said. Describing politics as a beauty contest, he said, “You’re not going to get, necessarily, the right person for the right job.”

    Saying he did not run for office to address minutiae such as potholes or brush pickup, an administrator, he said, allows him to work on “big projects, things that will make a difference in the future of our town.” A qualified candidate was identified and hired at an annual salary of $135,000, he said. Mr. Arden volunteered to take a 60-percent cut in his own salary, and medical benefits for elected town board members were eliminated in order to pay for the new position.

    Initial objection due to the added expense was quickly assuaged, Mr. Arden said, and the results have been dramatic. “It’s been amazing, the coordination among departments. We’ve done a great job as far as cross-training people, as far as actually cutting staff in many cases.” Seven of 13 department heads were replaced, he added. “It has been a huge upgrade in personnel.”

    Nonetheless, said Ms. Campolo, an administrator shouldn’t be necessary. “When department heads and staff are doing their jobs at the best level they possibly can, that automatically frees up the executive and town board members to focus on policy,” she said. “In a large agency, that’s exactly what happens.”

    But the important point that Mr. Altieri and Mr. Arden were making, Mr. Cantwell said, is that an administrator brings a different skill set to local government. “One is a professional manager trained to do specific tasks, find efficiency, manage people, and run the day-to-day operations. You’re talking about a chief operating officer, really. The supervisor needs to provide much broader leadership throughout the community.”

    He cited coastal erosion, groundwater contamination, the septic waste disposal problem, and East Hampton Airport as “big issues that affect everybody in the community. The supervisor and the board should be spending their time thinking about, solving, and having a vision about how to resolve these big issues that impact the entire community, and less time with how the pothole gets fixed.”