Government

At the recommendation of its project engineer, D.B. Bennett, the East Hampton Town Board has rejected the latest bids to complete Phase III restoration work at Montauk’s historic Second House and museum.

Dave Calone, a former chairman of the Suffolk County Planning Commission who has a background in law and business, is officially the Suffolk County Democratic Committee’s candidate of choice for county executive. Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, who told The Southampton Press late last year that he was considering running for county executive, confirmed Sunday that he has opted not to run.

Representative Nicholas LaLota of the First Congressional District had quite a wild ride in his opening days as a freshman Republican in the 118th Congress. There was the epic and very public battle to name Kevin McCarthy as house speaker — and then there was George Santos, the newly elected representative from Nassau County whose résumé turned out to be a pack of lies and who now faces ongoing opprobrium from almost all quarters.

Having rejected a bid to replace the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system and roof at the Y.M.C.A. East Hampton RECenter last month after the lowest bid, at $2.32 million, came in well over an anticipated $1.2 million price tag, the East Hampton Town Board split the proposed job in two parts.

A New York State Department of Transportation plan to install a traffic circle or stop lights at the intersection of Route 114 and Main Street/Route 27 in East Hampton Village has been halted, and the mayor says that's good news.

The East Hampton Town Board approved a suite of fee increases last Thursday that will affect about 60 services provided through the architectural review board, the zoning board of appeals, and the planning board.

A forum on the Peconic Bay Region Community Housing Act will bring together State Senator Anthony Palumbo, Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., and Matt Cohen of the Long Island Association for a look at what the new act means for the East End.

The East Hampton Town Planning Board has set Feb. 8 as the date for a public hearing on the draft environmental impact statement for the Wainscott Commercial Center subdivision. The hearing will be held in two parts at LTV Studios in Wainscott due to the considerable interest in the proposal for the former sand mine.

“It’s been the longstanding policy of the village, when you’re starting out from scratch, and you have a cleared lot, to comply with all codes,” Philip O’Connell, an East Hampton Village Zoning Board of Appeals member, told a representative of Gianfranco D’Attis and his wife, Surbhi, on Friday. Mr. D’Attis was recently named the C.E.O. of Prada.

The new 874-foot stone revetment at Montauk Point will be completed six months ahead of schedule but with many more boulders than originally budgeted for.

Freshman Representative Nick LaLota of the First Congressional District said he was “happily notified” on Monday that Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had named him to two plum committees — Armed Services and Homeland Security.

Consultants for East Hampton Town gave a brief presentation at Tuesday’s town board work session spelling out the latest steps in the town’s march toward some resolution at East Hampton Airport. Several Montauk residents expressed concern about what changes at the airport might mean for the small privately owned airport in a far-flung part of the hamlet.