Government

Drivers in New York State may soon be paying around 46 to 50 cents less per gallon for gasoline. A bill making its way through the State Legislature as part of the state’s budget could provide that relief in the form of a temporary gas-tax holiday through the end of 2022.

Two years and two days after East Hampton Town declared a state of emergency because of a surging Covid-19 pandemic, Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc announced on Tuesday the rescinding of that declaration and of its accompanying executive orders, saying that he was "really excited that things are looking up, finally, after two very long years."

Mindful of what some have called a creeping commercialization of the town’s beaches, the East Hampton Town Board is likely to amend the town code pertaining to peddling ahead of the 2022 summer season to get a handle on businesses that rent beach chairs, umbrellas, and watersport equipment and set up and maintain beach fires.

The East Hampton Town Trustees have authorized the Friends of Georgica Pond Foundation to once again use an aquatic weed harvester this summer as part of the ongoing effort to alleviate conditions that have promoted the growth of harmful algal blooms, particularly that of toxic cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, in the pond.

Friday at 4 p.m. is the deadline for public comment on the scope of a draft environmental impact statement associated with the May 17 deactivation of East Hampton Airport and the opening, 33 hours later, of a “new” private-use airport on the same site.

A relaxation of outdoor dining rules for restaurants, put in place during the Covid-19 pandemic, could become permanent. East Hampton Town officials have been working on changes that would allow most restaurants to double their seating capacity, but with one catch: the total numbers of patrons would have to remain the same. A three-year trial period is planned.

Remarks from the public during two East Hampton Town Board hearings relating to affordable housing provided stark illustrations of the far-reaching impacts of the ever-spiraling cost of real estate on the South Fork.

The long-awaited resurfacing of Route 114 from the South Ferry on North Haven to Stephen Hand’s Path in East Hampton began this week. The work will take place between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.

When East Hampton Airport reopens on May 19 with a new, private status, landing fees may at least double for most types of aircraft, according to a proposal unveiled this week during a town board work session.

“It’s not just buildings we’re preserving here, it’s heritage, it’s who we are.” said Irwin Levy, a member of the town’s nature preserve committee who recently led a hike at the town-owned property in Springs that belonged the late Abstract Expressionists James Brooks and Charlotte Park. He urged the town to "seize this moment now” by preserving and restoring the structures on the property.

The working group to implement recommendations for the Wainscott hamlet study reconvened on March 2, with progress still frustratingly slow for some participants but also with some consensus achieved for readily achievable goals, as well as actions to be avoided.

The Peconic Jitney, a passenger-only ferry service that operated a pilot program connecting Sag Harbor to Greenport back in 2012, is seeking to do so again, this time with a formal five-year contract with the Sag Harbor Village Board.