This government meeting is brought to you by Eastworks and our local cable subscribers. >> Good evening and welcome to the city council meeting for Wednesday, December 17, 2025. The meeting tonight is being recorded and broadcast by emeddia on charter
channel 193 and live streaming on their web page eastampton media.org. Counselors and participants in this meeting are gathering hybrid on the order extended until June 30, 2027 allowing us to do so. I remind both the members of the city council and the
public participating remotely to remain muted until recognized by the city council president. Also for the members of the public, please remove your camera for the duration of the meeting unless you are participating in the public speak time or the public hearing. Thank
you. This meeting is now called to order. Maryanne >> Jonathan Schmidt >> here. >> Tonnie Denim >> here. >> Amanda Newton >> here. >> Felicia Jazzik >> here. JP Kazinski >> here. >> Tom Peak >> here. >> Brad Riley >> here. >> Tamara Smith >> here. >> JT Terrell.
At this time, we'd like to take a moment for reflection. And the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all. I will work toward today. >> Maryanne, we have minutes. >> Yes, several. >> Lots of minutes. Minutes upon minutes. Oh my gosh. Uh has
Well, let's take read them. >> Well, let's take them one at a time if we'd like to. If not, we could pass them along, but gosh, there's a whole bunch of them we should attend to. Uh October 22nd. Any uh objection to what's in those
minutes? Any abstensions? >> Yes, >> I would ex I would I would take a motion. >> Actually, I should take a motion before we begin. So, formally, let's move Go ahead. >> I make a motion to move the minutes from
October 22nd. >> Second. >> Uh, all those in favor? >> I >> opposed. Abstension. >> Extension. >> We have two abstensions. Thank you. November 5th. >> I'll have a motion. >> So moved.
>> Second. >> Second. Motion and a second for November 5th. Any uh discussion? All those in favor? I >> opposed. Abstensions. >> Two more abstensions.
>> November 19th special meeting. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Second. Motion in a second. All those in favor? >> I opposed. >> Abstensions. >> I'm sorry. I meant to abstain for that and I accidentally said I. >> You may have one, two, three
abstensions. Wait, there you got them all. >> Oh god, you're fast. >> Okay, that was for the special meeting. >> That's correct. >> For the regular meeting on November 19. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion in a second. All those in favor? >> Opposed?
>> Stain. >> Motion passes and December 3rd. >> So moved. >> Second. >> Motion in a second. >> I do have a comment. This might be more granular than we're looking for. I noticed the ECA fundraiser announcement
was attributed to councelor Denim. I believe it was councelor Jazzik in the meeting. >> Aha. Okay. Well, did we have any further discussion on that? Uh I would entertain that we make those adjustments. >> So moved. Second.
>> Motion to second to make the adjustment to the December 3rd minutes. All those in favor? I >> opposed. Abstain. >> Now for the motion on the minutes themselves. >> So moved. Second >> motion and a second. All those in favor? Opposed?
>> Abstain. Motion passes. >> Okay. Public comment an opportunity to address the council regarding any topic not listed under the public hearings. This gives anyone in the public both here in person or online to talk to us. Again,
just for the record, we don't respond to those comments directly. We uh take them under advisement. You're welcome to contact us, the mayor's office, to any of the counselors, or to the city clerk at any time should you have questions.
My number is 575609, area code 413 if you can't reach anybody or you'd like to call me directly on any matter. Anyone in the audience here that would like to make public comment, anyone online, please raise your hand.
At this time, I will recognize you and you may unmute yourself. Not seeing anyone for public comment. Just checking one more time. Last call for public comment.
Okay. Public comment period is hereby closed. Items for immediate attention. Communications from elected board and officials. Anyone care to say anything? >> Well, actually, I think the mayor was going to
>> Well, during this time or during the mayor's communication, >> okay, then you're good. >> Then we're all good. Okay. >> All right. Thank you, Mr. President. >> Mr. Riley. Councelor Riley. Well, soon
to be Mr. Riley. >> Soon to be Mr. Riley. All right. Thank you, Mr. President. Um, so what I would like to do, um, for the next few moments here is to sort of offer my closing address um, to the public of East Hampton and to the government of East
Hampton, um, by reading an excerpt from my upcoming book, Doctrine to Duty: Restoring Public Administration with the Damapata. And the section is on flowers, the ethics of selection and impermanence to the government of East Hampton and
the people it serves. Public servants are constantly making selections. Which problems to address, which people to prioritize, which metrics to track, and which voices to hear.
These choices may not always feel dramatic, but they are consequential. Policy may be written at a distance, but administration is intimate. It is shaped by what we notice, what we ignore, and
what we decide to carry forward. In this sense, governance is a practice of attention. In chapter 4 of the Dhamopatada, it is often read as a meditation on impermanence, beauty, and the futility
of attachment. As a bee gathers nectar without harming the flower, the text says, so should the sage walk through the world. And there's something elegant in this image, something serene.
But underneath that serenity is a rigorous ethic of discernment. To walk lightly through the world, to act without harming, to take only what is needed, to choose wisely what to engage and what to let pass. All of that
requires a finely tuned sense of what truly matters. In public administration, the same principle holds. Not all needs are equal. Not all emergencies are urgent and not all problems can or should be
addressed at once. The work of administration involves choices. Which complaints to follow up on, which program to evaluate, which risks should be absorbed, or which injustices to name. These decisions shape reality.
And while they may be governed by statute or protocol, they are ultimately enacted by all of us, the people. People who bring their values, their assumptions, their blind spots, and their aspirations into every file,
email, and public meeting. This is why discernment is not simply a personal virtue, but a public one. A government that cannot tell the difference between what is urgent and what is loud will make decisions that amplify harm.
A bureaucracy that prizes appearances over substance will spend its energy polishing reports rather than solving problems. A policymaker who clings to singular ideology will miss the complexity of
lived experience. These are all failures of selection and over time they become failures of governance. You see the damapata warns against clinging not just to things but to illusions to beauty that is skin deep to
status that is fleeting to comfort that numbs rather than heals. In public service clinging shows up as attachment to legacy programs that no longer serve. as loyalty to procedures
that no longer protect or as obsession with metrics that no longer measure anything meaningful. And we may cling because we're afraid. Afraid of change, afraid of criticism, afraid of uncertainty.
But when we cling, we stop seeing clearly. And when we stop seeing clearly, we start making decisions that drift further away from justice. Discernment. By this contrast is the willingness to look again to ask is this
still true? Is it still needed? Is this still serving? It is the practice of pruning flowers with care of letting go not out of negligence but out of fidelity to purpose.
In restorative governance, discernment is what allows institutions to evolve. It's how we distinguish between policy that protects and policy that punishes. It's how we know when to pause, when to act,
and when to step aside. The kind of discernment cannot be taught solely through our rules. It must be cultivated through reflection, dialogue, and a deep grounding in ethical purpose.
A public servant guided by discernment understands that neutrality is not the same as justice, that efficiency is not the same as care, and that being busy is not the same as being useful. The metaphor of the bee and the
dharmapata is instructive. The bee gathers what it needs and leaves the flower unharmed. does not cling to it or hoard or destroy the flower. It moves with focus and respect. In an age of institutional overreach and
civic burnout, this metaphor offers a gentle but powerful model for governance. To gather what is essential, to act without harm, and to move with an awareness of our impact. In a time of institutional decay,
discernment is not a luxury. It is a political necessity. Without it, governments can become bloated with outdated programs, reactive to short-term outrage, and unable to pivot towards what is genuinely needed. But with it, they become responsive,
humane, and capable of evolution. The fourth chapter of the Dharmapata asks us to see not only what is beautiful, but what is true. In public administration, this means recognizing that what is decorative is not always
valuable and what is valuable often goes unseen. The task of the administrator is to see clearly, choose wisely and move gently through the world that they are helping to shape. And you know, the Buddha begins this
chapter with a riddle. Who among us will master the world? Not through conquest, but through discernment. Not by controlling events but by understanding the dharma as one might arrange flowers. This image is instructive for governance
because flower arrangers select not just for beauty but for harmony, placement and proportion. And similarly the ethical administrator does not chase every issue equally. They choose where to place their energy. They learn the difference between what is
urgent and what is important. But there is a warning. A distracted gatherer, the one who clutches at every flower, who cannot resist each opportunity to decorate their own work, is often overtaken by
death. And this is not a physical death, but a death of relevance, purpose, and connection. A public institution that gathers initiatives without discernment, that chases trends or PR victories without anchoring itself in deeper values, will
be swept away by the next wave of crisis. It is like a sleeping village that cannot awaken in time. There's also a subtle message here about the limits of legacy. Flowers fade, laws change, policies can
be replaced. Clinging to permanence to programmatic immortality is a trap. The goal of restorative governance is not to last forever, but to act with virtue now, knowing that the scent of that action will linger even after the
form dissolves. As the Buddha says, the scent of virtue travels against the wind. It cannot be contained. In bureaucratic life, there is a tendency to equate value with survival. If a program ends, it's seen as a
failure. Or if an office closes, it's viewed as a defeat. But from the perspective of the dharmapata, impermanence is not failure. It's a natural process. What matters is the quality of what was offered while the flower was still in
bloom. Governments must learn how to close with integrity. This means designing programs that can evolve or sunset without causing harm. It means avoiding administrative attachment to legacy structures that no longer serve.
And it means resisting the egoist the egoic desire to preserve one's work at all costs. Because you see the work is not the point, the impact is. And this chapter also speaks to policy
triage. No administrator can do everything. And in a time of constrained resources, ethical selection also becomes a form of justice. The question then becomes, what do we tend to? And what are we willing to let
go of? Not out of neglect, but because other flowers are blooming and they too need the light. The metaphor of scent reminds us that virtue is not always visible. I know we all know this. Governments may
not be applauded for the crisis that they have prevented, the dignity that it preserved, or the harm that it avoided. Because these are not visible flowers. They are the fragrance of governance. They move invisibly, quietly
against the wind of political spectacle. And restorative governance recognizes this. It stops measuring success only by metrics. It listens for tone, for texture, for the subtle shifts in trust and safety that reveal when a community
has been well served. It trains administrators to ask, "What fragrance does this policy leave behind? And will it travel against the wind?" Starting to wrap it up now. In closing, I'd like to say
flower pickers must be wise. They know when to gather and when to let blossoms fall. And this is not just a poetic image. It is a meditation on discernment, timing, and restraint. Public service too requires this kind of wisdom.
Not everything that can be done should be done. Not every resource must be collected. Not every opportunity seized. In a culture that often rewards accumulation of power, of programs, of performing metrics, the Dhamapata
reminds us that the true mark of maturity lies in knowing when to let go. The administrator who learns to select with care, to act with virtue, and to release what no longer serves is not building a monument. They are arranging
a moment. Like a skilled gardener, they know that governance is seasonal. Some policies must be planted gently and tended slowly and others must be pruned or composted and some may bloom brightly but briefly
and still leave a lasting impression. This ethic of selection of choosing what not of choosing not just what is possible but what is good is central to restorative governance. It challenges the impulse to legislate for the sake of activity, to regulate for the sake of
control, or to expand for the sake of legacy. It asks all of us as public servants to consider what is needed now, what brings relief, clarity or connection, and what should be allowed to fade with dignity.
Such questions are not always easy to answer. The pressure to perform, to be seen as effective, to leave a mark can distort our judgment. Yet as the damapata teaches, chasing after every flower leads only to distraction. The wise do not scatter
their energy. They focus and they notice. They act when the time is right and step away when it is not. This kind of governance is quiet. It rarely makes headlines, but it is deeply ethical. It respects the life cycle of
people, programs, and institutions. It avoids clinging even to its own successes. It cultivates a sense of proportion and humility and understanding that public service is not about permanence but presence.
The fragrance of a flower lingers even after the petals fall and so too will your ethical actions. The administrators who govern with discernment may never see their name in the news, but the choices they make with care, with timing and restraint can
leave a lasting imprint on all of the lives they touch. This is the lesson of flowers, not to collect more, but to choose well. And in choosing well, to serve with grace. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Councelor Riley. Anyone else? Councelor Dam. >> Thank you, Mr. President. Um the uh Municipal Leadership Academy uh we are still collecting applications uh
which closes tomorrow. So we've um got a lot of interest uh in that uh in the program. So, if there's anyone who has not turned in their application and are interested in in doing this, um we're collecting them through tomorrow. So, uh
you can find the application on the uh website. If you just search for municipal leadership academy, it'll take you to the page provide uh information as well as provide a link to the application. So, I hope that people will take advantage of that. Just a quick question on that, a followup and that
was do we have any numbers on the number of slots available for the positions and also the number of applications received to date? >> Um, yep. So we have 11 or 12 applications and um we can take up to 25.
>> We can take up to 25 and that begins on again >> uh fe January >> January 18 was it? No. >> Uh, I want to say June 6. >> Or January 5th. >> January 5th.
>> Monday. >> Okay. I was just wondering about anyone who were was a late bloomer. Speaking of flowers, sorry. >> Yeah. January 5th. and and uh if anyone might be able to apply after the exact
deadline or this was a hard deadline and we don't have any more positions available. Uh but sounds like there's some room and some flexibility just in case anyone can't get their application in tonight or tomorrow. >> Sure. If someone misses the deadline, um
we will be more than happy to work with them to to to get them in. So I think that's an easy >> easy fix. >> That that would be great and everybody know understands that this may be aired at another time. So we'd like just to know that there's some Listen, we don't
want to turn anybody away. It's a great program and a lot of fun and it's really crucial to learn more about your city. So I want to encourage that. Anyone else? Mr. Mayor, >> you're up.
>> Thank you. >> Good evening, everybody, and uh happy holidays. Last meeting of 2025. Uh I wanted to I was hoping JT was going to be here cuz I wanted to send a a hearty farewell to our two departing
counselors. Um I appreciate the time that you put in and the service that you gave to the city. It's really important to have people that are willing to sacrifice. And you know, it's important to recognize that it is a sacrifice. Uh and and Brad specifically, I think, uh I
really appreciate the um the manual that you had a hand in around appointments. Uh that's going to be something that, you know, has a a lasting legacy. So, um and I'm also going to miss your stories and and your your heartfelt, you know,
passionate um defense or, you know, um support of various issues. So, I wish you well. >> Thank you. >> And uh and I appreciate your your reading. So, um and you know, I I like I said, it's too bad JT's not here cuz I wanted to send my appreciation to him,
too. I know it's been, you know, a long two years. So, um I hope he does well, too. Um now, update. I think it's important to let you all know um that the cameras that when we um got rid of
the LPR um we had traded that basically for new cameras to cover um parts of the building that did not have coverage. So I was notified today that those cameras have come in. Um and if anybody's interested in seeing the angles that they view, I want to be really clear. They are not license plate reading
cameras. They're the same cameras that we have in other parts of the building. they are only connected to the building's IT department where they can be reviewed when needed. Um, so I just want to make sure that that's really clear. Um, now I do have some good news.
And so the good news is when you all set the tax rate, um, that triggers a process which basically sets forward things that will allow me to start doing the budget. And one of those things that's really critical is the tax rate
recap. And so the tax rate recap has been approved by the DLS. Um and so you know we um know our starting point for the budget which means that this is the good news I think. Um we are on track to
be on time with our budgeting process. um which means that um you know hopefully the only thing we're going to be behind on just a little bit is the certification of free cash. So um our auditor is going to be away for a little
while. Um but when she gets back it's imminent and um we have prepared all of the um documentation for our external auditor to do the external audit. Um mid January there's going to be just a couple more things when the auditor comes to the city and then we should be
good. um free cash will get certified and that will be the next major milestone. Um but generally um December we do financial trends and and forecast out and I've started that process. So I know it's a little bit late in December but we were able to start that process
in December which is right on track with our timeline. Um and then January uh budget packets are going to get sent to department heads from my office and we're going to start building this budget. Um, you know, and I just want to be really clear that, you know, this is going to be we're going into a budget
season where we're going to have to look at tightening the belt a little bit. Um, I it's not doom and gloom. Um, there are factors that are kind of out of our control right now, health insurance being one of them. Just be mindful that
that is high on my radar. And um if as I look at my triage list, it is like the number one patient. And um you know, we're preparing for um various timelines that are coming up to make sure we're ready to do what we need to do in order to protect the city and to try to
protect the bottom line of employees and you know, the city's pocketbooks. Um so as this process unfolds, I'll keep you all updated. Um and you know, that will get us to the point where we start to hopefully submit the budget on time. So,
I'm excited for that. And that's all I have. Thank you. >> Oh, just wanted to point out that as you prepare the budget, you probably will be contacted, I hope, by many of the counselors over time uh during this process. So, you could expect that
you'll be hearing from us in in way. >> I figured that didn't need to be said. Well, that's kind of a given. >> So, absolutely. I I expect >> it may not have always been the case. I expect to hear from everybody >> and and and we'll be we'll be we hope to be involved as much as possible. >> Absolutely.
>> And we're pleased that you're uh you're there to >> Yeah, we've made a lot of progress. I I'm really I just want to give a shout out to the financial team. Um >> amazing really what they've been able to do in a short period of time. >> In a very short period of time. >> It's it's really impressive.
>> So, all right. Thank you. >> Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, at this time I'd like to just reiterate my heartfelt thanks to
Councelor Riley for joining us during CO >> in the middle of that and working from uh in a situation of great stress throughout that whole process. By the way, I'm not sick tonight.
I I just happened to be very cautious about the holidays and very concerned that we have a great opportunity for those. We have lots of people coming over, so we all want to stay healthy and I wanted to be sure. But thank you so
much for for all of all of your wisdom and kindness that you shared and showed throughout this process, your openness and your willingness to work with other people. That is I is I think one of the most important characteristics for a
counselor. So your integrity, your I didn't hear that many stories. So we still have to talk some of those. But the certainly the manual that you prepared will be of everlasting
importance. And the words of wisdom you shared with us, we'll probably review several times to be able to fully understand and appreciate all the impacts. But at this time, I'd like to present you with a token of appreciation, if I may. Yep.
>> Go up here. >> Yeah. >> Okay. empty looking. >> This is the Brad Riley. Appreciation of your years of service on the city council 2022 through 2025. I have one here for our other retiring
counselor who isn't unfortunately here with to join us tonight, but we'll get that to him. JT Terrell who served with us for uh one term.
At this time we would like to move to finance committee report. Oh, pretty notes. I like to doodle. Um the uh Thank you, Mr. President. Uh finance is not met. Um, I think we're
going to have to talk about when we want to meet next because uh I think our when our next meeting would normally be is uh Christmas Eve and the next one would be New Year's Eve, which are either of those are amazing dates. Uh, but we do have one item uh the city clerk's office
proposal for vital statistics uh fee increase that I'd like to get to sooner rather than later. Uh, but uh that concludes. >> Thank you. Public safety. Did we have a meeting? Yes. >> Uh, thank you, Mr. President. Um, so the public safety committee met yesterday
not to act on any specific agenda items, um, you know, I recognized that with my departure and with, um, then councelor Derby becoming Mayor Derby and with the,
uh, term expiring for Chair Terrell that I I wanted to ensure that there was no loss of any institutional knowledge of the work that we've been doing. So, um I met with um councelor Newton and just talked about, you know, how the committee has typically been run. Um you
know, the um value in reaching out to department heads that we oversee to get regular status updates. Um and then uh work that we have uh yet to undertake that absolutely needs to be done is that
the traffic rules and orders has um a plethora of outdated language um that needs to be brought up to code. And this is work that we've done with all of our other documents. you know, removing gendered language or just even briefly
um you know, rules and stipulations about which type of cattle you're allowed to ride through the center of town. So, you know what I mean? These are these are things that we're just we don't need anymore. So, you know, it's good to give it a a facelift and and to to remove some of the language uh that
implies police officers and mayors are are men. So, um that work will continue in earnest into the next term. Uh if councelor Newton is to remain on public safety, then she will be able to um
spearhead that with whichever counselors end up on that committee. >> Excellent. >> And uh thus concludes. >> Thank you. >> Appointments also. >> Yes. Thank you, Mr. President. I'm going to defer to councelor Riley. Um, I just
had an emergency that I had to leave town for, so I was not present at the meetings. >> Okay. >> Please. >> All right. Thank you, Mr. President. Um, so the appointment committee uh last met this Monday to um go over a series of
reappointments and appointments. So, I'm going to start these in chunks, one by one. So, I I um would appreciate everybody's patience as I move through this process. So um first is that we had a series of mayoral appointments. Um so
again, councelor Smith was absent. So these these uh appointees were all approved with a vote of 20 for recommending to the full city council. Um so in the form of a motion, I'm going to read the following names uh
committees and expiration dates into the record. Um, so I would ask in the form of a motion that the city council approveysman to the affordable and fair housing partnership with a term expiration date of December 31st, 2026.
Thomas Dro to the Manhan Rail Trail Committee December 31st, 2026. Michael Cherwick to the Barnes Aquifer Committee December 31st, 2028. Sean Abbott to the Bees Committee with uh term expiration date of December
31st, 2028. Daniel Butrick to the Conservation Commission, December 31st, 2028. Jay Ryan to the Conservation Commission, December 31st, 2028. Also, Jay Ryan to the CPA Committee December 31st, 2028. Ken Evecia to the CPA
committee, December 31st, 2028. and Josh Rosenblat to the zoning board of appeals December 31st, 2028. >> Second >> motion and a second to regarding the above mentioned appointments. Any further discussion? >> Councelor Pete,
>> I think I should um abstain on the uh ZBA appointment just out of an abundance of caution since I had some business uh before them this year uh and it just seems appropriate. So, I'll abstain from that one thing, but not because I don't
think that the individual in question is doing a fantastic job. Just for the just to be an abundance of caution. >> Sure. >> Okay. Any further discussion? All those in favor? >> I opposed.
>> Abstain. >> Just on the one. >> Just everything else. >> You have the right one. Yes. Good. Excellent. >> Okay. Thank you. And then um recall at our last meeting we did not move forward on a series of reappointments. So I do
have to reread um those folks into the record as well as new mayoral uh reappointments as well. So I'm going to start that process now. Um so first we have Shira Simon to the affordable and fair housing partnership with a term expiration date of December
31st, 2028. Um, actually, you know what? I'm going to do all of these with December 31st, 2028. >> That would be good. >> Yeah. Jamie Pocket to the Bees Committee. Genevieve Gold Leaf to the Bees Committee. Gail Cannon to the Charity Funds Committee. Deb Peavey to
the Council on Aging. Katherine Kerry to the Council on Aging. Peter Flet to Eastampton City Arts. Connie Dawson to the Energy Advisory Committee who is being moved from an associate member to a full member. Jamie Pocket to the advisory committee, energy advisory
committee. Uh Beverly Wika to the historical commission. Evan Garber to the Manhan Rail Trail Committee. Ronald Albertson to the Manhan Rail Trail Committee. Beth Tiffany to the National Pond Committee. Wendy Taylor Jordanian to the planning board as an associate
reappoint. Anthony Carella to the plumbing and gas inspector role. Leslie Button to the registar of voters. James Johnson, veter veterans council. Richard Reichi to the veterans council. Janet Tetro to the Affordable and Fair
Housing Partnership. Laura Fiser to the Agricultural Commission. Renee Hill to the Bees Committee. Scott Redmond to the Board of Assessors, Thomas Msbury to the Board of Public Works, and then for this one, Mark Tanner for city solicitor. Recall that
that is a one-year uh reappoint. So his specific term expiration date is December 31st, 2026. Then we have John Bruner to the CPA committee. Also John Bruner to the historical commission, Wendy Hammerly to
the Manhan Rail Trail Committee, and Amy Marsters to the Nashanic Pond Committee. That's all in the form of a motion. >> He's going to do a separate second >> motion and a second regarding the above appointments. Um, I just
>> Council Jesus, >> I wanted to double check that we didn't miss Robert Newton's name by accident. >> I thought I heard that. >> Um, yes, Robert Newton, Aquafer Protection Committee.
>> Reappoint. Yep. >> Thank you. >> Any other comments, thoughts, questions? All those in favor? >> Opposed? abstensions. Motion carries.
>> Okay. Thank you. Um the next order of business is that we had Louise Jacobs uh for a reappointment to the Council on Aging. I would request in the form of a motion to uh remove Miss Jacobs from the Council on Aging uh
with Prejudice. In the form of motion, please. >> We have a motion and a and is there a second? motion and a second regarding the removal of the reappoint. >> Any further discussion?
>> I'm sorry, I don't understand why is she being removed with prejudice? >> Um, sure. So, um, so the Council on Aging specifically has bylaws that any time, uh, an appointee misses 3 months
or more within a calendar year, um, that the Council on Aging may request a resignation from that individual. And um this Tuesday, the Council on Aging held a meeting and they voted in
favor of requesting that Ms. Jacobs uh resign from the Council on Aging. She did refuse and then the the mayor uh withdrew her appointment to that committee. So >> So we are formally removing it from our
>> Yes. because we we do not we don't have a choice in in this situation that the mayor has removed that appointee, >> right? >> Yes. >> Any further questions? >> Seeing none, >> can you remind me what with pre
prejudice means? >> Sure. Um so the so the difference of with prejudice and without prejudice. So without prejudice means that um somebody is uh welcome to restart the process again and with prejudice means that
we're that that that has been rescended uh administratively and that she's she would not be >> it would be at least in my opinion at least if I recall correctly for 6 months right
of that reconsideration of that. >> Yeah that's correct. Thank you. >> Okay. >> Any other discussion? Thank you for the question. That was anytime you have a question like that, get them out. We were here to answer them. Uh
>> all those in favor? >> I >> opposed abstensions. Motion passes. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. President. And then the final uh bit of business that we have for the appointments committee tonight is Steven Kolichelli to the East Hampton City Arts with uh reappointment
expiration for December 31st, 2028. So um with only two members present at that meeting, we could not offer the full council tonight a recommendation in favor of or against. And the reason for
that is um that uh Mr. Kolichelli is the spouse of councelor Jadzik. Um so councelor Jadzik had to abstain from that vote which meant that there was one vote in favor and one abstension. That
being said, I appointed Mr. Kolichelli in uh when he first got on the board. I have seen firsthand the work that he has done on behalf of the community. He's incredible at what he does and he's
present. Um I would love to have offered with full recommendation from the council but because of this administrative reason that's why we just had a >> Well, it's for good reason. >> Yes. Exactly. Right. Right. So, um, so
what I would like to do then is ask the full city council to appoint Steven Kolichelli to the East Hampton City Arts as a reappoint for December 31st, 2028 is the expiration. >> Second. >> Second. >> Motion in a second.
>> All those in favor? >> Opposed? >> Abstension heard. Motion to carry. >> And thus concludes. Thank you, Mr. President. >> Ordinance. Councelor D. Thank you, Mr. President. Um, we have not met since our
last meeting. Uh, um, and we have a meeting tomorrow. Um, October 18th. >> December 18th. >> October 18. >> Wait a minute. >> December 18. >> Yes. I just I can't I just don't want to let this year go. Um,
>> it's been too talked to council Riley. >> Uh, yeah. I apologize, Councelor Riley. You have three more months >> after his long dissertation. Yes. Uh so December 18th at 6 p.m. we'll be meeting in conference room uh one downstairs. And at that time, we'll be talking about
a few different things, including um the short-term rental um as well as the uh recommendations, zoning recommendations for the uh from the housing partnership and the um
I'm sorry, amendment amendment uh Exhibit A of the classification of employees to add the position of public safety dispatch director. >> Okay. >> And that's all we have to offer. >> That's all you have this evening. All right. Property. Councelor Peak.
>> Uh thank you, Mr. President. Property met for the first time in a little while uh last week uh to go over the two items on our agenda. Uh and those that was an interesting primer on both of them. Uh I'm not sure whether or not anyone from
property will can will be on property next term because I just I don't know what that will end up looking like, but uh the uh there's some interesting stuff. The town lodging house uh disposition is going to be a really interesting uh project and um I think
we're actually pretty the we're closer than we think I think on uh the uh ordinance request regarding flags on public property. So uh yeah, it'll be interesting uh work going forward in the next uh term. >> Excellent. Rules and government
relations. >> Uh thank you, Mr. President. We have not met since our last meeting and we will pick up in January. >> Pick up in January. So that concludes. I simply wanted to say before we close this evening that uh we have lots of good things before us. We have the
proposal from the affordable and fair housing group for a complete recall of our zoning ordinance. That matter is uh fascinating and really deserves the full public attention and
being able to look at each and every aspect of that proposal. I would strongly recommend that we look at each zoning type and held discussions and meetings so that we can be fully clear
with everyone what the issues are. How a zoning change in his this district or that district or in this setback or that setback or that frontage requirement or the overall lot size requirement will affect you and the property on which you
live. your neighbor on the properties they they use, how their use will affect you, how all we can come together to make sure that the policies that we use are forwardlooking, are not tied to the past, deal with
everyone's needs as best as a community can. And the only way to do that is in an open and fair process, a full public discussion, disclosure where we have meetings that the public attend. So I'm calling to everyone tonight.
Tune in to this. Come to the meetings, participate, listen. These are these are important issues. And there's very little in this public life that troubles me more than someone saying, "Darn it all. If I had only known while I'm calling out to you
tonight, no, this is a very important change. These are changes that we need to pay attention to. Come on in. This is the opportunity to talk about zoning. And if you weren't interested in zoning before, well, maybe you'll even be less
interested in the future because if you really look at it carefully, this dictates whether or not you can build an ADU in what size, in what location, what's an an accessory dwelling unit. Uh, can you bring your elderly relative
over to there? But wait a minute, I can't because I'm too close to this lot line or that lot line. Or maybe the marketplace will dictate and we can't find a house for our relative. We can't find a house for a friend or our child.
What is the opportunity here? The opportunity is to create good public policy that will last for a long time. So, I'm calling out loudly, please, now is the time to participate. Not necessarily at the special permit
process when, yes, there's some tweaking that can be done by the planning board, but the planning board will look like they did last night and say, "The city council is the one that made these decisions. The city council, our hands
are tied." They're not tied. You have the power and the authority and the will if you choose to take the ball to make it happen in a way that is open to everyone and that's the kind of process I want to see and I will work hard
toward having so hence the announcement as councelor Pete had mentioned we have the oldtown lodging house that is very much a very critical issue as to how we proceed and we are proceeding nicely I think the mayor's on board very care
very carefully with this and we'll be able to put it to some good use. A good use I hope that will meet the needs of the entire city maintain the integrity of the units. Maintain the integrity of
what the land was originally chartered for. charter deed for that it be used for affordable housing for folks who need needed a leg up a place to get a hand a helping hand and there is a
proposal that is being brought forth by a veterans coalition and that group would be instrumental in pulling this together if that is a proposal that the city wants to pursue and I expect that we'll be addressing that next here. So
stay tuned. We're going to have lots of fun. In the meantime, are there any other closing comments this evening? With that, I would entertain a motion. >> Second, >> a motion and a second to close this term, remembering, however, that you're
still counselors until relieved. >> Should there ever be a rec a need to recall you back to to service, you're not going to require that, are you? Mr. Mayor, that being said, we have a motion
to adjourn for this term. All those in favor? >> I >> opposed. Stain. No abstensions. All right. Motion carries. This term is now closed.