Town Board hears about hazards affecting residents

Police Chief Jim Read appealed to the Town Board at Tuesday morning’s work session to move ahead with revisions to the hazard mitigation plan. The plan is meant to be reviewed every five years to determine whether there are threats to security on the Island that have worsened or some that deserve to be downgraded.

He began working with a subcommittee in January and now has a 112-page document ready for the Town Board to review. Without outlining the document page by page, Chief Read focused on a few major changes he and the subcommittee have highlighted as critical.

There have always been areas on the Island subject to flooding but there are five that will need some remediation:

• The Ram Island Causeway has been an issue that prompted Chief Read over the past two years to talk about a need for a so-called “high water vehicle” — a vehicle that has high ground clearance and waterproof components — to reach people with medical emergencies when other vehicles face difficulty getting through the flooded roadway.

• The areas around the North and South ferry terminals where heavy rains make it difficult to travel.

• Bridge Street has seen major flooding, causing damage to businesses along both sides of the street. 

• Some areas on West Neck Road. 

• The entrance to Westmoreland where heavy rains can make it difficult to enter or leave the area.

Mitigating those sites and others can become costly.

Another issue that has become more problematic with the increasing use of technology is cybersecurity. When the Suffolk County government system was hacked a few years ago, it took months to recover data. The Town experienced a relatively  minor hit this year. The need to tighten up security is increasing and it is unwise to ignore the threats, the Chief said. That’s another area that can be costly, he added.

It will become increasingly important to identify sources of grants to avoid burdening taxpayers with the bill for improved methods of dealing with hazards, the chief said.

Words, Words, Words

The wheels of government turn slowly.

Water Management Advisory Council Deputy Chairman Bill Geraghty got a dose of frustration at Tuesday morning’s Town Board work session when he represented the Waterways Management Advisory Council (WMAC) in asking that an online version of the recently adopted Town Code dealing with docks be corrected. The request is to match the language adopted, which was somehow changed in placing the new law on the Town website.

The WMAC discovered a problem with the website version of Chapter 53 dealing with the dock code. The error came to light when WMAC members realized no permit existed for a significant dock project in West Neck Harbor that involved a tugboat, a barge, a crane and a significant amount of material.

Mr. Geraghty told the Town Board that WMAC members realized the online version of the code had two missing sections; one missing section stipulated a permit is required if the cost of repairs exceeds $10,000, and the second missing section requires that a permit is required if the repairs are not in kind and in place, Mr. Geraghty said.

In advance of the Tuesday morning work session the WMAC met Monday night and voted 5-0 to have the original language reinstated, he said.

Accordingly, he asked the Town Board that the process take place and be done quickly.

It turns out, it’s not quite that easy, Deputy Supervisor Meg Larsen told Mr. Geraghty. The Town Board will discuss the request at a work session, come up with the language, hold a public hearing and then adopt the changes, she said.

Wouldn’t the language be the same as what was adopted, but changed on the website? Mr. Geraghty asked.

That’s up to the Town Board, Ms. Larsen said.

If any other changes are made to the language, wouldn’t it have to go through the whole process that was undertaken from the beginning? Mr. Geraghty asked.

Not necessarily, Ms. Larsen replied. At the same time, she doesn’t imagine there would be any changes to the language.

When would the Town Board be discussing the request? Mr. Geraghty asked.

That’s up to Supervisor Amber-Brach Williams who determines the agenda, Ms. Larsen said. But next week’s work session agenda is “pretty full,” she said. Best guess would be in two weeks.