2010 budget talks go on

As a line-by-line review of the 2010 town budget proceeds, dollars by the thousands are being left on the Town Board meeting room floor.


Two days of budget talks last week were followed by a lengthy session on Tuesday before the board’s weekly work session. 


Requested salary increases from non-contract employees are being denied. Also, with two of the town’s employee contracts expired and no new contracts in sight, no raises are in store for police officers and clerical workers. Redundancies are being corrected — Ed Brown noted a repeat in workers compensation to be paid and Peter Reich saw fuel oil costs for Legion Hall in both the recreation and buildings and grounds budgets — and projected expenses are being whittled down in many departments. But many departments submitted expenses below 2009 levels prior to the review; Chris Lewis and Mr. Reich lauded cost savings in the senior citizen programs. 


Board members noted an expense that is out of the town’s hands: $14,000 for the state-imposed Metropolitan Transit Authority payroll tax.


Mr. Reich also suggested shifting waterways fund moneys, an accumulation of mooring fees that topped $300,000 in recent years, to pay part of Deputy Town Clerk Sharon Jacobs’ salary for work related to administering mooring permits.


A notable change was announced during the work session discussion of 4-poster soil sample results that followed budget talks. Deer and Tick Committee Chairperson Rae Lapides said that the Department of Environmental Conservation will shore up a $20,000 shortfall in 4-poster maintenance expenses for 2009 and will also cover enough costs in 2010 to keep the town budget on the program in the $100,000 range, not $200,000 as discussed last week.


OTHER ISSUES


In addition to budget and soil sampling issues (see page 1), the Town Board discussed:


• The battle against helicopter noise. A new coalition of municipalities is presenting a united front on the issue, Supervisor Jim Dougherty reported. A letter signed by Mr. Dougherty, Southold Supervisor Scott Russell and North Haven Mayor Laura Nolan was sent to Senators Charles Schumer, and Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Tim Bishop urging support for an ocean route to the East End. Helicopter noise over the Island increased in 2008 when helicopters were routed over the South Ferry channel.


• Crab Creek dredging. Mr. Reich reported that a logging device recording tidal conditions in the creek will be removed while the mouth of the creek is dredged next week. The device will be re-placed to see if conditions improve. The Silver Beach Association has paid the bulk of the dredging and permitting costs.