City Council

FINAL MINUTES: MAY 27, 2025 Village of Bellport General Meeting Tuesday, May 27, 2025 at 7:00PM This meeting will be held in the Community Center AGENDA This meeting is open to the public in the Community Center, located at 4 Bell Street. It is an in-person meeting and will be streamed on Zoom. Pledge of Allegiance & Roll Call Roll Call: Mayor Maureen Veitch, Deputy Mayor Steve Mackin, Trustee Nathan Rohrmeier, Trustee Lorraine Kuehn, Trustee Michael Young, and Attorney Lisa Perillo. Opening remarks by Mayor Maureen Veitch who welcomed those present. Open Public Hearing for Introductory Local Law #3 of 2025 On a motion by Trustee Michael Young, seconded by Trustee Nathan Rohrmeier and unanimously carried, Mayor Maureen Veitch opened the Public Hearing for Repealing Chapter 25 Introductory Local Law # 3 of 2025 of the Code of the Village of Bellport entitled, “Neighborhood Preservations” as presented. Attorney Lisa Perillo explained the repeal of Chapter 25 Article I. Rental Registration Sec. 25-1 through Sec 25-9 Penalties for offenses. It is being repealed at this time, because it was the subject of litigation. There was a court order that found it improperly enacted, so it must be removed. Nothing prevents us from considering a rental registry otherwise going forward. Mayor Veitch invited the public to make any comments. Mike Foster is looking forward to having a new law to replace this law. I understand why we have to replace it as long as there is an idea or a concerted effort to come up with a new law to govern short term rentals in the Village. I’m happy to see this rejected law come off the books to make it clear to everyone that right now there is no law on the books. Page | 1  FINAL MINUTES: MAY 27, 2025 Without any other comments from the public, Mayor Veitch stated that the Village is cleaning up the code book. The Board is looking at the issue of rentals and we’re following it very closely. If as a village resident you have a comment about rental properties, please write to us at Village Hall or send an email. Vote on Repealing Chapter 25 Introductory Local Law # 3 of 2025 On a motion by Trustee Kuehn, seconded by Trustee Rohrmeier, and unanimously carried, the Board approved the Repealing of Chapter 25 Introductory Local Law # 3 of 2025 of the Code of the Village of Bellport entitled, “Neighborhood Preservations” as presented. Close Public Hearing on Introductory Local Law # 3 of 2025. On a motion by Trustee Young, seconded by Trustee Rohrmeier, and unanimously carried, the Board closed the Public Hearing at 7:12 pm. Open General Meeting On a motion by Trustee Young, seconded by Trustee Kuehn, and unanimously carried the Board opened the General Meeting at 7:13 pm. Presentation on Passport E-Tickets The first item Mayor Veitch discussed was a software package called Passport E-Tickets. This system is used in various municipalities to serve summons for mostly parking violations. One of our Code Officers, Eugene LaFurno, identified this system. The system is a way to essentially eliminate human error from the ticketing process. Just to site a few examples of ticketing are people parking overnight when they shouldn’t be, parking the wrong way on a street, parking in a no parking zone, and parking in a 2-hour zone. The system will work on a basic android product. The system itself will cost about $1,000 a month but I believe at very least, it will pay for itself. Again, it removes any human error and brings us to 2025 in terms of the way people handle ticketing. Mayor Updates Capital Projects, Grants a. FEMA As I mentioned every time we meet, we are still tracking down between $350,000 and $850,000 reimbursement as a result of Superstorm Sandy. This process is painstaking and we’re trying to recreate the time of the previous clerk who worked on the project legitimately and was paid overtime. Page | 2  FINAL MINUTES: MAY 27, 2025 Treasurer Palmer, Katie Mehrkens, Michael Foster head of the Finance Committee, and Adon Austin, the engineer who did the work are helping to piece the paperwork together. b. HUD 2024 Grant The grant has 4 pieces to it and breaks down as follows: addressing the erosion at the golf course on Howells Creek which has been underway for quite some time. The permits needed to dredge the opening of the creek have been secured but we are in the process of getting an environmental review done so that we can get reimbursed for that work. The other piece of this grant is to address erosion at Otis Lane, South Howells Point Road, and Thornhedge. The engineers from VHB were on site this past week and each of those locations has a different problem in terms of flooding and different solutions. At this stage we will identify the problem and will when the time is right, circle around and talk to the homeowners who live in and around these properties because what we do is going to impact them. c. Deer Fences We are going to discuss deer fences in the next Work Session. Some people have taken it upon themselves to put deer fences up and we do not have anything in our code to address the problem. Christine Novelli did a report for us this week on this subject and pulled together some research from other communities. 7 other Villages in Suffolk County do have a deer fence rule. If you have opinions about deer fences, please let us know. d. Community Center We had a grant that was given to the Village in 2018 by then State Senator Monica Martinez. The grant was for $187,000 to repair the Community Center ceiling, behind the stage, floor, etc. We were surprised when the Grant recently came through. So, we’re working on having various vendors come in with costs to do these repairs and getting started on the project. e. Gateway It is important to support both Gateway and all of the businesses that we have here. It’s so important to keep our downtown vital. We really value our downtown, shop owners and organizations that make this Village what it is. f. Grocery Store A gentleman came into Village Hall about a month ago and stated that he had signed an agreement with Staller Associates who owns the CVS building. This is where IGA was located. He told us that there were 2 small things that he still is working through with Staller Associates. But that’s where that stands. There are lots of rumors but nothing confirmed to date. Page | 3  FINAL MINUTES: MAY 27, 2025 g. I had a meeting with Treasurer Palmer and Clerk Pontieri today regarding the end of our fiscal year May 31st. Treasurer Palmer is diligently working to close the books and is preparing next week for the audit for the 2024 – 2025 year. She is doing a terrific job and each year it gets better. h. Thank to the following for outstanding service to the Village. Brian Sawyer – Landscaping James Carson – Shutters Phillip Thomas – Design of bowling alley and Ho Hum Beach bathroom and kitchen Lucy Danzinger – Scooter DPW – All extra work to make sure Village is ready for the summer Garden Club – Window boxes and taking care of trees to plant Beautification Committee – Making the Village look the way it should Environmental Committee – Received a grant for an electric vehicle that cost $15,000 i. Terms of Office for Mayor & Trustees The process of changing term of office from 2 years to 4 years for Mayor and Trustees was discussed for 5 months in 2024 before the vote was taken by the Board of Trustees. Changing term limits for the Mayor and Trustees took 6 months before the vote in June 2024. Both of these changes were presented in Work Sessions and General Meetings. Trustee Updates a. Deputy Mayor Steve Mackin – DPW, Bellport Fire Department, South Country Ambulance, Suffolk County Police Department – Road Safety • Thanked the DPW for working around the clock to make sure the Village was ready for the summer season. • The Beautification Committee and Garden Club have been busy pitching in to provide plants and trees to the Village. • The Bellport Fire Department will be holding a little ceremony on Saturday at noon to bless the fleet. • The car show will be held on June 29, 2025. It is a huge event and it’s widely attended. • Emergency Preparedness Plan Program has been worked on for several months with Eugene LaFurno doing research, updating procedures, and complying information. We’re bringing it to the 21 st century. • The Suffolk County Police has been pitching in and offering a lot of help which is appreciated. Page | 4  FINAL MINUTES: MAY 27, 2025 b. Trustee Nathan Rohrmeier – Code Enforcement, Waterfront Management Board, Golf Commission, Tennis Commission, and Vouchers • The beach is now open on weekends with ferry service running for the month of June. The beach opens up daily in July and August. • Bellport Village 5K Run July 13, 2025. The run is from the marina and circles back to the marina. I’m looking forward to working with the Bellport Village Program Fund to make it another great event. • A special thank you to Paul Bodnarchuk for organizing the Memorial Day Parade. The parade was well attended and everyone enjoyed themselves. • Tennis Update – none c. Trustee Lorraine Kuehn – Communication/Website, Business District, Senior Program, Vouchers, Kids Camp, and Building Department • Employee Handbook – I am working with council on the handbook. Attorney Perillo is working on the second revision and hopefully, I’m hoping by the end of year to be done. • Town of Brookhaven Senior Programs has been approved for the next year. The town was very generous to us. The grant is approved to run through September 1, 2025 to August 30, 2026. d. Trustee Michael Young – Zoning Board of Appeals, Architectural Review Board, Beautification Committee, Planning Board, Historical Preservation, Yacht Club/Sailing Foundation • Trustee Young attended the Yacht Club kickoff for the new season on Saturday night. The striking thing was how well attended it was. The other striking thing was how many new faces were in attendance. It was crowded and there were so many people I have not seen before compared to 5 years ago. This really gave a sense of an upward trend in Yacht Club participation. Keep in mind they are always looking for new members. • It's a great social event during the week to come out and watch the sailboat races on Thursday. Every once in a while, you can look towards the water at the sailboat race, as opposed to just standing around talking and otherwise enjoying the evening. • The Yacht Club lease is poised for closure. We’re working on it, and special thanks to Attorney Perillo. Mayor Veitch, who’s been spearheading the drive, and Mike Foster from the Finance Committee. It looks like we’re finally on the edge of getting that done. Page | 5  FINAL MINUTES: MAY 27, 2025 • A special thanks to the trash collectors. They are diligent, courteous, and hard working. Open for Public Comment Michaelina Maguire, 57 Bieselin Road, I retired and moved with my husband to Bellport 2 ½ years ago. We spent $600,000 for our house and more for renovating and planned to make this our final resting spot. One of the homes across the street is an AIRbnb. I have nothing personal against the people that own it. But I have to say I don’t think that we would have bought the house if I knew that there would be people constantly coming and going. I feel uncomfortable with the house because my husband goes away and I’m by myself. In the 2 ½ years we have lived there. One or 2 issues at the house was fireworks at midnight. Unfortunately, 4 or 5 weeks ago there was a large number of young people with hoodies that started approaching the house about 10:30 pm and that went on until at least midnight. There were 5 or 6 cars trying to squeeze into the driveway and into the garage, and at some point, a large van came and unloaded more people. Some young women had suitcases as if they would be there for several months. I got up in the middle of the night and the house was lit up like a Christmas tree. I felt the need to voice my opinion because I didn’t move here to be afraid to stay in my own home. Mayor Veitch thanked Ms. Maguire and stated that there is a time limit on the public portion of the meeting. Mayor Veitch stated that a lengthy letter from someone who saw the incident was received by the Village. I appreciate you stepping up because this is exactly what we’re asking Village residents to do both positive and negative. David Huet 64 Bieselin Road, my wife, daughter and I have been part of this community since 2017. We love the Village and its history, people, and community. We’ve always made it a priority to be respectful neighbors and responsible homeowners. Like some other people in the Village, we occasionally rent our home. When we rent it is always in full compliance with Village guidelines and take great care for screening guests. Most of our guests are quiet families. We have a strict no party policy and we insist that the guests are not to bother the neighbors and to be respectful. Page | 6  FINAL MINUTES: MAY 27, 2025 A few weeks ago, a lot of rumors were going around and I just want to set some facts straight. Some of the rumors are false, harmful, and now affecting not only our reputation, but our sense of safety in the community. So let me set the record straight. There were some rumors that there was pornography filmed at the house. There is no proof of that, and even the person who spread the rumor commented that there is no proof. The guests were a small group of professionals filming a documentary. So that’s why there was the equipment. I have cameras on the driveway and at the door. But it’s estimated to be around 12 people that actually were at the house. The people were going to stay 4 days Monday through Friday. I contacted the guests when I received a message from the neighbor next door that she felt uncomfortable. I contacted the guests and asked them if they could leave and they left the next day. As they left, they were subjected to verbal abuse and threats. The police were called to intervene and to help protect the guests from the aggression coming from the neighbors. These are not assumptions, these are facts. I want to finish by emphasizing that you know the pattern of fear-mongering misinformation and racial hostility not just those who rent their homes. It’s about what kind of community we want Bellport to be. We need to agree on one simple principle, facts matter and truth matters. Major Veitch thanked Mr. Huet for his comments. Open Discussion on items to approve. Mayor Veitch moved through the items as listed. Motion: Deputy Mayor Mackin – Second Trustee Kuehn and unanimously carried. Resolution: 105 Approved the draft General Board Meeting minutes of April 28, 2025 as presented. Motion: Trustee Rohrmeier – Second Deputy Mayor Mackin and unanimously carried. Resolution: 106 Approved the draft Work Session Meeting minutes of May 12, 2025 as presented. Motion: Deputy Mayor Mackin – Second Trustee Kuehn and unanimously carried. Resolution: 107 Approved the setting of a Public Hearing on June 23, 2025 - Introductory Local Law #4 of 2025 to amend Village of Bellport Chapter 13 Nuisance adding §13-7 “Garbage Bins, Cans and Containers” and §13-8 “Penalties for Offenses” as presented. Page | 7  FINAL MINUTES: MAY 27, 2025 Motion: Trustee Rohrmeier – Second Trustee Kuehn and unanimously carried. Resolution: 108 Approved the Member Participation Agreement with COMP ALLIANCE for Workers’ Compensation as presented. Motion: Trustee Rohrmeier – Second Trustee Kuehn and unanimously carried. Resolution: 109 Approved an Intermunicipal Agreement between the Town of Brookhaven and Village to provide Fire Marshal Services for a 2-year option as presented. Motion: Trustee Rohrmeier – Trustee Young and unanimously carried. Resolution 110: Approved the request from Bellport High School Life Skills Programs to have a field trip to Ho Hum Beach on June 3, 2025 from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm as presented. Motion: Trustee Rohrmeier – Trustee Young and unanimously carried. Resolution 111: Approved the request from Brookhaven Free Library to hold Fire Place Initiative Community Movie Night on June 20, 2025 from 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm at the marina lawn near the bandshell as presented. Motion: Trustee Young – Second Deputy Mayor Mackin and unanimously carried. Resolution 112: Approved the request by Friends of Bellport Bay to hold the FOBB Seine Net Workshop on June 21, 2025 from 9:30 am – 12:00 noon at S Howells Point Road as presented. Motion: Deputy Mayor Mackin – Second Trustee Young and unanimously carried. Resolution 113: Approved the request by Friends of Bellport Bay to hold the FOBB Seine Net Workshop on July 10th, July 17th, and July 24th from 9:30 am – 3:00 pm at S Howells Point Road as presented. Motion: Deputy Mayor Mackin – Second Trustee Rohrmeier and unanimously carried. Resolution 114: Approved the request Bellport Village Program Fund to hold the Bellport Bay 5K fundraiser on July 13, 2025 from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm as presented. Page | 8  FINAL MINUTES: MAY 27, 2025 Motion: Deputy Mayor Mackin – Second Trustee Young and unanimously carried. Resolution 115: Approved the request by Bellport Chamber of Commerce to hold a Chamber Breakfast Network June 11, 2025 from 7:00 am – 9:30 am at the Bellport Community Center as presented. Motion: Deputy Mayor Mackin – Second Trustee Rohrmeier and unanimously carried. Resolution 116: Approved the request by South Country Library to hold an outdoor concert Foreign/Journey Tribute Band on June 20th from 6:30 pm – 9:00 pm at the South Country Library as presented. Motion: Deputy Mayor Mackin – Second Trustee Young and unanimously carried. Resolution 117: Approved the request by Bellport Brookhaven Historical Society to hold the Annual Bellport Brookhaven Historical Society Fundraiser on June 7, 2025 from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm at 31 Bellport Lane as presented. Motion: Trustee Young – Second Trustee Rohrmeier and unanimously carried. Resolution 118: Approved the agreement with Passport E-Tickets for digital parking devices and training as presented. Motion: Deputy Mayor Mackin – Second Trustee Kuehn and unanimously carried. Resolution 119: Approve the employment agreement with Timothy Hall (AEO-1) effective June 2, 2025 as presented. Motion: Trustee Young – Second Trustee Rohrmeier with Deputy Mayor Mackin abstaining, the Board approved the resolution. Resolution 120: Approved the salary increase of 3.5% for Jason Crane effective June 1, 2025 as presented. Motion: Trustee Kuehn – Second Deputy Mayor Mackin and unanimously carried. Resolution: 121 Approved the Fire Inspection Summary as presented. Motion: Deputy Mayor Mackin – Second Trustee Rohrmeier and unanimously carried. Resolution 122: Approved the Building Department Activities as presented. Page | 9  FINAL MINUTES: MAY 27, 2025 Motion: Trustee Rohrmeier – Second Deputy Mayor Mackin and unanimously carried. Resolution 123: Approved the Open Permit Project as presented. Motion: Trustee Kuehn – Second Trustee Rohrmeier and unanimously carried. Resolution: 124 Approved the Notice of Violations, Incident Report and Parking Tickets as presented. Motion: Deputy Mayor Mackin – Second Trustee Rohrmeier and unanimously carried. Resolution 125: Approved the General Fund Checking Abstract Report consisting of 91 vendors totaling $247,492.91 as presented. Motion: Trustee Kuehn – Second Trustee Rohrmeier and unanimously carried. Resolution: 126 Approved the Enterprise Fund Checking Abstract Report consisting of 29 vendors totaling $129,718.68 as presented. Motion: Trustee Rohrmeier – Second Deputy Mayor Mackin and unanimously carried. Resolution 127: Approved the Capital General Checking Abstract Report consisting of 2 vendors totaling $6,602.76 as presented. On a motion by Trustee Young, seconded by Trustee Rohrmeier and unanimously carried the Board adjourned the meeting at 7:56 pm. Respectfully submitted, Mary Pontieri Village Clerk Page | 10 Page | 11 Page | 12