Greenport Village will enter into a revised contract with its marina manager, Jeff Goubeaud (Adventure Treks) that reduces his monthly base compensation by $841 and provides incentive-based additional income to be paid on increased annual gross revenues realized by the village as a result of the manager’s efforts.
The village board voted unanimously last night to authorize the new contract, after voting in October to decline renewal of Goubeaud’s existing contract, which by its terms renewed automatically every year unless otherwise terminated.
The board wanted the chance to renegotiate Goubeaud’s contract to take into account that the recreation director hired earlier this year would be taking on some of the responsibilities that were given to Goubeaud, whose monthly fee had been increased last year to compensate him for those additional responsibilities.
Recreation director Margaret DeVito is taking over carousel management, handling lifeguard staffing and other things, Hubbard said at the board’s October 15 work session, when the board voted not to renew Goubeaud’s contract.
“Jeff was given a raise and put in charge of that,” Hubbard said at the October meeting. “We’re taking that portion back away. We’re not getting rid of Jeff,” he said. “But part of Margo’s salary is coming from the money that we’re saving of not having Jeff do that work.”
Goubeaud will now be paid a base consideration of $4,159 per month — reduced from $5,000 per month.
He will be entitled to additional compensation of 10 percent of the increase in annual gross revenues over 2015’s gross revenues of $575,000 up to $775,000 and 5 percent of any revenues in excess of $775,000 per year.
Goubeaud will also be paid 20 percent of the annual gross revenues of the visitor’s dock for each season above the amount of the gross revenues collected annually, according to the contract.
The incentive income will be realized by the contractor only if the increased revenues are due to his efforts, Hubbard said. “If we increase the rates for the marina, he’s not going to get additional revenue. If we change our rules to reap more revenue, he’s not going to get a portion on that.”
John Saladino, who said he’s not opposed to the contract — “I think he’s doing a fabulous job,” he said — questioned the advisability of having a contract that is renewed automatically without a new RFP.
“I don’t like that automatic renewal,” he said. “It’s like a contract in perpetuity and I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
Saladino repeated his plea to the board for a harbormaster.
“Just the physical presence — I’m out there every day. Some of the stuff you see is pretty egregious. We need somebody to say ‘don’t do that,’” he said.
The mayor said he’s been discussing with the fire department a possible arrangement that would have the village make some needed repairs to the fire department’s boat in exchange for being able to use it on Friday afternoons, Saturdays and Sundays. The village would then hire someone to staff it.
“That will help the fire department out and get somebody out there as harbormaster,” Hubbard said, “so we can have somebody on the water making sure people observe the marine buoys and be a deterrent against people doing crazy things. That’s my intention for the new budget.”
Parking summonses collection and enforcement
The village board has authorized a three-year contract with Fundamental Business Service Inc of Hempstead for services in connection with collecting amounts due on parking summons issued in the village.
FBS will provide notices to the alleged violators and, after three unanswered notices, will provide information about the delinquent violators to the Department of Motor Vehicles. The company will also attempt to collect the penalties due as a result of the violations, remitting all amounts collected directly to the Southold Town Justice Court.
The village will pay FBS 30 percent of all penalties collected after 30 days of the issuance of all summonses.
Subdivision, substandard lots and moratorium talk
Residents again spoke out against subdivisions that would create substandard lots — a reaction to the most recent applications of James Olinkiewicz of Shelter Island seeking to subdivide two lots already improved with two-family homes to create four substandard lots and build two new single-family homes.
The planning board at its next meeting on Jan. 7 will refer both applications to the village Zoning Board of Appeals, because the proposed subdivisions cannot move forward unless the ZBA grants area and setback variances.
Fifth Avenue residents have been circulating petitions in opposition to the subdivisions and seeking an immediate moratorium on all subdivisions until the village board can change the code to effect an outright ban on the creation of nonconforming lots by new subdivisions.
But the appeal for a moratorium doesn’t seem to have gathered any steam on the village board.
“If you do a moratorium, unless you have some kind of plan, you’re just kicking the can down the road,” the mayor said in an interview yesterday afternoon. “Hopefully the planning board and the zoning board will use the tools they have to deny it. The applicant is looking to create substandard lots and they can deny it as is,” Hubbard said.
Fifth Avenue resident Bob Kehl who has been circulating petitions seeking a moratorium, acknowledged that “there’s not a lot of people in favor of the moratorium” and asked the board to “ban lots less than 7,500 square feet.”
“It’s very frustrating going back and forth,” Kehl said. “Every time you think you’ve got something settled, they’re back again.”
Sixth Avenue resident Diane Peterson said the residents felt like their concerns voiced to the planning and zoning boards “have been falling on deaf ears,” which led them to ask the village board to impose a moratorium.
John Saladino, a zoning board member urged village board members to “trust the statutory boards.” He said the village board should “give them a little guidance — not to tell them how to vote. Say ‘this is the direction we’d like the village to take’ and I think that would go a long way.”
William Swiskey predicted if the board adopted an outright ban on substandard lots it would “have a civil rights lawsuit in federal court.” Swiskey said neither of the lots in question “merits subdivision.”
He asked village attorney Joseph Prokop whether someone whose house burns down would have to get a variance from the ZBA if it had been on a substandard lot.
Prokop said he could not give a definitive answer to that question because it would depend on a number of factors.
Meeting by Skype?
Bob Kehl voiced his objection to board members being allowed to “Skype in to meetings.” He said he understood from the discussion at the last zoning board meeting that ZBA chairman Doug Moore might be “Skyping in” from Florida.
“Doesn’t this have to be written into the bylaws of the village?” Kehl asked.
The mayor said no, it could be approved by resolution and while the idea was discussed, it had not been decided.
Hubbard said Moore spoke to him about a month and a half ago and told him he would be out of town for an extended period. “He asked if he should resign and I told him no.” He said he thought it would be beneficial for Moore to keep up with ZBA business by video conference, but he did not believe he would be allowed to vote.
The village attorney said he’d been asked to research it and render an opinion.
“To go away the whole winter is not good,” Swiskey opined. “Can we expand the size of the boards to seven members?” he asked, noting that Greenport has “a lot of seasonal residents.”
The mayor said it’s not easy to find people willing to fill board seats and finding five people is difficult as it is.
“People have not been asked,” Swiskey countered. “I bet you can find two more.”
Hubbard said the board announced openings and people did not step forward. Expanding the boards to seven members and then not being able to fill the seats would not accomplish anything, the mayor said.
ZBA members Saladino and Dinni Gordon both voiced support of the concept of the ZBA chairman participating in meetings by video call.
“Moore’s participation adds to the richness of the debate,” Gordon said. The village should “take advantage of modern technology,” she said.
“I think it would be counterproductive for Doug not to be able to participate in the meetings nad hear what’s going on,” Saladino said.
Prokop said he’s researching the opinions of the New York State Committee on Open Government on the topic of videoconferencing. He also said he’d look into the village’s legal ability to expand the size of the boards to seven members, which he said he is not sure could be done.
In other action last night, the village board:
- declared lead agency status and issued a determination of nonsignificance in the matter of a wetlands permit application by Costello Marine Contracting Corp. on behalf of Nathaniel and Emily Ewing and then approved the application to construct a floating dock, catwalk, ramp and access platform.
- declared lead agency status and initiated coordinated review of the wetlands permit application of Townsend Manor Inc. to remove and replace 190 feet of bulkhead at 714 Main St., Greenport, within the Village of Greenport Historic District; and scheduled a Jan 28 (p.m.) public hearing on the application.
- authorized the solicitation of bids for the purchase of new LED lighting for the Adams Street parking lots, Front Street and Main Street, utilizing matching funds from the Suffolk County Downtown Revitalization Grant.
- approved the public assembly permit application for the use of the Polo Grounds on Moores Lane from 5 ot 11 p.m. on May 26 through 30, 2016 for the Greenport Fire Department (Star Hose Company) annual carnival fundraiser, with fireworks scheduled for May 28 (rain date May 29).
- approved the appointment of Karen Jiminez to the village housing authority, to fill the balance of the term of Anne Reitman, which expires April 1.
- ratified the termination of employment of Jessica DeMartino part-time fire department secretary effective Dec. 16 and the hiring of James Kalin as the interim part-time fire department secretary effective Dec. 16.
- approved the application of Kelly Hydell to the Star Hose Company of the Greenport Fire Department and approved the applications of William Cosby and Dawn Conway to the Greenport Fire Department Rescue Squad.
- approved a wage increase from $20 to $25 per hour for Derryl Baumer effective Dec. 30.
- authorized trustee Julia Robins and village administrator Paul Pallas to attend the N.Y. Association of Public Power annual winter meeting Jan 27-28 in Albany (conference fee of $225 per person and room rate of $149 per person per night, plus applicable travel costs).
- authorized the mayor, trustee Mary Bess Phillips and village clerk Sylvia Pirillo “and any other interested trustee or manager” to attend the N.Y. Conference of Mayors winter legislative meeting, Feb. 7-9 in Albany, with all applicable registration, travel and lodging costs, the amounts of which will be confirmed at the January work session of the board.
