Cold War veterans exemption
Kevin Webster, chairman of the Southold Board of Assessors, advised the town board of a recent amendment to the Cold War veterans tax exemption which removes the 10 year limitation by local option. The exemption allows for a reduction in assessed value of the primary residence of a veteran who served between Sept. 2, 1945 and Dec. 26, 1991.
Webster asked the board to pass the local option, which would allow the exemption to go on further. Presently there are 113 veterans in the Town of Southold who receive the exemption.
National Grid emergency drill
Southold Town assistant deputy emergency preparedness coordinator Lloyd Reisenberg advised the board of National Grid’s plan to coordinate an emergency drill at Town Beach in October.
The drill will simulate a large gas leak in order for local emergency managers, fire and police to see how National Grid responds, what they do and how they operate. National Grid employees, Southold Town police, local emergency management, and local fire departments will all be involved in the drill, which is expected to last two and a half hours.
National Grid conducts drills once or twice a year in various localities. According to Reisenberg, they chose Southold because of its relatively remote location and because of a gas leak issue a few years ago.
The drill is scheduled for Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Town Beach in Southold.
North Fork Mental Health Initiative
Government liaison officer Denis Noncarrow and Carol Magee, a social worker at East Hampton’s Family Service League, gave an update on the progress of a proposed mental health initiative which would help Southold Town address teen suicide.
Noncarrow invited Magee to talk about a successful program implemented in East Hampton four years ago which facilitates early intervention when a teen is suspected of being suicidal.
“It all began with a spurt of suicides on the South Fork among middle school and high school students and it caused great alarm,” said McGee.
Magee formed a collaborative partnership with schools, hospitals and other agencies to provide services to children who are at imminent risk of suicide. Teens are able to be immediately assessed even without parental permission if they are suspected of being suicidal.
Noncarrow stressed the need for a similar program on the North Fork, pointing out how difficult it is on the East End to help when a crisis arises. By having a program in place right here on the North Fork, crises can be dealt with immediately without the need to travel to Stony Brook, he said.
Noncarrow said they are in the process of securing funding for the program, which he loosely estimated would cost $200,000 a year. Senator Ken LaValle has been a strong supporter of the program and will be requesting funding in his budget. Local schools have been asked to chip in and the town was asked to contribute $10,000.
Councilman Bill Ruland said he was fully supportive of the funding, calling it an investment in our youth.
