Civic Issues
Topics getting the most attention in Town of Riverhead public meetings, ranked by how frequently they are discussed.
16 issues in taxes budget
Disabled Veterans Tax Exemption Local Law
The board held a hearing on a full town property tax exemption for permanently and totally disabled veterans, covering about 200 local veterans. Veterans gave emotional testimony supporting it; the hearing stays open until Nov 15 before adoption.
2027 Town Budget
The 2027 budget proposal carries a 1.79% tax levy increase — well below the 2.79% state cap. Written comments are open through Nov 15 before adoption.
CPF regional counsel agreement (tabled)
The board tabled the agreement hiring Mary Wilson, Esq. as regional CPF counsel after residents questioned the $400/hour fee, travel-time billing for a Florida resident, and why an out-of-state attorney was chosen. It will come back for more discussion.
Retail parking ratios and assessment of outdoor commercial use
Board members questioned whether a roofing/construction business is operating from a home the owner is converting to a two-family, citing a fleet of trucks, extra electric meters and a Justice Court conditional discharge barring commercial activity. The hearing was adjourned for investigation.
Records Digitization
Decades of paper building records sit in a basement, and FOIL requests can take months. Scanning them into a searchable online system would give instant public access, cut FOIL staff time, and could generate about $180,000 a year in subscription revenue from realtors and attorneys.
Justice Court and Police Department air conditioning replacement
The Justice Court's HVAC is out of operation, forcing this meeting to move. A budget adjustment to replace the units is on the September 1 agenda.
URT Tax Certiorari Settlement
Ron Harari said records show nearly $1 million spent on tax certiorari lawyers since 2020, including ~$250,000 on the United Terminals case, and pressed the board to disclose the settlement amount. The town attorney's office declined to answer without research.
Justice Court revenue doubling
May court collections hit $56,640 — about double last May — thanks to higher fines and prepared cases pushing defendants to plead. Blight mitigation fines remain the biggest category, and the town attorney may seek Supreme Court action on two problem properties.
Future of Alive on 25 festival
After questions about whether Alive on 25 is worth the police and staffing costs, business owners rallied in support. The board agreed to keep the events, plan them earlier in the year, and explore additions like a restaurant week and moving the Fourth-before-the-Fourth back downtown.
Community Preservation Fund debt pay-down
A state-mandated regional Community Preservation Fund structure requires hiring shared attorney Mary Wilson at $400/hour, with Riverhead's share around 5.3%. Residents questioned her Florida residency and travel compensation, and the board tabled the agreement to get answers.
Scavenger waste fee change
First fee update since 1986: sewer application and inspection fees would rise to cover actual inspection costs, with new fees for funeral homes, car washes, and similar businesses.
Town litigation matters (Tanger, Traditional Links, election case)
The board met behind closed doors on an employee discipline matter, litigation with Calverton Aviation Technology, an intermunicipal agreement with Brookhaven, and its parking consultant contract. No details were discussed publicly.
Early retirement incentive
The town has a surprise $5 million surplus and is considering offering early retirement to eligible CSEA, PBA and SOA employees, with estimated first-year savings of $1.3–1.4 million. Councilwoman Merrifield is pushing for full public disclosure and study of past incentives before any deal, and the board will meet individually with the financial administrator.
Procurement process — sole source vs. RFP
The town's purchasing director flagged that she hadn't seen the vendor's sole-source letter before the agenda, and questioned whether the town should issue an RFP to test competing technologies like fuel cells before committing $1.3 million.
Potential generator at Veterans Memorial Park ice rink
A resident's Zoom questions revealed the town hockey rink still lacks a final certificate of occupancy years after opening, following a partial dome collapse during a blizzard. Officials said an outside engineer cleared the site, but the resident is still waiting on his FOIL request for repair records.
Pump-out boat program funding and staffing
The town applies annually for up to $14,000 in state EFC grant reimbursement for its pump-out boats, but there's only one operator and board members worry about losing him without a raise.