Government

Town holds off on bridge loan, tax cap vote

With Councilman Jim Wooten absent and representing the swing vote, the Riverhead Town Board at its meeting Tuesday night held off on voting on resolutions that authorized a $6 million bridge loan to reduce taxes in the 2015 budget, as well as resolution to set a public hearing on a proposal to pierce the state’s two-percent tax cap with the 2015 budget. Supervisor Sean Walter and Councilman George Gabrielsen said they support authorizing the loan, which must be repaid in two years, on the hope that the town can sell some land at EPCAL.

Councilman John Dunleavy and Councilwoman Jodi Giglio opposed it.

The board also voted to hold a public hearing on rezoning the Second Street firehouse to a zone that allows more retail uses, as well as apartments. The rezoning was requested by Suffolk Theater owner Bob Castaldi as a condition of a deal in which he would buy the building for $500,000, but not the parking lot surrounding it. Ms. Giglio opposed that resolution as well, saying she feels the town shouldn’t be rezoning just one parcel.

To read more about what happened at Tuesday’s Town Board meeting, click below to read a recap of reporter Tim Gannon’s live blog of the meeting.

Live Blog Riverhead Town Board 08-19-2014

August_19,_2014_-_Agenda by Timesreview

August_19,_2014_-_Packet by Timesreview