Government

Former deputy attorney hired to consult Planning Board

William Duffy. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)
William Duffy. (Credit: Barbaraellen Koch)

Bill Duffy may have left his position as a deputy town attorney in Riverhead last month to become the Southold Town Attorney. But that doesn’t mean he’s done consulting for the town.

The Riverhead Town Board on Tuesday voted to hire Mr. Duffy as special counsel to the town Planning Board, a position he held when he worked for the town as a deputy.

The resolution hiring Mr. Duffy defines his role as follows: “General representation to the Planning Board shall include but not be limited to appearance at Planning Board meetings with said legal services being at the rate of $1,000.00 per month.”

“It’s just to help them get through the rest of the year and keep some continuity,” Mr. Duffy said of the Riverhead position. “There were a lot of projects I was involved in and it would be tough for someone else to pick them up. So I’m just trying to help them out with the transition.”

Mr. Duffy said he will mainly be doing Riverhead Planning Board meetings that take place when he’s not working for Southold.

He said his main focus will be on the 7 p.m. Planning Board meetings on the first Thursday of each month, and said he “may or may not” attend some of the 3 p.m. meetings on the third Thursday of each month.

Riverhead officials have thus far stated they will not fill Mr. Duffy’s position this year. Town Attorney Bob Kozakiewicz has been handling Planning Board meetings since Mr. Duffy left at the end of March.

“It’s just for advising them at the meetings,” Riverhead Councilman John Dunleavy said.

Mr. Duffy’s annual salary as a deputy town attorney in Riverhead was $98,547, while his salary as Southold Town attorney is $118,000 per year.