Town Board wrap-up: standout employees honored, six public hearings and a shopping cart auction scheduled

Riverhead Town will auction off 108 shopping carts June 27 at 9 a.m. at Riverhead Highway Department headquarters. The carts were found abandoned on public streets and rights of way and have not been claimed.

Spanish-speaking clerk hired

The town board Tuesday appointed a part-time Spanish-speaking clerk to the town clerk’s office. Cindy Chavez will begin in her new post June 18. The town clerk requested a bilingual clerk to help her office better serve the Spanish-speaking population.

Deputy Supervisor Tim Hubbard at last week’s work session said it will be “helpful to the entire town hall” to have a Spanish-speaking employee.

“If someone comes in and needs help in translating, it’s nice to know we have someone here that can do that,” he said.

“I wish I had her here today — yesterday,” Town Clerk Diane Wilhelm said.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Sal Mastropaolo of Calverton questioned the hire.

“When the Polish people migrated to this town did we bring in a clerk who spoke Polish?” he asked.

Councilman James Wooten said the town had employees that spoke Polish. “This was Riverhead back then. We had a lot of Polish people working here already,” Wooten said.

“For efficiency in the department and so that the town clerk’s office can better communicate with a large population of our community, I will vote yes,” Councilwoman Jodi Giglio said.

Special counsel for ethics board authorized

The town board approved the hiring of Bay Shore attorney David Besso to advise the Riverhead Ethics Board as it considers the complaints against Councilwoman Jodi Giglio in connection with the proposed sale of land at the Calverton Enterprise Park to a company controlled by Triple Five Group. See separate story.

Public hearings scheduled

At its upcoming June 19 meeting, which starts at 7 p.m., the board will hold public hearings on:

a revised proposed code to regulate bamboo [read it here] (7:05 p.m.);

the special permit application of North House Vineyards Inc. to establish a bistro use at Jamesport Vineyards, 1216 Main Road (State Rt. 25), Jamesport, located within the Rural Corridor (RLC) zoning use district. (7:10 p.m.)

a proposed lease agreement with Big Belly Solar for the placement of “Telebelly” and Smart Waste compactors at South Jamesport Beach and Iron Pier Beach at no cost to the town (7:15 p.m.)

the special permit application of United Riverhead Terminal to construct a new 28- by 45-foot pad with six biofuel tanks with a storage capacity of 108,000 gallons at the company’s Northville facility, an expansion of a pre-existing, non-conforming use (7:20 p.m.);

At its upcoming July 3 meeting, which starts at 2 p.m., the board will hold public hearings on:

the special use permit application of 84 Lumber for outdoor storage of lumber not to exceed 10 percent relating to the pre-existing nonconforming use at 1751 West Main Street, Riverhead. (2:05 p.m.)

a proposed local law to add a new chapter 225 “Environmental Quality Review” setting forth procedures for review of applications pursuant to the State Environmental Quality Review Act [read it here] (2:10 p.m.)

Special event permits approved

Veterans Appreciation Run by Long Island Abate Inc., Sunday, June 10

Fireworks permit, Riverhead Raceway, Saturday, June 30

Fireworks permit of Newton Carnivals at PBMC Family Festival, Friday July 6

Jamesport Triathlon, July 7 and 8

Harvest East End wine tasting event, Aug. 4

Tent sale of PC Richard and Son, Aug. 7-21

Annual summer fair at Old Steeple Community Church, Aquebogue on Aug. 25