‘Zero Tolerance Zone’ rules made tougher, Quality of Life committee created: Town Board wrap-up

Riverhead’s “Zero Tolerance Zone” rules just got tougher, with new bans against unwanted behavior and heftier fines for violations. 

The physical boundaries of the “Zero Tolerance Zone,” which when first enacted in 2008, corresponded to the boundaries of the Business Improvement District, have also been expanded to include all of the new Downtown Overlay District, which takes in the Business Improvement District plus additional areas to the north and west of the BID.

The entire Zero Tolerance Zone is now a “no-smoking” area, where smoking and vaping are prohibited.

Also banned by the amended code are:

• sitting and lying on any public sidewalk, or on any object not “designed primarily for the purpose of sitting.” 
• sitting or lying in any building entrance/exit or vestibule, and lying or sleeping on benches in public parks. 
• “aggressive solicitation,” a ban aimed at aggressive panhandling and includes intentionally engaging in “conduct that would likely intimidate a reasonable person,” such as touching, following and persistently soliciting anything of value after being refused 
• rummaging through garbage or trash, or removing coins from a water fountain. 
• loitering for the purpose of engaging in drug-related and/or prostitution-related activity, and lewd acts.

Convictions for violations of various provisions of the code are punishable by fines of from $500 to $2,500 and incarceration of from 15 to 90 days, depending on the violation.

The Town Board voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt the amendments.

In related actions, the board also approved amendments to codes relating to alcoholic beverages and loitering. 

Consuming alcoholic beverages or having an open alcohol container in public in violation of the town code now carries stiffer penalties. Chapter 205 of the town code (“Alcoholic Beverages”) prohibits consuming alcoholic beverages in any public place and also possessing an open alcohol container in a public place anywhere in the town. Newly adopted amendments to the code increase the penalties for second and subsequent convictions, raising maximum fines to $350 and $500, respectively, and increasing potential jail time to as much as 90 days for third and subsequent convictions.

Urinating or defecating in any public place, other than in a public restroom, is now punishable by a fine of from $250 to $1,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 15 days, under an amendment to the the chapter of the town code that prohibits loitering. 

The title of the chapter has been changed to “Loitering and Obscene Public Conduct.” 

The penalty for loitering now includes incarceration of up to 15 days, in addition to, or instead of, a fine of up to $250.

Quality of Life Committee established, members appointed

The Town Board on Tuesday also unanimously approved a resolution establishing a “Quality of Life” committee and appointing eight members to the new committee.

The committee’s mission is to recommend strategies that aim to improve the quality of life of community members, including “issues related to safety, security, homelessness, crime, and sanitation; provide community education and awareness; promote responsible ownership and landlord-tenant relations and, aiding first-time home ownership opportunities.” While these issues are not limited to the downtown area, that area is a focus area in need of improvement, according to the resolution establishing the committee.

The Town Board appointed Connie Lassandro, president of the Riverhead Chamber of Commerce to a three-year term on the committee and named her its chairperson. Also appointed to three-year terms were Tracy Stark-James, executive director of the Riverhead Industrial Development Agency, and Lee Mendelson, a member of the board of directors of the Riverhead Industrial Development Agency. Appointed to two-year terms on the committee were Rob Carpenter, director of the Long Island Farm Bureau, Patrick Fedun, real estate broker and an owner of Fedun Real Estate, Melissa Gentile, a mortgage loan officer with Teachers Federal Credit Union and Dave Barczak, manager of the Dime Community Bank  branch on West Main Street. 

In other action at its meeting Tuesday, the Town Board:

• Approved a professional services agreement with Janice Scherer of Calverton, to serve as a planning consultant “on an ‘as needed’ basis in the planning department and specifically, in connection with managing the ongoing uUpdate to the town’s comprehensive plan by BFJ Planning. 
• Approved an $85,000 contract with BLD Architecture of Patchogue for design and engineering services in connection with the renovation of the new town hall on West Second Street.  
• Hired a new public safety dispatcher, Patrick Gabriele, and three part-time traffic control officer, Stephan Jean, Joseph Ramos and Daniel Sanchez 
• Approved a license agreement with Celtic Quest for docking at East Creek for the month of May, for a fee of $1,800.
• Approved a special event permit for the Riverhead Country Fair, scheduled for Oct. 8.
• Approved the solicitation of bids for concession vendors for town parks and beaches (due by April 20 at 11 a.m.), the town’s annual procurement contract (due by April 27 at 11 a.m.) and its annual construction contract  (due by April 27 at 11 a.m.) 
• Approved the solicitation of sealed bids for residential solid waste collection and disposal service for the Riverhead refuse and garbage district (due by May 11 at 11 a.m.)

All bids must be sealed and submitted to the town clerk at 200 Howell Avenue, Riverhead NY 11901 by the due dates and times.

Bid specifications and/or plans may be obtained by visiting the Town of Riverhead website at www.townofriverheadny.gov on or after April 13, 2023. Click on “Bid Requests” and follow the instructions to register. 

• Enacted a local law to regulate the location and operation of battery energy storage systems;

MORE COVERAGE: Riverhead Town Board unanimously approves law to allow battery energy storage facilities