New supervisor presides over first meeting of ’26. Here’s a rundown of actions taken.

Riverhead’s new town supervisor Jerry Halpin chaired his first official Town Board meeting Tuesday, sailing through a lengthy start-of-the year organizational agenda that included salary schedules, appointments and staffing actions and policy adoptions.

The new supervisor’s first meeting proceeded smoothly, with the only hiccups coming when Town Clerk James Wooten called out “Hubbard” instead of “Halpin” during several roll call votes. Halpin laughed it off and told Wooten he owed him a coffee.

‘Golf cottages’ code proposal set for hearing

The board also scheduled two Jan. 21 public hearings on proposed zoning code amendments to allow golf cottages as a permitted use on 18-hole golf courses in the Residence RA-80 zoning district.  Each golf course would be allowed a maximum of 18 golf cottages and would be required to redeem one preservation credit per cottage. The hearings are scheduled fo 6 p.m.

Salary adjustments

The board adopted multiple resolutions setting salaries of town employees and officials for 2026. 

The resolution setting forth elected officials’ salaries included a reduction in the supervisor’s salary from the budgeted amount of $118,919 to $110,000, at the request of the new supervisor. 

Halpin offered amendments to the general employees salary schedule to reduce two salaries: one that exceeded the budgeted amount for the assistant superintendent of recreation by $4,000 and another setting the salary of Halpin’s newly appointed legislative aide, David Cote, whose salary was reduced by $1,957 from the budgeted amount. The board approved the amendments and then adopted the amended resolution. At Halpin’s request, the board also tabled two resolutions setting hourly rates for Recreation Department seasonal and call-in employees, also because the amounts listed in the  resolutions were not consistent with the adopted budget.  

‘Unanticipated’ legal fees due outside counsel

The board authorized a 2025 budget transfer of $105,000 to cover legal fees connected to Riverhead’s participation in the Even Year Election Law litigation, which Town Attorney Erik Howard described as Riverhead’s share of the legal fees associated with the commencement of the case.  

Riverhead Town is one of eight towns suing the state in federal court over the Even-Year Election Law, which aligns most local elections with federal and state elections held in even-numbered years. The measure was pushed by Democrats, saying it would boost voter turnout, and vehemently opposed by Republicans, arguing it was an attempt to influence the outcome of local elections in traditional GOP strongholds and an attack on home rule.

The federal action was brought after a challenge to the law brought by several Republican-led counties and towns in state court was ultimately rejected by the state’s highest court in October. 

At Thursday’s work session, Howard described the legal fees owed by the town as “unanticipated” and “a little bit high” and offered to discuss with the board what he’s “done to address some of these unanticipated legal costs” in a closed-door executive session following the open portion of the work session. 

The funds to cover the unexpected legal expenses were transferred from a budget line for workers compensation claim payments, the resolution states.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Halpin asked Howard to explain the budget adjustment to the public. 

“These are legal fees that were outside the typical budget, and they represent the Town of Riverhead’s contribution to the commencement of this case,” Howard said.

“And going forward, we’re hoping that there’s no more legal costs,” Halpin added.

“I have had conversations with counsel. I expect further fees to be mitigated,” Howard replied. He did not elaborate. 

The Town Board in July authorized the town attorney to sign an engagement letter with the Brewer firm authorizing the firm “to evaluate and pursue claims” against the state in connection with the Even Year Election Law.” The engagement letter attached to the resolution, which passed unanimously, stated that the town would pay the law firm $650 per hour for time spent by “professional staff,” plus fees of litigation support staff at the rate of $200 to $600, plus expenses including photocopying, secretarial and messenger services, electronic research, among other things.

Brewer also represented Riverhead last year when it joined a Nassau County legislator from Great Neck  in a “friend of the court” brief filed with the N.Y. Court of Appeals in August seeking to reverse the Appellate Division’s decision upholding the law. 

More license plate readers to be installed on local roads

The Town Board on Tuesday also authorized signing a memorandum of understanding with Suffolk County and the Suffolk County Sheriff to authorize the installation of cameras and other surveillance equipment in rights of way maintained by the town for the purpose of implementing the county’s license plate reader program. The county is expanding the number of license plate readers on East End roads from 25 to 60, according to Newsday.

The installation of the equipment and access to the information and data collected will be provided to the Riverhead Police Department at no cost to the town, the resolution states.

In other action Tuesday, the Town Board:

• Approved a permit for the Jamesport St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 28, sponsored by the East End Emerald Society.

• Authorized the construction of an information kiosk at the Sound Avenue Preserve by Anthony Mango, a Boy Scout in Troop 94 of Wading River, as his Eagle Scout project. The town last year authorized the expenditure of $500 of community benefit funds to purchase materials for the kiosk. 

• Reappointed Planning Board member Joseph Baier and Zoning Board members John Porchia and Daniel Zaweski, whose terms expired Dec. 31.

• Reappointed  Ed Densieski as chairperson of the Planning Board and John Hogan as vice chairperson. 

• Reappointed Otto Wittmeier as chairperson of the Zoning Board of Appeals and Ralph Gazzillo as vice chairperson. 

• Acknowledged Halpin’s appointment of Devon Higgins as deputy supervisor and Debi Burkowsky as chief of staff. Both served in those positions under the two previous town supervisors.

• Accepted a donation of $1,000 from the Polish Town Civic Association.

• Accepted the retirement of Police Sergeant John Vail, effective Jan. 23.

• Accepted the retirement of Public Safety Dispatcher Deborah Buyukdeniz, effective Jan. 13.

• Accepted the retirement of heavy equipment operator James Pipczynski, effective Jan. 24.

Public comments

Riverhead resident John McAuliff urged the board to look to the broader community when filling vacancies on town committees and boards, and to try to appoint residents who reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of the town’s population.

Northville resident Kathy McGraw said the resolutions and notices for the public hearings concerning golf cottages did not adequately identify the code amendments or describe what they would do. The public would not be able to readily understand what the amendments area about, without looking up the proposal on the town website. Town Attorney Erik Howard agreed and said the proposed code changes would be published in full in the public notice.

Riverhead resident Warren McKnight commented on a variety of topics, including the regional housing crisis, identity theft, and the one-year supervisor’s term mandated by the Even-Year Election Law. He suggested that the Riverhead Republican Committee should cross-endorse Halpin for re-election, in order to allow him the usual two-year term of office.

Aquebogue resident Ron Hariri called on the four council members to follow the supervisor’s example and reduce their salaries. He then complained about “egregious examples of what I view as massive waste and inappropriate expenditures of taxpayer funds,” specifically, the town’s expenses in connection with the development of Peconic Rinks at Veterans Memorial Park and the salary of the Riverhead Chief of Police. He said the rink was not intended to serve local youth, because ice hockey is an expensive pursuit that’s beyond the means of most local families.

John Radigan of Riverhead responded to Hariri’s comments about the Peconic Rinks, disputing the characterization of the facility as “a place for rich kids from Southampton.” He spoke of the Peconic Wildcats youth hockey program, the resident discounts offered at the rink, and a recent youth night.