Riverhead Town Board

The town board work session ended abruptly Thursday after the four Republican members walked out as the board's lone Democrat, Councilwoman Catherine Kent, who is challenging Supervisor Yvette Aguiar in the Nov. 2 election, attempted to respond to accusations of campaigning during town board meetings and coordinating a political attack with community residents.

A 12-month moratorium on commercial solar energy applications in the Town of Riverhead was approved by the town board last night. Though the vote was unanimous, the subject remained contentious.

A majority of the Riverhead Town Board said today they will vote tomorrow to pass the proposed pet store legislation that would ban the sale of commercially bred dogs, cats and rabbits. But a lawyer for a pet dealers group said the bill's passage will be met with a lawsuit.

Riverhead Town will use more than $3.6 million in federal coronavirus relief aid to bolster infrastructure, make up for lost government revenue and support nonprofits and businesses that struggled during the pandemic, if recommendations from town employees are adopted by the Town Board.

The Scrambul Runway Challenge drag racing event scheduled for this weekend at the Calverton Enterprise Park will go forward despite last-minute safety concerns raised by Supervisor Yvette Aguiar.

The town board on Wednesday denied a special permit application for a two-story medical office building on Main Road in Aquebogue.

The town board heard comments Wednesday on a proposal to ban pet stores from selling commercially bred dogs, cats and rabbits.

In a letter signed by ABTF chairperson Cindy Clifford, which Councilwoman Catherine Kent read aloud at today’s town board meeting, the ABTF noted that the town had scheduled its regular monthly meeting today, the second day of Rosh Hashanah and a water forum meeting on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for people of the Jewish faith.

Riverhead Supervisor Yvette Aguiar has asked the town board to again consider a moratorium on new solar projects in the town pending the completion of the comprehensive plan update.

The appointment of a Jamesport man to fill a vacancy on the Riverhead Zoning Board of Appeals was criticized by residents at last Tuesday night’s town board meeting and drew opposition from Councilwoman Catherine Kent.