In East Hampton this season, Democratic Town Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez is running unopposed for a second term, while two incumbent Democratic Town Council members are facing one Republican challenger in their run for re-election.
Pictured (l-r): Town Council members Cate Rogers, Ian Calder-Piedmonte and challenger J.P. Foster
Councilwoman Cate Rogers, who also serves as the town’s Deputy Supervisor, is running to keep her seat on the board, along with Ian Calder-Piedmonte, who was appointed to fill Ms. Burke-Gonzalez’s Town Board seat in the spring of 2024, after she was elected supervisor. He was then elected to the post in a special election last fall.
J.P. Foster, who recently retired after 35 years East Hampton Village’s 911 dispatch center manager and is President of the East Hampton Union Free School District Board of Education, is the sole Town Board candidate on the Republican ticket.
East Hampton Town government has been dominated by Democrats in recent years, making it difficult for Republicans to field candidates for town office.
The three Town Board candidates shared their vision for the future of East Hampton in an Oct. 15 Zoom debate sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, Shelter Island and the North Fork and moderated by the League Chapter’s Co-President, Terry Wildrick.
People Are Hungry Here
All three candidates shared a thread of understanding of a hallmark of East Hampton’s community — taking care of one another, particularly when it comes to meeting the overwhelming need at the town’s food pantries.
“We’re East Hampton. We protect our neighbors. We take care of our neighbors,” said Mr. Foster. “If we tackle it as a community, I think we can get through this.”
Mr. Calder-Piedmonte, a co-owner of Balsam Farms in Amagansett, said his farm donates thousands of dollars worth of food each week to the Springs and Montauk food pantries, and this year the Town Board helped the East Hampton Food Pantry find space at Town Hall.
“This is a huge issue,” he said, adding that he often hears people scoff at the idea that people in such a wealthy town don’t have access to food.
“We have a huge percentage of people living below the poverty line, and they can’t afford food,” he said.
Ms. Rogers pointed out that many larger food non-profits that local pantries depend on are losing federal funding, and she expects the need for help from the town to grow.
“We can’t separate the national from the local,” she said. “There are so many people being impacted by national policies.”
She added that she wants to expand access to child care for working parents to ensure “we’re a community, not a commodity.”
Big Houses and Affordable Houses
East Hampton recently changed its house size calculations to limit the size of houses that can be built based on gross floor area (GFA) relative to lot size — a move that some opponents said would hurt growing families and working people.
Ms. Rogers, a former Vice Chair of the town Zoning Board of Appeals, who was instrumental in drafting the house size regulations, countered that notion.
“I don’t think we have restrictions that stop people from building affordable houses whatsoever,” she said, adding that larger houses consume more resources and are less affordable. “I don’t think protecting the environment, the affordability of our neighborhoods and the character of our community are at odds with one another… I don’t think we have restrictions that stop people from building affordable housing, whatsoever.”
She added that the town’s recent reduction on the maximum house size from 20,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet is not relevant to the affordable housing discussion, because people aren’t building 10,000-square-foot affordable homes.
Mr. Foster said he believes the town should “expand the GFA a little bit,” and criticized the town’s other affordable housing endeavors like Accessory Dwelling Units, which are capped at a certain number per hamlet.
He added that better train service would alleviate some traffic, allowing more people to commute to East Hampton to work, should they chose to live somewhere else and work in East Hampton.
Mr. Calder-Piedmonte said his goal is to “strike a balance between regulations that is precise and specific,” with regard to the house size calculations, but added that “you’re not going to find someone more pro-affordable housing than me.”
He said he’d introduced legislation for a first time homebuyer program and helped fund the creation of 60 housing units since joined the board, and is an advocate for ADU construction loans and new legislation that will allow the construction of multiple units on smaller lots, up to four per acre. He added that the town needs to make sure it is providing “workforce housing” for people who earn more than would usually qualify them for affordable housing, but still can’t afford to buy market rate houses here.
“We need to use all the tools in the toolbox. This is the biggest problem we face,” he said. “To be a healthy community, we need all demographics. It’s really important protect working people and make sure East Hampton retains its soul.”
New Senior Center?
East Hampton Town is now going back to the drawing board with plans for a new senior center in Amagansett, after spending about $1.3 million on a controversial original plan. The town is now re-envisioning the building as a community center for all ages.
“I’m disappointed there was a disagreement with the architects on being able to provide the center the community wanted,” said Ms. Rogers. “I think there was way too much discussion about the structure and not about the community services” the town would be providing.
“I was not a supporter of the design,” said Mr. Calder-Piedmonte. “I’m excited to re-envision the senior center… I heard from a lot of people who wanted to see broader use out of that facility, which is what we have the opportunity to do now.”
“I’m glad there’s a pause and a re-evaluation of the whole process,” said Mr. Foster, adding that he thinks the YMCA, which has a location in East Hampton Village, is looking for a new location and could be part of the discussion.
“We just spent $1.3 million and we don’t have anything for it,” he added. “I’m hoping the board is going to claw some of that money back. We focused on fancy and not function for far too long.”
Guns and Airplanes
On two issues that are currently the subject of litigation — noise restrictions at the town’s municipally owned airport in Wainscott and the Maidstone Gun Club, which has been closed since seven neighbors found bullets lodged in their houses, the candidates had similar views.
“The town’s position of reasonable restrictions at the airport is the right position,” said Mr. Calder-Piedmonte.
Ms. Rogers, the Town Board liaison to the Wainscott Citizens Advisory Committee, said that people in Wainscott “wanted it open but wanted reasonable restrictions.”
“We need the airport but do we need everything we have currently? That’s the big question mark,” said Mr. Foster. “We should work together to find a solution that’s palatable to everyone.”
All three candidates said they believe the Maidstone Gun Club, which has been closed for three years, should be allowed to reopen once it’s proven to be safe. Mr. Foster, a former member, said he thinks its rifle range should be closed. Both Democratic candidates said lead at the property should be remediated and Maidstone should be able to renew its lease once all safety precautions are in place.
Windmills and Solar Panels and Other High Tech Stuff
On the future of renewable energy in town, particularly offshore wind farms that have raised concerns among commercial fishermen, Mr. Foster said he’s a proponent of listening to all sides about the impact of offshore wind, and he would like to see more incentives for solar power.
Mr. Calder-Piedmonte said he has a 120-kilowatt wind turbine at his farm, and he is also an “advocate for traditional industries. It’s important to hear from all sides how it’s working.”
Ms. Rogers said the town’s renewable energy projects are a response to humans “treating the environment like an open sewer” by pumping out carbon dioxide emissions.
She said the South Fork Wind offshore wind farm “doesn’t seem to have any adverse impacts,” and added that the town already has a residential solar discount program and is working on expanding electric vehicle charging networks. She added that battery energy storage “has to be carefully considered and sited well.” She said there aren’t many large open spaces left in town for large-scale solar projects, but Community Choice Aggregation, in which the town can purchase renewably sourced power, should be an opportunity for the town in the future.
She added that the town’s coastal resiliency is also paramount in her mind, which should be aided by a recent $600,000 grant from New York State for a long-term plan for Montauk’s downtown waterfront.
Why Are Employees Leaving?
On the controversy over the recent resignation of three department heads, two town attorneys, building department and tax receiver staff, Mr. Foster described the turnover as a “really big problem.”
“I assume the Town Board is having these conversations amongst each other,” he said. “I think the goal is to make East Hampton a place where people are looking to land. Pay is an issue. We still need to go further. It’s leadership. It really is that simple.”
“Employee retention is a difficult thing. As a small business owner, I’ve seen this in the private sector,” said Mr. Calder-Piedmonte. He added that the town has recently replaced its Housing Director, hired a new Town Attorney and Deputy Town Attorney, and has hired a new Chief Building Inspector.
“It’s not ideal. I would like to see less turnover,” he said. “I don’t feel there’s a toxic work environment or a leadership problem. I agree with J.P. about higher pay.”
“This is happening across business sectors,” said Ms. Rogers. “It’s also happening in the school district. They had 27 resignations and retirements, which matched what we had.”
“I know the town’s staff, people who’ve worked there 25 to 30 years. It’s a great place to work and the health insurance can’t be beat,” she added. “It’s been a part of the political narrative to say the town is falling apart.”
The debate can be viewed on LTV’s YouTube channel.
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