McLoughlin And Arresta Begin Terms On Southampton Village Board; Lease Of Ambulance Barn To Heart Of Hamptons Approved

With a car alarm sounding across the street providing a moment of mirth, Southampton Village’s two new board members were sworn in on Tuesday, September 22. And at their first board meeting later that day, took their first action with the board by agreeing to lease the old ambulance barn on Meeting House Lane to the Heart of the Hamptons food pantry for its new headquarters.

Standing on the steps of Village Hall, her son Louis holding the Bible and Judge Barbara Wilson doing the honors, Gina Arresta was sworn in. Joseph McLoughlin took his oath of office, repeating the words spoken by Judge Michael Solomon, his father Joseph McLoughlin Sr. holding the Bible.

Father Michael Vetrano opened the brief ceremony offering a prayer. He recalled the first time he was asked to give an invocation at an official’s swearing in. He was asked if there was a prayer for public servants. Yes, he told the questioner. That prayer is the same for everyone. It’s “help.”

The reverend asked God to provide “the strength that comes from the depth of our hearts, our human spirit, our life in community.” He entreated further, asking the Lord, “to fill our hearts with strength, with courage, with conviction and help us to always serve the common good.”

Thanking supporters who assembled on the sidewalk outside Village Hall, “to take part in this momentous day,” Mayor Jesse Warren congratulated Mr. McLoughlin and Ms. Arresta. He offered thanks, too, to the other candidates in the race for village board — Kimberly Allan and Zach Epley. He thanked them for putting themselves out there and their service to the community. “We all should be appreciative of what they did,” he said.

Village residents have a reason to feel proud, the mayor said. Voter turnout on September 15 topped 1,569, the highest in decades, compared to 850 on Election Day 2019. “We all participated in our democratic process and we have a lot to be proud of, and now it is time for us, as your public servants, to do what we’re supposed to do, which is to serve you.”

“We ask for your encouragement and support,” Mr. Warren continued. “Together as a team, we can only accomplish our goals for the betterment of our village, only if we work together and only if we include everyone.”

“Today marks a fresh start for us to work together and we’re excited about that opportunity,” Mr. Warren went on. “We’re only as good as the team we have … We can be the best board.”

The team gathered later Tuesday for the new board members’ first official meeting, held via Zoom teleconference.

A brief outing, the evening brought to a conclusion the Heart of the Hamptons question — agreeing to lease the food pantry the old ambulance barn on Meetinghouse Lane for its new headquarters.

During a short public comment period, Bonnie Michelle Cannon reiterated support for the move, while ambulance barn neighbor Tyler Dickson urged the board to find another location for the food pantry. Both mirrored remarks they made at a September 10 public hearing on the move. At the hearing, opponents raised the specter of additional traffic on the residential lane, while supporters underscored the pressing need for the charity to have a home from which it can address rampant food insecurity.

Earlier this year, Heart of the Hamptons learned it would have to move from its long time locale in the basement of Parrish Hall on the Hill Street campus of the Basilica Parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. It petitioned the village for the use of the soon-to-be-vacant ambulance barn.

The Meeting House Lane ambulance barn was built in the mid-1970s. In October 2016, the village approved plans for a new ambulance headquarters to be constructed next to the Southampton Village Police Department headquarters on Windmill Lane. Personnel moved in to the new space this summer.

The board received two additional letters from neighbors with the same request, that the board and HOH find another location rather than the barn, where traffic can already be bumper-to-bumper.

But, by the time the letters were read, the board had already voted unanimously on a 10-year lease agreement, with 2 additional 10-year renewals. HOH will undertake and commit to a capital campaign for renovations of between $400,000 and $500,000 amortized over the years in lieu of rent. They will handle the care of the interior of the structure, while the village will maintain the exterior.

Also during public comment on Tuesday evening, Rob Coburn made reference to the contentious campaign, speaking particularly of a video of Gary Goleski, superintendent of the Department of Public Works, plucking a campaign sign from the edge of a farm field on Halsey Neck Lane. Supporters of the Arresta/McLoughlin ticket lambasted Mr. Goleski for the move, but it eventually became clear that the sign had been placed in the village right of way and, like other signs similarly set, was removed.

The so-called scandalous behavior, deemed deliberately partisan, was actually a traditional clean up effort undertaken by the DPW every campaign season, accoridng to Mr. Goleski. Mr. Coburn said that during the 30 years he’s lived in the village, he’s seen signs from all campaigns removed. “They get removed regardless of party,” he said.

Stating the village employee was “targeted and impugned,” Mr. Coburn said human resources are the hardest to find and keep, and those who go above and beyond are, he said, “the rarest of all.”

Such a move de-motivates a workforce, and, said Mr. Coburn, “I’m disappointed and frankly, embarrassed that someone would take one cherrypicked video of one incident and try to impugn Mr. Gary Goleski’s character. I think it’s shameful.”

He called upon the board to make a statement of support for Mr. Goleski and denounce the partisan video, which “set a really bad precedent.” It’s not just about that one incident, it would also send a signal to employees, board members, and volunteers.

Village Board meetings traditionally conclude with comments from each member. Called upon first, Mr. McLoughlin said simply that it’s a pleasure to be elected and he looks forward to working with colleagues on the board. He promised to listen and encouraged people to reach out to him. Ms. Arresta echoed his statement, adding, “Let’s get to it.”

After welcoming the two new board members, board member Mark Parash took a moment to express pride in the campaign efforts of Zach Epley and former board member Kimberly Allan. “You held your head high, you worked hard,” he said. Thanking Ms. Allan for her service to the community, he added, “You made me think of things in a lot of ways I hadn’t before and I appreciate that.”