Westhampton Board Dupes Citizens with Phony Issue

Westhampton trustees, unwilling to face the multiple lawsuits by the East End Eruv Assn. that could cost hundreds of thousands, bamboozled 62 residents last night by getting them all riled up about a no-brainer—two top cops costing $350K.

Westhampton Board Photo: Debbie Giammarco

The hubub over a possible police commissioner, in addition to the regular police chief, is a diversionary tactic meant to draw attention away from the real issue facing WHB -- the ferocious legal attack by the EEEA that has already cost it $125,118 in legal fees and a total of $884,837 for the three towns involved.

WHB, Southampton and Quogue also face possible hundreds of thousands for legal fees and "damages" being claimed by EEEA. There ought to be a public meeting on the eruv and the phony police commissioner post put to bed. The alleged eruv that went up in WHB last summer is also a phony because no lechis can be found on any telephone poles.

Residents are not only not getting the truth about the eruv litigation but are being fed giant whoppers such as an eruv was erected in WHB last August when there is no evidence of such a religious boundary.

Trustees had a closed-door discussion of the eruv litigation in late January and then a conference with U.S. District Court Judge Kathleen Tomlinson and reps of the EEEA on Jan. 27. No details are available for either meeting.

Picture is sample of lechi strips on poles. Usually they are of black plastic, 5/8" by 10-15 feet from bottom to top of pole within three inches of wires at the top.

Supporters of eruvim claim that the Supreme Court approved of them when it refused to hear an appeal of a decision by a federal court that let an eruv stand in Tenafly (after a District Court ruled against the eruv in that town). The Supreme Court merely refused to take up the case, something it does to about 2,000 cases presented to it each year. No implications can be drawn from its refusal to hear the appeal brought by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Biggest WHB Meeting Since 1969

Local blogger Dean Speir, a former town official who has been attending board meetings since the 1960s, said last night’s meeting had the biggest attendance since 1969 when there were complaints about noise from houses rented to singles.

Hands shot up from just about everyone in the room when the board, led by Mayor Marie Moore, asked for comments on the proposal to add a “police commissioner” post that would sit over Police Chief Trevor Gonce. The commissioner is projected to cost $181K while Gonce’s package is worth $172K. There are 11 cops in the department.

WHB trustees have rejected since 2010 attempts to merge the police department with larger departments. Southampton supervisor Anna Throne-Holst had proposed a merger of police depts. of four towns--WHB, Quogue, Sag Harbor and Southampton. This was met with "collective disinterest," 27east.com reported. New York State is urging the merger of smaller depts. into larger ones.

'Worst Idea Ever'

Westhampton Board Photo: Debbie Giammarco

Herman Bishop, former special prosecutor for WHB, said, “This is the worst idea I’ve heard any board come up with since I’ve been in the village and this should not be considered further.”

27east.com reported that what Bishop said “echoed the sentiments of many of the more than 60 community members in attendance.”

"The whole thing is ludicrous," said Conrad Teller, who was police chief of Southampton and Westhampton Beach before serving as WHB mayor for eight years until last year.

"You should bury it. It's a good deed gone bad. If Trevor (police chief) needs help, if Trevor's overworked, who cares? He's paid a good salary," said Teller.

"You're essentially emasculating a police chief," said WHB resident Victor Levy. "You said you're supporting him from above. No, you're cutting him off from above."

Lawrence Citarelli, who said he was "born and raised" in WHB, thought the board was being "cantankerous" and urged it to listen to residents. He asked each of the trustees to comment on the proposal. Mayor Moore responded that she speaks for the entire board. However, the trustees did make some comments. Hank Tucker said he initially had "reservations" about the commissioner post and said more clarity is needed about the position. Patricia DiBenedetto talked about civil service requirements as did Ralph Urban.

There was a two-hour debate over the advisability of a police commissioner as well as the wording that would go into creation of such a post.

Moore said the authority given to the commissioner would not over-ride the powers of Chief Gonce and that the two would work “collaboratively.”

The Southampton Press and 27east.com previously reported that should WHB add a police commissioner to its police chief, it would be the only municipality in Suffolk with two such administrators.

Mayor Jean Thatcher of Lloyd Harbor, Suffolk, told 27east.com Jan. 14 that she could not understand WHB seeking to have a police commissioner and police chief at the same time. With both, “you would have tremendous redundancy,” she said.

Mayor Thatcher should know that the “twin chiefs” proposal is nothing but a ruse designed to distract townspeople from the real issue facing them—being labeled as bigots (New York Post Jan. 9, 2015) and threatened with hundreds of thousands of legal bills in litigation that can easily drag on for years.