Residents gathered at the Bridgehampton School last Wednesday, March 13, to discuss the proposed 2013-2014 budget and where cuts can be made. Photo by Amanda Wyatt

By Amanda Wyatt

With less than two months until its spring budget and board of education vote, the Bridgehampton School held its second annual “community conversation” last Wednesday for the public to help the district explore ways of trimming the proposed 2013-2014 budget.

“Tonight we’re looking for input, ideas and suggestions on how we might strategize as a board and as an administrative team if we have to make some difficult cuts,” said Dr. Lois Favre, superintendent.

During the opening presentation, Dr. Favre revealed that next year’s draft budget is $11,456,039, which is$759,675 or about seven percent higher than last year’s budget. Much of this increase can be attributed to rising costs in health care and retirement, step increases, increased technology needs and out-of-district tuitions.

The proposed tax levy for next year is $10,181,467, which is $747,221 or 8.13 percent greater than in 2012-2013.

Still, budgeting remains a tricky task, given that Bridgehampton and other school districts are once again facing a state-mandated two percent tax levy cap, which limits the amount of money they can raise through taxes.

But as Dr. Favre noted, it does not mean that taxes can only go up by two percent. For Bridgehampton specifically, the overall tax levy cannot exceed 4.48 percent. Exempt from the cap are the capital projects and increases in the teachers’ retirement system.

To stay within the cap, the school can only raise the budget by $423,036. This means that as it stands now, the school must trim $324,185 from its proposed budget or ask voters to support the district in piercing the tax cap, which would require at least 60 percent of all votes cast for the budget to be in favor of the spending plan.

And while the school has not ruled out the possibility of piercing the cap, administrators and board of education members have expressed a desire to “whittle down” the budget as much as possible.

“If we have to make cuts to make our tax levy limit, what are we willing to give up?” asked Dr. Favre.

“We built a wonderful program here for our kids. I’m the first one to tell you, I don’t want to live without any of it,” she added.

After the presentation, the audience split into six groups to discuss what they felt were priorities in the budget, and what cuts they would and would not make. Responses were, indeed, varied, but there were some items that several groups agreed were “non-negotiable.”

For example, several groups believed that keeping the cafeteria stocked with healthy, organic food was a priority and did not want to make any cuts in that category. Some groups emphasized the school needed to update its technology, and others said sports programs needed to be kept intact. For others, not cutting any programs or teachers was important.

When it came to making cuts, many of the groups agreed the number of school administrators could be reduced. According to literature given out at the meeting, Bridgehampton has four administrative positions, and cutting one administrator could save the district $150,000.

As one parent said, “In comparison to other districts, we are totally top-heavy…We have a district this size; do we really need a superintendent and a principal, both full-time positions?”

Making cuts in the areas of transportation, homework club, summer programs and summer curriculum work were all brought up in several other groups.

But as some participants pointed out, making stringent budget cuts would not be necessary if the school were to ask taxpayers to pierce the cap during the spring budget vote. Piercing the cap would mean not having to cut faculty/staff or programs, and not jeopardizing the quality of education at Bridgehampton, they said.

On the flip side, other groups pointed out the school could receive backlash from the community if they asked voters to pierce the cap. Furthermore, it would need 60 percent of voters to approve the budget and if the school’s request was rejected by voters, the consequences would be dire: Bridgehampton would not be allowed to raise the tax levy at all, and even more severe budget cuts would have to be made.

In related news, Bridgehampton School held a public vote on March 20 in order to establish a five year capital reserve fund. The fund — which comes from unanticipated savings and revenues received by the school — is intended to provide the district with monies for repairs outlined in its Five Year Plan.

Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman has decided not to run for East Hampton Town Supervisor this fall. Schneiderman made the announcement Monday, despite having received the support of the East Hampton Town Republican Committee earlier this month.

In a press release issued Monday morning, the Independence Party member said he would instead seek another two-year term with the legislature this fall — his sixth and last allowed under term limits.

“East Hampton is a special place, and the idea of bringing our town together as supervisor is very appealing to me,” said Schneiderman. “However, there is still more work I feel I need to do in the legislature.”

“Suffolk County is at a critical crossroads and I believe I can make a real difference to ensure we make the right choices to move our county forward,” he continued. “I do not want to walk away from Suffolk County at a time when we are facing a deficit of up to $250 million and the future of many critical programs are unsettled.”

“Recently, I emerged victorious in my longstanding fight against the disproportionate and unfair placement of all the county’s homeless sex offenders on eastern Long Island,” said Schneiderman. “Now that this consuming fight is behind us, I can focus on other regional concerns like improving transportation options on the East End, the future of the open space program and protecting our farming communities. I also will work closely with our Sandy recovery team to make sure we make the right choices not only to rebuild damaged communities stronger, but that we make smart decisions all along our shoreline to protect vulnerable areas like downtown Montauk.”

“I am grateful that Legislator Schneiderman has chosen to seek re-election,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “Jay is a strong voice and a relentless advocate for the East End. As we work to put our finances in order, deliver services more efficiently and rebuild after Sandy, I need Jay Schneiderman’s voice in the legislature,” said Bellone.

Meanwhile, this leaves the East Hampton Republican Committee without a supervisor candidate. Schneiderman was endorsed by the party in mid-February, along with councilman candidate Fred Overton and Dominick Stanzione, who will be seeking his second term on the town board.

On Monday afternoon, committee chairman Kurt Kappel said he believes the committee has ample time to re-screen for the supervisors position despite wanting to get a jump on the campaign.

“In one way, I am disappointed, but he did let us know in time so we are not pressed to come up with another person,” said Kappel. “Months ago we did have other people interested in the position, but then it was reported in the news that Jay was screening and was likely the front runner.”

“I spoke with Kurt a couple of days ago, so he knew this was coming,” said Schneiderman on Monday afternoon. “He has been very supportive and I certainly grateful. Maybe one day in the future I will look at coming back for a run at supervisor, but right now I have to think about the state of the county, and also about my family.”

Schneiderman added he has developed a great relationship with Bellone, and looked forward to serving an expanding legislative district, including the whole of Eastport as well as Shelter Island, a place Schneiderman lived when his son was born. He is also expected to be tapped by Bellone to work on an economic panel focused on the county’s budget.

“It’s a challenging time for the county and I think I can be an effective regional leader for my constituents,” he said.

By Kathryn G. Menu

When it comes to Havens Beach, Peconic BayKeeper Kevin MacAllister has not always had the kindest of words for the Sag Harbor Village Board of Trustees over the last two decades.

But all that changed Tuesday night after the board approved a bid to complete a remediation project for a drainage dreen leading to Sag Harbor’s only bathing beach which MacAllister has been an advocate for years.

On Tuesday, March 12 after some 27 years of discussion, the village board awarded Keith Grimes, Inc. a $373,967.98 bid to complete a remediation of the Havens Beach drainage ditch.

The project, conceived by Inter-Science Research Associates of Southampton, involves dredging muck and silt out of the ditch, re-grading the dreen and filling it with clean sand and native vegetation. The project, when completed, will create a wetland, which will provide bio-filtration for any stormwater runoff funneled to the ditch from the 138-acre watershed.

The second component of the plan is to install one AbTech Smart Sponge Plus filtration vault at the end of the ditch closest to the discharge point into Sag Harbor Bay. Originally the proposal contained two vaults — with a first vault at the beginning of the ditch near Hempstead Street, but the plan was scaled back as it was formalized.

The Smart Sponge Plus filters actually absorb bacteria, providing an extra layer of protection from stormwater runoff contaminants after the water has washed through the wetlands.

Two catch basins have already been installed at the Hempstead Street entrance to the ditch as a part of the plan.

A total of six bids were received for the project, ranging from Grimes — the lowest bid — to a bid by A.G.L. Constructing for $584,879.11.

According to a memo filed with the board by P.W. Grosser Consulting, the village’s engineers, Grimes supplies trustees with a list of 10 local references of similar and recent projects. Six of the 10 references were able to be contacted and reported they were pleased with the results of their projects, according to Grosser’s memo, with each stating they would be happy to work with the firm in the future.

“I just want to applaud the board,” said MacAllister, prior to the trustee’s official vote on awarding the bid, which passed unanimously.

He credited Mayor Brian Gilbride and the rest of the board with having the wherewithal to bring this project to fruition.

MacAllister has been a staunch advocate for the remediation of the stormwater runoff ditch that leads to Havens Beach. While the beach is closed to shellfishing — and to swimming after heavy rainfall events as a precaution by the Suffolk County Department of Health, the ditch has on a number of occasions shown a spike in the acceptable level of fecal coliforms by health department standards over the course of the last decade.

MacAllister said he was pleased, after working with the village’s grant writer himself, to see the project will receive county and state funding.

According to Gilbride, New York State has offered the village a $149,000 grant to complete the work and Suffolk County has offered a matching grant with Sag Harbor Village not to exceed $147,500. That being said, on Tuesday night, Gilbride vowed to pay for the project with village repair funds immediately while waiting for the receipt of that funding.

“We are going to go ahead and hopefully have it done before the beginning of the bathing season,” he said.

“In all sincerity, I really applaud the board for getting it done,” said MacAllister. “We have a lot of pollution issues and anyone dismissing water pollution is mistaken. We saw the red tide come to the [Sag Harbor] coves this summer.”

MacAllister urged the board, which approved his annual stand up paddle board race for Saturday, March 18 on Tuesday night, to attend that event and use it as a way to celebrate the steps forward at Havens Beach.

“You have such a jewel there, so thank you,” he said.

In other village news, the board introduced a new local law to limit 24-hour parking in municipal lots. Under the new law, no vehicle will be allowed to be parked for more than three consecutive days in one of Sag Harbor’s scant 24-hour parking lots.

According to trustee Robbie Stein, the proposed law is to prevent people from parking for multiple days at a time in the municipal lots. Some of that parking is derived from commuters spending a significant amount of time in Manhattan each week.

“We have enough trouble finding parking in these lots,” said Stein, adding as this is just newly introduced he welcomed input on the proposed time frame for enforcement, which is June 15 to September 15.

By Kathryn G. Menu

Wearing a New York Rangers jersey, last Thursday Southampton Town Supervisor Anna Throne-Holst remembered all too well the journey East End parents of children interested in year round hockey or figure skating have to endure. Generally, their commitment involves driving their kids to the Rinx in Hauppauge, often as early as 4 a.m., via the Long Island Expressway.

“I am sure that hasn’t changed,” she said. “But only increased.”

If Southampton Youth Services (SYS) proves successful, skaters may soon have a rink to call their own.

Last Thursday, members of SYS presented preliminary plans to the Southampton Town Board for an indoor ice rink at the SYS athletic facility at North Sea Park. SYS Director Scott Johnson made the pitch on behalf of the SYS board of directors, who were also on hand for the presentation.

“We have been talking to people for a couple years and this kind of started to heat up more recently than not,” said Johnson, referring to an earlier proposal by a separate business to build an ice rink with SYS.

While that proposal waned, Johnson said SYS has looked at other options and believes it has settled on a plan at least worth exploring financially.

Originally, said Johnson, SYS looked to the Southampton School District and a nine-acre parcel next to the SYS property that was donated to the school district by Tony Panza, one of the developers of the Courtyards townhouses on Major’s Path. However, said Johnson, the school district was not interested in selling the property, preferring to lease it for no longer than 10 years at a time, making it unviable for the project.

As a “plan b,” Johnson said SYS looked towards the town-owned athletic field, which he said was somewhat underutilized and has parking nearby. SYS could commit, he added, if the project moves forward, to develop a multi-use field on SYS property for town use.

The initial proposal calls for a two-rink facility, although Johnson noted that could change depending on how cost estimates work out. Johnson said eventually SYS would like to see school hockey teams develop using the rink. Camp programs, figure skating and accommodating everyone from toddlers to seniors interested in getting on the ice is a priority, said Johnson, as will be operating the rink on a year round basis.

SYS board members said they want to make sure they can run the facility under the umbrella of the youth organization, rather than contract the rink out to another management company as it does at its main facility, which is run by Future Stars.

Board president Mark Antilety noted the cost, and time associated with a feasibility study on the financial ability for SYS to move forward with a formal plan for an ice rink, has been reduced because of previous efforts to build a rink associated with the organization. The next step is a feasibility study, which Antilety said they hope to complete in the next two to three months.

Board members largely supported the idea, although Councilman Chris Nuzzi said he looked forward to the feasibility study results and Councilman Jim Malone urged the board to ensure any lost town parkland was made up for in another location.

“Prioritizing ice where we have not been able to prioritize ice anywhere else is a really, really good thing for us,” said Throne-Holst.

Photo by Cully/EEFAS

By Kathryn G. Menu

A Tuesday blaze that destroyed a Noyac residence listed for sale for $6 million likely started because of a rotted chimney flue pipe, according to Sag Harbor Volunteer Fire Department Chief Pete Garypie. However, the Southampton Fire Marshal will ultimately determine the cause of the fire, which kept firefighters from several departments on the scene for close to five hours.

According to Garypie, homeowners at the residence, located at 60 Fourteen Hills Court off Middle Line Highway, went outside to get more wood for their fireplace when they heard a crackling sound. Looking up, they realized the roof was on fire and called 911.

The Sag Harbor Volunteer Fire Department was activated around 11 a.m., and according to Garypie by the time they arrived on the scene flames had already vented through the roof. The department, which called in tankers from Springs, East Hampton, Bridgehampton, North Sea and Southampton, and had Amagansett Fire Department standing by at its Brick Kiln Road headquarters, battled the blaze for several hours, only returning all units back into service at 5:40 p.m. Tuesday night.

Garypie said by the time firefighters arrived on the scene entering the house through the front door was no longer an option, as the home already suffered a partial floor and ceiling collapses.

“We had to use a semi interior and exterior tactic to get at the fire,” he said.

The home, said Garypie, suffered extensive damage as a result of the fire, which he believes was started by a rotted flue pipe in the chimney. The chimney was a pre-fabricated fireplace, with a metal flue boxed in wood — not masonry.

“We were able to get it under control within 20 to 25 minutes,” said Garypie.

However, he added departments remained on hand to ensure pockets of fire were extinguished as debris was moved from the residence.

On Tuesday night, the department was called back into action at the residence after debris began to smolder again, although Garypie said the situation was well within hand within 10 minutes time.

According to the Douglas Elliman Real Estate listing on the property, the residence was 10,000 square feet, with five bedrooms and five baths. An extensive collection of modern art was featured throughout the home.

By Annette Hinkle

Like many municipalities and districts throughout the state, North Haven Village will be maneuvering through its budget season this year under the specter of New York’s two percent property tax levy cap. The law, which was first enacted by the state last year, limits the amount that municipalities, schools and other local taxing bodies may increase annual budgets, capping the amount of money raised through property taxes at two-percent over the previous year.

And like many municipalities, in order to cover the bases should the village assemble a budget exceeding that two percent limit, on Tuesday, North Haven’s board of trustees passed Local law #1 of 2013 — which gives trustees authority to override the tax levy cap in the adoption of its new budget.

“As we deliberate the budget process if we find we have to exceed the two percent tax cap this local allow allows us to do that,” explained Mayor Laura Nolan. “This year our revenues are down and balances between revenue and expenditures has grown — it’s the same with most villages, towns and municipalities we know of.”

Just because the law has been passed, however, Nolan noted that doesn’t mean it will necessarily be used.

“It’s the same local law as last year — just in case we need it,” added Nolan.

With that in mind, on Tuesday, the Village of North Haven also released its preliminary 2013-2014 budget, which takes effect on June 1. The budget shows total appropriations of $1,348,531 with estimated revenues (other than property taxes) of $211,920. The tentative budget shows that another $363,150 will be secured through the village’s fund balance while $773,461 is expected to be raised through real property tax.

The board’s first workshop on the draft budget is scheduled for 10 a.m. this Friday, March 8. The trustees have also scheduled budget workshops for Tuesday, March 19 and Tuesday, March 26 — both sessions at 3 p.m.

A public hearing on North Haven’s 2013-2014 budget is currently scheduled for Wednesday, April 10 at 5 p.m.

By Amanda Wyatt

Traffic and parking have always been tricky at Pierson Middle/High School, and the oft-discussed issue seems to be surfacing once again.

Last week, Jeff Nichols, Pierson’s principal, sent home a letter reminding families not to use the lot on the corner of Jermain Avenue by the gym, which he described as an “unsafe drop off/pick up zone.”

“Too much is going on in that lot and it’s not set up to accommodate [that much traffic],” Nichols said in an interview on Tuesday.

Instead, he explained, parents and others driving students to school should use the Division Street lot, which “goes a little smoother in terms of drop off and pick up.”

Since consulting with Sag Harbor Village Police on traffic flow a few years ago, the school has sent out several similar letters in an effort to keep students and families safe.

“The safety of the lots is always a concern,” said Nichols, noting that the board of education’seducational facilities planning committee “has been wrestling with the issue of the way lots are currently set up.”

According to Mary Anne Miller, a BOE member, the facilities committee will continue to discuss the issue.

“These problems aren’t going away,” she said this week. “It still needs to be a priority because it’s a health and safety issue. That’s simply what it is.”

In fact, in the week since Nichols sent out the letter to parents, Miller has personally noticed increased traffic — and congestion — in the Division Street lot.

But the solution to solving congestion and safety issues in the lots, she said, would be “multifaceted.”

“No one endorses big ugly parking lots. We don’t want to make them bigger; we want to fix the one we have,” Miller said.

Miller would like to see the Jermain lot delineated from the main road. She would also like to see more sidewalks and landscaping, which would not only be an “aesthetic improvement,” but would also promote walking.

And that, for Miller, is “the educational piece, which is culture change — what we can continue to do to rely less on traffic and spend more time biking and walking, keep our village beautiful and be better neighbors.”

John Shaka, a board member of Save Sag Harbor and a proponent of active transport, agreed.

Shaka pointed out that already, several East End municipalities have received federal Safe Routes to School grants, which can be used to fund improvements like new sidewalks and crosswalks near schools.

Community members in Sag Harbor attempted to put together their own proposal for a Safe Routes to School grant several years ago. But as Miller explained, the village sits in two townships, and neither municipality was willing to sponsor the grant.

Still, Shaka said he was “interested in resurrecting that grant,” and Miller said, “There’s no reason why we can’t keep that door open.”

“We owe it to the neighborhood to make it safer and more functional, and we certainly owe it to the families and the students to make it safer,” said Miller.

By Amanda Wyatt

After nearly 10 months of discussion at school board meetings, the decision of whether or not to provide a bus for students from Bridgehampton School District attending Bishop McGann-Mercy High School in Riverhead now rests in the hands of taxpayers.

Last spring, Bridgehampton residents Rachel Kelly, Mary Ellen Gazda and Tara Hagerman first approached the board of education (BOE) with a request to provide transportation for their children to Mercy.

However, the three mothers — all of whom currently send their children to Our Lady of the Hamptons, a K-8 school in Southampton — hit a roadblock when they learned the district can only transport students to private schools within a 15 mile radius. McGann-Mercy, the closest Catholic high school to the South Fork, is located six miles over that limit.

In late January, the mothers submitted a petition — which contained over 100 signatures — asking the board to put a proposition on their May budget ballot to extend the busing limit from 15 to 25 miles. Last Wednesday, the BOE approved this proposition, placing the decision in the hands of voters.

“It’s going to be a taxpayers’ decision. It’s really going to come down to a vote and the decision on what they feel more comfortable with,” said Nicki Hemby, school board president, in an interview on Friday.

If taxpayers vote in favor of the proposition, busing from Bridgehampton to Riverhead would begin during the 2013-2014 school year.

At this point, there are three students living in the district who would be bused to Mercy next fall, said Hemby. However, she noted this number could conceivably change in the coming months.

“Now with that being said, we will go with the most fiscally responsible and the safest option to get the kids bused in the event that the taxpayers decide that’s the way that they want to go,” Hemby said.

Robert Hauser, Bridgehampton’s business administrator, said at the last BOE meeting that the school had been researching the cost of providing busing to McGann-Mercy. Ultimately, the school could contract with McCoy Busing, which would cost $62,000 annually; Eastern Suffolk BOCES, which would cost $60,525; or Hometown Taxi, which would cost $14,475.

Both McCoy and Hometown Taxi will have to respond to request for proposals (RFPs), legal ads that are placed in local newspapers, in order to be considered. The RFP will likely go out later this month, and then the school can begin the process of evaluating the proposals.

At the same meeting, Kelly and Gazda were asked by the school board how they felt about sending their children to school in a taxi.

“We’ve heard nothing but wonderful things about them,” said Gazda. “Everybody that uses them raves about them.”

Kelly said that McGann-Mercy had been using taxis to shuttle students to the school from other districts for the past four years and “had never had a complaint.”

“A lot of school districts around the country are using taxi services for similar situations, where small groups of children are either going to special services or to parochial schools,” she said.

Kelly pointed out that taxis could charge per student, unlike bus companies, which charge per route regardless of the number of kids being transported.

“You have to get beyond the taxi stigma. It’s more like a shuttle,” added Gazda.

Still, Hemby said, student safety is her top priority.

“As far as Hometown is concerned, they definitely have requirements and stipulations that they have to meet in order to make that happen, so I just want to make sure that the kids get bused safely,” she said. “That’s my main concern.  I don’t want to put anyone in jeopardy over finances.”

In related news, Bridgehampton School will host a special community forum on the subject of creating the 2013-2014 budget on Wednesday, March 13 at 6 p.m. in the gymnasium.

Currently, the school is in the middle of the lengthy process of developing its budget for next school year. The purpose of the scheduled “community conversation” is to provide participants with an overview of next year’s budget, explain tax levy limits and provide the audience with an opportunity to collaborate on creating solutions to fiscal issues.

By Amy Patton

An upcoming celebration of locally cultivated food, sustainable farming and micro-agriculture will mingle next month with the memory of a North Haven man who held a passion for all these things.

The American Hotel, in partnership with the Joshua Levine Memorial Foundation, will host a dinner and pre-dinner cocktail party Sunday, March 24 to raise funds in part for the Edible School Garden Group and the three “master” gardeners chosen to help local school districts cultivate and expand their school gardens.

The foundation is guided by Myron and Susan Levine, of Sag Harbor, who lost their son Josh in 2010 when he was fatally injured in an accident while working at Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett.

Josh, who was 35 years old when he died, left behind two small children and his wife, Ann.

Myron Levine said the overwhelming support for his family from the community after the tragic accident spurred him to find a way to raise funds to better the community. Since Josh was so passionate about organic farming and its benefits, said Myron, the family chose to promote what would most significantly preserve his son’s memory.

Although Josh began his career as a real estate developer in Manhattan, his father said after spending many summers on the East End, his son found a calling in farming and in 2008 he became a volunteer at the Peconic Land Trust’s Quail Hill Farm where he served as a summer apprentice on the Amagansett acreage.

“He was such a gentle man,” said Myron. “He was so drawn by what he saw out here, the simplicity, the purity. He saw the value of keeping local agriculture alive.”

Also to benefit from March’s event is Slow Food East End (SFEE), an organization that, as one of its charitable projects, works with local schools to teach children about the value of homegrown produce. Last year, the group helped several school districts like Greenport and the Hayground School install greenhouses and small gardens so that kids could learn hands-on the benefits of small-scale organic farming.

“Slow food is obviously the opposite of fast food,” said Mary Morgan, the former director of SFEE, who recently stepped down from the organization to head another related charity. “Our goal is for local children to understand that not all they eat must come out of packages at the supermarket.”

The schools that currently benefit from the Edible School Garden program, said Morgan, which this year number 20 throughout the North and South Forks, “are in various stages of working with the students on building and maintaining food gardens.” Morgan noted some of the kids’ homegrown efforts have even led to some of the produce being sold at area farmer’s markets or used in cafeterias. The master gardeners, who are hired with funds garnered from the now-yearly Joshua Levine Memorial Foundation event, work in conjunction with teachers, administrators and students towards the SFEE’s goal.

“For children to understand where their food comes from is so important,” said Peconic Land Trust president John v H. Halsey, whose organization works, in part, to promote the use of local land for farming and allocates funding to make that land more affordable for farmers. “The Slow Food East End movement and the Edible Garden School program both help to instill a conservation ethic in these kids. We’re very supportive of fundraisers like this that help to promote the use of food production farmland and assure that such a valuable legacy stays with us out here.”

The American Hotel’s Joshua Levine Memorial Foundation dinner/fundraiser is currently sold out; However, there are still tickets available for the pre-dinner cocktail party which will be held at Bay Street Theater from 5 to 7 p.m. on March 24, featuring wine, hors d’oeuvres and music. A donation of $75 will secure a place at the event and reservations can be made at www.joshualevinefoundation.org.

By Kathryn G. Menu

Before the Sag Harbor Village Board takes a knife to the proposed 2013-2014 budget, with department wish lists in, the budget estimates a 6.19-percent increase from the 2012-2013 budget of $8,056,311.01.

As of the first budget work session on Wednesday, February 20, the proposed spending plan was $8,555,361.55.

According to a worksheet provided by village treasurer Eileen Touhy, the village’s sewer budget is also proposed to grow from $506,224 to $523,653, a 3.44 percent increase.

“Everyone has just started looking at this material,” said Sag Harbor Mayor Brian Gilbride on Monday. “Already, I am seeing some things we will have to discuss.”

The current proposed budget, he added, is based on additions and cuts made by department heads throughout the village.

As of now, youth programming – a total of $10,500 – that supports the Sag Harbor Youth Advocacy Resource Development (YARD), the Sag Harbor Youth Center and Southampton Youth Services remains in the budget, as does $5,000 for the Ladies Village Improvement Society. Funding for those organizations, which was requested in writing by all three groups, has been maintained by the village board for several years.

A request by the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce to fund over $10,000 to cover  staffing the John Ward Memorial Windmill on Windmill Beach, does not appear in the preliminary budget, although on Tuesday Gilbride said he hopes the village board will be able to offer the Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce some funding for the 2013-2014 fiscal year.

Prior to 2012-2013, the chamber was allotted $4,000 in annual funding through the village budget.

One section of the budget the board will be keeping an eye on is salaries for the village’s police department.

The Sag Harbor Police Benevolent Association (PBA) has been in heated contract negotiations for over a year with the village.

In police chief Tom Fabiano’s proposed budget for 2013-2014, the increase in spending for full time salaries is $871.54, from $1,416,866 in 2012-2013 to $1,417,758 in 2013-2014. That increase in spending does not account for the replacement of a full time officer who left the department last year during contract negotiations. Although the contract remains unsettled, the proposed budget for the police department estimates a two-percent salary increase for full time officers, said Gilbride. Chief Fabiano also proposes an $8,700 increase in night differentials and longevity pay within the department.

The 2012-2013 budget did not calculate any increase in full time salaries for that fiscal year, although the police department operated without a new contract during that time.

Chief Fabiano also removes $30,000 from his budget for new vehicles, among other smaller cuts within his budget, to decrease overall spending within the department by 1 percent, or $24,897 for an overall proposed budget of $1,938,142.55.

The next Sag Harbor Village Board of Trustees work session on the budget will take place on Wednesday, March 6 at 4 p.m.