Guests: Chris Nuzzi, Nancy Grabowski, Tom Nealy, Amy Halsey, Officer
Tom Schmidt and Captain Anthony Tenaglia

The meeting was entirely devoted to the subject of traffic control in   Bridgehampton, in particular, the “back roads”.  Several local citizens made comments and observations regarding  speeding vehicles on Butter Lane, Lumber Lane , Scuttlehole, Millstone, Ocean and Lockwood and other roads in Bridgehampton.It was agreed that the problem is largely the result of folks using the back roads to escape the heavy traffic on Montauk Highway,  especially in the summer months.  It was also agreed that the problem is exacerbated by the fact that many of our roads have no shoulders,  have curves that are not conducive to high speeds and bushes and hedges that may create some “blind spots”.The CAC is asking the police department to have more of a presence in Bridgehampton as we believe the amount of traffic on our back roads is   apt to increase each year and residents and non-residents alike are apt to drive at unsafe speeds unless there is a deterrent. We recognize that all of our police officers have many duties in addition to traffic control.  Further we realize that budgetary  concerns may limit an increase in police staffing.  To that point we would argue that the safety of our citizens and the quality of life in  our villages should be given high priority.  It was suggested that, to  lessen the cost,  the town should consider using part-time auxiliary  officers and give them the authority to issue tickets for speeding violations and have them  position their vehicles on our back roads   rather than in the center of town or at our beaches.

we encourage all Bridgehampton residents to register with us using the appropriate page, Please use your real name and address so that we can keep this a civil community of neighbors and friends where your comments are timely and considerate in nature, However all opinions are welcome and self edited.

August 10,  2009

TO: Supervisor Linda Kabot

FROM Fred Cammann Bridgehampton CAC

Concerning ; Police traffic coverage in Bridgehampton

Dear Linda;

I am sorry we have to prevail upon you again; your support  for our efforts  on behalf of Bridgehampton are just terrific and we are the better for it. It seems as though every year, particularly during the summer months, the traffic  problems in Bridgehampton seem to mount. We are well accustomed to the amount of traffic, but the movement of vehicles is taking on a more ominous nature in 2009. The problem now is that  motorists moving through our community  are understandably taking advantage of the numerous  routes that surround the main street. The result is a constant stream of  drivers on  surrounding  streets that are not adapted  to this level of traffic flow..

We are experiencing serious moving violations: speeding, out of turn jumping at the 4 way stop signed intersections, perilous competition between cars, bikers, joggers, and commercial vehicles. The resulting impact is not limited to the participants but also affects  the local residents because the latter find it hard to compete with the traffic when they go about their ordinary daily  tasks.   Indeed the residents of Lumber Lane have formed a citizens’ group to seek help in addressing this problem and are presenting their case to the CAC at our meeting on Monday August 24 at 7:00 at the Bank Meeting Room

The CAC has asked me to request that the Police Department and any other Town personnel that you might suggest  come to our meeting so that we can constructively discus this  dangerous situation. I have to  admit that we are aware of most of the  reasons  why the  traffic situation is  as it is, and we aware of the vast areas  the police are  forced to cover, but we do question the priorities  of some police  enforcement that constrains pretty benign parking violations and  outdated registrations and inspection stickers rather

than providing patrols that may do much to reduce the  a series of disasters just waiting to happen. In fact we believe an ever increasing number of vehicular accidents   in this area can easily be linked to  the traffic problems our residents have identified.  So we ask for your help and extend our invitation to come to a constructive meeting on August 24.

link to the letter to Captain Tenaglia here

A Discussion with Mr. Robinson  about the interaction with the public at the Bridgehampton Post Office.

The CAC wished to discuss the problem we  face concerning  the disposal of duplicate, unsolicited,  and unwanted bulk mail from our mailboxes. We know that the Post Office  is not suited to be a receiver of waste material, but frankly it is  a real problem for our residents not to have a way of disposing of unwanted and unsought  bulk mail. We understand that the  post office itself has a limited amount of lobby space, but for all time, until recently, we have accommodated each other as neighbors and users facing a common problem. We would like to  pursue with the Post Office  a way of resuming a way of on premises disposal of unsolicited and unwanted bulk and third class mail  without creating a mess in the Post Office  lobby.

The CAC  understands that some one of the community deposited a sandwich or some other unsuitable object in the disposal containers.

Mr. Robinson first introduced himself as the new Office in Charge of the Bridgehampton Post Office. He is a veteran of 30  years in the Postal service. His  presentation was both instructive and interesting.

First of all Mr. Robinson said he was impressed  with the staff in the Post Office, a sentiment shared by the members of the CAC. He then described the quandary that the Postal Service in general and the Bridgehampton Post Office  in particular share.

Dating from before the present economic downturn, the Postal Service has endured a profound decrease in the quantity of first class mail, resulting in a sliding source of revenue. The increasing abundance of commercial advertising mail, periodicals, and other bulk mail has become the main  source of income for the Postal Service. Indeed generators of this class of mail  have been offered large incentives to in crease tha volume by the National Postal Service.. A resulting problem is that in districts that do not enjoy home delivery but require customers to pick up mail from their local post offices, there has arisen a severe problem of disposal of unwanted bulk mail.  Part of the quandary is that a large proportion of the  mail in question is unsolicited by the recipients and  a large portion consists of  duplicate pieces of mail. Obviously recipients have no incentive to carry this material home and burden their own  trash containers.

The Bridgehampton Post Office  premises offer limited space for the sorting and disposal of this mail; hence the Post Office has taken steps to severely restrict the on premises sorting and disposal of unwanted piece by the members of the hamlet

The members of the CAC were quite sympathetic to the disposal problem, but it is their opinion that the responsibility for maintaining a clear and clean environment rests on the shoulders of the Postal Service, including providing adequate disposal facilities. The CAC feels that the problem is self inflicted since the Postal Service encourages the volume of unsolicited and unwanted bulk mail in order to improve its balance sheet. In other terms the Postal Service has created its own “attractive nuisance” and can request assistance from its public clients in resolving the issue, but the facts remain that the responsibility for solving the problem remains squarely in the Postal Service’s court.

On the other hand the CAC understands fully the quandary and will pursue the issue with the Southampton Waste Management Department, asking that the town furnish adequate disposal  and pickup service  to recify the problem. In fact during the week following the July CAC meeting, members did meet with the Waste Management Department on this issue and received an agreement  that the Town would “see if they could help”.

5. Mrs Quimby sent the CAC an email concerning the general problem of trash disposal in the town and particularly the hamlet. The CAC enthusiastically approved her comments and asks for the Town’s cooperation in publicizing the solution to proper trash disposal.

In general  Mrs. Quimby points out that  the trash problem gets worse every year. For example, Starbucks reports that increasing amounts of household garbage are hoisted in their bin and stuffed in their trash cans. Apparently there is an ordinance against this dumping in East Hampton, but there is not a similar one in Southampton.

In addition, the town does a poor job of educating people  about the use  of the transfer station  on the Sag Turnpike. Every new and old homeowner should be given a roll of bags and directions to this transfer station, including the schedule and  hours that the station is open. .

Purchasing the bags can be a nightmare because there is little  in the way of convenient ways to learn where these bags can be purchased. Indeed merchants are penalized for carrying them in stock and presenting them for public sale because the commercial stores  are not allowed to offset the cost of  stocking and selling the bags. As a result the bags are regularly stored  in areas that are out  of the normal shelf traffic, in many cases.making it difficult for  the public to find them. There is no rational reason why a merchant should have any interest in carrying and selling these bags, and it is crazy that they are not available for sale at the transfer station. No wonder frustrated members of the community resort to dumping.

6. 5. Old Business

At our last meeting we discussed the need for a stop sign on Norris Lane  to slow down  cars that are taking a short cut to Sag Harbor. Councilwoman Nancy Graboski says a public hearing  at the Town Board  meeting  will be held in mid August  to deter speeding cars and utility vehicles. This week the CAC received a similar request from residents on Lockwood Avenue . This is being used as a bypass  to avoid the  Monument light  going East. Big trucks and speedy cars.  Lots of bypass trouble. More generally, the CAC  feels we need MUCH more police presence on the roads in Bridgehampton  . The CAC requested the chair to ask Supervisor Kabot to request a  Police Department  Official to meet with the CAC at its August 24 meeting  to discuss our concerns about the coverage  devoted to traffic safety in our hamlet and on the neighboring roads. letter to Supervisor