Town Board: Process, Work Sessions, and Public Meetings

Purpose:

Town Board

The Town Board manages the day-to-day operations of the Town Government. As the legislative body, it is also responsible for all Town laws including zoning and land use regulations. It adopts and amends the Town’s comprehensive plan and can also issue special land use permits. The Town Board also annually adopts a budget that funds town services.

Process

The Town Board does the people’s business via two recurring meetings. During work sessions, they discuss policy and administrative issues, as well as proposed legislation often regarding land use. During Town Board meetings, they vote on legislation. Certain legislation, including all zoning and Town code revisions, as well as special use permits for events and other specially-permitted land uses, requires a public hearing. Hearings are announced in the publication of record and on the Town's Public Hearings page.

Meetings

Town Board work sessions are usually held on Thursday mornings. At work sessions, the Board discusses all types of business except for sensitive personnel or legal issues, which are discussed in closed-door executive sessions. This is a working meeting during which the Board does not have to allow public input, although it is their custom to allow a limited discourse with the audience at their discretion. Town Board work session agendas are online.

Town Board meetings (see schedule on Town website) are normally held on the first Tuesday of the month at 2:00 pm and the third Tuesday at 7:00 pm. These meetings generally consist of public hearings, public comment on resolutions, voting on resolutions, and public comment on any issue (in that order). The Town Board meeting agenda is normally posted a few hours before the meeting. Public hearings are listed on the website over a week in advance. Read tips for attending and participating in these meetings including hearings in the previous section entitled Town Board Meetings and How to Participate.

Board

Riverhead is governed by the Town Board, which consists of four part-time councilpersons serving four-year terms and a full-time supervisor serving a two-year term. All five have an equal vote on all matters. Get contact info for the entire Town Board and Town Clerk below .

Getting Info

The agendas for both types of meetings provide very basic information. Currently, information including proposed resolutions is not available to the public before the meeting. For more insight into a work session agenda item, contact the Supervisor’s Office at 631-727-3200. For a copy of a proposed resolution, contact the Town Clerk’s Office at 631-727-3200. Prior to these meetings, a copy of resolutions and backup documents can usually be found on the table just outside the main meeting room.

Town Board Meeting Tips

Get suggestions on how to prepare for, and what to expect at a Town Board meeting : Learn how to contact members of the Town Board, Town Clerk or Town Supervisor by clicking here for the next Post: Contact Information for the Town Board, Supervisor, and Town Clerk.