Southampton advances public hearing on shifting sidewalk snow removal to property owners

Town Board · Meeting of July 23, 2026

Southampton Town Board moves toward public hearing on sidewalk snow removal shift. The board's July 23 work session featured a detailed presentation from Highway Superintendent Mark and Deputy Superintendent Charlie, who argued that the town's nearly four miles of public sidewalk has made continued town-managed snow and ice removal unsustainable, and asked the board to consider amending Town Code Chapter 287 to place that duty on abutting property owners, as Riverhead, Greenport, and Nassau County municipalities already require. Councilwoman Ayase-Hilley raised concerns about seniors unable to comply and about safe-routes-to-school corridors; Councilman Powell suggested exempting stretches near schools; Councilman McNamara said he was confident most residents would comply, noting "90 percent of these people have landscapers that clean their properties." The board also spent more than an hour on the County Road 39 cone pilot, with Ayase-Hilley calling for a dedicated data meeting and pressing for a multi-governmental committee to develop a structural fix, citing a conversation with Congressman LaLota, who said he is "ready, willing, and able" to seek federal community project funding if elected officials align.

The board adjourned into executive session to discuss personnel, contracts, legal advice, and acquisitions.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 3,386 words

Source: the Town Board meeting of July 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.