What's happening
This bill allows East Hampton to establish an underground utility district, assess costs to benefited properties, and issue bonds for construction.
Why it matters
Property owners who directly benefit from the underground utility improvements will be specifically assessed to pay for the project, meaning costs are shifted to those who gain the most rather than the general tax base.
The town is given the power to issue bonds and notes for up to 30 years to finance undergrounding utilities, which could enable large-scale, long-term infrastructure changes and spread out financial impacts over time.
Improvements can include not just electrical lines but also communications infrastructure and related equipment, potentially modernizing utility delivery and increasing local resilience to storms and outages.
The law overrides any conflicting provisions in existing town or state finance laws, ensuring that East Hampton has clear, prioritized authority to proceed with underground utility projects.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let East Hampton Issue Bonds
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Signed chap.521
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Home rule request
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.394
- Substituted for A7397
- Referred to ways and means
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
- Ordered to third reading cal.1193
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
Show 1 earlier action
- Referred to local government
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Let East Hampton Issue Bonds
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Fred Thiele
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
S. 5465 A. 7397
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
SENATE - ASSEMBLY
May 1, 2019
IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sen. LAVALLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Local Government
IN ASSEMBLY -- Introduced by M. of A. THIELE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Local Governments
AN ACT to amend chapter 389 of the laws of 2016, relating to authorizing the town of East Hampton, Suffolk county, to establish an underground utility improvement district, in relation to the issuance of bonds and notes of the town of East Hampton for the construction or reconstruction of underground utilities and related facilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 1 of chapter 389 of the laws of 2016, relating to authorizing the town of East Hampton, Suffolk county, to establish an underground utility improvement district, is amended to read as follows:
Section 1. (a) The town of East Hampton, in the county of Suffolk, is hereby authorized to establish an underground utility improvement district pursuant to articles 12 and 12-A of the town law. Such underground utility improvement district shall be established, funded, operated and otherwise controlled by the provisions of articles 12 and 12-A of the town law and the provisions of this act. To the extent that the provisions of this act shall in any way be in conflict with articles 12 and 12-A of the town law, the provisions of this act shall be controlling.
(b) The costs and expenses of the town of East Hampton underground utility improvement district shall be borne by local assessment upon the several lots and parcels of land which the town board shall determine and specify to be especially benefited by the improvement, and the town board shall apportion and assess upon and collect from the several lots and parcels of land so deemed benefited, so much upon and from each as
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD11104-04-9
S. 5465 2 A. 7397
shall be in just proportion to the amount of benefit which the improvement shall confer upon the same.
(c) Notwithstanding any provision of section 11.00 of the local finance law to the contrary, the town of East Hampton is hereby authorized to issue bonds and notes for the construction or reconstruction of underground conduits and related facilities for the protection of public or municipal utility transmission lines, including but not limited to electrical power distribution and communication lines, including furnishings, machinery, equipment, apparatus, appurtenances, land or rights-in-land, and the costs of and incidental to the transfer of such lines from above ground to such conduits and related facilities. Such issuance shall be authorized for a period of probable usefulness not to exceed 30 years, which shall apply to the object or purpose set forth in this subdivision.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend chapter 389 of the laws of 2016, relating to authorizing the town of East Hampton, Suffolk county, to establish an underground utility improvement district, in relation to the issuance of bonds and notes of the town of East Hampton for the construction or reconstruction of underground utilities and related facilities
Purpose or general idea of bill
To authorize the Town of East Hampton to determine benefit assessments for costs and expenses and is sue bonds and notes related to the Town of East Hampton underground utility improvement district.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1. Amends Chapter 389 of the Laws of 2016 relating to authoriz- ing the Town of East Hampton to establish an underground utility improvement district.
Section. 2. Immediate effective date.
Justification
Chapter 389 of the Laws of 2016 authorized the Town of East Hampton to establish an underground utility improvement district to provide a mech- anism to raise funds and enter into contracts with incumbent utilities providing service within the district to construct new public utilities underground or convert existing overhead public utility facilities to underground facilities.
This legislation provides that the costs and expenses associated with the East Hampton underground utility district, established under Chapter 389 of the Laws of 2016, shall be proportionately borne by local assess- ment upon the several lots and parcels of land that the Town Board determines and specifies will benefit by the improvement. It further makes clear that the Town of East Hampton is authorized to issue bonds and notes for the construction or reconstruction of underground conduits and related facilities for the protection of public or municipal utility transmission lines for a period of probable usefulness not to exceed 30 years.
Prior legislative history
2019: New Legislation to amend Chapter 389 of the Laws of 2016
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
To be determined.
Effective date
Immediately
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.