2021 Candidate for Town Board
“The things people want from local government are what we all want — the quiet enjoyment of our homes, opportunity for our kids, a chance to earn a living through hard work, and time to enjoy this extraordinary and beautiful place in which we live. The work of building our economy, protecting our quality of life, and strengthening the bonds of community is never finished. There is still work to be done. I want to do it.”
What Sylvia will do if elected?
If I am elected, I pledge to you that I will:
- Build more affordable housing for our residents and continue to look for ways to increase affordable housing opportunities. Support a wastewater treatment plant for downtown Montauk that would be sized to current build out, but allow for additional affordable apartments for year round use providing our local residents a place to live and creating a more vibrant year-round Montauk
- Continue to work towards improving our resiliency through long-range planning, increasing our use of renewable energy and advancing the Hamlet Study process
- Work towards the town’s goal of 100% renewable electricity and commit to future actions to increase solar, energy efficiency, and future projects such as Community Choice Aggregation (CCA)
- Continue to protect our water quality through the CPF Water Quality Improvement plan and septic rebate program, protecting critical groundwater recharge areas and waterfront parcels and continue to work on long- range plans for community waste-water systems in hamlet centers and pollution threatened areas of the town
- Address the immediate impacts of Climate Change through the federally funded sand only beach replenishment project benefiting all of our Atlantic facing beaches from Montauk to Town Line and implementing Hamlet Plan recommendations to ensure we have a long term plan
- Further improve communications and engagement with all members of our community
Background
Committed to Our Community
Sylvia is passionate about preserving the environment and the quality of life that we enjoy and brings the experience, leadership and knowledge required to continue protecting our natural resources and the community that make it extraordinary.
Sylvia and her late husband raised their two boys, Alec and Andrew in Amagansett, both graduating from East Hampton High School. Sylvia has over 20 years of experience working in East Hampton, first as chair of the Amagansett Citizens Advisory Committee and chair of the East Hampton Town Planning Board, and was elected to the town board in 2011.
Experience
Proud Accomplishments
- Ensured a commitment to housing affordability by; updating the Community Housing Opportunity Fund Management Plan to address current affordable housing needs, initiated legislation to create detached affordable apartments and increased affordable housing in commercial buildings, expedited the Manor House housing project and supported the Gansett Meadow housing project
- Reinstated the Recycling and Litter Committee and enhanced the town’s commitment to theenvironment by sponsoring legislation to ban single- use plastic bags and Styrofoam take out containers
- Led the comprehensive town wide Hamlet Study planning process to ensure we have a long term vision and planning tool for our hamlet centers
- Led the Energy Sustainability and Resiliency Committee to address our need for renewable energy resulting in the Energize East Hampton and Peak Savers programs and a new solar farm
- Sponsored Formula/Chain Store legislation that helped stop the urbanization of the town and supported local businesses
- Upheld the legacy of maintaining our community character by preserving open space, wetlands, watersheds and historic properties
- Created the East Hampton Arts Council to continue the legacy of arts in the community and advance the needs of these small business owners
- Addressed our critical infrastructure and environmental needs by supporting water quality projects and funding for new residential and commercial low nitrogen septic systems and upgrading beach facilities in Amagansett and Montauk
Endorsed by the Democratic Party and Working Families Party.