THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION NO. 2007-408 WAS ADOPTED AT THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE SOUTHOLD TOWN BOARD ON APRIL 24, 2007:

WHEREAS, Southold Town has more lighthouses than any Town in the country and considers the Plum Island Lighthouse symbolic and representative of its lighthouses; and

WHEREAS, Southold Town is concerned about the preservation of the historic Plum Island Lighthouse; and

WHEREAS, Southold Town considers that local ownership of the Plum Island Lighthouse property may be the only way to prevent further deterioration of this lighthouse, make possible its relighting and insure the preservation of this historic structure and its related artifacts; and

WHEREAS, Southold Town considers acquisition of the Plum Island Lighthouse the best route to accomplish the Coast Guard approved relighting in response to the many requests received to accomplish this goal in furtherance of the interest of maritime safety (see Southold Town Resolution No. 628 of 2002); and

WHEREAS, Southold Town does not have a dedicated and secure location to house Town lighthouse records, memorabilia, and artifacts and the restored Plum Island Lighthouse is considered ideal for this purpose; and

WHEREAS, a long-term commitment has been obtained from East End Lighthouses, a recognized local not-for-profit organization, which has exhibited years of dedication to local lighthouses, to restore and maintain the Plum Island Lighthouse, oversee its relighting and staff its museum for the Town of Southold; and

WHEREAS, the lighthouse overlooks the site of the first engagement between American Continental troops and the British in the Revolutionary War in August, 1775; and

WHEREAS, the Plum Island Lighthouse site was first purchased by the Federal Government in 1826, over 70 years before its acquisition of the rest of the Island.

BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED, that the acquisition of the Plum Island Lighthouse would be a logical first step for the Town and East End Lighthouses to acquire experience and expertise in the maintaining of offshore lighthouses as historic structures supporting Aids to Navigation in preparation of the scheduled divesture by the Coast Guard of the remaining Southold Town lighthouses; and it is further

RESOLVED, that the Town Board of the Town of Southold hereby authorizes Supervisor Scott A. Russell and the Town Attorney to initiate the appropriate steps to have the Federal Government transfer to the Town the Plum Island Lighthouse, five acres of land, and all related lighthouse artifacts to the Town. Any such transfer shall seek to include a designated right of way from the Plum Island Harbor, permission to dock a vessel in the Harbor and access to the lighthouse site, in strict accordance with the required governmental security procedures.

Elizabeth A. Neville
Southold Town Clerk

RESULT: ADOPTED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: William P. Edwards, Councilman
SECONDER: Albert Krupski Jr., Councilman
AYES: Evans, Wickham, Ross, Edwards, Russell, Krupski Jr.