Senate Bill S6722A

                                BILL NUMBER:S6722

TITLE OF BILL:  An act in relation to authorizing the village of
Southampton, county of Suffolk to hire Gregg Keghlian to fill a
full-time competitive position with the village of Southampton police
department

PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: To authorize the Village of
Southampton to hire Gregg Keghlian to fill a full-time competitive
position with the Village of Southampton Police Department.

SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS: Section 1. Authorizes the Village of
Southampton to appoint Gregg Keghlian to fill a full-time competitive
position with the Village of Southampton Police Department.

Section 2. Provides that Gregg Keghlian must be otherwise subject to
the merit and fitness provisions of the Civil Service Law applicable
to full-time police officers.

Section 3. Provides for an immediate effective date.

JUSTIFICATION: In an effort to consolidate law enforcement services to
help stay within the 2% property tax cap, the Village of Southampton,
Suffolk County, is proposing to appoint Gregg Keghlian to the position
of full-time Police Officer. Currently, Gregg Keghlian is serving as a
full-time Court Officer and a part-time Police Officer with the
              

Southampton Village Police Department where he has been continuously
employed since 2007. While he is fully trained and is physically
capable of performing the job duties of a Police Officer, he has "aged
out" his ability to take the Civil Service exam for Police Officer in
Suffolk County as he is over the age of 35. He is a member of good
standing in the Southampton Village Police Department and would
require no academy or field training as he already performing these
duties in his current capacity.

In allowing this appointment, the Village would be able to function in
a more efficient manner without duplicating recourses. The position of
Court Officer would be eliminated and the assignment would be
consolidated into routine police patrol and building security
function. The Police Department is responsible for court security, so
this would not be a change in function or take away from the court.
It will, however, allow the Police Department to more efficiently
utilize manpower and streamline services.

Officer Keghlian has an employment history with the Southampton
Village Police Department, as well as many years of experience. He is
Suffolk County Civil Service Qualified for the position as he has
passed the medical, physical, background and polygraph requirements of
the County of Suffolk. He is recognized as a Police Officer in good
standing with the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services
and meets the criteria for Section 58 of the Civil Service Law, except
for the age requirement.

The cost savings to the Village of Southampton would include savings
from consolidating services and the cost of hiring and training a new
officer. It would allow a vacancy to be filled immediately by an
experienced officer with a long-standing rapport with the community.


This legislation would allow the Village of Southampton to exercise
local discretion and put maximum effort into controlling costs and
abiding by the 2% cap mandate without imposing any additional
financial burden on to the taxpayers.

PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 2014: New Legislation.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS: None to the State.

EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect immediately.