BILL NUMBER:  S4332

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act authorizing the town of Southampton, Suffolk
county, to establish an underground utility improvement district

 PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL :

To allow the Town of Southampton, in the County of Suffolk, to
establish an underground utility improvement district.

 SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS :

Section 1. Authorizes the Town of Southampton, in the County of
Suffolk, to establish an underground utility improvement district.

Section 2. Provides that after the Town of Southampton establishes an
underground utility improvement district, the town board may take such
action as may be required to adopt plans and specifications and enter
into a contract or contracts, or take such other actions as may be
required, for the conversion of existing overhead utility facilities
to underground facilities and construction of new underground
facilities for utilities.

Section 3. Effective Date

 JUSTIFICATION :
              

This legislation extends the provisions enacted in Chapter #389 of the
Laws of 2016, authorizing the Town of East Hampton to establish an
underground utility improvement district, to the Town of Southampton.

Like the Town of Easthampton, Long Island's East End Town of
Southampton is also very susceptible to extreme coastal storms, no
matter the season. These coastal storms are often accompanied by high
and sustained winds, coastal flooding, and erosion. Existing overhead
utilities in the Town of Southampton are prone to wind damage and
falling trees and branches which cause a severe decrease in the
reliability of utility services during storms. There has also been a
growing demand and awareness of the benefits of placing utilities
infrastructure underground to lessen the amount of service disruptions
during storms and also to preserve the aesthetics of the community.
This bill would authorize the Town of Southampton to establish an
underground utility improvement district which will provide a
mechanism 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.

 PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :

2017: New Bill

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :

None to the State

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
Immediately