East Hampton accepts gifts from residents

East Hampton's town board voted unanimously -- 5-0 -- and gratefully Thursday to accept several gifts. But the board was in a giving mood, too, and donated a 1989 Ford Suburban to the Montauk volunteer fire department to use in emergency rescue training.

The biggest gift, $21,500, came from Carl H. Reimerdes, of Montauk, to pay for a new flagpole on the Montauk Green. Local contractor Keith Grimes Inc. donated its services to remove the old flagpole.

"He [Reimerdes] is just a local citizen who saw a need," Supervisor Bill Wilkinson said.

The Hampton Lifeguard Association gave the town a 2011 Polaris 800 XP Ranger all-terrain vehicle for use by town lifeguards, and several individuals -- Stan and Barbara Arkin, Fred Nagel and Jeff Van den Berg -- donated benches to the town for use in Springs Park, an area off Three Mile Harbor Hog Creek Highway the town acquired for open space preservation.

In a less permanent gift, JetSport Kawasaki is lending the town two Jet Skis until Jan. 20 for patrol, law enforcement, rescue and educational use.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated action, the town board removed an exemption on livery vehicles that allowed them to avoid town law requiring the licensing of taxi cabs. Police said that, in high-traffic situations, it took too much time to determine which vehicles should be licensed and which should not.