Town Board Replaces Former Councilwoman on ZBA

The Town Board voted to replace former councilwoman and Zoning Board of Appeals member Rose Sanders with former chief building Leroy Barnes at their reorganizational meeting on Thursday.

Town Supervisor Sean Walter, Councilmen George Gabrielsen and John Dunleavy and Councilwoman Jodi Giglio voted for the appointment. Councilman Jim Wooten abstained from the vote.

Sanders served as a town council member from 2002 to 2005, when the Republican party nominated John Dunleavy to take her place. She ran for the Democratic nomination for a council seat in 2009, but lost. Sanders backing Democratic supervisor candidate Phil Cardinale in radio ads this election season. Her term ended this year.

Barnes had served as the town’s chief building inspector an elected member of Riverhead Board of Assessors for over 30 years in total, and retired in May 19 to take advantage of program the board approved in February as a way to save money by encouraging longtime employees to take early retirement.