On Thursday night, candidates for Southold Town Board gathered at Peconic Landing’s auditorium for a debate hosted by the League of Women Voters of the Hamptons, Shelter Island and the North Fork. Questions focused on housing, water quality, farmland, flooding, the working waterfront and relations with Fishers Island — the town’s only island hamlet.

Democrats Brian Mealy, Kate Stevens and Alexa Suess joined Republicans Nicholas Planamento and Chris Talbot for the forum, moderated by Judy Roth. Candidate Stephanie Hall was absent due to a work commitment, according to Republican Town Councilwoman Jill Doherty, who read a statement on Hall’s behalf.

After months of campaigning that began in late summer, it was the final candidate forum before early voting began Saturday, and the tone reflected a shift from cordial exchanges earlier in the season to sharper disagreements as Election Day nears.

Mealy, the only incumbent in the race, was also the only candidate to leave the dais to stand and address the audience directly at both the start and end of the night. About halfway through the forum, he was interrupted by boos from Republicans after he sought to frame Hall’s absence as a lack of commitment, prompting Doherty and Southold GOP Chairman Peter Ganley to later demand an apology.

Planamento delivered one of the evening’s strongest criticisms of the current board, arguing that it has moved too slowly on the town’s long-running zoning update, affordable housing and cell service dead zones. “Things tend to move a little bit quicker in the private sector,” he said. “I understand that collaboration takes time, but really — why haven’t there been any new construction projects?”

Each candidate was allowed limited rebuttals, and Mealy used one of his. “The underlying message from 800 residents who responded to our cell service survey this summer was, ‘We don’t care where [new cell towers go], just get it done,’” he said. He cited progress on housing, noting “12 units going on Love Lane and hopefully 22 on Carroll Avenue.”

Stevens named communication as her top priority — particularly with Fishers Island — along with housing and infrastructure. “We have a $50 million infrastructure bill coming down the pike on Fishers Island, which you guys probably don’t even know about because we’re so siloed,” she said. “We have to build bridges.”

Suess called housing “the most important thing that needs to happen,” linking affordability to workforce shortages across small businesses and emergency services. She urged support for entrepreneurs and an expansion of the affordable housing overlay. “We need solutions,” she said. “We need representation and we need action.”

Talbot focused on efficiency, water quality and land preservation. “We’re going to get our building department here in town streamlined,” he said. “We’re going to work with the trustees to make sure our water quality continues to improve. It will be better for everybody — better for tourism and better for residents.”

Water quality and quantity

Question: “Water quality and quantity is an issue in Southold Town. Besides regulating irrigation, what do you think the town should do, and do you think people are knowledgeable about and using the [Community Preservation Fund] tax for systems that improve home irrigation?”

Planamento called the new irrigation law “basically unenforceable,” urging education, smarter technology and regional coordination. He said the town must balance Suffolk County Water Authority expansions with zoning that prevents “unbridled” development. “We need and deserve water,” he said.

Stevens praised local stormwater projects that are “cutting off the outfalls” so runoff recharges aquifers instead of flowing into the bays. She said the town should study the new irrigation code’s effects “before we get any more supply coming in” — referring to the proposed pipeline from Flanders to the Southold border. “We also have to understand our aquifer,” she added, “through the [U.S. Geological Survey] that’s going on” in Orient.

Suess backed the irrigation law and called for an aquifer protection overlay in the zoning code. She credited trustees for “increased wetland vegetative buffers” and said she is “really excited” to see results from the Orient Association’s USGS study. “But at the end of the day,” she said, “we have to make people understand that they cannot have the sprinkler systems going when it’s pouring rain.”

Talbot supported extending clean public water while continuing stormwater and bay outfall projects. He recalled rejecting an earlier SCWA proposal because “they didn’t want to poll everybody en route to Orient,” and said, “Everybody should have the ability to have good clean water… good clean water is a must.”

Mealy framed the issue as a fight for local control. He praised Supervisor Al Krupski and others for advancing conservation laws and said, “The Suffolk County Water Authority thinks that our water is their water. That’s not true. Our water is our water, and we’re fighting for it.”

Strengthening ties with Fishers Island

Question: “Both Fishers Island candidates describe the island as siloed. You want to strengthen ties with Southold Town. What would you propose to improve this relationship?”

Stevens promised to be “a connector,” not a filter. She called for board members to “cycle through our monthly community meetings,” to move the annual town meeting on the island to twice a year, and to include islanders on mainland committees. “Just that shift in mentality is going to be a sea change,” she said.

Suess said the island’s challenges mirror those on the mainland — “housing, conservation, workforce — sometimes just a little bit more concentrated.” She called for consistent presence and direct conversations: “We can strengthen those ties a lot more just by being more present.”

Talbot agreed, citing the need for practical improvements such as DMV access. He endorsed twice-yearly meetings and said regular contact would prevent board members from feeling like “a duck out of water.” “Communication is good for everybody,” he said.

Planamento called Fishers “a special place” that deserves more than an annual visit. He pointed to island entrepreneurship — “from lemonade to oyster seed” — and noted barriers such as the high cost of ferrying a bicycle. “We need more outreach,” he said.

Mealy said meetings on Fishers Island were “an eye open experience” into what island residents need. “I’m always excited to get over to Fishers Island.” Then he prompted a backlash when he drew a contrast between the two island-focused candidates, noting one was missing. “Of the two people running for Fishers Island Justice/Town Board [candidates], Kate Steven is the ones that’s sitting on our table,” he said.

The remark deeply angered a vocal group of Republicans in the first rows, but Mealy held fast, saying “that’s my opinion.”

Doherty said after the forum that Mealy owes his opponent Hall an apology. Ganley, the Southold GOP chairman, issued a statement Friday morning, contending that Mealy “missed a budgeting meeting earlier this month due to a work conflict. Stephanie has made every other candidate forum to date. It was a tasteless jab.”  

Flooding

Question: “The state and Suffolk County are doing studies about [flooding on County Road 48 and State Road 25], but … that may take a long time. What should Southold do now to address flooding on [those roads], because they’re such an important part of the emergency infrastructure?”

Suess warned that “it’s expected that there’s going to be 16 inches of sea level rise on Route 48 right where Town Beach is.” She said the town must coordinate with state, county and regional partners: “Southold Town cannot tackle that alone.”

Talbot described driving through a storm as “New Suffolk was cut off as an island.” He supported raising roads and adding culverts where homes sit close by. “We all… got to keep our transportation open,” he said.

Mealy called for sustained cooperation with higher levels of government for coastal resiliency and dredging “emergency arteries like Mattituck Inlet.” “Southold cannot stand alone,” he said. “We need… all hands on deck.”

Planamento called raising roads “intimidating” but feasible, noting that FEMA elevation standards could guide future projects. He said the town should look to wastewater upgrade grants as a model: “These are our arteries.”

Stevens described Fishers splintering into “five islands” during storms and called for a comprehensive climate-adaptation “toolkit,” from citizen-science apps to nature-based shoreline projects. She praised the town’s emergency response to the last nor’easter: “The systems are in place,” she said.

Affordable housing

Question: “What would you consider an affordable price for a house in Southold? Are there jobs where someone makes enough money to afford a house at that price? What are the steps you see for housing and job creation?”

Talbot said affordable homeownership should range from $450,000 to $550,000, with rents under HUD’s benchmarks still “a lot of money.” He urged public-private partnerships, land donations and volunteer efforts: “We could look at … minor code changes and hopefully add some more stock.”

Mealy emphasized momentum behind voter-approved housing funds. “That .5 percent transfer tax is giving us $5 million to actually do housing projects,” he said, pointing to “12 [affordable housing] units going on Love Lane and hopefully … 22 units on Carroll Avenue.”

Planamento proposed a mix of land banking, smaller homes and design diversity. “We need a town board that has action,” he said. “We need someone that’s going to step forward.”

Stevens agreed that Southold needs “a variety of types” to allow renters to move toward ownership — from ADUs to infill housing — and praised the town’s “intelligent ideas” like temporary mortgage waivers to help new buyers.

Suess called housing “a macroeconomic issue” that demands multiple tools. She cited a 2024 median sale price of “$1.2 million” and said affordability requires “a community land trust or bank, stricter short-term rental rules and a pro housing community designation.” “We have to create other options,” she said.

Talbot, in the evening’s only other rebuttal, suggested code adjustments to allow more accessory units and tiny houses. “That could be a minor code adjustment,” he said.

Zoning

Question: “Zoning codes protect small businesses and local businesses … by restricting floor size to 6,000 square feet. Currently, large quantities of farmland are being bought by a single owner. Should restrictions on the type of farming and the kind of processing that might be done there help protect local farmers?”

The question appeared to confuse several candidates and audience members, prompting Roth, the moderator, to simply restate it, saying she was unable to offer any extrapolation.

Mealy said the town is working with the Agriculture Committee and planning staff to simplify complex rules like gross floor area. “It is complicated, and it shouldn’t be complicated,” he said. “The goal is the most consensus in terms of what the right path is.”

Planamento distinguished zoning from easements and said even large owners face subdivision limits. He criticized GFA restrictions that “make it incredible that people want to add a garage… and it’s just not achievable.” The board, he said, could “instantly and very quickly reverse that decision or even abandon the GFA.”

Stevens said she was unfamiliar with the specific landowner case but argued the town should “incentiviz[e] local farmers to stay in the business” and protect rural character. “Let’s not lose that,” she said.

Suess said farms are businesses that need flexibility and worker housing. She praised zoning provisions for farmworker units and urged “more creative solutions, like tiny homes.”

Talbot said the state now permits “tiny houses” as small as 200 to 300 square feet, while Southold’s minimum remains 800 to 850. “That’s another avenue,” he said, noting that young residents had already expressed interest.

Working waterfront

Question: “The new working waterfront [law] offers protections for maritime businesses. How do you see these protections being applied in Southold?”

Planamento compared the initiative to farmland preservation, saying it compensates owners to keep maritime uses. “Any opportunity like that… is a beneficial one,” he said.

Stevens called it “a great opportunity,” noting “nine and a half million dollars through 2028” for conservation easements that preserve land-based access for water-based work. “Lose that ground access,” she said, “and you’re out of business.”

Suess praised recent aquaculture grants and described oyster growing as “a really, really nutritious product,” offering “really fantastic careers” and a “net positive” for the environment. “We don’t want to see that turned into condos,” she said.

Talbot endorsed the legislation, calling it “good to see” and saying, “I would fully support it any way we can.”

Mealy called it a victory but asked what comes next. “What’s the plan to continue that money stream?” he said. “It’s not just that we’re great that, yeah, we got the working waterfront — now. What’s our stewardship?”

Transparency

Question: “A lot of candidates talk about being open and transparent to their constituents. If elected, how will you achieve that, and how will you foster two-way communication?”

Stevens said it begins with “listening” and regular face time beyond campaign season. She praised recent “listening sessions,” saying, “It just felt like you were — this is how democracy is supposed to work.”

Suess proposed more town-hall-style meetings at accessible hours and clear notes from work sessions so residents can follow along. “At the end of the day, we are representatives for you,” she said.

Talbot promised open records and direct contact. “You’re going to see each other in the supermarket,” he said. “You have to talk to each other.”

Mealy cited his “virtual office hours,” which some had doubted would succeed, and said he values listening more than responding. “Basically, people want to be heard,” he said.

Planamento called transparency and collaboration “hallmarks of a leader.” “I’m not going to silence anyone,” he said.

At the start of the night, Doherty spoke on behalf of Hall, describing her as a 33-year Fishers Island resident and longtime Pfizer clinical research scientist. Hall’s work, Doherty said, spanned genetic studies in oncology, autoimmune and Alzheimer’s disease before shifting to biospecimen management. She cited Hall’s volunteer leadership as co-chair of the Fishers Island Seagrass Management Coalition — which mapped eelgrass by satellite and launched an internship that led to a full-time hire — and as treasurer of Islanders to Islanders, a local aid group. Hall, she said, is running “to be an advocate and bridge for our communities.”