Ethics Board: Leave Us Out Of It

The Southampton Town Ethics Board ruled last week Town Highway Superintendent Alex Gregor and officials of the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club are going to have to resolve their differences without an opinion from the board of ethics.

Gregor and the Club have been sparring over a road that traverses the golf course from St. Andrews Road to Tuckahoe Road. While Gregor contends it is owned by the town, the Club believes the passageway is no more than a driveway deeded to the Club in a three-way deal with the county decades ago.

On September 24, the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club President Barrett Pickett complained to the board of ethics that Gregor violated the town’s ethic’s code by attempting to hard the Club financially by threatening to “inspect his intention to barricade” the portion of the road in question.

Steven Leventhal, an attorney, in a decision dated December 5, wrote that the ethics board has no purview over such matters. “Because you have not alleged a violation of the standards of conduct set forth in the Code of Ethics, the board is not authorized to investigate your complaint,” he stated.

rmurphy@indyeastend.com