After a number of contentious meetings, the Amagansett Citizens Advisory Committee may come under new leadership after Monday night's meeting.
At its last meeting in May, the group made their nominations. William DiScipio was nominated for treasurer and Kieran Brew was nominated for vice-chair.
But, there's a race for chair. Current chairwoman Rona Klopman and vice-chairman Kent Miller have been nominated to lead the group. Members will vote by paper ballot on their on Monday.
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The move by the divided citizens group comes after months of tension over such issues as the order of meetings and hot-button topics like the 7-Eleven opening and the Music To Know Festival.
"I've been a member of ACAC for 12 years. I've been vice chair for three years and chair for two years," Klopman said in an email last month. "I will be and am a strong fighter for the preservation of Amagansett and my record speaks for itself!"
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Klopman is also for East Hampton Town Trustee and has spoken out against the Republican led town board often.
Carl Hamilton, a member of ACAC, addressed Klopman at the last meeting about an email she sent to the committee after the April meeting about how the committee “appears to be politicized by operatives in the back room dealings.”
Hamilton said that Klopman owed the committee an apology for the strongly worded email. Klopman did not offer an apology, but said that she acknowledged his opinion.
Miller, on the other hand, was tapped by the town board to sit on the committee to oversee the stewardship of the historic Life Saving Station at in April, sparking debate on how he was nominated and selected.
Miller said by phone that he was flattered to be nominated for the chair position. If elected, he said he would be happy to serve. He has been vice-chair for two years.
Asked how he might lead the committee, he said, "I don't know if it would be my position to so much to lead, as it is to listen - let the committee decide where they want to take things."
"The last thing I would want to do is foster my opinion on somebody," he said.
Miller said listening is the best way to garner ideas for real solutions from the group and larger community. He said that town board members have told him, "We know the problems. Give us ideas."
