Dan's Papers - March 13, 2009 - SOUTHAMPTON TOWN BOARD GETS INTO DOG FIGHT

Southampton Town finances are in a mess and last week a big battle in Town Hall took place about it after Councilman Anna Throne-Holst suggested that the Town reorganize the Finance Department so the Board of Trustees could get better information from it. Town Supervisor Linda Kabot opposed the suggestion, either because she thought it would be a waste of time to do that or because she felt that Throne-Holst was proposing this just to make her look bad. Throne-Holst has been hinting recently that she would run against Kabot for supervisor next time around.

When the dust cleared, the proposal to reorganize the Finance Department was voted down by a narrow margin, after which Kabot made an offhanded remark about Throne-Holst's dog, Frankie. Throne-Holst brings this fluffy little 12-pound dog to work every day. It is against the rules. But she does it.

"Ms. Throne-Holst should follow the rules as does everybody else in Town," Kabot said.

No further comment was made about this during the meeting, but afterwards, out in the hall, Throne-Holst announced that Frankie would no longer be with her at work every day.

"I apologize if I offended anyone," she said. "No one had ever said a thing to me before this. But I'm sorry and will never let him step another paw inside Town Hall again."

Throne-Holst then explained to reporters there to cover the meeting that her "little guy" had been coming in with her every day ever since her youngest son had gone away to school last September. She said she felt Frankie would be lonely all alone at home, and she also said that since she often works until 10 or 11 at night and he was her pal, he felt it would be a good place for him to spend time since he seems happiest when he is around her. She also said that Frankie was in the process of being taught to do public service work. At the suggestion of Assistant Animal Shelter Supervisor Christine Russell, who saw just how cute he was, Frankie was training to be a therapy dog for senior citizens and if all goes well would soon be licensed to do that work. Coming to Town Hall every day was part of Therapy Dog training.

"He greets people, wagging his tail, when people come in," she said. "He will be a wonderful service dog. But I won't bring him in anymore."

Whether this matter was now concluded as far as Throne-Holst and Kabot were concerned was not clear, but the reporters continued to make inquiries about the matter with the other members of the Town Board, all of whom were still out there in the hall talking about how the session had gone with anyone who would listen.

Councilperson Nancy Grabowski, who's office is next to Throne-Holst, had this to say about the Frankie matter.

"She should obey the laws just like every other public citizen. The sign on the door says 'No Dogs Except Service Dogs' and there is a reason for it. What we have here instead is a person who thinks she can just do whatever she wants."

Councilperson Sally Pope said, "I don't have any problem with Anna bringing her dog to work."

The fifth Councilperson, Chris Nuzzi, said he agreed with Pope.

The people in town seem to be evenly divided about whether Frankie should be allowed in Town Hall or not. Some say a cute dog in Town Hall brightens the day. Others say a rule is a rule. One woman said she thought it pretty snippy that Kabot brought the matter up right after the big battle about the finance board.

A local at the Sip 'n Soda on Hampton Road said he had heard the matter will be brought up for a vote at the next Town Board meeting. He said the vote would not be to make an exception to the rule for Frankie, but to redefine Frankie as being something other than a dog. Everybody thinks they know how it would turn out if it were.

He said he expected Kabot and Grabowski to vote against the proposition, and Nuzzi and Pope voting for it. Throne-Holst will have to abstain on the grounds that she is too emotionally involved to participate.

And so, as all matters of this sort have to be adjudicated when there is a deadlock, the deciding vote will have to be cast by the vice president and speaker of the Town Board, who, ordinarily has no vote.

Frankie will vote "arf." And of course, that means, by a vote of three to two with one abstention, Frankie will be reclassified and will be able to stay.