The East Hills Board of Trustees settled an ongoing issue with its outgoing caterer Thursday night by establishing a plan of action for him to remove his equipment and pay for unpaid rent and kitchen cleaning.

The village hired a new caterer as their previous one was retiring from the business. The outgoing caterer was looking to sell some equipment to the village, which they declined to purchase.

Before the trustees decided not to buy any of the caterer’s equipment, the board took a tour of the kitchen to inspect the items for sale. The items, which included stainless steel tables and plastic shelves, were determined by the trustees not to be of interest.

The board addressed the issue of him removing all of his equipment from the park’s kitchen and cleaning the facility, which they said has been unresolved for about three months.

But with the outgoing caterer behind $3,500 in rent and required to pay for the kitchen’s cleaning, which they estimated to cost about $1,500, the village decided to hold onto his $5,000 security deposit.

“We’re not looking for a profit,” Mayor Michael Koblenz said.

“We’re just trying to break even,” Trustee Brian Meyerson said.

Koblenz said the village did reduce his rent twice as a courtesy while he was catering for the park during its open season.

“So I think we’ve done everything we possibly could do,” Koblenz said.

The board also decided that it is the outgoing caterer’s responsibility to remove all of his equipment, which they gave him until Jan. 15 – about 30 days – to do.

The village’s attorney William Burton suggested that if the caterer does not remove his equipment, the village will discard it themselves.

The board’s decision was within the village’s terms of its contract with the caterer, which the clerk said did not require a resolution to enforce.

The board also approved the expense of $750 to fix a mailbox knocked down by an East Hills security guard. Koblenz said the security guard was driving when he struck the mailbox with the car – which did not cause any damage to the car.

In other news, East Hill’s 2024 calendars, which feature images from New York-based photographer Alan Sloyer and village information and events, will be available by the end of the month. The calendars have been an offering of the village for decades, Burton said, and are unique to East Hills.