The Village of East Hills Board of Trustees honored Spencer Kanis, the longtime chair of the Architectural Review Board, as he announced his retirement after roughly 20 years in the position, during the Tuesday, Dec. 9, meeting.
Kanis, who helped establish the ARB in the early 2000s, told the board he plans to transition into an emeritus role while helping train a new chair over the next year. He said he intends to stay involved during the transition to ensure continuity.
“It’s been 18 to 20 years. I figured that was enough,” Kanis said. “Things are changing in the community rapidly, and I’d like to give someone else a chance. I’ll be at every meeting for the next couple of months to make sure the transition is smooth.”
Kanis recalled being appointed at the ARB’s first meeting after criticizing development on a village road. He said that moment launched two decades of work helping shape the village’s building standards and reviewing every proposed home.
Trustees praised Kanis for his leadership and the board’s impact on the look of neighborhoods, including Country Estates.
“You’ve been a real pleasure, a class act,” Mayor Michael Koblenz said. “Thank you profusely for everything you’ve done and will continue to do.”
The board did not immediately vote on a successor but signaled support for Kanis’s plan to name a deputy chair who would begin running meetings under his guidance.
Trustees also voted to establish a new office of auditor, a position intended to expedite vendor payments and prevent late fees that the village has periodically incurred because bills could only be paid at board meetings. The board appointed Koblenz to serve as the village’s auditor.
The role will allow the mayor to authorize and process routine claims and credit-based purchases, including fuel, supplies and departmental credit card charges, prior to board approval appearing in the next abstract.
Koblenz also recapped the weekend’s holiday celebration, praising staff and volunteers for a successful community event featuring music, horse-drawn carriage rides, snow machines, costumed characters and tree and menorah lightings.
“It was absolutely outstanding,” Deputy Mayor Brian Meyerson said, thanking staff for “an enormous effort” in staging the event.
The board closed the public session by announcing its book club selection for next Monday, “The Women of Tehran,” before entering executive session.
