Government

Incumbent Brookhaven Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro, left, debates challenger Michael Kaplan. Photos by Raymond Janis

By Aidan Johnson

As Election Day nears, residents will decide between two candidates for Town of Brookhaven highway superintendent.

Current highway superintendent, Dan Losquadro (R), and Michael Kaplan (D) took part in an exclusive debate at the TBR office Friday, Oct. 27, tackling issues such as response times, paving schedules and the impact of storms on roads.

Introductions

Losquadro has served as highway superintendent for almost 11 years but has held public office for roughly two decades.

He started out after winning a special election in 2003 for Suffolk County’s 6th Legislative District. After serving two years in the Legislature, his colleagues elected him to be the Republican Conference Leader at age 33. He gave the rebuttals to Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy’s (D) State of the County address at that time.

He moved on to serve in the New York State Assembly but preferred staying home with his family. After people started lobbying him to replace former Highway Superintendent John Rouse (D), Losquadro decided to do so, citing his past work in his father’s body shop and as a laborer with Local 66 as what trained him for the job.

Kaplan has had 30 years of experience in municipal highway departments, serving 20 years in Islip and 10 years in Huntington. During that time, he served as a laborer, road inspector and worked directly for the superintendent of highways in Huntington. Additionally, he has served as a union leader and is a U.S. Army veteran.

While Kaplan indicated he did not want to speak negatively about Losquadro, he said that he has differing opinions on how to run the department and that there have been “a lot of residents” who have told him that they wish to see the superintendent more often.

Functions of the office

Losquadro said that the “umbrella of the Highway Department is much larger than people realize.” It is not just about the care of the roads but includes areas such as the traffic safety division for the town, engineering where all highway work permits go through, stormwater management and street lighting.

Losquadro runs a budget of more than $110 million, has nearly 300 employees, oversees 3,500 lane miles of roads and believes in innovation for moving the department forward, citing his digitizing of the work order system along with the conversion of all of Brookhaven’s street lights to LEDs, with Brookhaven’s energy savings being up to $1.2 million a year. 

He has also brought in over $150 million from the state and federal grant funding to the town, including a $16 million grant to replace the Sheep Pasture Road bridge in Port Jefferson Station earlier this year.

Kaplan stated that Losquadro touched on a lot of the functions. However, he said that after knocking on thousands of doors, he has a different perspective on how the Highway Department should be run daily.

Kaplan said that the workforce needs to be built back up, both in the sense that it is not enough and because it is demoralized. While he noted Losquadro has done a good job, Kaplan also stated that there are many residents who are frustrated with a perceived lack of accessibility and poor response time within the department, along with people not receiving an answer to their concerns.

As the head of the department, Kaplan said he would be talking to the employees and residents “every single day” and explain to them the answer to their problems, “whether they like my answer or not.” Kaplan also believes that he has to have a staff with the same vision of public service and that while the employees come first, “it’s really all about the residents.”

Losquadro rebutted this, saying he is “as hands-on as it gets” for a highway superintendent and that he and his staff deal with residents “day in, day out.” However, he said that one of the problems is that some people will call other local officials if they do not like the answer the Highway Department gives them, and claim that they did not get a response. However, the electronic work order system can show that the department has been in touch. While they sometimes miss the mark, he indicated, they still strive to contact every person promptly.

Climate change

With climate change increasing the threat of environmental disasters, including major snowfall events, Kaplan believes that it is imperative to build up private contractors.

Kaplan also said that road sweeping is a vital part of conserving the environment because if the road is not swept, everything washes down into the catch and recharge basins, polluting the aquifers. 

While there hasn’t been a big snowstorm in recent years, Kaplan said one big snowfall is enough to remind everyone that what the department does is vital. He also said that there is a science to snow plowing that he would teach every individual what to do behind the wheel of a truck.

Kaplan also said that, with a larger workforce, he would want to have a snow plowing operation that encompasses all of the roads, both main and side, at the same time. 

Losquadro noted that climate change has also caused issues such as roads that were once dry at high tide to now be underwater at normal tide. Because of this, Highways has worked with the Law Department and has abandoned a number of roads.

Due to rising sea levels, Losquadro has been “seeking grants anywhere I can get them.” Currently, the department is raising the roads along Mount Sinai Harbor and doing a massive drainage project there so that the roads remain passable at high tide when water gets impounded in the harbor along the southern shore.

Since there is no capacity for drainage along the southern shore, the department has been acquiring parcels and using them as bioretention areas to make the roads passable. 

Losquadro has also increased the rate paid to snow plow vendors by 25% this year. However, the department is facing a problem that the younger generation of contractors is not getting into the snow plowing business, so is trying to incentivize outside contractors.

Response times

Losquadro elaborated on the electric work order system he put in place, describing how a variant is used during severe weather events, containing “a simple dropdown menu” with which they can put information into quickly.

Additionally, a foreman can use iPads during a work order to take pictures and type in their notes to transmit the information instantly to a customer service representative, who can then relay it back to the resident in cases such as evaluations and inspections.

The department has also added the ability to track all of the road signs in its geographical information system and have added almost 200,000 drains. Losquadro said they “continue to add functionality to the system and build on it” to be more efficient.

While Kaplan said that he respects what Losquadro had to say, if elected, he would go back to the “old school way of doing things” by being a “boots on the ground” superintendent immediately.

If someone calls with a concern, including issues of potholes, Kaplan said he would institute a 72-hour correspondence policy, meaning that the person calling would receive correspondence, such as a callback or email, explaining that their issue has been recognized, and then a time to have it repaired will be scheduled.

Additionally, Kaplan said that potholes would be filled and repaired within 48 hours, and he would reteach his employees how to fill a pothole by his standards.

Politicization claim

In response to claims that Losquadro only begins to fix roads and potholes right before an election, Losquadro considered this notion “absurd.” He further said that the paving season runs from April to November, with someone being first and someone being last during the paving season.

According to the incumbent, they schedule the work based on how much concrete or drainage work has to be performed on a given project, with the jobs that require less work being done in the spring since they can get the prep work done sooner. Anything involving schools is done over the summer so as not to disrupt access to the schools, and the projects done in the fall require more extensive concrete or drainage work.

Losquadro also said that they spend nearly the same amount of money each year, exclusive of grant funding for individual projects, and do not spend more during an election year.

While Kaplan did state that he did make a comment about allegations that Losquadro only begins to fix potholes and roads around election time, he did not mean that as a disrespectful comment toward Losquadro. He had made the comment because residents have told him that they would repeatedly ask for an issue to be addressed, and it would only happen “three months before an election.”

Paving schedules

Kaplan said that he would have a delegation involved in assessing all of the roads in Brookhaven since the highway superintendent could not feasibly do it by themself. He would have the roads rated A through F, with the roads receiving “D” and “F” ratings being placed on the high-priority list.

Losquadro said that prioritizing a roadway isn’t just “necessarily a visual assessment” since there may be cases where the top layer of a road may appear to be in disrepair while the subsurface is still very strong, and vice versa.

If reelected, Losquadro pledged to avail himself of a program offered by the Cornell Cooperative Extension that uses optical sensors to evaluate the condition of the town’s roads to get what he referred to as a “heat map.” 

Losquadro added that he feels that they have gotten through the roads that were in very poor shape that he inherited from the last highway superintendent. He is planning two-to-three years out in the paving schedule, which is why the overall optical evaluation of the roadways would be helpful in how he looks forward at a possible three-to-eight years out from this point.

Brookhaven residents townwide will decide on the Highway Department’s future on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Photo from Leg. Trotta's office

In coordination with Smithtown-based SMM Advertising and Retired Volunteer Services Programs (RSVP), Suffolk County Legislator Rob Trotta is conducting a winter coat drive to benefit the residents of Suffolk County who are in need of warm winter clothing. They are collecting gently used or new coats, jackets, hats, gloves, mittens, scarves and blankets for infants, children, teens and adult men and women. 

“As people prepare for the winter and clean out their closets or plan to give a new coat as a gift, it is important for all of us to help our fellow neighbors who need warm coats by contributing to this drive,” said Legislator Rob Trotta.

Donations of coats and other outerwear may be dropped off at Legislator Trotta’s district office, located 59 Landing Avenue, Suite 1, (Blue Door) in Smithtown, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. The coat drive ends January 7, 2024. For more information, call 631-854-3900.

Councilwoman Jane Bonner and Highway Superintendent Dan Losquadro. Photo from TOB

Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Daniel P. Losquadro and Councilwoman Jane Bonner have announced the completion of two paving projects in Rocky Point and Miller Place.

In the first project, crews inspected drains and repaired and replaced damaged concrete curbing and aprons before resurfacing nine roadways including: Condor Road, Crane Road, Eagle Road, Falcon Road, Flamingo Road, Hawk Road, Peacock Road, Prince Road, and Swan Road in Rocky Point. The total cost for this paving project was approximately $229,000.

In the second project, crews repaired damaged aprons and curbing and installed a new drain to address flooding issues on Ridge Lane in Miller Place. Following the concrete and drainage improvements, Ridge Lane, Pringle Road and Sylvan Lane were resurfaced. The total cost for this paving project was $87,400.

“The roadways in both of these paving projects had greatly deteriorated over the years,” said Superintendent Losquadro. “With the drainage improvements completed, residents, motorists and pedestrians can now enjoy safer, smoother rides.”

Councilwoman Bonner said, “I thank Highway Superintendent Losquadro and his crews for making our roads safer. These paving and drainage projects couldn’t have come at a better time. We’ve had some big rain events and winter is just around the corner, so this will reduce flooding and ice build-up when the weather turns cold.”

Photo courtesy PJV

The following is a press release from the Village of Port Jefferson:

Apologies for any inconvenience.

Port Jefferson’s Harborfront Park will be closed to the public from Oct. 27 to Jan. 1, 2024 for the replacement of the park’s walkways.

For safety reasons, we ask that the public not visit the park during the ongoing construction.

Look for construction and park reopening updates on social media and on the official village website: www.portjeff.com.

Please contact village clerk Sylvia Pirillo at 631-473-4724 ext. 219, or by email at [email protected] with any questions.

Thank you for your patience while we build a beautified, more accessible and safer Harborfront Park for all our residents and visitors.

METRO photo

While every election is important, we take special care in informing our readers ahead of local races. With Election Day — Nov. 7 — fast approaching, we remind our readers why voting in local town and county elections is critical.

Unfortunately, many Americans today are losing faith in our democratic norms. Everywhere we look, we see partisanship, tribalism and polarization undermining our political process. National media sources often feed into and inflame these divisions for monetary and partisan gain.

Lower levels of government can offer a powerful counterbalance to all of this noise. Both literally and figuratively, local officials are closer to the people — their seats of government are located within our communities, and their decisions more immediately influence our day-to-day lives.

The issues debated by local legislatures are often far removed from the political theater observed in Washington and Albany. Local elections are not about the national debt ceiling, universal free health care or American foreign policy — remote if important issues in our ordinary lives.

Local elections are about us and the complexion of our community. They determine land use and zoning policies within our neighborhoods and commercial districts, drainage and related wastewater infrastructure investments, waste management services, park access, street paving and much more. Local elections determine the granular matters which shape our relationships to our surrounding area.

We remind our readers to be especially wary of candidates and commentators who inject national issues into our local dialogue. Those who do so are often ideologically driven, engaged in illicit political posturing.

We advise prospective voters to begin researching their ballots thoroughly. A functional local democracy requires a well-informed, enlightened electorate. And the more informed we are collectively, the better our elected officeholders will be.

When considering a candidate for local office, we should never decide based on party affiliation alone. This one-dimensional voting strategy cheapens our votes, outsourcing our decisions to the party bosses who handpick the nominees on our ballots.

We must ask ourselves whether a candidate possesses the requisite professional experience and knowledge to advance our interests. We must ask whether their values align with our own. And we must determine whether a candidate is running to promote the public good or to serve their self-interest.

Next week, TBR News Media will release its annual election supplement. Through interviews with various local candidates across our coverage area, we hope our readers will enter the voting booth better equipped to make informed judgments. We will also offer endorsements for candidates who best reflect our staff’s values.

With less than two weeks to go, we must get serious about our votes — because local elections matter.

Scenes from the Suffolk County Sheriff Office's annual Open House and Family Day. Photo by Bill Landon

Fighting the weekend weather for months, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, after having to cancel the event in September, was able to reschedule its annual Open House and Family Day Sunday, Oct. 22, at the Yaphank Correctional Facility, which was met with bright sunny skies. 

Thousands attended the event with demonstrations by the Emergency Response Team, K9 unit and troop carrier rides. Sheriff’s Office vehicles were on display along with its marine division as well as personnel carriers. 

The event featured horses from Warrior Ranch in Calverton, Operation Safe Child, senior and pet ID cards, tug-of-war, bounce house fun, food trucks, music, as well as games for kids of all ages.

Photos by Bill Landon

Candidates for local office address the public during a Meet the Candidates forum Wednesday, Oct. 18. Photo by Sabrina Artusa

By Sabrina Artusa

As Election Day approaches, candidates met Wednesday night, Oct. 18, to address various local issues affecting the Town of Huntington.

During this election cycle, two Town Council seats are up for grabs as Councilwoman Joan Cergol (D) and Councilman Eugene Cook (R) are not seeking re-election.

For the position of town clerk, incumbent Andrew Raia (R) hopes to continue for another term. Running against him is Linda Davis Valdez (D), a first-time runner who has 18 years of experience working within the courts.

Raia, formerly a New York State assemblyman, said experience is important to the position. “If you walk in and don’t know 100 of those laws cold, you will end up breaking six of them by lunch,” he said.

Valdez said, “I am the freshman candidate, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have transferable experience.” She described herself as a PTA president, Cub Scout leader and stockbroker in addition to her job as a court service coordinator.

Jillian Guthman (D), the town’s incumbent receiver of taxes, is also running for re-election against a first-time candidate, Pamela Velastegui (R), a school administrator for 18 years and now works as an operations manager.

If elected, Velastegui vowed to reduce the long lines in the tax receiver’s office, potentially choosing a new venue during tax season, such as the “Town Hall or bank parking lot.”

“There are so many ways to remedy this,” she said, adding that a better online platform could be a solution.

Guthman, Suffolk County’s former assistant district attorney, agreed with the latter statement by saying the town’s use of technology is something she wants to improve. Of her work as receiver of taxes these past five years, she said, “I’ve stepped up the outreach … and professionalism of this office,” adding, “My approach to serving the community is one of complete accessibility.”

Town Board candidates

Theresa Mari (R), Brooke Lupinacci (R), Don McKay (D) and Jen Hebert (D) are running for two open seats on the Town Board.

McKay, a former newspaper reporter and current deputy commissioner of the Suffolk County Parks Department, reminded the audience of “checks and balances” within town government. He noted that if a Democrat isn’t elected to one of the two open posts, the board would consist entirely of Republicans.

All candidates agreed that overdevelopment in Huntington is an issue they plan to address if elected. McKay said he will not be “bankrolled by developers and lawyers who want to turn Huntington into Queens.”

Lupinacci, a former assistant district attorney, and Mari, an attorney who owns her own law firm, bristled against this statement. Lupinacci said, “I do not have a price tag,” and Mari concurred, stating, “The fact that there is an insinuation that I can be bought is insulting.”

Lupinacci said she wants to reinstate a “master plan” for affordable housing instead of “piece-mealing.”

Hebert, who served on the South Huntington school board during a “contentious” time, said she “has a backbone” and would be outspoken on behalf of the townspeople. She noted that unaffordable housing causes Long Islanders to “move out of state and take all those skills with them.” She said she would communicate with developers on a solution that is attractive to them and also helpful in leading to more affordable housing.

Among the other issues discussed were the failing sea wall, harbor silting and dredging, and the closure of the Brookhaven landfill, which McKay said requires a “multitown solution” as he expects trash will have to be transported elsewhere.

Hebert referenced a policy in Massachusetts that encouraged people to compost or reduce their consumption by charging those who produced more than a specified amount. She did not intend to do this but used it as an example of reducing trash through policy.

All candidates agreed that dredging is beneficial.

Hebert disagreed with how the town had handled traffic and parking in the past, claiming a misuse of tax dollars and mistaken priorities. She said that she “wouldn’t have replaced meters or replaced a parking lot.” 

Election Day is Nov. 7.

By Raymond Janis

Town of Smithtown officials joined Parks Department staff and local business leaders at Smithtown Landing Tuesday, Oct. 24, announcing the completion of new renovations at the municipal golf and country club.

Town Supervisor Ed Wehrheim (R) described the Smithtown Landing renovation project as a $3 million investment into the facilities and amenities throughout the country club.

“This is the Smithtown residents’ country club, and this is what the residents of Smithtown deserve,” the supervisor said. “They deserve a country club that’s akin to any private country club that’s here in Suffolk County.”

Joe Arico, town park maintenance director, outlined the various improvements that were completed at the Landing, noting that the project aimed to bring the facility “up to code and modern-day standards.”

He referred to kitchen spaces that were “totally renovated,” roofs reframed with outdoor solar panels, construction of a new bar and lounge area, a newly-outfitted patio space and HVAC systems, and handicap accessibility upgrades, among other improvements.

“We can have meetings and weddings and events worthy of celebration at the club now that all of these facilities have been brought up to date,” Arico said, adding, “Aesthetically, we worked on this project tirelessly to make sure it looked good for the people of the community.”

New York State Assemblyman Mike Fitzpatrick (R-Smithtown) attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Fitzpatrick’s father, former Supervisor Paul J. Fitzpatrick, had acquired the property on behalf of the town during his administration in the 1970s, approved by town voters through a permissive referendum.

The younger Fitzpatrick commented upon the gradual development of the municipal country club since its acquisition, noting its central place as the “crown jewel” of the Smithtown parks system.

“This place is a place for everyone,” the state assemblyman said. “We have the pools, we have the golf course, and, of course, we have the catering operation.”

He added, “I think the vision that my father had — and brought along the Town Board and the people of the Town of Smithtown — it has paid dividends for many, many years and will pay more in the years to come.”

This park renovation is part of a multiphased $11 million renovation effort across the town, with similar renovations at town-owned facilities such as Long Beach Marina and Hoyt Farm Nature Preserve. The initiative will culminate with the completion of one further public amenity.

“We have one more major project that is underway, and that is Callahan’s Beach,” Wehrheim said.

Participants rush toward frigid water at Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai during the Town of Brookhaven’s 2022 Freezin’ for a Reason Polar Plunge event. This year’s plunge will take place Nov. 18. File photo by Raymond Janis
By Samantha Rutt

Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) started last Thursday’s Oct. 19 Town Board meeting with a moment of silence acknowledging the foreign conflicts overseas in Gaza and Ukraine. Romaine encouraged the board and all attendees to “pray for peace in this troubled world of ours.”

Before addressing the amendments, authorizations and related public business, Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point) held a presentation introducing the Town of Brookhaven’s annual Freezin’ for a Reason Polar Plunge event. The event will take place Nov. 18 at Cedar Beach in Mount Sinai.

The board approved a designated area in the Smith Haven Mall to be a drop-off center for toys in conjunction with the 2023 Toy Drive, held yearly during the holiday season.

The board then set a date for a public hearing on the renewal of the Cable Television Franchise Agreement between the Town of Brookhaven and Suffolk Cable Corporation (Cablevision/Altice). The public hearing for this case will be held Nov. 16 at 2:30 p.m.

The board amended the Policies and Procedures Manual for the Home Investment Partnership Program. The H.O.M.E. program is a federal initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that aims to provide state and local governments with funds to support affordable housing initiatives, especially for low-income individuals and families.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The board acknowledged those diagnosed with breast cancer in the Town of Brookhaven each year, declaring October 2023 Breast Cancer Awareness Month, promoting breast cancer awareness and drawing attention to thousands of individuals facing breast cancer diagnoses each year.

With Halloween fast approaching, the Teal Pumpkin Project is back once again. The TPP was established to provide nonfood treats on and around Halloween for children with food allergies, medical digestive disorders and other dietary restrictions. In this week’s meeting, the board noted its support for the seasonal project, which seeks to benefit all children through nonfood treat options for trick-or-treaters. To participate in the project, participants should print the Teal Pumpkin Project sign and display it where it is visible for trick-or-treaters.

To continue inclusivity and community engagement, the board declared Nov. 15 as the Town of Brookhaven Recycles Day to further promote local awareness and participation in the town’s recycling efforts. 

The board will meet again Thursday, Nov. 9, at 5 p.m. for the budget public hearing.

File photo

In a unanimous vote by the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees, Andrew P. Freleng was appointed to direct the village’s Building & Planning Department, effective Nov. 13.

Freleng, of Middle Island, is chief planner at the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning, overseeing the Regulatory Review Unit that analyzes zoning and subdivision referrals on behalf of the Suffolk County Planning Commission. He also supervises the staff to the Suffolk County Council on Environmental Quality, which is responsible for reviewing the environmental ramifications of all actions of the county.

Currently, Freleng is the chair of the Brookhaven National Laboratory Executive Roundtable and vice chair of the Central Pine Barrens Credit Clearinghouse board of advisers. He is a former member of the board of directors of the New York Planning Federation and a past Long Island section director for the American Planning Association. Before coming to Suffolk County, Freleng was chief planner for the Town of Southampton and prior to that chief environmental planner for the Melville-based H2M architects + engineers, an engineering, architecture and planning firm.

In 1999, Freleng was elected to the Port Jefferson Board of Trustees after serving three years on the village Planning Board. As trustee, Freleng was responsible for the Conservation Advisory Council, Parks Department, the Department of Public Safety and adviser to the Board of Trustees on matters such as SEQRA, waterfront and stormwater issues.

Freleng holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Long Island University-Southampton College and a master’s in environmental management from Long Island University-C.W. Post Campus. In 1990, he was accepted into the American Institute of Certified Planners.

“Having someone of Andy’s caliber in this position is a real coup for the village,” said Mayor Lauren Sheprow. “His vast experience will help guide and elevate the department at this critical phase in our growth. In fact, it was Andy, in his capacity as chief planner for the county who authored the professional review of Port Jefferson’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan, further demonstrating his knowledge of and longstanding history with our village.”

The mayor added, “I look forward to working with him and am confident he will hit the ground running. Welcome back, Andy.”