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Anthony Flammia

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Port Jefferson Village Hall. Photo by Heidi Sutton 2023

By Peter Sloniewsky

At its Jan. 29 meeting, the board of trustees of the Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson voted unanimously to appoint Kevin Cooper as code enforcement supervisor and Anthony Flammia as assistant supervisor. 

Cooper is a state-certified code enforcement official and building inspector. A resident of Baiting Hollow, he attended Dowling College and Empire State College before spending more than three decades as an officer for the New York City Police Department and New York City Transit Police. In those roles, Cooper was primarily focused on the New York City subway system. After his retirement from the NYPD in 2020, he became the director of ordinance enforcement and animal control for the Town of East Hampton. 

Flammia is a former officer of the New York City and Centre Island police departments across a 40-year career and possesses a master’s degree in professional studies in homeland security from Penn State University alongside an undergraduate degree in criminal justice and human services from Empire State College. Since 2023, he’s worked as an armed security operative for Arrow Security on Renaissance Technologies’ East Setauket campus. 

In a recent public meeting of the Port Jefferson Civic Association, Cooper presented his plans for Port Jefferson code enforcement. These plans include increased accessibility through an online complaint form, promoting visibility in part through expanded service hours, and broader changes to the division’s mission statement and policy lines between code enforcement and police. Cooper also displayed openness to expanded hiring and clarified his perception of the role of code enforcement as “about education and compliance, not about writing tickets.” 

“I want to help in making the village an enjoyable place to live in and visit,” Cooper said. “I pride myself on being responsive and if I cannot address a concern a resident might make me aware of, I will guide them to the agency or department that will help solve the problem or issue.”

In a statement to TBR News Media, Port Jefferson village Trustee Xena Ugrinsky detailed the context of this selection process as well as faith in Cooper to improve the village’s code enforcement. 

“This has been an 18-month effort of the current administration when [Mayor Lauren Sheprow] was elected. It was focused on modernizing and improving the village’s approach to code enforcement,” Ugrinsky told TBR. “[With Cooper and Flammia] the village is now well-positioned to implement a professional and purpose-built code enforcement unit. Both individuals bring deep experience in law and code enforcement and are working closely with Suffolk County Police to ensure clear coordination and a distinct delineation of responsibilities between the two bodies.” 

Ugrinsky also detailed concerns related to private firearm ownership among code enforcement personnel and outdated village regulation on code enforcement. 

Sheprow also emphasized the importance of the new hirings in a statement to TBR. 

“The training and educational aspects of this professional and cultural shift are significant, and we are grateful to Supervisor Cooper for taking this on,” Sheprow wrote. 

“He has the knowledge and awareness to help shape priorities, and the more time he spends working in the village, the more he will understand where the best opportunities for education and improvement exist.”

For more information visit the Port Jefferson village website (www.portjeff.com). 

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Port Jefferson Village Hall. Photo by Heidi Sutton 2023

By Lynn Hallarman

The March 26 meeting of the Incorporated Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees was marked by public comments on communication policies, a resident complaint and an emerging capital improvement plan for parking. 

Resident calls for dialogue 

Longtime resident Myrna Gordon called for “improved transparency and communication” from the board of trustees. She expressed concern that the trustees were no longer responding to basic questions during public comment, describing it as a frustrating shift in practice. 

“We used to have a conversation,” Gordon said. “Now we’re told — make an appointment.” 

Mayor Lauren Sheprow responded: 

“Let’s keep that conversation going. Come and visit me any day.” 

Village resident Matthew Franco speaks during public comment. Photo by Lynn Hallarman

Gordon countered: “I’m talking about here at the podium, which is important.” 

Village attorney David Moran clarified that the change in policy was intended to “protect trustees from being put on the spot or answering inaccurately in public without adequate preparation.”

“We have been very polite. We have been very orderly. We ask questions because we want answers now — not silence,” Gordon said. 

Village resident and declared 2025 trustee candidate Matthew Franco alleged that during a meeting held earlier in March in Sheprow’s office, the mayor made “disparaging and false remarks about him [Franco] and his son,” in connection with an unspecified incident involving golf course fees incurred by his son. 

Moran urged Franco to submit a written complaint, noting a more specific and detailed account would allow the board to assess the allegation.

Parking fees 

The meeting shifted to a proposal from the Village Parking Committee, which recommended a three-year freeze on parking fees to provide more consistent rates for visitors. 

“You can’t keep charging our customers more and more money every year and keep raising the rates. I mean, you’re killing businesses down here. You can’t just keep taking and taking and taking,” parking committee chair James Luciano said. 

Trustee Kyle Hill proposed an amendment to omit the rate freeze. 

“Parking revenue is tremendously important for the village’s budget, while we all want stability, we need to leave room to adjust based on performance given the experimental changes to the rates,” Hill said. 

In the final vote, the board retained the committee’s recommendation for a rate freeze. The suggestion will now be considered as part of a parking capital plan being developed by the village treasurer Stephen Gaffga.

Beginning on April 16, a $1.00/ hour parking fee will be enforced from Monday to Thursday and a $3.00/ hour fee from Friday to Sunday. There will be no minimum parking time. 

Two percent tax cap 

Later in the meeting, the board approved a procedural tax cap override. This measure gives the village the option to exceed the 2% New York State tax cap if necessary. 

Gaffga emphasized that adopting the override serves as a financial “insurance policy” in case of unforeseen costs before the next budget cycle starts at the beginning of May 2025. 

Prom dress donation

Anthony Flammia, assistant code enforcement supervisor, announced a community-wide prom dress donation drive organized under the banner of Codes Care. Gently used dresses and accessories will be collected through April 25 at the Port Jefferson Village Center. Free try-on events are scheduled for April 26 and 27. 

Visit the village website for dates of upcoming meetings: www.portjeff.com.

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