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Lauren Sheprow

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Correction:

The print version of this story published in the July 27 issue of The Port Times Record incorrectly stated that the Village of Port Jefferson Treasurer’s Office remains vacant. In fact, Donald Pearce was confirmed 3-2 by the village Board of Trustees following an executive session July 24. We apologize for the error.

Amid the summer heat wave, tensions were even hotter inside Village Hall Monday night, July 24.

Members of the recently reorganized Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees sparred publicly for the second time this month, the board at first opting not to approve Mayor Lauren Sheprow’s choice for village treasurer. 

A motion to appoint Donald Pearce over Denise Mordente, treasurer during the previous administration, was tabled 3-2. Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay joined trustees Stan Loucks and Bob Juliano to table the matter.

Loucks had left the reorganization meeting earlier this month over Sheprow’s decision denying him reappointment as trustee liaison to Port Jefferson Country Club. [See story, “Port Jeff village board cans code changes for Maryhaven, tensions flare amid reorganization,” July 13, The Port Times Record, also TBR News Media website.] He continued to critique Sheprow’s pattern of appointments.

Trustee Stan Loucks delivers his report during a July 24 business meeting of the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees. Photo by Raymond Janis

“You have gotten rid of three and maybe more of the most loyal, hardworking and knowledgeable people” within the village government, Loucks told the mayor. “Now again, you’ve made a motion to get rid of Denise Mordente — this after telling her not more than five hours earlier that she was good as a treasurer and was safe.”

“It just seems to me that a person’s word no longer means anything,” he added.

Sheprow suggested that Pearce’s professional background and experience within PJV would facilitate his transition into the role. She added that the choice is a matter of staffing the government “with people who I know and trust to do a great job for the residents of the Village of Port Jefferson.”

Juliano, who had worked alongside Pearce during a prior administration, maintained his support for Mordente’s reappointment despite Pearce’s qualifications.

“I’m opposed to this not because I’m opposed to Don but because I am approving Denise,” he said.

Only trustee Drew Biondo joined Sheprow in the initial vote to appoint Pearce. Biondo likened a mayor staffing the government to a captain picking a team.

“I’ve been in politics my entire life, and that’s the way cookie crumbles,” he said. “The mayor gets to choose her team, and I’m inclined to give the mayor her team.”

Later in the night, following an executive session, Donald Pearce was confirmed 3-2 as village treasurer, effective Aug. 7. Kassay joined Sheprow and Biondo in approving the appointment.

Other business

The envisioned Six Acre Park along Highlands Boulevard advanced several procedural hurdles on the path toward grant funding. 

The board unanimously approved a resolution establishing Port Jeff Village as the lead agency in developing the parkland and adopting a determination of nonsignificance under the State Environmental Quality Review Act.

Kassay said these steps were necessary for applying for the New York State Environmental Protection Fund’s Grant Program for Parks, Preservation and Heritage. The board expects a decision on its grant application by December.

With the Recreation Department at the height of camp season, Loucks urged his colleagues to begin conversations about expanding racket sports opportunities.

“It seems that tennis and pickleball are two of the most important activities, the most popular activities, through the Rec Department,” he said, adding that “250-plus youngsters [are] enrolled in each one of these sports. That’s over 500 on limited facilities.”

Loucks suggested redeveloping the racket sports area at Port Jefferson Country Club to accommodate more tennis and pickleball athletes. 

“I fear that there have to be some decisions made shortly about the redevelopment of our racket complex up at that country club,” he added.

The board will reconvene Monday, Aug. 7, at 5 p.m.

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John Turner, conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, delivers a guest presentation to the Port Jefferson Civic Association on Wednesday, July 12. Photo by Raymond Janis

On a hot summer evening, with others outside listening to live music, roughly three dozen Village of Port Jefferson residents filled the third floor of the Village Center on Wednesday, July 12, tackling a range of local matters at the Port Jefferson Civic Association meeting.

Members of the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees also made their presence felt, with Mayor Lauren Sheprow and trustees Bob Juliano and Drew Biondo in attendance. During the meeting, residents touched upon ongoing work within the village’s Election Committee, discussed water reuse opportunities at Port Jefferson Country Club and addressed possible uses for the Maryhaven Center of Hope property on Myrtle Avenue.

Election Committee

Kathleen McLane, PJCA outreach coordinator, updated the body on the ongoing work coming out of the village’s Election Committee. This advisory committee, McLane indicated, was formed after the village board approved — and subsequently rescinded — term extensions for village offices earlier this year.

Members of the Election Committee are exploring whether village offices require term extensions and limits and whether to alter the month the election is held. To provide input for ongoing Election Committee deliberations, email [email protected].

Maryhaven Center of Hope

Members weighed in on the Maryhaven Center of Hope property on Myrtle Avenue after the village board denied code changes for that property proposed during the spring. [See TBR News Media website for recent stories.] 

Civic president Ana Hozyainova suggested that the civic work “to develop a vision.”

“We, as a larger community, need to come up with a plan, develop a budget and draw up these plans at the local level and the higher levels” of government, she added.

Steve Velazquez proposed that the Maryhaven property could serve a variety of municipal functions, accommodating both relocated emergency service headquarters and a new Village Hall.

“There’s a lot of land,” he said. “And that type of land just doesn’t come available” very often. He added, “It would save the taxpayers a lot of money by using one facility for multiple uses.”

Water reuse 

Guest speaker John Turner, conservation chair of the Four Harbors Audubon Society, returned to the civic body to inform them of an initiative for water reuse.

Reusing treated wastewater, according to him, could have several environmental benefits. He said reusing treated effluent water would help reduce nitrogen levels in local water bodies and ease the strain upon the area’s limited water supply. [See last week’s story, “SCWA ‘pleading with the public’ to conserve water.”]

“We have to begin to meaningfully reduce the amount of nitrogen we’re allowing into … the environment,” Turner said. “Places like Port Jeff, where there are sewers, there’s an additional opportunity to try to reduce the nitrogen going into Port Jeff Harbor.”

He encouraged the village officials in the room to write to Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) to set aside funds from the recently approved $4.2 billion Environmental Bond Act for water reuse purposes.

PJCA will not meet in August. The civic body will reconvene Wednesday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m. in the Port Jefferson Free Library.

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Local officials blast MTA over 'shocking neglect' of Long Island

Village of Port Jefferson Mayor Lauren Sheprow speaks at a July 25 press conference as Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine looks on. Photo by Raymond Janis

A dilapidated bridge and longtime public safety hazard on Sheep Pasture Road in Port Jeff will come down.

“I’m concerned that the MTA has forgotten about this section of Long Island.”

—Ed Romaine

Local and state officials held a press conference Tuesday, July 25, at Brookhaven Town Hall in Farmingville, celebrating a $15.8 million grant through the state Department of Transportation’s BridgeNY Program to replace the bridge. 

The new bridge will be owned and maintained by the town.

The Sheep Pasture Road railroad bridge has facilitated vehicle traffic since 1906. The Town of Brookhaven and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority had split the tasks for maintaining the structure — the town supervising the vehicle roadbed and the MTA responsible for the physical structure and its replacement.

“The bridge that’s there did belong to the MTA,” said Brookhaven Superintendent of Highways Dan Losquadro (R). NYSDOT “still gave the Town of Brookhaven $15.8 million to build our own bridge. That tells you how serious the concern with the existing structure was and the unwillingness on the part of the MTA to address the concern.”

Town Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) underscored the troubles surrounding the bridge’s structural integrity. “Our fear was that this bridge would collapse,” he said.

The supervisor noted that none of the town’s three train lines are fully electrified, suggesting a lack of public attention or investment.

“I’m concerned that the MTA has forgotten about this section of Long Island,” he added.

Village of Port Jefferson Mayor Lauren Sheprow attended the press event, expressing her support for the project under town supervision.

“On the north side of Sheep Pasture Road, those folks have been anxious for this development for a very long time, as have most of the residents utilizing that bridge,” she said. “The Village of Port Jefferson could not be more excited by the development that there will be a new bridge.”

“I’ll quote a congressman from New Jersey, who said the best way to understand the MTA is looking at the MTA backward. MTA spelled backward stands for ATM.”

— Dan Panico

Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook), whose 1st Council District includes Port Jefferson and Port Jefferson Station, thanked Gov. Kathy Hochul’s (D) office for “answering the call” of the state delegation. 

Kornreich nonetheless acknowledged the need for greater attention by the MTA.

“I’ll echo my colleagues who have pointed out the seeming disregard the MTA has had for our plight and the safety of our residents,” he said. “It’s really been a case of shocking neglect.”

Continuing this theme, Deputy Supervisor Dan Panico (R-Manorville) condemned MTA’s position toward Long Island.

“I’ll quote a congressman from New Jersey, who said the best way to understand the MTA is looking at the MTA backward,” Panico said. “MTA spelled backward stands for ATM.”

New York State Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson) referred to MTA’s inaction on the public safety hazard as “egregious,” decrying the perceived lack of investment by the public railroad into the local area.

“The MTA has no problem increasing taxes on us, our payroll taxes,” the assemblyman said. “Every time they seem to need to go to the well, it’s communities like ours that seem to foot the bill, and we don’t get the proper services.”

Referring to the bridge replacement, he added, “This is just a win for the citizens up here.”

With funding secured, Losquadro said his office is moving toward the planning phase for the project. He maintained that coordinating with emergency services is already underway.

“We will make sure that this process moves as expeditiously as it possibly can,” he said. “We have already spoken with emergency services and first responders to make sure that we have a plan that when this bridge does come down, it will be for the minimum amount of time before the new structure is in place.”

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From left, trustees Bob Juliano and Drew Biondo, Mayor Lauren Sheprow and Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay. Not pictured, trustee Stan Loucks. Photo by Aidan Johnson
By Aidan Johnson

Monday, July 10, marked Lauren Sheprow’s first Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees meeting as village mayor. 

Sheprow led the new board through their business and reorganization meeting, in which the reconfigured village board voted to reject proposed code changes slated for the Maryhaven Center of Hope property on Myrtle Avenue.

Mayor Lauren Sheprow presiding over the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees on Monday, July 10. Photo by Aidan Johnson

Maryhaven Center of Hope

The proposed code amendments were an effort by the previous administration to preserve the historic building on the Maryhaven site. [See story, “For Maryhaven, Port Jeff village board weighs historic preservation, density and conservation,” April 29, TBR News Media website.] 

It would have created a special permit application to allow the village board to designate specific parcels that contribute to Port Jefferson’s architectural and aesthetic character. 

If approved, an applicant meeting these criteria would have qualified for relaxed standards for land use, allowing for additional height and stories without additional clearing.

During the public comment period Monday night, former village trustee Barbara Ransome addressed the continuing concerns over the property.

“I’m hoping that there are no quick decisions about changing codes for potential developers,” she said. “I think we heard at the [May 1] public hearing a lot of concern about the infrastructure, about losing a wonderful area that people feel is just going to be too crowded with that kind of density.”

Trustee Stan Loucks, not pictured, left the village board meeting after learning he would not be reappointed as liaison to Port Jefferson Country Club. Photo by Aidan Johnson

Reorganization

But not all went smoothly at Village Hall.

Trustee Stan Loucks, who ran in this year’s village election alongside mayoral candidate Kathianne Snaden, left directly after the board’s reorganization meeting, skipping the general meeting altogether after Sheprow revealed he would no longer serve as liaison to the Port Jefferson Country Club.

“I feel very strongly that I’ve had an impact on the resurgence of the country club,” Loucks said. He went on to say that he did not think he could “work any further with this board.” 

Village clerk Barbara Sakovich will leave the village government after more than 13 years in that role. Her retirement will take effect July 19. The trustees expressed their gratitude for her years of service. Silvia Pirillo will take over as the new clerk.

Sheprow appointed trustee Rebecca Kassay as deputy mayor and commissioner of environmental stability.

“It is an honor to step into the position of deputy mayor because it helps me better serve the village and work [especially with] flood resilience and climate studies,” Kassay said in an interview after the meeting. 

“I’ve been talking to organizations like [the United States Geological Survey], and having the title of deputy mayor shows that the village is taking these climate resilience issues very seriously,” she noted. “I’m very glad to be representing the village in this way.”

Trustee Bob Juliano will serve as commissioner of public works and parks. Loucks was appointed commissioner of recreation, and newly appointed trustee Drew Biondo will be commissioner of buildings and communications.

Harry Faulknor will continue as the Port Jefferson Harbor commissioner.

Sheprow will serve as commissioner of finance and public safety/court/code.

A motion to appoint Donald Pearce as village treasurer failed — he held the post previously before resigning in 2015. Juliano suggested that while Pearce is excellent to work with, he was displeased that Denise Mordente was not reappointed.

Code enforcement chief Andy Owen delivering his department’s monthly public safety report. Photo by Aidan Johnson

Public safety

The general meeting started with a brief presentation from Code Enforcement Bureau chief Andy Owen and chief of patrol James Murdocco.

Owen clarified that the code department does not save and store private information through its automatic license plate readers, which are used to identify if a car has a valid Port Jefferson parking permit or a meter is paid.

He also announced that foot patrols downtown would begin after this weekend’s Port Paws Dog Festival. Owen said he is also planning on starting a bike patrol unit.

In June, 60 incident reports were written, consisting of noise complaints, traffic conditions and public disturbances.

A total of 206 summonses were written in June for incidents such as uninspected vehicles, missing license plates, parking without a permit or overtime meter parking. 

Murdocco reported there have been over 200 incidents at the Port Jefferson train station since January, with many happening after 9 p.m.

Murdocco also announced the start of an informational Facebook page for the code bureau.

Public comment

During the public comment portion, held before the trustee reports, multiple residents voiced concerns about the potential overdevelopment of the park at Roosevelt Avenue. Myrna Gordon, along with other residents, suggested these developments would not be conducive to the area’s quiet character.

Sheprow announced a planned Parks and Rec Advisory Council meeting on July 26. All residents of the Roosevelt Avenue area are invited.

Michael Mart also touched upon the issue of transient housing — such as Airbnb facilities — in Port Jefferson, expressing a desire for the board to limit the rental time of a house to 30 days per renter.

After a resident asked how villagers could get involved with the different committees and task forces, Kassay said they are currently working on an online forum where residents could enter their information and the committees on which they would like to participate.

Reports

Juliano announced he would be starting office hours and that his door was always open. He also said that he gave the interim attorney a proposed code change so that when developers apply through the Industrial Development Agency for pilots or property tax exemptions, they would start at whatever they were paying now instead of at zero.

Biondo shared that he had toured a few of Port Jefferson’s facilities as the liaison to building and planning. He said he would discuss with the mayor and village attorney how they can streamline government processes.

Kassay said the Complete Streets and Walkability Plan is moving forward. She also said the board is still working on mitigating flooding challenges, though the problems cannot be eliminated. However, they are working on a study to see which areas need to be focused on for flood mitigation.

Kassay and Andrew Kelly, from Hauppauge-based VHB civil engineering company, are working on assisting grant writers with the documentation needed to apply to the New York State Environmental Protection Fund to progress to the next step for the planned Six Acre Park, which consists of taking a concept and making “show ready” plans for the park. 

Sheprow announced she had appointed an ethics attorney to update the village’s ethics code. She also said that she has met with representatives from Stony Brook University’s Student Affairs office, and they have expressed interest in using Port Jefferson as a “living laboratory.”

The Board of Trustees also passed a resolution to create a budget and finance committee, and has been working to recruit members of a short-term and long-term rental evaluation working group.

Sheprow added that the board is considering establishing a working group to advise on policies related to the Port Jefferson Power Station to explore declining public revenue and possible repowering.

The board will reconvene Monday, July 24, at 3:30 p.m.

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Long-time communications professional to serve out remainder of Mayor Sheprow's unexpired trustee term

Village clerk Barbara Sakovich, right, swears newly-appointed trustee Drew Biondo into office on Tuesday, July 4. Photo by Julianne Mosher

In the first official action of the new administration, Mayor Lauren Sheprow appointed communications professional Drew Biondo to serve as village trustee.

Sheprow was elected trustee last year for a two-year term ending June 2024. Biondo will serve out the remainder of Sheprow’s unexpired term. This appointment is not subject to board approval under New York Village Law.

Biondo has served as director of communications at Suffolk County Community College since 2013. He is a former Long Island Power Authority trustee, serving in that role from 2018-23. He also worked as director of communications and press secretary for former New York State Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson).

“I’ve known and worked with Drew in a variety of capacities for more than 20 years,” Sheprow said in a press release July 3. “I know him to be very strategic and purposeful in his approach. His time spent on the LIPA board, in higher education, as well as in Senator LaValle’s [office] has prepared him well to be able to serve the residents of Port Jefferson as a trustee.”

In an exclusive interview, Biondo shared that he visited Village Hall on Monday, where he introduced himself to village staff. He expressed confidence in the administration in place.

“Just in my brief time at Village Hall this morning, I got to meet a few of the career professionals,” he said. “I think we’re in really good hands.”

In the leadup to accepting the appointment, Biondo said he and Sheprow began discussing “government processes,” which he noted will be a central policy focus in the coming term.

“As much as people complain that the government is slow and bureaucratic, those processes are a check and balance to make sure that everything is done properly, that i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed,” he said.

The newly appointed trustee indicated development and redevelopment projects are at the “top of mind for a lot of village residents.” He suggested parking and taxes would also represent priority areas for the reconfigured village board.

“Those are all things that I think all of the trustees will focus on,” he said.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently announced new regulations targeting existing power plants [See story, “Powering down? New climate regulations may impact local power plants,” May 20, TBR News Media website]. 

With unsettled questions surrounding the tax-generating Port Jefferson Power Station, Biondo said he would aim to leverage his experience on the LIPA board to advance the cause of village residents.

“Yes, I will be using my five years of experience serving on the board of LIPA to help the village,” he said.

Speaking to his new constituency, Biondo said, “It’s not lost on me that I’m unelected.” Despite this, he stressed the need for the village to look ahead.

“There’s a time for politics, and there’s a time for governing,” he said. “Now is the time to govern.”

“Thank you to Mayor Sheprow,” he added. “I look forward to serving the village and its residents.”

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Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher
Photo by Julianne Mosher

Despite rainy weather, hundreds of people from across Long Island headed to downtown Port Jefferson July 4 to cheer on their families, friends and neighbors during the annual Port Jefferson Fire Department Independence Day Parade.

Fire departments from both the North Shore and South Shore brought in their fire trucks, ambulances and marching bands all sporting red, white and blue, while local dancers, Cub Scouts and business personnel marched alongside them down Main Street.

And while the weather held up for most of the event, a quick downpour didn’t stop spectators from watching the newest village officials get sworn in.

Port Jefferson village clerk Barbara Sakovich gave the oath on the steps of Village Hall to the village’s newest mayor, Lauren Sheprow, reelected trustee Stan Loucks, newly elected trustee Bob Juliano and newly appointed trustee Drew Biondo.

Sheprow was surrounded at the podium by family, including her grandchildren and father, former village Mayor Harold Sheprow.

“I could not have done this without you,” she said, looking out to him in the crowd.

She also thanked her supporters. 

“I look at each one of your faces, and I know you supported this initiative,” she said. “I thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.”

— Photos by Julianne Mosher

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Drew Biondo. Photo courtesy the Village of Port Jefferson

In her first official act as Port Jefferson Village mayor, Lauren Sheprow has appointed Drew Biondo to fill her unexpired term as trustee, which ends in June 2024.

Biondo, a village resident since 1998, is director of communications at Suffolk County Community College with nearly 40 years of experience as a communications executive and administrator in both the public and private sectors.

Biondo was appointed to the Long Island Power Authority Board of Trustees in January 2018 and served for five years as a member of the Governance, Planning and Personnel Committee. His responsibilities included setting appropriate priorities and implementing best practices, among other tasks.

Before joining SCCC’s staff, Biondo served as director of communications and press secretary for former New York State Sen. Ken LaValle (R-Port Jefferson), working as the senator’s chief spokesperson and as a policy advisor.

“I’ve known and worked with Drew in a variety of capacities for more than 20 years,” Sheprow said. “I know him to be very strategic and purposeful in his approach. His time spent on the LIPA board, in higher education, as well as in Senator LaValle’s [office] has prepared him well to be able to serve the residents of Port Jefferson as a trustee.”

Biondo attended Marist College and is a graduate of LIU Post with a bachelor’s degree in communications.

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Village board advances nonprofit rental rates, energy tracking program

Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden presides over the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees business meeting on Monday, June 26. Photo by Raymond Janis

The Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees held the final business meeting of its term Monday afternoon, June 26, during which departing Mayor Margot Garant was absent due to illness.

In her absence, Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden presided over a meeting marked by several notable goodbyes. Garant, Snaden and village attorney Brian Egan will all leave the board next week when trustee Lauren Sheprow takes over as mayor.

Trustee Rebecca Kassay recognized Snaden, who lost to Sheprow in last week’s mayoral election. Snaden’s four-year tenure on the village board now ends. 

“You put your heart and soul into it — and it shows,” Kassay told the departing deputy mayor. Following these remarks, Snaden was greeted with thunderous applause by the dozens in attendance.

Garant’s fiancée, Traci Donnelly, delivered a short address on the mayor’s behalf. Garant thanked colleagues and constituents.

“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to each one of you for the trust you’ve shown me over the past 14 years,” the statement said. “I hope and pray that the team of individuals who remain will continue working tirelessly to ensure the continued growth and success of our beloved village.”

Egan, who has served as village attorney since 2013, thanked the court clerks, village clerks, treasurers and professional staff with whom he had served over the last decade. In this final report, he paraphrased his favorite line from Lewis Carroll’s 1865 novel “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” 

“Lewis Carroll said it best when his advice to the white rabbit was — ‘Start at the beginning, then continue to the end; then stop.’”

Other business

The board agreed to extend the reduced rental rate for the Long Island Foundation for Education & Sports, a children and family services group which rents a room in the Village Center, until the end of the 2023-24 school year. The nonprofit will be charged $35 per hour during that period, a reduction from the pre-pandemic rate of $42 per hour.

The board also approved a resolution to track and publish energy usage data for village buildings. The initiative, Kassay explained, “moves us one step closer” toward receiving grant funds through the New York State Research and Development Authority’s Clean Energy Communities Program.

Kassay, liaison to the newly created village Tree Committee, announced the committee’s members had held their first meeting and established a set of objectives.

“Their first task is going to be exploring how to survey the existing canopy of trees” on village properties and public rights-of-way, the trustee said. The committee will also “examine the current tree code to see how it can be more effective and balanced.”

Sheprow and trustees-elect Loucks and Bob Juliano will be formally sworn into office this Tuesday, July 4, following the village’s annual Fourth of July parade. The reconfigured board will hold its reorganization meeting the following Monday, July 10, at 5 p.m.

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Lauren Sheprow, mayor-elect of the Village of Port Jefferson. File photo by Raymond Janis

The Village of Port Jefferson is undergoing its first mayoral transition in 14 years. Outgoing Mayor Margot Garant, who has held the village’s highest post since 2009, will officially leave the office early next week, handing the reins of power to trustee Lauren Sheprow.

Sheprow, a write-in candidate who campaigned as an agent of change, defeated Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden in last week’s village election [See story, “Write-in candidate Lauren Sheprow elected Port Jeff Village mayor,” The Port Times Record, June 22, also TBR News Media website]. Throughout her campaign, she proposed several initiatives, such as new staffing procedures, committees and communications channels.

In an exclusive interview, the mayor-elect opened up about the transition process, unveiling her expectations for the office and offering some reorganization plans.

“Fourteen years is a long time,” she told TBR News Media. “Mayor Garant did amazing things in Port Jefferson, and I never want to take anything away from her and what she’s done.”

“I’m just excited to start something new and fresh, and see what we can do to help bring Port Jefferson to the next chapter,” she added.

She offered that she is currently “working through sort of an organizational chart,” assessing where current staff members will fit within the organizational hierarchy and whether there are opportunities for change.

Through this chart, she is “trying to understand if everything makes sense the way it’s laid out,” she said. “Possibly it does, but that’s the evaluation process that I’m going through right now.”

With one year remaining in her unexpired term as trustee, one of Sheprow’s highest-profile vacancies is the one she will create by swearing in as mayor. New York Village Law empowers the mayor to “appoint individuals to fill vacancies in both elected and appointed offices when the vacancy occurs before the expiration of the official’s term of office,” with this type of mayoral appointment “not subject to board approval.”

Outside of village attorney Brian Egan, who announced his resignation this week, Sheprow declined to reveal any other major administrative changes or forecast upcoming mayoral appointments.

One of Sheprow’s central positions during her campaign was the formation of new resident task forces and committees to assist the board in local decision-making. Sheprow maintained her intent to move ahead with plans for committees on parking, budgets and the Port Jefferson Power Station, among others.

“I have three or four people that I can tap into immediately on the Audit and Budget Committee,” she said. “I’ve been talking to people about the Parking Committee, the LIPA Committee,” adding that the village government is exploring a portal for residents to enter their interests and alert the committee boards on which they would like to volunteer.

Expanding upon this initiative, Sheprow said she had contacted Kevin Wood, the village’s communications committee head, about overhauling the village’s municipal website, suggesting a website revamp would likely be a multimonth endeavor.

Sheprow also said she has been scrutinizing the village’s existing Code of Ethics, noting this “probably hasn’t been touched in all the years since it’s been established,” adding that a similar approach is underway for procurement and investment policies.

The mayor-elect described the transition process as “exciting,” noting a personal lack of anxiety in preparing for the mayor’s office.

“It’s just energizing, and I’m looking forward to it,” she said. “We have a great operating institution in the Village of Port Jefferson. The people in place are doing their jobs, and I hope to empower them to do their jobs even more.”

Sheprow will be sworn in as mayor outside Village Hall this Tuesday, July 4.

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Mayor-elect Lauren Sheprow celebrates on Election Night. Photo by Aidan Johnson
By Raymond Janis & Aidan Johnson

In a historic upset, trustee Lauren Sheprow — a write-in candidate — was elected Village of Port Jefferson mayor Tuesday night, June 20, capping off a contentious season in the village. 

In a contested race to succeed Mayor Margot Garant, who is running for Town of Brookhaven supervisor, Sheprow defeated Deputy Mayor Kathianne Snaden 956-796.

Incumbent trustee Stan Loucks and former village clerk Bob Juliano were elected with 935 and 1,244 votes, respectively, in an uncontested race. Voters also elected Tara Higgins as village justice with 1,381 votes.

Sheprow announced her bid for mayor in March, running on a platform of change and pledging to move the village in a new direction.

‘Our Village Hall is now open to all residents.’

— Lauren Sheprow

Her campaign hit an unexpected stumbling block on May 30, just three weeks before Election Day, when the Suffolk County Board of Elections removed her name from the ballot due to faults in her petitions after charges brought on by Snaden’s campaign.

Despite the unfavorable Suffolk BOE decision, Sheprow became a write-in candidate. In an interview, the mayor-elect commented on the race’s conclusion.

“It was an uphill climb all the way, but the determination of my supporters and the residents themselves made it possible to overcome every challenge,” she said. “I also want to congratulate Kathianne Snaden for a spirited race. I know we both want the best for Port Jefferson and its future.”

She added, “I’m humbled and honored by the unwavering support and the positive feedback I received from all the residents I met with throughout the village during this whole process.”

Before entering the board last year, Sheprow had worked as a media relations professional at Stony Brook University and Mather Hospital. Her father, Harold, had served as village mayor from 1977-85 and 1987-91.

Sheprow also congratulated the newly elected trustees and village justice, expressing optimism and pledging to follow the public will.

“I look forward to working with this board … to make positive change and a fresh start for Port Jefferson,” she said, adding, “Our Village Hall is now open to all residents. Whether you voted for me or not, I am listening.”

In a separate interview, Garant thanked the community for entrusting her throughout her 14 years at the helm. “I think I’ve done my job, and I’ve left this community in a good spot,” the outgoing mayor said. “I just hope for the base to know to keep it going forward.”

After four years of service on the Board of Trustees, Snaden’s tenure now ends as the deputy mayor had vacated her trustee seat to run for mayor. In the wake of the election result, Snaden released a statement expressing her gratitude for those who supported her campaign.

“While I may not have won this election, I am grateful for the opportunity to have shared my vision for the future of this village,” she said. “I believe that together, we can continue to make this village an even better place to live, work and raise a family.”

She added that she would remain involved, saying:

“To the Port Jefferson community, I want to say that I will continue to be a voice for positive change and progress. I will continue to work to ensure that this village remains a wonderful place to call home. I will continue to be an advocate for our community, and I will work to build bridges and bring people together.” 

Incumbent trustee Stan Loucks, left, and former village clerk Bob Juliano were also elected to the village board Tuesday night. File photos by Raymond Janis

Loucks, who has been on the board since 2015, ran alongside Snaden on the Unity Party ticket. While thanking the community for its vote of confidence in him, he expressed sympathy for his running mate.

“I think the village lost a very valuable person with Kathianne Snaden,” he said. “But congratulations, I guess, to the opponent.”

Outside of the uncontested Higgins, Juliano received the highest vote count of any candidate. In a phone interview, the first-time elected official thanked the community for its strong support.

“I am humbled by the support and encouragement that I have been getting from everyone,” he said. “I promise to do my best and make Port Jefferson a better place for us all,” adding, “I’m looking forward to sitting down with all the new board members and discussing where we want to see Port Jefferson head.”

The current board will convene for one final meeting this Monday, June 26, at 3:30 p.m. The new mayor and trustees will swear into office outside Village Hall on July 4 following the annual parade.

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