You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, want to know why?
Santa Claus made his way for another year to Port Jefferson last weekend, ringing in holiday cheer and the start of the Christmas season.
Who else joined the parade with the man in red, whose sled was attached to a horse-drawn carriage? Other visitors included business owners and elected officials who took the time to show some spirit with costumes, floats and dancing.
Local Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts dressed in their favorite holiday hats Sunday, Nov. 26, along with Shine Dance Studio and Backstage Studio of Dance who had their students twirl up and down Main Street. Special guests showed up including Disney princesses, Donald Duck and Goofy. The parade was finished with a march of characters from the upcoming Dickens Festival scheduled for next weekend.
“I’m grateful to the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce for giving first responders, business owners, elected officials, Scout troops, community groups and performing artists an opportunity to sync up and help usher in the joy of the holiday season for the young and young-at-heart,” said Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay, who is currently running for New York’s 4th Assembly District. “May the weather be just as cooperative and the spirits just as jolly for the Dickens Festival this coming weekend,” she added.
Family and supporters surround Sklyer Johnson during his announcement for New York's 4th Assembly District. Photo by Raymond Janis
Less than two weeks after Election Day, the candidate pool for New York’s 4th Assembly District is already crowded.
Skyler Johnson (D-Port Jefferson Station), chair of the Suffolk County Young Democrats, declared his candidacy for District 4 in downtown Port Jefferson on Saturday, Nov. 18. The announcement comes just days after Village of Port Jefferson Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay, also a Democrat, announced her bid for the seat. [See story, “Port Jeff’s deputy mayor announces run for New York State Assembly,” Nov. 15, TBR News Media.]
Freshman state Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson) currently represents the 4th Assembly District. Last November, Flood unseated former state Assemblyman — and current Suffolk County Legislator-elect — Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), who had held the seat for three decades.
Skyler Johnson, chair of the Suffolk County Young Democrats, launches his campaign for New York’s 4th Assembly District on Saturday, Nov. 18, at Mary Bayles Park in Port Jefferson. Photo by Raymond Janis
During an announcement event at Mary Bayles Park, surrounded by family and supporters, Johnson indicated he decided to run to address the high cost of living within the area. “I am from this district, and I am struggling to afford the cost of living on Long Island,” he said. “People of my generation, and of every other age group, are facing the exact same struggle.”
He added, “I am running because I think I can make a difference on those key issues, especially on the environment, on housing and, like I said, on cost of living.”
Johnson first threw his hat in the ring in 2020 and again in 2022, both unsuccessful bids for state senate. Before pursuing elective office, he worked under former Southampton Village Mayor Jesse Warren. Johnson is currently a nonprofit consultant and previously served as director of development, communications and advocacy for Brentwood-based New Hour for Women & Children LI.
Johnson pledged to address a range of issues, such as expanding abortion access, promoting criminal justice reform and protecting the environment.
Highlighting on the event’s location, the Democratic candidate noted that Port Jeff — originally called Drowned Meadow — is particularly vulnerable to flooding and related environmental calamities.
“A single flood could wipe out millions of dollars worth of property in Port Jefferson at any moment,” he said. “Across the district, we need to make sure that we are fighting the drastic effects of climate change and that we are properly working with our state to make sure that we are finding ways to prevent this flooding.”
Johnson referred to housing costs as “at an all-time high, and wages have stagnated.” He underscored the phenomenon of vacant storefronts throughout commercial districts within AD4.
“We need to make sure that we are reforming our tax laws coming down from Albany,” he said, supporting “working with municipalities to do so, so that small businesses benefit from tax breaks, not just Amazon or Walmart or these giant corporations that eat up our real estate and do not create the same level of community engagement that our small businesses do.”
The Suffolk Young Democrats chair pointed to public transit as another area for improvement from the state, saying district residents “are struggling to get to work,” the lack of transit options hampering those who do not have access to or cannot afford an automobile.
“We’re going, if I’m elected, to bring money back to Suffolk County — back to Assembly District 4 — to invest in public transportation,” he said. “And at the same time, we’re going to make sure that the third rail of Port Jeff’s [branch of the Long Island Rail Road] is electrified finally.”
In his announcement address, Johnson said he would “fight for those in our community who have been underserved for years,” adding, “We have about one year to go, and every day I’m going to work for you now and in Albany.”
Village of Port Jefferson Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay is a declared candidate for New York State’s 4th Assembly District. Photo by Jen Romonoyske, courtesy Rebecca Kassay
Just over a week after Election Day, the 2024 election season is already underway.
Village of Port Jefferson Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay has exclusively announced her campaign for New York State’s 4th Assembly District. She is running as a Democrat.
The 4th District seat is currently held by New York State Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson), who unseated former Assemblyman — and Suffolk County Legislator-elect — Steve Englebright (D-Setauket) in 2022, who had occupied the seat since 1992.
Kassay entered the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees in 2020 and was appointed deputy mayor earlier this year. During her tenure in village government, she has served as trustee liaison to the Building Department and Planning Board; the Conservation Advisory, Six-Acre Park and Tree committees; and was appointed the village’s inaugural sustainability commissioner.
Before entering public life, she worked as a youth environmental volunteer program director at Avalon Park and Preserve in Stony Brook. She is also a small business owner, operating The Fox and Owl Inn bed-and-breakfast on Main Street in Port Jefferson with her husband Andrew Thomas since 2014.
Kassay outlined the motivations guiding her campaign.
“I’m running for the New York State Assembly because we need leaders who understand that governance which truly reflects the voices, needs and concerns of their constituents starts with listening,” Kassay said in a statement. “In the village government, there are no national political party affiliations. I am practiced in working with anybody who is interested in pursuing commonsense, balanced solutions to ongoing challenges.”
Kassay described several quality-of-life concerns as “screaming for representation” in Albany, such as housing scarcity and the unaffordable standard of living in District 4. She said the state government must help create housing opportunities while conforming to the existing suburban character of local communities.
“I know that one-size-fits-all plans and mandates have tried to come down from the state, and while they try to address problems, they’re not suitable for the variety of unique communities within our area,” she said in an interview. “We need to find ways that we can support the creation of more housing opportunities for the middle class while preserving that suburban lifestyle.”
The Port Jeff deputy mayor identified various environmental challenges facing the 4th District, offering to leverage her environmental advocacy background toward climate-resilient policies.
“I really look at climate resilience as something that’s part of almost every dynamic conversation that government is having at this point,” she indicated.
Kassay referred to health care as another policy concern, citing soaring health care expenses as a barrier to entrepreneurship and economic development. “A lot of folks here who might set out as entrepreneurs or small business owners might be held back by health insurance as a barrier, so I really want to work to address that and make that more affordable for small business owners and entrepreneurs, specifically, but also for everyone else who is interacting with the state health insurance market,” she said.
Among other ideas, Kassay said she would use the office to pursue greater public investment in mental health services, target the opioid crisis, apply pressure on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for improved services along the Port Jefferson Branch of the Long Island Rail Road and expand coordination between the state and local levels of government.
Kassay’s current term as village trustee expires in July 2024. She stated she will not seek reelection for village office.
“I really look forward to serving not only Port Jefferson village residents but the residents throughout the district of AD4 from Stony Brook and all the way down to Gordon Heights, using the skills and relationships I’ve built at the village level and leveraging those skills all throughout the district,” she said.
Village of Port Jefferson Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay is a declared candidate for New York State’s 4th Assembly District. Photo by Marvin Tejada, courtesy Rebecca Kassay
The following is a press release from the campaign of Rebecca Kassay.
Rebecca Kassay, a dedicated community organizer, elected official and entrepreneur has declared her candidacy for the New York State Assembly in the November 2024 electoral cycle. With a proven track record of impactful community engagement, Kassay steps up to represent the communities of Assembly District 4 at the state level.
Kassay dove into local community service as an intern-turned-program director at Avalon Park and Preserve in Stony Brook. Beginning in 2011, she created and directed a youth environmental volunteer program, connecting hundreds of Suffolk County teens with dozens of nonprofits, municipal branches and stewardship projects throughout Long Island.
Kassay and the teens tackled volunteer efforts such as native habitat restoration, species surveys, organic gardening, beach cleanups, trail maintenance and educational signage creation.
Over the course of seven years, she built upon her aptitude and passion for empowering young stewards with practicable, tangible ways to make a difference in their communities. The program was awarded the Robert Cushman Murphy Memorial Award by Three Village Historical Society and recognized by the Brookhaven Youth Bureau.
In 2013, Kassay purchased and restored a historic Victorian home on Main Street in Port Jefferson with her husband, Andrew Thomas. A year later, they opened the doors of The Fox and Owl Inn bed-and-breakfast.
As the inn’s proprietor, Kassay has hosted countless tourists drawn in by the area’s rich history and natural beauty, as well as the family, friends and visitors of local residents and institutions for over nine years. On behalf of her small business, she is a proud and active member of the Rotary Club of Port Jefferson and Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce.
“I am a devoted member of the vast, dynamic community of folks who want to maintain and improve quality of life throughout and beyond the district,” Kassay said. “I am in constant awe at the individuals and groups who consistently advocate for solutions to their concerns and further their worthy goals. By uniting over shared interests and intentions, we as neighbors overcome our differences and rebuild the community’s strength. It will be my greatest honor to represent and support these voices in state-level conversations as well as local actions.”
In 2019, Kassay took her commitment to community action to new heights by creating and filming a documentary series titled “Be The Change with Rebecca.” This immersive series, currently in post-production, adopts a “Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe”-style approach to showcase the power of volunteerism and inspire others to roll up their sleeves to get involved. This experience further deepened Kassay’s understanding of community issues and the importance of both grassroots efforts and government response.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Kassay mobilized her community network and organizational skills to establish and lead a pop-up initiative, Long Island Open Source Medical Supplies. In under three months, a core team of volunteer administrators and hundreds of Long Islanders created, donated and delivered over 40,000 pieces of lifesaving, spirit-lifting homemade personal protective equipment and comfort care items to local essential workers and patients at hundreds of medical facilities, institutions and businesses.
In collaboration with Suffolk County Police Asian Jade Society, Amo Long Island, local Scout troops and many others, LIOSMS also organized a food drive, collecting 2,500 items to stock local food pantries. LIOSMS was recognized with Suffolk County’s 2020 Operation HOPE COVID-19 Responder Award.
Kassay is a SUNY New Paltz graduate with a major in environmental studies and a minor in communications and media. Her community work was recognized by her alma mater with a 40 Under 40 Award in 2017, and she has since returned as a panelist at conferences such as the SUNY New Paltz Women’s Leadership Summit.
Kassay has served as an elected Port Jefferson Village trustee since 2020, and now serves as the village’s deputy mayor. Her consistent incorporation of climate resilience strategies, transit-oriented development practices and heightened community involvement into village conversations has demonstrated her dedication to creating a sustainable, harmonious future.
She has led successful initiatives to establish a community garden on Beach Street; plan for the revitalization of village parkland; install beach cleanup stations along village waterfront; establish a resident election task force to research term lengths and limits; and form intermunicipal relationships to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of government.
“I’m running for the New York State Assembly because we need leaders who understand that governance which truly reflects the voices, needs and concerns of their constituents starts with listening,” Kassay said. “In the village government, there are no national political party affiliations. I am practiced in working with anybody who is interested in pursuing commonsense, balanced solutions to ongoing challenges.”
Rebecca Kassay’s candidacy represents a continuation of her lifelong commitment to fostering community connections, proactively confronting concerns and advocating for a sustainable and resilient future. Kassay will officially launch her campaign at an event early in the new year.
“I look forward to continuing conversations with new and familiar community partners and rising to serve at the state level, where I can work further for the well-being of my constituents and all fellow New Yorkers.”
For more information or to contact the campaign, email [email protected].
Scenes from the 35th annual Outdoor Country Auction at the Mather House Museum, held Saturday, Oct. 14. Photos 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
Torrential downpours didn’t stop people from heading into Port Jefferson this past weekend to get a head start on the village’s annual autumn activities.
The 35th annual Outdoor Country Auction at the Mather House Museum was held Saturday, Oct. 14, under a tent with plastic covering up the antiques for sale. The muddy grass and gloomy skies didn’t prevent nearly three dozen people from sitting with their paddles, bidding on goods dating back to the 1800s that would help support the Historical Society of Greater Port Jefferson.
Nick Acampora, president of the historical society, said that this year, the organization made approximately $5,000 — one of the largest in recent years.
But what got most people talking throughout the event was one man in the fourth row who bid on a Setauket coverlet over and over, essentially spending $1,600 on a large piece of fabric. After a large round of applause, and another purchase of locally made antiques dating back to 19th century Setauket, other shoppers were dying to know why someone would spend that much on a few antiques.
Michael O’Dwyer, a board member of the Three Village Historical Society, said that the 1815 woven coverlet was once owned by Frances Satterly — a significant family in the Three Village area.
“It’s a piece of local history,” he said. “We’re so happy that it will go back to the village historical society.”
Along with the coverlet, O’Dwyer purchased several other local antiques, out of the nearly 250 items up for bid, that will soon be housed with other historical pieces accumulated through the years.
“Events like this are emblematic of Port Jefferson’s small-town charm, strong community and rich history,” said Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay, who also indulged in a few items. “Even the rain couldn’t keep excited bidders from raising their paddles and raising funds for the historical society.”
As one side of the village was buzzing with auction bidders, other fun events were going on including an alumni softball game and, of course, the high school football Homecoming.
Several fifth graders decided to open up shop in front of these events, selling homemade bracelets, cookies and muffins to raise funds for fifth-grade events.
Lily Bowman, one of the young entrepreneurs, said that after the day’s events, the group made over $400.
“It was an exhausting day, but in a good way,” she said.
The Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees is weighing sweeping changes to Chapter 41 of the Village Code, which handles ethics. This was one of the items considered at the Oct. 16 business meeting.
The village’s ethics counsel, Steven Leventhal, is preparing a draft for revisions to the ethics code, to be presented during a scheduled public hearing in just over a month.
Trustee Drew Biondo outlined some reasons for revising the Code of Ethics, including the possible formation of a board of ethics.
“I think the whole purpose of this is to form a body, so that you have a board in place that can hear complaints, concerns, and then issue an opinion — founded or unfounded,” he said.
Mayor Lauren Sheprow said the envisioned ethics board would assist the village government by issuing advisory opinions for ethically complicated matters, such as determinations of possible conflicts of interest.
To resolve ethical dilemmas, “the board would consider the law, the case law, the ethics laws and make a decision,” the mayor added.
Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay inquired about powers to be conferred upon the proposed board of ethics, maintaining that municipal boards — such as the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Appeals — generally exercise greater latitude than advisory committees with decisions that are potentially legally binding.
“In my tenure here, boards are always looked at as much weightier” as “their decisions could then lead to lawsuits,” she said.
Kassay suggested forming an ethics committee, functioning similarly to other advisory committees to the village board, with the potential for upgrading that body into a board, noting, “While you’re working the kinks out, the stakes are a little bit lower as far as the decisions coming out of that body.”
Responding to these concerns, village attorney David Moran said the ethics board would function as an advisory body to the Board of Trustees, which would retain final authority to advance ethical controversies to outside agencies.
“They shouldn’t have the authority to send anything out to another agency, absent the approval of” the Board of Trustees, Moran said, adding that any other scheme would invest “way too much power” in the hands of private citizens appointed to the ethics board.
The board voted unanimously to advance the proposed ethics code changes for a public hearing Monday, Nov. 20. A draft of the proposed code amendment will be made available to the public seven to 10 days before the public hearing.
Resolutions
The board adopted an add-on resolution awarding a bid of $248,907 to Connecticut-based F&F Concrete to perform reconstruction of the Harborfront Park walkways. Over a third of this project is subsidized by grant money.
“This is critical timewise,” said village clerk Sylvia Pirillo. “We need to complete the work and pay for it and have proof of payment submitted so that we don’t lose our grant funding — all by the end of the year.”
The walkway reconstruction will take approximately five to six weeks, with administration officials targeting the first week of December for completion.
“There will be a lot of communication needs for what we’re doing with the farmers market and the closing off of the walkways,” Sheprow said.
The board also adopted a resolution to raise membership rates at the Port Jefferson Country Club. These rate increases were recommended by PJCC general manager Tom Natola and the Country Club Management Advisory Council.
Reports
Sheprow publicly thanked the Port Jefferson Business Improvement District for assisting the village in its holiday lighting expenses through a $5,000 contribution.
Kassay reported on a recent grant from PSEG Long Island for trees in PJV. She said the Conservation Advisory Council is exploring possible recommendations to the village board on potentially scaling back the use of gas-powered leaf blowers and other landscaping equipment, citing the issue of noise coupled with related environmental and health effects from the chemical exhausts.
Kassay maintained that the proposal would not ban the use of the equipment altogether but aims to reduce their use villagewide.
She also encouraged village residents to register for the various volunteer committees through portjeff.com/volunteer.
Following a recent Saturday sit-down event, trustee Bob Juliano conveyed several sentiments and recommendations from village residents, including concerns over the parking pilot program for Belle Terre residents, “the proliferation of apartments as opposed to condos in the village” and a question over the order of reports during public meetings.
Trustee Stan Loucks advised those who have not yet removed their vessels from the village kayak racks to do so by the end of November.
Photo courtesy the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Photo courtesy the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Photo courtesy the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Photo courtesy the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Photo courtesy the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Photo courtesy the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Photo courtesy the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
Photo courtesy the Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce
By Aidan Johnson
Despite not having any dragon boat racing, the 9th annual Port Jefferson Dragon Boat Race Festival was filled with excitement and fun from start to finish Saturday, Sept. 16.
It was deemed early in the day unsafe to hold the boat racing due to rough water conditions in the wake of Hurricane Lee. The Greater Port Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the organization that hosts this annual tradition, opted for a tug-of-war competition between the dragon boat teams.
“We wanted to kind of create a competitive activity that the teams would embrace,” Barbara Ransome, the chamber’s director of operations, explained. After one of her team partners suggested the tug-of-war, Peter Murphy of Sea Tow Port Jefferson provided the festival with a 40-foot cord to use.
“As you can see, it was great fun and lots of competition,” Ransome added.
Denise Yazak, who was part of Brookhaven National Lab’s Crave the Wave team, took part in the competition. While she was disappointed that she could not serve her role as drummer — who helps keep the paddlers in rhythm and synchronicity, matching the drumbeat with the strokes of the front paddlers — she said she still had a great experience.
“It’s such a cool community-building event, and it’s great to connect with new people, see old friends,” Yazak said. “So even with the weather, it was still an amazing time.”
Vendors set up throughout the day in Port Jeff’s Harborfront Park. The festival also included performances such as karate demonstrations and a showcase from Taiko Tides, a traditional Japanese drumming group from Stony Brook University.
“It’s always exciting to come,” said Louis Truong, a member of Taiko Tides. “They’re always welcoming to us.”
Port Jefferson Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay said she was inspired by the number of individuals who turned out and the many different walks of life gathered for the same purpose.
“This festival, in particular, is a beautiful opportunity to build community bridges and celebrate the vibrancy of diversity,” Kassay said in a statement.
“The resilience and adaptability of festival-goers was inspiring as well, as they seamlessly shifted their competitive spirits from dragon boat races to tug-of-war competitions,” she added.
The Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees was back before the public Monday night, Sept. 18, for a business meeting spanning roughly two hours and covering a range of local matters.
Parking pilot program
With Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay as the lone dissenter, the board passed an amended resolution 4-1 enabling the issuance of parking permits for Belle Terre residents to park in metered spaces.
In this pilot program, which will last for the remainder of the 2023 calendar year, parking passes for Belle Terre residents will be offered at a prorated expense of $25. This parking pass does not confer access to the PJV resident lot on Arden Place.
Mayor Lauren Sheprow read an email into the record from Village of Belle Terre Mayor Bob Sandak, who characterized the parking pass initiative as mutually beneficial to both municipalities.
“For many years, the residents of Belle Terre have said that they would spend much more time in the village of Port Jefferson if they could have a simple and inexpensive way to park,” the email read. “Any solution you choose to adopt would be much appreciated by the residents of Belle Terre and would, I am sure, prove to be a financial benefit to the businesses of Port Jefferson.”
Outlining reasons for the program, Sheprow said the Port Jefferson Business Improvement District unanimously supported the proposal.
Trustee Drew Biondo considered the parking pass program “cost-neutral and revenue-producing.”
In supporting the motion, trustee Bob Juliano suggested that the pilot program offers 11 weeks to test and evaluate the program: “It doesn’t mean I’m going to approve it going forward, but let’s try it for the 11 weeks and let’s see what it produces,” he said.
Explaining her “no” vote, Kassay indicated that parking accommodations for village employees remain unresolved.
“For years, I’ve heard consistent requests from Port Jefferson business owners asking the village to consider making parking passes available to their employees who are spending $1.50 per hour to go to work,” the deputy mayor said in a subsequent email. “A solution for this concept, as well as the concept of parking permits for nonresident visitors, deserves a great deal of time and discussion from the village board, staff and community at large.”
She added, “I hope the 2024 paid parking season in PJV will begin with a convenient, comprehensive parking permit program for recreational visitors and local employees alike.”
QR code scam
Parking and mobility administrator Kevin Wood updated the board of a recent scam targeting some of the village’s metered parking signs.
“Some group of people or person — most likely this weekend — placed perfectly square, fraudulent QR codes over the existing QR code on some of the signs,” Wood told the board.
Those who scanned the fraudulent code “were offered a flat fee parking rate of $20,” Wood said, adding, “We don’t know exactly how many people were defrauded, but I will tell you we caught it very early Saturday night.”
Wood estimated approximately 12-15 parking signs had been tampered with, maintaining that all fake QR codes had been removed. He added that a detailed report on the incident was sent to the Suffolk County Police Department.
Proposed schedule change
The board debated a proposal to move its regular meetings from Monday to Thursday.
Village clerk Sylvia Pirillo said the existing meeting schedule often conflicts with holidays, adding that there are other logistical challenges for village staff.
“We’re recommending instead the second and final Thursday of each month” for board of trustees meetings, Pirillo said. “We also feel that for staff and for work product that this would be a more consistent schedule. We now have warrants that are once a month, and this would help with the processing.”
Biondo supported the schedule change, saying, “It’s good to try something new. If it doesn’t work, we can caucus and decide to go back.”
Kassay referred to the logic for changing the schedule as “sound.” However, she asked the board to consider public feedback before adopting the change.
“I, as a trustee, have learned that making large, sweeping decisions like this without giving the public a chance to have their voices heard is often greeted quite negatively,” the deputy mayor said.
The board did not hold a vote on the change of schedule.
New treasurer
The village’s new treasurer, Stephen Gaffga, attended his first board meeting Monday night, delivering a brief report on his plans for the office.
Moving forward, Gaffga said he would present monthly financials, including fund balance information, expenses and revenues, also budget transfers. He proposed some changes to office procedures.
“I want to be able to tighten up the procurement procedures here a little bit to be able to allow for more transparency in how the money is being spent — taxpayer money, country club money, capital funds — and to also allow more clarity when it comes to the warrants,” he said. “I think the more information there is, the better.”
To watch the entire meeting, including trustee reports, please see the video above.
The Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees hosted its monthly general meeting Tuesday, Sept. 5, when it addressed a recent emergency response situation over Labor Day weekend while advancing other local business.
Public safety
Code enforcement chief Andy Owen updated the public on a bomb threat in Port Jeff Harbor on Sunday, Sept. 3, highlighting the misinformation circulated on social media.
“This past Sunday, we had a bomb threat,” Owen indicated. “Once again, Facebook blew up, and it was all false. Everything you read on Facebook was false.”
The code chief said nine agencies were involved, including the Suffolk County Police Department, the village code department and the U.S. Coast Guard, among others.
“As per the Real Time Crime Center, it was a false threat,” Owen said. “It was deemed low risk by Suffolk County.”
The code chief reported that as the event unfolded in real time, “a lot of scuttlebutt” circulated on Facebook concerning the lack of an immediate public statement from the village.
“There are several reasons why a statement wasn’t put out,” he said. “One, to prevent chaos and unwanted onlookers,” adding that the code department had also sought “to ensure a proper and thorough investigation.”
Reports
Mayor Lauren Sheprow said the board is considering a resolution “to create a parking pass situation where Belle Terre residents can purchase a pass for the season and not have to worry about paying the parking meters on a regular basis.”
“That might encourage Belle Terre residents to come down more often, and then if that works for Belle Terre residents, maybe we can expand it out to other members of the community,” the mayor added.
Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay, who had attended the recent listening tour event in Brentwood on the New York State Environmental Bond Act [See story, “NYS offers possibilities of $4.2B bond act for Suffolk County, urges public input,” Aug. 31, TBR News Media], referred to the event as “illuminating,” with potential for the village to make use of those funds to confront a range of climate-related challenges.
Kassay added to the ongoing local debate surrounding the closure of the Port Jefferson Station office of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, saying the closure would require village residents to travel farther, experience longer wait times and less availability of appointments.
Trustee Bob Juliano indicated that he would hold his first sit-down event this Saturday, Sept. 9. “I’ll be over at the Village Center in the living room from 9 to 10:30 [a.m.] if anybody wants to come by and just discuss with me different things going on in the village, different ideas,” he said.
Trustee Stan Loucks reported that village beaches remain open, though there are no longer lifeguards. “Be aware and careful up there if you’re going to be swimming,” he advised. He added that the bathrooms at East and West Beach will remain open.
Loucks also reported on a recent meeting with leaders from the Port Jefferson School District, who had expressed interest in extending speed tables along Scraggy Hill Road. [For more on these public safety concerns, see story, “Port Jeff village board holds public hearing on Scraggy Hill stop signs …” Aug. 24, TBR News Media website.]
Other business
The board had also agreed to enter into an internship agreement with Stony Brook University to offer programs such as public administration, civil engineering, information technology, communications, graphic design and other disciplines.
“We’re working very closely with the career center to make these internships come together,” Sheprow said. “We’re very excited about working with the university students to help pull our village into the current century.”
The board voted to accept the resignation of deputy village attorney Richard Harris, effective Sept. 14. “I just want to thank attorney Harris for his years of service to the village,” Kassay said. “He was always a strong colleague, and his work here is appreciated.”
To watch the full general meeting, including public comments, see the video above.
The Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees held its biweekly business meeting on Monday, Aug. 21, accompanied by a public hearing to consider adding north- and south-facing stop signs on the west and east sides of Scraggy Hill Road.
Public hearing
Situated at Scraggy Hill Road is the Edna Louise Spear Elementary School. Speed tables currently help to slow traffic around the school.
Village attorney David Moran explained the purpose behind the public hearing, stating that adding or removing all village stop signs requires an amendment to the village code, “and in order to add a stop sign to the village, you have to go through this process.”
During the public hearing, Ray DiBiase, the village’s Planning Board chair and a nationally certified traffic operations engineer, noted the issue of people driving around the speed tables on the roadway. “My first inclination would be to extend those speed tables,” he suggested.
Several neighbors turned out Monday night, shedding light on the situation. Stella Cohen reported that village stop signs are routinely disregarded and that the issue could only be resolved with adequate traffic enforcement.
“I have no objection to this motion whatsoever, but it’s paying lip service to a problem you’re not going to fix with a stop sign,” Cohen said. “I would respectfully ask the board, in addition to considering this motion, to also [consider] a motion on a future date for speed cameras.”
Ernie Geiger, another resident, summarized the “nightmare” situation around the elementary school. He advised the board to hire a traffic specialist.
“I think that what you’re looking at now is the tip of the iceberg, and I really don’t think that stop signs are going to do any good at this point,” he told the board. “I think somebody should look at it, look at the signage that’s there and make an intelligent decision instead of just throwing up two stop signs.”
Ryan Walker, a trustee of the Port Jefferson School District Board of Education who said he was speaking as a resident, advised the board that additional signage could complicate “traffic patterns that are already a mess.”
Instead, he proposed coordinating with the Suffolk County Police Department for more traffic enforcement along the roadway.
Following the public comments, the board did not hold a vote on the proposed code amendment to add the stop signs.
Members of the Village of Port Jefferson Board of Trustees deliberate during a business meeting Monday, Aug. 21. From left, Deputy Mayor Rebecca Kassay and Mayor Lauren Sheprow with trustees Drew Biondo, Bob Juliano and Stan Loucks. Photo by Raymond Janis
Audit report
Christopher Reino, a partner at the Port Jefferson Station-based Cullen & Danowski — the firm that conducts the village’s annual independent audit — delivered a presentation on the report from the 2022 fiscal year.
Mayor Lauren Sheprow said the audit report was presented to the treasurer’s office on Jan. 4, 2023, noting, “That report was addressed to the Board of Trustees.”
“Upon canvassing,” the mayor said she had discovered that “the current board members who were board members on Jan. 4, 2023, had not seen that report.”
Moran remarked upon “another flaw in the process,” indicating that when a village uses an outside audit firm and files with the village clerk, “there needs to be a public notice that that report is available at Village Hall for anyone to come and review it,” adding, “As far as I know, that hasn’t happened either.”
During his presentation, Reino reported that the village’s fiscal health has “been looking positive.”
“The fund balance has been growing,” he said. “You actually have a balanced budget now — in the past, you were using some of your existing fund balance to fund the budget, but right now, you’re pretty much at a break even.”
Revenues, he added, are aligned with expenditures, suggesting that the village currently has “a realistic budget.” The “only concern I had,” Reino said, was the lack of “a complete inventory,” which could assist the village in conducting insurance appraisals.
East Beach bluff
Conversations continued over the two-phased bluff stabilization project at East Beach.
For the proposed upland wall to fortify the restaurant/catering facility of the Port Jefferson Country Club, Sheprow reported that the village government is still “waiting on a response from [the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Administration] to see if that [$3.75 million] grant is coming through.” [See story, “Schumer secures funds for upper wall at PJCC…” Jan. 11, TBR News Media website.]
The current engineering plans include the addition of steel beams, according to Sheprow, who estimated that they could cost the village approximately $18,000 per beam.
The board approved an add-on resolution approving services from Huntington Station-based engineering firm GEI Consultants for up to $9,200, which Sheprow contended could help the village save hundreds of thousands of dollars on the upper wall project.
“What GEI is being asked to do is take a look at that project description to see if the removal of all those beams would work,” the mayor said. “The supposition is that that would still work and perhaps even make it more stable.”
She added that the modification in engineering plans could save the village roughly $300,000 on the upper wall project, “spending a few thousand to save a few hundred thousand.”
To watch the entire meeting, including trustee reports, please see the video above.
