The annual Long Island Contractors’ Association (LICA) breakfast was held on March 22 at the Stonebridge Country Club in Smithtown. The event was geared towards kicking off the construction season – for spring and summer – and brought together politicians, construction unions, contractors, and more.
Speakers included Marc Herbst, executive director of LICA, acting Long Island Rail Road president Robert Free, Nassau Department of Public Works Commissioner Kenneth Arnold, Suffolk Department of Public Works Commissioner Charles Bartha, New York State Department of Transportation Regional Director Richard Causin, and New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation Long Island Regional Director George Gorman.
There was also a special appearance by State Sen. Tim Kennedy of Buffalo, who is currently running in the special election to replace former Rep. Brian Higgins, who resigned from the House of Representatives.
“On Long Island, we’ve seen a lot of large projects completed,” Herbst said. “But there are concerns especially in the construction industry. Because of the inflation costs and supply chain issues, the five-year program the state legislature adopted, there’s only money for four years. Both the Senate and the Assembly have responded to the governor’s proposal and added $100 million to fill the gap to make sure that programs are completed.”
Kennedy emphasized that Long Island infrastructure standards set a precedent not just for the state – thus being relevant to him in Buffalo – but for the whole country.
“We’ve added more money to what the governor proposed $400 million dollars for core funding for the DLT capital plan,,” Kennedy said. “ I’m proud of the partnerships that we’ve created with Leica and each and every one of you and your organizations. I’m looking forward to going to another level. We’re thinking big, and we’re going to Congress, and we’ve got a lot of work to do. I’m already thinking about how we can invest into the future.”
Commissioner Arnold outlined several planned projects for Nassau County, including Long Beach drainage ditch stabilization, reconstruction of Clinton Road in Garden City, a Lynbrook traffic control study, and wastewater improvement projects, with up to $766 million dedicated for these projects.
“Currently, the capital plan is in final negotiations,” Arnold said. “It’s the driver of all the work that the department does, along with all the other departments in the county that put out programs.”
Commissioner Bartha outlined several Suffolk County projects for 2024, including building and facilities projects, highway projects, sewer work including expansions, and more, totaling up to $1 billion in the proposed budget for 2024-26.
