The North Hempstead Town Board voted along party lines on Wednesday, June 4, to approve the transfer of $1.2 million from the town’s sidewalk fund to purchase LED street lights, despite resident opposition.
“Robbing Peter to pay Paul is hardly an effective strategy to solve such problems in any organization, and it becomes downright absurd when the chief executive of our town, entrusted to spend our town dollars responsibly, applies this strategy to local governance,” Scott Wolff of Great Neck said.
North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, a Republican, said the switch made financial sense.
What we are doing is transferring money from an overfunded reserve fund where it can’t be used,” DeSena said.
DeSena said two years ago, $1.2 million from a lawsuit settlement was transferred to the sidewalk fund.
DeSena said that after the transfer, more than $2 million would remain in the sidewalk fund. She said that despite seeking to take funds out of the sidewalk repair fund, the town is still working to repair sidewalks.
DeSena said the establishment of LED street lighting has been sought for years. She said the street lights would benefit the environment and taxpayers by reducing environmental impacts and costs.
“Nothing we are doing tonight is going to affect how hard we work at repairing sidewalks,” DeSena said.
DeSena said that the $1.2 million can not be used in the sidewalk fund; it must be transferred out of the reserve for it to be spent.
Town Council Member Robert Troiano said the funds can be used for sidewalks, though.
DeSena clarified that she meant the sidewalk reserve fund is overfunded. She said repairs cannot be done year-round due to weather, and tree removals slow down processes, thus limiting the amount of work that can be done.
Troiano said the money sat in the fund unused because DeSena had not requested it be used to repair sidewalks. He said she decides what projects the town does.
Council Member Mariann Dalimonte argued against DeSena’s claim, saying sidewalk issues are evident and need to be addressed. She said additional funds, like the $1.2 million, would aid the town in a greater response to fixing sidewalks.
Multiple residents spoke about sidewalk issues throughout the town and the dangers they pose. Many of them said they had also filed a request for them to be fixed, yet it either took years or had not happened yet.
Fred Blumlein of Port Washington said the town’s sidewalks need repair. He shared a story of walking along Main Street with his wife when both fell due to a tree lifting the sidewalk. He said his wife broke her wrist, he broke his nose, and he got a concussion.
Blumlein acknowledged the savings associated with LED lights, but cautioned the town board that unrepaired sidewalks could lead to greater expenses due to injury litigation.
“When people continually fall and bring you to court, what is that going to cost you in terms of savings?” Blumlein asked.
Alina Uzilov of Roslyn spoke in support of the transfer, which she said was inspired by learning that sidewalks would still be repaired despite the transfer. She also supported better street lighting, saying that walking on sidewalks can also be hindered by a lack of lighting.
Pete Gaffney of Carle Place suggested the funds come from the town’s surplus instead, arguing that the removal of $1.2 million from the total surplus would not have any effect. He also suggested seeking funding from the state or the federal government, which has multiple programs that could provide funding for LED street light conversion.
“It makes more sense to save our taxpayer money and repair our sidewalks,” Gaffney said. “We’ve got problems in Carle Place and Westbury also, and I’m sure throughout the entire community.”
He compared the town administration to a rowboat with holes in the bottom sinking in the middle of the ocean. Wolff said DeSena’s actions are akin to using a bucket to remove the water from the rowboat – futile and inefficient actions.
Wolff said that if these expenses were anticipated for the lighting district, they should have been addressed in the town’s budget.
Deputy Supervisor Joseph Scalero said much of the sidewalk repairs are funded through the town budget, not the sidewalk reserve fund. Public Works Commissioner Kristin Seleski said the reserve funds are not available for her to use unless authorized by the supervisor.
Dalimonte questioned DeSena why the town budget taxes residents higher for sidewalks but not for lighting, if more funding was needed for lighting over sidewalks.
DeSena didn’t answer, instead asking Dalimonte why she didn’t propose it. Dalimonte said she was not as involved in the budget due to a family health emergency.
