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| Legislator Nick Caracappa File Photo |
The funds are targeted to address Suffolk’s aging infrastructure and include improvements to county buildings and parks facilities that have fallen into disrepair. New vehicles will be purchased, as well as a high-tech rescue helicopter for the police department. There will be money for sewage treatment, traffic safety, energy conservation, and improvements to county roads.
“The county was in such bad shape, so a lot of these projects were deferred to subsequent years. Now we have the money to start getting things back on track,” said Legislator Nick Caracappa, a member of the Capital Budget Committee, who noted that the increase in capital spending was made possible by Suffolk’s share of the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds program authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act.
A key part of the capital program is the creation of shovel-ready sewer projects throughout Suffolk that will qualify for grants from the $1 trillion federal infrastructure program and the state’s $4.2 billion environmental bond fund. “We need to be ready when these monies become available and we’re getting ahead of the game by planning the projects now,” Caracappa pointed out. “The sewer projects are extremely important because we’re not only protecting our environment, we're also providing economic development and opportunities for our residents, both young and old,” he continued. “We want to bring back our shellfish and our fish and our grass and protect our beaches; we need to protect our tourism revenue.”
Caracappa went on to say, “We have some of the most beautiful parks in New York State and we want to keep them that way. We want to keep our tourists coming back.” According to the legislator, Suffolk attracts over nine million tourists a year, generating upwards of $6 billion in revenue. Parks targeted in the spending plan include Smith Point, Gardiners County Park, Sagtikos Manor, Veterans Park, Bald Hill Veterans Memorial, Thomas Muratore Park, Blydenburgh Park, and Raynor Beach.
Money is also going to the police department’s forensics lab, which played an essential role in the Gilgo Beach murder investigation, Caracappa noted. New police and sheriff department recruits necessitate the purchase of new vehicles, along with the new helicopter. “There really is a big need for the helicopter,” he said. “The two existing ones that we have now, the technology has become obsolete compared to what's out there when it comes to life-saving technology. The new one will be larger with more capacity and first responder equipment to address situations with critical injuries,” he said, adding, “I hope not too many of our residents need them, but if they do, the life-saving technology will be there, and it can make a difference.”
Funds will also be made available to upgrade Suffolk's cybersecurity capabilities in the wake of a hack that shut down its computer operations for months. The legislature is waiting for recommendations from a special Cyber Committee to make sure it does everything necessary to harden its computer defenses against any future attacks, according to Caracappa. “We have to listen to the experts and follow their recommendations to get it right. We cannot afford not to get it right this time. The cyberattack was a big problem for this county,” he said.
Caracappa noted an unexpected capital expenditure coming from the legislature’s building in Riverhead, which suffered significant water damage from a pipe that had burst and ran through the weekend. The spending plan will also cover renovations to the Department of Labor building in Hauppauge and other offices that have been neglected over the years. The county Board of Elections building in Yaphank will get money for improvements to accommodate early voting, absentee ballot processing, and poll worker training. There will also be a replacement of the central heating system at the Suffolk Community College Eastern Campus.
The Mastic/Shirley area came out of the budget process with continued funding for a new Smith Point Bridge and improvements to Shirley Marina and Montauk Highway business corridor, according to Legislator Jim Mazzarella. “Smith Point is the busiest park in Suffolk County and provides access to our beautiful ocean beaches with a campground with over 200 campsites. The construction of the new bridge provides endless opportunities for investment into the park,” the legislator said, adding that there are plans for a new recreation area next to the main parking lot and expansion of lifeguard facilities.
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Legislator James Mazzarella overlooks the Smith Point Bridge
which is slated to be replaced as part of Suffolk’s capital spending plan. File Photo
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Previous budgets had $10 million committed per year for farmland preservation, but Krupski said he was able to convince his colleagues to add an additional $5 million for the program in the recent plan. “Farmland preservation is an important component to Suffolk County's economy and culture,” Krupski said. The county also uses monies from a quarter-cent of its sales tax for environmental preservation, Krupski pointed out, but since the county has borrowed against the funds, only about a third is available–about $8 million to $10 million a year–with the rest going toward debt service.
Another forward-looking aspect of the capital plan is coastline resiliency, a need highlighted by the damage caused by Superstorm Sandy. “Suffolk has various assets–roads, parks, sewage treatment plants–that are vulnerable to sea level rise. We need to start the planning process now on how we’re going to deal with these issues,” Krupski said. “We have so many assets that are being affected by climate change that we really need to be proactive about protecting them.”