(HEMPSTEAD, N.Y.) – Following months of diligent advocacy and successful negotiations spearheaded by Nassau County Legislature Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Siela A. Bynoe (D – Westbury) and Legislator Scott M. Davis (D – Rockville Centre), the Incorporated Village of Hempstead Village will receive $1.75 million in resources to help achieve the state-mandated removal of 1,4 dioxane from its drinking water supply, Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Bynoe and Legislator Davis announced on Monday, Sept. 30.
The full Nassau County Legislature voted unanimously on Monday, Sept. 23 to release the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support the initial stages of the project, which includes the immediate demolition of the existing water meter shop to make way for a state-of-the-art facility that will elevate the Village’s water treatment capabilities to cutting-edge standards. The funds are being drawn from $15 million in ARPA funds that were set aside for eligible not-for-profit organizations and special districts that deliver ARPA-approved services.
In addition to providing seed money for demolition, the funding secured by Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Bynoe and Legislator Davis will offset a part of the cost of the project, for which the Village has authorized $55 million in capital plan borrowing.
In May, Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Bynoe and Legislator Davis formally requested for County Executive Bruce A. Blakeman to support the release of Legislative ARPA funds to finance this initial stage as he had in similar instances for Great Neck, Hicksville, and Farmingdale, which are located in Republican Majority-represented legislative districts.
Earlier this month, when the County administration pursued bond authorizations to fund proposed amendments to Nassau’s 2023 capital infrastructure plan, the Democratic Minority agreed it would withhold its votes for the bond authorizations - which require a 13-vote supermajority and one Democratic vote to reach that threshold – until the Blakeman administration agreed to release the $1.75 million for Hempstead Village as well as several long-stalled grants funded through the County’s Hotel-Motel Occupancy Tax Grant Fund for tourism-generating cultural initiatives in Elmont, Glen Cove, Uniondale and Rockville Centre.
“As public servants, safeguarding Nassau County’s precious drinking water supply is one of our fundamental responsibilities. This caucus stood together to ensure that we would negotiate before we would lend any votes to the capital plan for the purpose of being able to secure these funds,” Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Bynoe said. “This is a win for the Democratic caucus, and I want to thank my colleagues publicly for standing firm so that we could advance this cause and aid the 59,000 individuals who live here in the Village of Hempstead.”
“What makes this a particularly important moment for all of us is not only us sticking together as a caucus, but what this cause is for. It doesn’t get more basic than clean water, and this will go a long way toward helping that,” Legislator Davis said. “It also stands for the idea that we can help defray the expenses that would be borne on the residents of the village in a village that is marginalized and could really use that help.”
“On behalf of the 59,000-plus residents here in the Village of Hempstead, I want to thank Legislators Bynoe and Davis for making this happen,” Hempstead Village Mayor Waylyn Hobbs, Jr said. “Hempstead Village is the largest village in the United States, and we contribute to the tax base of Nassau County – these funds are going to help us break ground and get the job going. It was a fight worth fighting, and I thank Legislators Bynoe and Davis and all of the legislators who made this possible for a job well done.”
PHOTO CREDIT – Photo by Peter M. Budraitis