Town Supervisor Wehrheim Proposes A 22% Salary Increase For Himself

Smithtown Town Supervisor Ed Wehrheim is proposing to raise the saleries of elected officials including a whopping 22% increase for himself and a 16.9% increase for Nicole Garguilo the Town’s Public Information Officer. There’s also a property tax hike in the budget for residents. (Newsday, Nicholas Spangler, Oct.7)

Read Article at Newsday:

Smithtown officials have presented a $126.1 million tentative budget for 2023 that will maintain spending on parks and roads while boosting pay for Town Hall leaders.  

The 198-page spending plan relies on a 2.08% property tax increase, or about $23.75 for a home assessed at $5,500. It would also increase the residential solid waste fee, covering recycling and pickup and disposal of garbage and yard waste, by $25 to $530, almost 5%. The increase reflects higher fuel and disposal costs, town officials said in a budget summary. Property taxes and waste fees are the largest sources of town revenue, accounting for 50% and 16%, respectively.  

“We’ve delivered a budget this year that keeps all of the major funds structurally balanced, with no use of fund balance needed,” Supervisor Edward Wehrheim said in a budget message. “Our fund balance levels remain strong as does our outstanding fiscal rating.” 

The plan would raise Wehrheim’s annual salary by 22%, from $118,827 to $145,000, and increase the pay of council members, who are officially designated as part-time, by 10.5%, from $77,496 to $85,596. Pay for a top aide, public information officer Nicole Garguilo, would increase by 16.9%, from $95,127 to $111,186. Department heads, who are members of a union, would get a contractually mandated 9.5% pay increase. 

Town spending on salaries overall would rise 1.8%. Salaries account for 39% of town spending. Read full article at Newsday.

Patty Stoddard, Smithtown Democratic Town Leader, is urging the public to attend the budget hearing Thursday, October 20 at 7pm. “If you can’t attend email supervisor@smithtownny.gov  or call 631-360-7600

TOS Unveils James E. Dowling - Smithtown - St James Facility In St. James

(photo from archive) James E. DowlingSmithtown, NY: The Town of Smithtown hosted an unveiling ceremony at the newly renovated little league field, located at Moriches Park, officially renaming it; James E. Dowling - Smithtown - St James Facility. On Tuesday, September 27th at 11AM, the community of St James, friends and family all gathered on a perfect sunny day to celebrate the life and legacy of World War II POW, founder of the St.James Little League and former Superintendent of Highways, James E. Dowling. The ceremony coincidentally took place on the anniversary of the Day Jim “Red” Dowling was shot down and taken as a prisoner of war in Germany.

“Most of us who were blessed to know Jim, will tell you it would be impossible to forget him. The legacy he has left us with is one that will continue to impact our youth, our families and our community as a whole for generations to come. He will always be remembered as the greatest generation’s brave hero, the father of our local little league and the builder of roadways. Renaming and dedicating this newly restored ballpark is but one small way we can teach our youth about service, honor and duty to our neighbors, family and country.” - Supervisor Ed Wehrheim 

The newly renovated ball field was completed by mid summer of this year. The Parks Department constructed a new dugout, backstop and installed new outfield fencing. The 90 foot synthetic turf infield replacement compliments the previous renovations at Moriches/Vets Memorial Park, which include the recent replacement of the turf fields at the Soccer Complex, a soft splash pad at the waterpark, state-of-the-art playgrounds, interactive playhouse new fencing surrounding the play areas, concrete sidewalks, a LED user-friendly crosswalk, and all new landscaping. The new ball field makeover was the result of a public-private partnership with the St James/Smithtown Little League.

James E. Dowling was drafted at the age of 18 in 1942. Despite a high school knee injury, he became part of the 703rd Squadron, 445th Bomb Group in the 8th Army Air Corps as a Bombardier/Navigator, alongside the famous actor, Jimmy Stewart as his Flight Leader. Two years later, at the age of 20, Dowling became an officer, earning the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. Dowling was shot down and taken as a prisoner of war on his 11th mission, during the 703rd Squadron’s bombing run over Kassel, Germany. Not long after returning home from the service, Dowling married his high school sweetheart, Dorothy. He fathered eight children and continued to be a shining example of service and sacrifice for his family, friends and community. He started a peewee baseball league for children in the neighborhood which became the St. James Little League, where he served as its president for 18 years.

James E. Dowling was elected Smithtown Highway Superintendent in1960 and served through 1998. Using his knowledge from the service, Dowling successfully created 250 miles of permanent roads, multiple infrastructure projects and altered the way Smithtown handled snow storms/removal, which set the precedent for a system that is implemented nationwide to this day.

 Dowling was featured in the Town of Smithtown Faces of War documentary series and has an entire chapter devoted to his story in Tom Brokaw’s book The Greatest Generation.

James E Dowling passed away over Memorial Day weekend, on May 26th, 2022. He is remembered as a loving father to James Dowling Jr, Douglas and Jeanne Dowling, Jeffrey and Aniela Dowling, Janet and Brett Weingarten, Jean Dowling, Elizabeth and Robert Elderkin, Gregory and Donna Dowling, William and Christine Dowling; adored grandfather to 25 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild. Additionally, James E Dowling is remembered by the Town of Smithtown as a hero who undoubtedly left his legacy upon the community for generations to come. 

TOS Officials Say Kings Park Is The Answer To Downtown Smithtown's Sewage Problem

By Stacey Altherr

A 17-acre site located inside Nissequogue River State Park may be the answer to downtown Smithtown’s sewage problem. Town officials have proposed the building of drainage basins in Kings Park to address the sewage issues that that are holding up the revitalization of Main Street, Smithtown.

The proposed drainage basins are part of Smithtown’s proposal to address downtown revitalization. The plan will allow for increased development on Main Street by pumping sewage to Suffolk County’s sewage treatment plant in Kings Park where it will be treated. Due to restrictions on the release of treated water into the LI Sound the construction of drainage basins which collect the treated water before it drains into the ground are necessary.

While town officials and some business leaders are in favor of the proposed drainage site to advance the long-awaited sewer project in the town, others, including longtime proponents of the park, say it is the wrong place for it. 

“It is literally in the middle of the park,” says John McQuaid, president of the Nissequogue River State Park Foundation, which raises money and is working with the state on the development of the park for public use.

At first, officials said the water would be piped underground and not pool on the surface, which would have been more acceptable, McQuaid said. He even talked to county and town officials about finding a less obtrusive location on the 527-acre park. “This is so much good going on here. It doesn’t make sense.”

Town officials say they looked at six possible sites to transfer excess treated sewer water, but for one reason or another, the other sites didn’t work. The Kings Park site was the most agreeable, according to town officials for several reasons, including proximity to sewer plant and topography. About 90 percent of the town is currently using cesspools and septic systems, which lead to large amount of nitrogen and other contaminants into the ground.

Some of the other sites considered and rejected were the St. Catherine of Sienna site, which was too close to well water and had topography problems, and St. Johnland Nursing Home, which is too close to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Corridor, according to officials.

While the rest of the park is owned by New York State Parks Department and was legislated as parkland in 2000/01, a small part of the property known to residents as Building 1, is owned by the Dormitory Authority for the State of NY which oversees construction projects and financing of those projects. The land was once owned by the state’s Office of Mental Health.

Environmental guidelines for sumps used for treated sewer water only allows the town to dump 600,000 gallons a day of effluent into the Long Island Sound. The drainage basin would accommodate the extra treated water.

“It is not a done deal,” said Peter Hans, Smithtown Planning Director. The master plan up on the state website currently does not include the leeching pools.

Approximately 1.5 to two acres will be used for the drainage basins, with the other acreage used for a continuation of a planned bike path and other recreational uses. The sewer money, provided mostly by state and county funds, would pay for the remediation of the site including removal of the abandoned building on site.

Hans said the sump will be camouflaged with landscaping to fit in the other beautification efforts of the park, with a chain-link fence around the sump, and with berms and other landscaping. He added that it would not emit any smell.

Maple Sugaring At Hoyt Farm Nature Preserve

Sheryl Brook teaches the process of Maple Sugaring to Hauppauge Girl Scouts Troop 428 (Credit: Town of Smithtown)Hoyt Farm Nature Preserve hosted another successful season of maple sugaring for families, scout troops and nature enthusiasts. This unique educational program, available to the general public, teaches the ancient process of making maple syrup/sugar, which was passed down by the Native Americans to the Colonists. The maple sugaring program is a demonstration, encompassing the history of Native American early life, how maple sugaring was originally discovered, all the way up to present day, the equipment now used and how anyone can tap a tree to make maple syrup or sugar in their own backyards. An interactive portion of the program enlists the help of younger students to teach the anatomy of the tree, the importance of chlorophyll, and the role of photosynthesis in making maple syrup. 

“I can’t tell you how special this program is… it is one that every Long Islander should partake in at some point in life, as it is a part of our history that should be treasured for all time. I am so grateful to Sheryl Brook and Jeff Gumin for continuing in the tradition of passing this demonstration down to the generations. I love their passion and genuine enthusiasm which shines through the work they do every day.”  - Supervisor Edward R. Wehrheim

The Hoyt Farm Nature Preserve maple sugaring program is unique in that Black Walnut trees are also tapped for sugaring, in addition to making maple syrup from Maple trees. Maple sugaring season is approximately three weeks out of the year. In order to produce the sweetest sap, weather conditions must be below freezing at night and over 40 degrees during the day. Hoyt Farm taps trees and conducts the maple sugaring program throughout February and in the beginning of March. 

“We love every program we offer at Hoyt… teaching young people about our history, wildlife and our caring for the natural habitat is not a job for us. It’s our calling. Sheryl Brook takes special care to put these programs and classes together so everyone leaves with a big smile and plans to come back. She doesn’t do it for the credit, but she truly deserves all the recognition. We’re beloved by the people who visit here because of the tireless work she puts in, together with the assistance of our dedicated team. We had an incredible maple sugaring season and program this year and I can’t wait to top it next year!” - Jeff Gumin, Director, Hoyt Farm Nature Preserve

The maple sugaring program began in the late 1970’s, and started with one class. It is now a full blown family-oriented interactive experience, available to the general public, (not restricted to Smithtown residents) appropriate for all age groups. School classes, girl scouts, boy scout troops, kids and adults of all ages are welcome and encouraged to take advantage of this unforgettable experience. 

Town Collects 39 Tons Of Hazardous Household Waste

Town of Smithtown Sets New Record in Largest Hazardous Household Waste Ever, Collecting 39 Tons of Waste from 860 Homes

Smithtown, NY: The Town of Smithtown Department of Environment and Waterways collected 39 tons of waste at the hazardous household waste event this weekend. On Saturday, April 24th, approximately 860 Smithtown households participated in safely disposing 78,000 pounds of toxic items, which are prohibited in regular curbside waste pickups. This was a record number of residents for a single collection event since the hazardous waste event program began in 2009.

 Residents were asked to wear face masks and not to leave their cars, to protect everyone’s wellbeing amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“I want to personally commend Mike Engelmann and Rich Kitt, the Department of Environment and Waterways, along with Neal Sheehan, his foreman Tom Passariello, the amazing team at MSF,
Fire Marshall Nick Kefalos, and the Department of Public Safety, all who devoted their Saturday to tirelessly serving the community and our precious environment. We’ve added additional collection events to the calendar year and still, we are seeing growing community participation. Setting a record such as this one is proof positive that the residents of Smithtown are increasingly more committed to preserving our home and our ecosystem for future generations to come.” - Supervisor Ed Wehrheim

Smithtown Municipal Services Facility employees worked in conjunction with the Department of Environment and Waterways Environmental Director David Barnes and Solid Waste Coordinator Mike Engelmann to safely secure over forty three (55) gallon drums, twenty seven (1) cubic yard boxes and two full 30 cubic yard roll-off containers loaded up with paints/solvents, etc. The exact weight collected was 39.00 tons (scale house net) in hazardous materials. Materials were collected and manifested for disposal by Radiac Research Corp. In addition to residents dropping off hazardous household waste, many circled their vehicles around to pick up bags of free mulch on the way out.

A portion of the waste collected for manifested disposal include: waste oil based paints/flammable paints, gasoline, paint thinners, waste gases, petroleum distillates, flammable solids, oxidizers liquids and solids, sodium/potassium nitrates, acids, corrosives, pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, misc. toxic liquids (i.e. Chlordane, etc.) and solids, lacquers, lithium batteries, battery acids and various other toxic compounds. The New York State DEC is expected to reimburse the Town for 50% of the contractor expense for this event.

The next Household Hazardous Waste events are scheduled for Saturday, July 10, 2021 and Saturday, October 2, 2021. These events are for Smithtown Township residents only. Proof of residency will be strictly enforced.

DID YOU KNOW:

Residents can also dispose of Electronic waste, free of charge, at the Town Recycling Center (also located at 85 Old Northport Road). Electronic Waste such as computers, printers, TV’s, monitors, automotive and household batteries can be dropped off during regular hours for proper recycling. This is a free service. Proof of residency is required.Mulch is also available FREE OF CHARGE to residents. Smithtown residents can line up for Pre-packaged bags of mulch with a maximum of ten (10) bags per visit. We offer free loading of loose mulch into your pick-up or dump truck. (Cover required)

The Smithtown Municipal Services Facility, is located at 85 Old Northport Road in Kings Park, NY.
Regular Operating Hours: Tuesday through Saturday From 7:00 am to 11:45 am and 12:45 pm to 3:15 pm)