The North Hempstead Town Board reallocated $3.8 million in federal pandemic relief fund Tuesday night, weeks before the deadline when the town would have had to return the money back to the federal government
Photo by Alex Nuñez
The North Hempstead Town Board unanimously voted Tuesday night to reallocate $4 million of previously designated federal COVID-19 pandemic relief funds to five new projects.
Despite the unanimous approval, the issue caused divisiveness on the board as council members debated how projects were chosen and communication issues.
“So while certain council members only knew that we had to get contracts in place for this [$3.8] million on Tuesday, the administration already had projects in place to fulfill this money,” Council Member Christine Liu said.
The $3.8 million will now go towards five projects.
$750,000 will be used for the construction of a Sept. 11 memorial at Manhasset Valley Park, $1,329,723 for repaving and repair of Plandome Road after businesses connect to the new sewer line, $450,000 for $50,000 grants to the town’s nine qualified chambers of commerce, $315,000 for Town Hall to connect to the Plandome Road sewer line and $1,005,000 to The LandTek Group for park improvements throughout the town.
“It’s a wonderful chance to use these funds on projects throughout the town that will benefit businesses and our residents as contemplated by the American Rescue Plan Act,” North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said.
Three chamber presidents – Manhasset’s Matthew Donno, New Hyde Park’s Cheryl Fajardo and Nassau’s Franklin Camarano Jr. – advocated in support of the funds for the chamber of commerce.
The $3.8 million that is being reallocated was designated in December 2023 to dredge Manhasset Bay. But the project does not have a contract yet, which is required to use the American Rescue Plan Act funds, federal money given to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If the town did not reallocate the funds by the end of the year, then that money would be returned to the federal government.
Council Member Mariann Dalimonte, who proposed the dredging project, said she was under the assumption that the resolution designating the funds for the project was enough. She said the town attorney had clarified recently that a contract is also needed.
DeSena argued that when the resolution was passed last year, Dalimonte was warned that the money could not be used without a definite project.
Dalimonte said she asked the Manhasset Bay dredging to be added to the town’s capitol plan.
“If we do not do any dredging over there, there’s going to be no more marinas in Port Washington over in that area,” Dalimonte said. “That’s how low the water is.”
She condemned the town board’s lack of communication for not learning about this issue until a caucus had been held, questioning when the supervisor learned of it and how long it took her to be informed.
“There has to be better communication with your administration and the town board,” Dalimonte said to DeSena.
Town board communication issues have been a consistent and central issue expressed by board members and residents at meetings.
Council Member Dennis Walsh blamed Dalimonte.
“You have a lot of nerve accusing other people of things that you didn’t do,” Walsh said. “…And it sounds like sour grapes.”
Liu criticized the late notice of when contracts had to be made, saying that while contracts can take a while to finish, some were signed within days after she and other board members were made aware of the issue.
She said nearly half of the town’s COVID-19 relief funds have gone towards Manahsset, saying more could have been done to distribute the money throughout the council districts.
DeSena said the money is distributed throughout the town, and there are other examples of funds benefiting a specific area.
She said the reallocations were created with the town’s existing contracts and were made in consultation with the town attorney and commissioners.
But Town Attorney Richard Nicolello said there is no contract for the sewer repaving projects, but an inter-agency agreement exists that the federal government said is sufficient to allocate the funds.
Council Member Robert Troiano asked how they knew the amount needed for the project. DeSena said this is the amount of the town’s remaining COVID-19 relief funds they “don’t want to give back to the federal government.”