New year, new goals for town officials

In ancient Roman myth, Janus is the liminal god of the Roman pantheon, symbolically presiding over beginnings, gateways, transitions, time, and duality. He is typically depicted as having two faces, but this isn’t the negative connotation of being two-faced. It evokes both looking backwards and ahead, which is why January, his eponymous month, is an apt moniker for the first month of the year. It is a time when everyone is simultaneously looking back at the year that just ended and anticipating what the next one holds in store. Many people make New Year’s resolutions with the goal of getting in better shape, quitting a toxic or outmoded habit, or finally finishing that project that has been sitting on the back-burner. Elected officials in the town of Brookhaven are also making ambitious resolutions and wish lists for the nascent year of 2023, and here are a few of the highlights.

Brookhaven Town supervisor Edward P. Romaine prepared a detailed wish list for our readers in 2023, which includes a list of projects and improvements, especially those directly affecting the areas where most L.I. Advance readers reside. Some of Romaine’s hopes for the area in the coming year include expanding sewers from Mastic to Mastic Beach, using the newly enacted federal infrastructure funding to break ground for East Patchogue, and redevelopment of Mastic Beach on and around Neighborhood Road. The Brookhaven supervisor also wants to promote the expansion of aquaculture in Bellport Bay, the Narrows, and Moriches Bay for the cultivation of oysters and sugar kelp.

In Shirley, Romaine wants to begin construction on the 99 acres of town-owned parkland in the area and see a walking and exercise trail come to fruition around the pond, for those whose personal resolutions include getting in better shape or maintaining physical and mental fitness, while enjoying the natural beauty of the area in which they live. Parking and public restrooms would also be included in the comprehensive plan, which will eventually involve several sports fields built within the next few years, providing resolutions for Brookhaven for years to come.

In the Patchogue area, Romaine aims to continue the preservation of the historic Avery Estate as well.

Romaine stated that throughout all of Brookhaven, there is an objective to encourage increased public participation in recycling programs. Part of this plan includes petitioning New York State to allow the reuse of recycled glass, which would be the impetus for the town to resume biweekly glass pickup.

Some other resolutions, according to Romaine, include the purchase of additional open space along the Carmans River corridor; the acquisition of additional marshland in the Mastic Beach area to aid in the mitigation of future flooding; completion of the fish ladder on the Peconic River by Forge Road, in Calverton; and bringing sewers into North Bellport.

The supervisor admits that what he dubs his “12 Wishes for New Year” are very lofty aims, especially to achieve all at once, and that trying to accomplish all of them is like reaching for the moon and hopefully catching a star. “You always want to aim too high,” said Romaine inspirationally.

Neil Foley, Brookhaven councilman for District 5, also shared his New Year’s resolutions for the district, and they include the following: to start the Roe Park project in Blue Point in the first quarter of the year and working with Suffolk County to preserve the Avery property in East Patchogue. He is also looking to renovate and preserve the historic barn and houses there. His list also includes completing a new park on Morris Avenue in Holtsville, complete with multiuse turf, and to continue to address flooding issues in the 5th Council District.

Foley said, “My office will continue to address the quality-of-life issues that affect the taxpayers of the Town of Brookhaven.”

Councilman Michael Loguercio, in District 4, shared some of his resolutions and continued hopes for his area of Brookhaven. He said, “The safety and comfort of residents is always paramount.”

His top three wishes for 2023 include, first and foremost, the safety and comfort of residents, keeping taxes down, and making certain there is no wasteful spending. Loguercio also intends to focus on the environment and zoning in his district, which has some of the most open spaces in Brookhaven Town. His goal is to protect animals and wildlife in the bucolic area while also providing jobs and affordable housing to its residents.

The councilman appreciates the natural beauty of the location and seeks to protect it, while also maintaining a thriving economy, which is certainly a delicate balance to strike. “I try to make sure we don’t overdevelop—by any means—and keep industrial and residential separate, to maintain and protect the environment and its natural resources. It’s all really challenging to do, but we don’t have a choice—we have to do it. I am going to do it, along with my peers on the town board. It’s what elected officials do,” said the affable official, who reiterated his transparency and willingness to connect with constituents.

“My door is always open. If there is an issue, I will stop by and talk with you, and do whatever I can to bring a resolution,” he said.