Some LI towns forced to use reserve funds to deal with snow and cold

A relentless spate of snowstorms and freezing cold has stretched Long Island town snow budgets, forcing some to dip into their reserves. Earlier in February, the Town of Brookhaven was $2 million over budget. The figure is expected to double after the blizzard from Sunday through Monday. Some villages say they have exceeded their snow removal budgets, too — in large part due to labor costs. Officials said their annual snow budgets are based on seasonal trends over a period of several years. They were not financially prepared, they noted, for a record-setting storm that dumped about 29.1 inches of snow at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma and 28.1 inches in Montauk.Alek Lewis and Carl MacGowan report in NEWSDAY that some town and village officials said they expect to draw down more of their reserves and seek state disaster aid. East Hampton village trustees recently approved a $60,000 boost to the snow budget, which will be used to hire contractors to help employees remove snow, Village Administrator Marcos Baladrón said. They truck snow from the village’s business district and major roads to Two Mile Hollow Beach, where it’s left to melt, he said.Riverhead Highway Superintendent Mike Zaleski said his salt supply is now “comfortable.” He recently ordered another 300 tons after a $100,000 budget transfer from reserves.“Safety to me is paramount,” Zaleski said yesterday. “Whether the money is there or not, the job’s got to get done. We’ll find a way to pay.”***Most east end schools have announced a two hour delayed opening today, several are still closed with classes moved to remote learning. Schools and government office were closed Monday and Tuesday after the Blizzard of '26. Here are some snow accumulation totals posted across our eastern Suffolk listening area following the Sunday / Monday storm. You may consider them unofficial but close enough.Central Islip: 31 inchesMontauk: 28.1 inchesRemsenburg-Speonk: 27.5 inchesOrient: 26.5 inchesQuogue: 26 inchesShinnecock Hills: 25 inchesSouthampton: 24 inchesMattituck: 23.3 inchesFlanders: 23 inchesRiverhead: 22.5 inchesShelter Island: 21.1 inchesUpton: (NWS Office and B.N.L.) 19.8 inchesEast Hampton: 18.8Jamesport: 18.3 inchesHampton Bays: 17.3***The African American Educational Cultural Festival will hold a forum on “America and the Black Vote” this evening at 5 p.m. in the Riverhead Free Library.Beth Young reports in EAST END BEACON that the non-partisan event “brings together civic leaders, attorneys, and advocates to discuss Black political participation and its impact on American democracy,” according to the organizers.This evening’s event is free.“The forum will explore the historical significance of the Black vote, current challenges to voter participation, and the role of civic engagement in strengthening democratic institutions,” according to the organizers, who say it “is intended to foster open dialogue and promote understanding across diverse communities.”This evening’s forum, from 5 to 7:30 p.m., will be held in the lower level meeting room at the Riverhead Free Library, 330 Court Street, Riverhead. It is free and open to the public, but registration is required, through this Eventbrite link. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/america-and-the-black-vote-forum-set-for-feb-25-in-riverhead-registration-1982596770310?aff=oddtdtcreatorThe African American Educational Cultural Festival seeks to build a strong foundation for Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in underserved and disadvantaged communities. It provides resources for children and families in education, housing, health, employment, entrepreneurship, and advocacy.***A proposed law drafted by Organización Latino Americana and former NYS Assemblyman Fred Thiele of Sag Harbor, which seeks to foster transparency and accountability during federal immigration enforcement actions in local towns and villages, is being pushed across the East End. What the five-page resolution calls for, primarily, is the establishment of a series of procedures and training programs that would stymie the impersonation of federal officers and the adoption of local requirements for reporting enforcement activity. Jack Motz reports on 27east.com that it would require local police to approach those claiming to be ICE agents, who are often masked, and ask to see some form of identification, as part of an effort to hinder potential ICE impersonators. Officers then would send the information learned up the chain to local leadership.OLA plans to meet with leaders of East End municipalities tomorrow to further discuss the proposed law.The intent of the proposed law is to carve out the space that local governments and police departments can occupy in the event of an ICE raid.Thiele and OLA looked at how other municipalities around the country, including in San Jose, California, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, are responding to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, presence when drafting the law.“My hope is that the enactment of consensus legislation will be a peaceful and powerful catalyst to ending ICE excesses that threaten community safety and local control in our community,” Thiele said.Still to come is tomorrow’s meeting with East End leaders where OLA Executive Director Minerva Perez plans to walk through the adaptability of the law, as each village or town will be responsible for the specific implementation plans. The involvement of law enforcement in the law, though, is nonnegotiable.Before adoption, the law will go through the normal processes, town by town and village by village, with the plan being to have the law appear at a work session and then at a public hearing, prior to finalization.***Coming out of Monday’s record snowfall and with more unsettled weather expected this week, the state Attorney General’s Office is advising that New Yorkers who rent know their rights. Victor Ocasio reports in NEWSDAY that in an announcement released yesterday, NYS Attorney General Letitia James advised renters across the state to recognize that their landlords have certain legal responsibilities when it pertains to maintaining access to heat and hot water.Coping with freezing temperatures and record snowfall can be a major pain for homeowners, but for renters on Long Island dependent on landlords, it can be a matter of legal rights and entitlements, local tenant advocates said. In recognition of potential issues with heating and hot water access, the attorney general's office is advising New Yorkers that the law is on their side.“Landlords are legally required to provide heat and hot water and to ensure that common areas and building entrances are safe and accessible,” James said. “No New Yorker should be left in the cold or forced to navigate dangerous, icy conditions. My office is urging tenants to know their rights and to speak up if those rights are not being respected.”Under state law, property owners are required to provide heat between Oct. 1 through May 31, a period known as “heating season,” according to the attorney general’s office.During those months, landlords must ensure that interior temperatures are at least 68 degrees between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. if the outside temperature falls below 55 degrees. At night, between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., inside temperatures must be at least 62 degrees regardless of how cold it is outside, James’ office said.***The “America and the Black Vote” program scheduled for this evening at Riverhead Free Library has been postponed due to weather conditions, organizers announced this morning. “Safety is our top priority, and unfortunately the current weather conditions make it unsafe to proceed as planned,” African American Educational and Cultural Festival President Marylin Banks-Winter said in a text message. Denise Civiletti reports on Riverheadlocal.com that the Black History Month program, scheduled for 5 to 7:30 p.m. today at the Riverhead Library, featured a panel discussion on the topic of “Elevating Black Voices in Democracy” with Long Island community leaders gathered for “a nonpartisan conversation on Black political participation, representation, and civic engagement.”“This event is very important to us and we are committed to making it happen. We will be in touch shortly to check your availability for a rescheduled date...We are reminded that Black History is not limited to one month, but 365 days a year,” Banks-Winter wrote. “Thank you for your...