Stalemate on Northport Village board of trustees decision regarding master plan

The Northport Village board of trustees engaged in another debate over the hiring of engineering firm Nelson, Pope and Voorhis for the preparation of the Village’s master plan. With Trustee Joe Sabia absent at the July 6 meeting, there weren’t enough votes to approve a resolution to reinstate the engineering firm’s contract, resulting in a stalemate.

The resolution was previously approved and then rescinded on June 20 so that Village Attorney Edward Gathman could assure it would meet state grant requirements, which indicated that a RFP (Request For Proposal) was necessary. Trustees Ernest Pucillo and Dave Weber spoke against the resolution, while Trustees Meghan Dolan and Mayor Donna Koch were ready to move forward.

Trustee Pucillo was most vocal about his objections to moving forward with the master – or comprehensive – plan at this time. He said that Andy Cangemi first recommended that the Village take on this task in order to get a handle on residents who were putting in dock requests that may alter the landscape and health of the harbor. “We don’t need the master plan for that, we can go forward with the LWRP [Local Waterfront Revitalization Program], and that can address these issues,” Pucillo said.

He argued that the current zoning code in the Village is sufficient and can be utilized while the Village moves forward with grant applications and the LWRP. “I’m not saying that the master plan is a bad thing, I’m saying that the way we’re doing it is inadequate, and we’re wasting money. Whether it’s $10,000 or $2, we’re writing a master plan that is not going to provide what we need in the Village of Northport,” Pucillo stated, calling it a “useless endeavor.”

Trustee Dolan argued that the comprehensive plan will allow the Village to access grant funds that will help them to address major downtown issues. She also noted that part of the plan includes community meetings and engagement over what’s important to residents, including parking, water quality, and the business district.

“We all had a problem with the process, or most of us,” Dolan said. “I wish we did an RFP, I wish it was more open, I wish we had more information sooner and everybody was on the same page. However, in my calculation, the comprehensive plan is so important to all significant issues, infrastructure and otherwise, that this Village has and will be facing very soon.” Despite the flaws in the hiring process, Dolan said, she wants to move forward with the plan because she believes the current Village code isn’t adequate in addressing the municipality's needs.

Mayor Donna Koch added to that thought, stating, “We can create what we want our master plan to look like,” to which Trustee Pucillo agreed. This is why, he said, they need to put out an RFP that tailors the project to the Village’s needs, a request that has been made by Trustee Dave Weber since discussions of the master plan engineering hire began in April.

A resolution to hire Nelson, Pope and Voorhis was first presented to the board on the April 18 agenda, under the recommendation of Master Plan Committee members Mayor Koch, Assistant to the Mayor Donald Tesoriero, Planning Board Chairperson Richard Boziwick, Zoning Board Chairperson Andy Cangemi, and Village Attorney Edward Gathman. All trustees agreed at the time that they weren’t given enough information to move forward with hiring the firm. They have since met for a workshop where they received the proposal documents and more information from the committee, but Trustee Weber continued to ask for an RFP to ensure that every firm was given the same opportunity to be part of the project. The board, however, voted 4-1 (with Weber opposed) to approve the hire on June 6, three weeks before it was rescinded to address state grant requirements pertaining to an RFP.

The board ultimately decided to hold the resolution to reinstate the contract with Nelson, Pope and Voorhis for the master plan. “I honestly don’t know where we stand,” said Mayor Koch. “We’ve been going back and forth with this for three to four months,” she added, noting that she understands the board was unhappy with the process and the committee’s decision to recommend a firm without putting out an RFP. “To push this resolution again just delays the entire process,” Mayor Koch said.

The next board of trustees meeting is Tuesday, August 1 at 6pm in Northport Village Hall, where the board is expected to discuss this matter further.

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The Northport Village Board of Trustees continues to disagree on the future of the Village’s master plan, a project that has been discussed publicly since April.