Nassau capital plan funds NICE Bus charging stations, NCC upgrades 

A $1.7 billion capital plan that includes electric charging stations for NICE buses, upgrades to Nassau Community College buildings and resurfacing of about 170 miles of roads in Nassau County cleared three county legislative committees Monday. 

The vote was unanimous in each of the committees — Public Works, Finance and Rules — with legislators withholding discussion until the next meeting of the full, 19-member legislature on Nov. 21, which will include a public comment period.

The capital plan funds current projects and about 40 new initiatives still in the planning and design stages through 2025. The capital plan funds a total of 388 projects.

It is the first major public works spending plan submitted by the administration of Bruce Blakeman, a Republican, who took office Jan. 1. 

"The Capital Plan passed unanimously by legislative committees today prioritizes repaving roads, bolstering public safety, and updating our critical infrastructure, all without raising taxes," Blakeman said in a statement Monday.

"My administration will continue to make smart investments that will improve residents' quality of life and protect their wallets," Blakeman said. 

Among the new capital projects is construction of an electric charging and maintence infrastructure for the NICE bus fleet.

A battery charging station is expected to be completed at the end of 2024, in time for delivery of eight to 10 electric vehicles at the beginning of 2025.

The county also will develop a multiyear plan to convert its fleet of 3,400 buses to electric. 

At NCC, the county will upgrade kitchen facilities for the college's Culinary Arts program in two phases.

In addition to renovating the dining room and ballroom, the plan funds construction of two commercial kitchens.

Also Monday, the Rules Committee approved a $3.5 million contract for an “on-call labor and employment counsel” contract with Mineola-based law firm Bee Ready Fishbein Hatter & Donovan LLP. 

The firm's senior partner, Peter Bee, is a Republican representative to the county's Temporary Districting Advisory Commission, which is charged with recommending new district maps for the Nassau County Legislature.

The vote to hire the law firm was 4-3 along party lines, with Democrats voting no. The agreement would end on June 20, 2027.

Presiding Officer Richard Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park) said the contract resembles an agreement former County Executive Laura Curran, a Democrat, had sought to handle labor negotiations. 

Curran tried unsuccessfully tried to win legislative approval to hire attorney Gary Dellaverson to handle the county's labor negotiations for $25,000 per month.

The Nassau Interim Finance Authority, Nassau's financial control board, wound up hiring Dellaverson to provide advice on county labor contracts at the same fee rate in December 2019 — a move that angered Republican lawmakers.

Legis. Kevan Abrahams (D-Freeport), the minority leader, in a statement accused majority Republicans of approving, “an overly broad, multimillion-dollar contract that has every appearance of a sweetheart deal for a politically connected vendor.”

By Candice Ferrette

candice.ferrette@newsday.comcandiceferrette

Candice Ferrette covers Nassau County government and politics on Long Island. She has been a reporter at Newsday since 2011.