Committee approves two controversial Suffolk bills

Two controversial Suffolk bills - giving the police commissioner a five-year term and cutting vouchers for homeless sex offenders - were voted out of committee Thursday, setting up a showdown on both issues at the county legislature Tuesday.

The Public Safety Committee voted 4-2 for a measure that would give a five-year term to embattled Police Commissioner Richard Dormer, but force him to undergo a new confirmation process before lawmakers within six months. The proposal would also give five-year terms to the heads of probation and the fire rescue and emergency services agencies.

Later the Health and Human Services Committee unanimously approved Presiding Officer William Lindsay's proposal ordering Social Services officials to develop a new plan for housing homeless sex offenders within 30 days. Lindsay's plan calls for no more than a single site in any legislative district or any of Suffolk's 10 towns, and none with more than six offenders. It also would bar placements in residential areas.

Legislative officials said the prospects for both bills are uncertain. "I'm cautiously optimistic," said Legis. Jon Cooper (D-Lloyd Harbor), sponsor of the police bill.

"Half the battle is getting out of committee and once it gets to floor anything can happen." Critics who feel Dormer has been uncooperative with lawmakers want to give the commissioner a term to give him more independence from the county executive. The measure also would permit lawmakers not to reconfirm Dormer when his appointment comes up within six months.

Lindsay, a Democrat from Holbrook, said Thursday he has not taken a position on the police bill. Legis. Tom Cilmi (R-Bay Shore) opposed the measure, saying it could handcuff executives with an ineffective commissioner and saddle incoming county executives with leftover appointees of past administrations.

County Attorney Christine Malafi said the Levy administration opposes the bill and contends it cannot be legally implemented because the county charter says the police commissioner serves at the will of the county executive.

Lindsay's sex-offender bill won in committee, despite the opposition of Social Services Commissioner Gregory Blass. Blass earlier this year began to implement a voucher program after an attempt failed to move the 15 to 25 offenders, now housed in trailers in Riverhead and Westhampton, to an industrial area in Babylon after community protests.