Tom Cilmi: Probe court award to solar firm

Suffolk County Legis. Tom Cilmi (R-Bay Shore) has requested an investigation regarding a recent federal court ruling to award a solar firm nearly $10.5 million in damages because the county defaulted on its contract to permit solar panels at the Ronkonkoma train station.

“Damages were awarded . . . even exceeding the amount of lease revenue the county was to receive under the . . . contract,” said Cilmi. “Let me repeat . . . when you boil it down, the county’s failure . . . will cost the taxpayers a breathtaking $10.5 million.”

Cilmi in his letter to the county legislature’s government operations committee asked for a “thorough, exhaustive investigation . . . exercising subpoena power, if necessary, to determine who is ultimately responsible for this catastrophic failure of administration.”

Democratic Legis. Rob Calarco (D-Patchogue), committee chairman, agreed it’s “a serious matter,” and said he will talk to Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory about how to proceed.

Calarco said any inquiry may have to be held in executive sessions because the county is seeking to appeal the court ruling and he does not want to hurt the appeal.