Glen Cove council fails to approve $4.9 million borrowing plan for infrastructure

The Glen Cove City Council failed to approve a $4.9 million borrowing plan to fund infrastructure, including a water treatment system to filter toxic chemicals, as well as upgrades to downtown parking garages.

A large chunk of the bond was allocated to the city’s water fund: $905,000 to treat cancer-causing "forever chemicals" at the Seaman Road station and $385,000 to complete the Nancy Court water well system. The plan also earmarked $500,000 for repairs and upgrades to the Brewster Street garage, as well as $100,000 to a garage on Pulaski Street. The plan would also allocate $575,000 for road and drainage improvements throughout Glen Cove.

The plan is $2 million less than last year’s bond, which allotted millions to improve the city's golf course.

During a sometimes-heated meeting Tuesday night, Democratic council members John Zozzaro and Danielle Fugazy Scagliola abstained from voting, arguing the council needed more time to review the plan. Without their votes, the ordinance lacked a supermajority required to approve the spending.    

Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck and councilmen Mike Ktistakis and Kevin Maccarone – all Republicans – voted yes for the bond. Two council members were absent.

Panzenbeck said she was “very disappointed” by the vote. In a text message, she said she expects the council to revisit the borrowing plan at its meeting on May 26.

During the meeting, council members tangled over the timing of the vote.

“It’s $5 million. It’s not $20 of pens,” Zozzaro said at the meeting. “I feel that we should all be afforded the same opportunity of seeing everything presented to us.”

Maccarone asked if Zozzaro sought additional information about the plan since it was presented to the council at a meeting last week. Zozzaro said he asked questions about the plan during that meeting.

“What I’m hearing is there has been no due diligence,” Maccarone said before voting no on a failed attempt to table the bond. “Time is money on this, and there are a lot of projects we have to get done.”

The city also planned to borrow about $730,000 to secure upgrades and equipment for its police department, fire department and EMS units, including an emergency generator for the firehouse, new defibrillators and two new Ford Interceptor patrol vehicles.

The borrowing was also set to cover a $340,000 replacement to the boiler at city hall and $275,000 for a new truck for tree work. The plan also earmarked $331,000 for stormwater infrastructure improvements to address persistent flooding issues.

By Joseph Ostapiuk

joseph.ostapiuk@newsday.com@OstapiukJ