Sitting in the North Hempstead town supervisor’s seat at the town board meeting on Tuesday, July 1, was a different face as Deputy Town Supervisor Joseph Scalero filled Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena’s place in her absence.
The North Hempstead Town Board approved various agreements for services throughout the town in a meeting lasting less than 30 minutes, atypical compared to its consistent multi-hour meetings.
Scalero, although leading the meeting in the same fashion as DeSena, was present on the board as a non-voting member.
DeSena was said to be absent due to being out of town.
“This has happened once before in my tenure,” Scalero said.
Under state law governing towns, if a town supervisor is not present, the deputy supervisor steps in as a non-voting member to preside over a meeting.
Town Council Member Robert Troiano was also not present for the meeting.
Despite a few hiccups in procedure under its new temporary head, the town board of five members unanimously approved all the items on the agenda through a sweeping consent agenda vote that included all items on the agenda except the personnel changes.
No board discussion was held for any of the agenda items.
Among the agreements approved was a $10,000 contract with Steward Preservation Service for gravestone restoration at the Monfort Cemetery, of which $5,000 is being provided by the Cow Neck Historical Society, extending its law providing coverage for volunteer firefighters injured in the line of duty, and a $15,600 to replace the kiddie pool liner at Clinton G. Martin Park.
What was typical of the meeting was the public comment of the group of self-proclaimed cat people who advocate for a cat shelter at every single town board meeting. The group is also present protesting in front of the town hall before every meeting, and this Tuesday was done despite the rain.
The Town of North Hempstead operates an animal shelter, yet it only accepts the intake of dogs. It has established a trap-neuter-release program, which provides spay and neuter services for stray and feral cats to combat the issue of stray cats.
The individuals, who are all involved in local rescues of stray cats, continued their pleas for a cat shelter and cited years of inaction by the town administration.
Stuart Kroll, who leads the advocacy, urged the town to apply for grant funding to establish a cat shelter. He said grant funding has also gone towards the dog shelter, including last year to improve the facility’s HVAC system.
“It is disgraceful and prejudicial towards cats and their voting owners, not one dollar has ever been utilized from this grant money to help cats,” Kroll said. “… This is not simply a matter of right or wrong, it’s also a matter of political will.”
