By Siela A. Bynoe
The 59,000 residents of Hempstead Village are facing major issues that threaten to impede their access to nutritious food and clean water. As the leader of the municipal entity directly responsible for administering social services and preserving the welfare of our residents, I implore Nassau County Executive Bruce A. Blakeman and his administration to work with the coequal Legislative branch and Village officials to address the full magnitude of the challenges these compounding concerns are creating for our shared constituencies.
Hempstead Village was already facing the prospect of a tremendous public health issue after Mayor Waylyn Hobbs confirmed the presence of the emerging contaminant 1,4-dioxane in all of the Village’s drinking water wells. When news later broke that Stop & Shop – the only entity classified as a full-service supermarket currently operating in the Village – planned to close later this year, a dual-pronged threat emerged. It is one that could further exacerbate existing healthcare disparities in a community that has already been designated a food desert by experts and nearly one-sixth of its population under age 65 lacks health insurance.
There are pathways forward for addressing these issues, and County Executive Blakeman and the Legislative branch collectively have a full complement of tools at our disposal. However, a sense of urgency and purpose has been absent from the administration’s response to date.
Recently, I met with officials at the Hempstead Water Works, where I was advised that demolition and site work at the future location of a state-of-the-art water treatment facility could begin immediately – work that could be funded using federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) resources that are currently in the County’s coffers.
In May, Legislator Scott Davis and I requested nearly $1.8 million in ARPA funding from $15 million set aside for legislative initiatives to support the preliminary stage of this massive infrastructure project. Not only will these funds equip the Village to expedite this vital multi-year endeavor, it is important for residents to witness government working together to solve problems – especially as Hempstead Village’s most recent one-year 1,4-dioxane enforcement waiver from the state was set to expire on August 23.
However, the Blakeman administration persists in its refusal to release the money, hiding behind a bureaucratic demand that all funding sources be identified prior to the release of ARPA resources. The excuse is flimsy, as the Village Board voted to authorize a $55 million bond to fund the work while they continue to seek federal and state grants to offset expenses borne by the bond. The $1.8 million Legislator Davis and I requested would be applied toward shovel-ready Phase 1 work that can begin in the immediate future.
During the expected two- to three-year process of building the water treatment plant, the administration should also apply ARPA resources toward funding the distribution of bottled water; providing water filters for homes and businesses; and establishing point-of-use water distribution sites throughout the Village to ensure residents and businesses have access to safe potable water. Direct delivery must also be provided for seniors and individuals with mobility challenges.
Similarly, it behooves County Executive Blakeman, the Legislative branch, and our partners in government to sit with Stop & Shop executives and pursue the continuation of their service to the residents of Hempstead Village. Explorations of a grant drawn from Nassau’s approximately $50 million in remaining ARPA funds, which will be clawed back if not obligated by year’s end, should be on the table.
Collaborating with the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) is another avenue. Consistent with their mission to promote economic development and job growth and advance health and general economic welfare, I previously worked with them to launch a program that offers tax incentives to industries that upgrade their facilities to reduce pollution, conserve water, and generate renewable energy. Based upon the precedent our work established, a similar program of targeted benefits, tailored to aid in the retention of food grocers and prevent the emergence or worsening of food deserts in our County, would be appropriate.
It is clear that the precedents and tools exist to address Hempstead Village’s current challenges and ensure they do not intensify any further. I stand at the ready to work with the County Executive and my colleagues in government to deliver the solutions that are within our reach.
Siela A. Bynoe (D-Westbury), the Nassau County Legislature’s Alternate Deputy Minority Leader, has represented the Legislature’s Second District since 2014.