September 2020 Legislative Round-Up Suffolk County Legislature Approves Historic and Preservation Fleming Sponsors IR 1553 Funds to Restore Third House at Montauk County Park
A Local Law to amend Resolu- At its September 9, 2020 General Meeting, the Suffolk County Legislature unani- tion No. 421-2020 and clarify mously approved Introductory Resolution 1204-20 and a companion bond resolu- its construction with other tion, authorizing the issuance of $500,000 in bond funding to finance the comple- laws. — Adopted tion of the preservation and restoration of historic Third House at Montauk Coun- Fleming Co-Sponsors 1643 ty Park in Montauk. The bills were sponsored by Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming. Approving Amendments to Suffolk County Sanitary Code As requested by Commis- Article 6 to require the use of innovative and alternative on- sioner of Parks, Recreation site wastewater treatment sys- and Conservation Jason tems for new or expanded sin- Smagin, the approved fund- gle-family residences and new ing will be used to complete other construction projects and a restoration of the Third to revise the design capacity of modified Subsurface Sewage House structure that has been Disposal Systems to 30,000 underway since early 2019. gallons per day. —TABLED The funding will permit the Suffolk County Parks De- partment to complete the ef- Upcoming fort with final steps, such as General Meeting the installation of ADA- October 6 compliant restrooms and completion of the flooring 9:30am throughout the building. Ad- Watch the meeting live ditional remaining restoration includes repairs to the walls, ceiling, windows and at doors in the Exhibit Hall. The deck on the east side of the first floor also needs to scnylegislature.us be upgraded for public assembly use. An earlier phase of the restoration project included the installation of a fire sprin- Submit comments via kler system throughout the building and the upgrading and rebuilding of framing email to within the basement level of Third House. These two items were needed in order clerk.legislature@suffolk to bring the building up to New York State code for public assembly. countyny.gov Once the building restoration is complete, the County will issue a request for pro- posals for a concessionaire to operate the site as an event space, with a potential 6- year return on investment for the County, likely to be derived from an annual fee and a percentage of gross revenues. It is anticipated that the County will seek a vendor who may act as an on-site facilitator of operations for the historic structure and grounds and may be required to make additional capital improvements.
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Finishing the restoration of this important part of Suffolk County history will add to Montauk’s many attrac- tive destinations. “I appreciate the support of my colleagues in Suffolk County government who realize the significance of our historical landscape,” Legislator Fleming noted.
The County owns over 200 historic structures and buildings, the preservation of which are significant to the overall history of the local communities and Suffolk County, and seeks to develop public/private partnerships to ensure cost-effective maintenance and use of these magnificent publicly-owned assets. Successful catering operations elsewhere in the County include the Timber Point mansion in Great River and the Chateau at Coin- dre Hall in Huntington. Bidders for the Third House contract will be required to maintain the historic integrity of the structure and grounds, consistent with the careful attention to historic detail which has been a hallmark of the restoration work that will be completed with the funding approved last week.
Legislator Fleming said, “We are pleased to bring an important part of the history of eastern Long Island back to life.” Third House, is the third residence constructed in the 18th century for cattle keepers, who brought cattle to graze in Montauk each summer. Now, Third House is part of the Montauk County Park which also includes camping, hiking, and the Deep Hollow Ranch, the first and oldest cattle ranch in the Unit- ed States.
Support for the project also came from Lake Grove resident, Mr. Kelly Dickinson, whose father, Mr. Frank Dickinson, was the last person to be born at Third House in 1924. Known as Shank, the elder Mr. Dickinson, passed away in 2018 after a career that included nearly three decades as superintendent of State Parks in Montauk and serving in the Air Force during WWII. It was Shank’s grandfather, Phineas Dickinson, Jr., who first raised cattle and horses in Montauk.
“As history buffs, my father shared with us many stories of growing up at Third House. He taught us about the Montaukett Indians and was very fond of Native American art and culture,” explained Mr. Dickinson. With County funding, Third House can be “renovated to its deserving stature, preserving the rich heritage, so it can again be a center for historic learning, environmental exploration, and a chance to view the world through the eyes of a cowboy,” stated Mr. Dickinson. According to the Montauk Historical Society, the present Third House was built in 1806. With is location nearest to the Lighthouse, in 1898 Third House became headquarters for Col. “Teddy” Roosevelt and other officers and veterans who were returning from the Spanish-American War and served as a respite for soldiers who camped on the hills and plains of Montauk to recuperate from wounds and tropical diseases. Third House Nature Center, a 501c3 environmental education organization currently located at Third House, who have been stewards for many years, will continue to maintain offices and operate from the site.
Suffolk County Sherriff’s Office Receives 9/11 Survivor Tree Seedling 19 years ago, a Callery pear tree, limbs broken and bark scarred but still alive, was found on Ground Zero. The tree was rescued from the rubble and placed in the care of the New York City Department of Parks & Rec- reation for rehabilitation. Today the Survivor Tree stands in the Plaza of the 9/11 Memorial, an embodiment of the spirit of resiliency. Each year, three seedlings from the Survivor Tree are given to communities across the globe. This year, the Suffolk County Sherriff’s Office in Riverhead was the recipient of one of those seedlings. “The story of the Survivor Tree—rescued from the rubble of one of the greatest tragedies in modern history and nursed back to health-- is not on- ly one that exemplifies the spirit of resilience; it exemplifies the power of service and community,” said Legislator Fleming.
2 Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming Hosts “Countdown to Be Counted” for the 2020 Census
On Tuesday, September 22, over Zoom, Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming, along with NY State Assemblyman Fred Thiele and Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski, were joined by other elected officials and community leaders to discuss strategies on getting out the count for the 2020 Census.
“This count is only done every ten years, and we need to make this year count,” said Legislator Fleming. Assemblyman Fred Thiele stated, “It is more important than ever that we all do our part to ensure each and every one of us is counted in the 2020 Census. This data determines how much funding our communities receive to support our hospitals, emergency ser- vices, schools and transportation, among many other essential services. The census count also directly deter- mines the number of seats New York State has in the House of Representatives and the make-up of legislative districts at all levels of government. Every person not counted in New York means less funding for the ser- vices we rely upon daily, and less representation in our government. We are all affected by the results of the census, and we must do everything in our power to make sure every New Yorker is counted. The stakes have never been higher.” “It is vitally important for everyone to respond to the census to ensure Suffolk County and the East End get their fair share of federal funding,” said Legislator Al Krupski, who represents parts of eastern Brookhaven and Riverhead and Southold Towns. “I would encourage anyone who hasn’t responded to the Census to visit 2020Census.gov to participate, and do this as soon as possible. Please don’t put it off, it will take less than ten minutes to complete.” “I thank Legislator Fleming for hosting ‘Countdown to be Counted’ with East End elected officials and com- munity leaders,” said Vanessa Baird-Streeter, Deputy County Executive and Chair of the Suffolk County Complete Count Committee. “We are in the final stretch in ensuring an accurate Census count for Suffolk County. We will live with consequences of our action or inaction for the next 10 years. We need everyone to stand up, allow their voice to be heard, and complete the 2020 Census.” Southampton Town Councilmen John Bouvier and Tommy John Schiavoni participated in the Zoom along with Christina Gagliardi, Director of Operations with NY State Senator Monica Martinez. East End school districts were represented and expressed the concerns in achieving an accurate count. Superin- tendents who joined the Zoom included Lars Clemensen of Hampton Bays, Christine Tona of Riverhead, An- thony Mauro of Southold, and Marlon Small of Greenport. Additional contributors on Legislator Fleming’s “Countdown To Be Counted” Zoom included Martha Maffei, Executive Director of SEPA Mujer, and Rebecca Sanin President and CEO of the Health and Welfare Council of Long Island. Both organizations are actively working to ensure Census 2020 count includes all of Suffolk County. Their information can be found at https://www.sepamujer.org/census-2020.html and https:// hwcli.com/work-we-do/coalition-grassroots-organizing/2020-census/ Complete the 2020 Census at https://my2020census.gov/ On Friday September 25 a federal judge ruled to extend the Census Count deadline to October 31, 2020. The federal government is appealing the decision and Commercial Secretary Wilbur Ross announced in a tweet that the count will end October 5.
3 4 5 6 7 It Is Not Too Late To Take The 2020 US Census! Visit 2020Census.gov to learn more about the Census and to get counted!
¡No Es Demasiado Tarde A Completar El Censos de 2020!
¡Visita a 2020Census.gov/es para aprender más y completar el censos en Español!
Feeling stressed by the COVID-19 epidemic? You are not alone. Family Service League’s DASH hotline 631-952-3333 Response of Suffolk County hotline 631-751-7500 NYS COVID-19 Emotional Support Line 1-844-863-9314 LICADD Substance Abuse Hotline 631-979-1700
Office of Legislator Bridget Fleming Suffolk County Legislature
Suffolk County Legislator, 2nd District 725 Veterans Memorial Highway
75 Washington Street Smithtown, NY 11787
Sag Harbor, NY 11963 631-853-4070
631-852-8400 www.scnylegislature.us
www.scnylegislature.Bridget-Fleming
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