Suffolk County Legislature General Meeting Tenth Day
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SUFFOLK COUNTY LEGISLATURE GENERAL MEETING TENTH DAY June 21, 2011 Verbatim Transcript MEETING HELD AT THE EVANS K. GRIFFING BUILDING IN THE MAXINE S. POSTAL LEGISLATIVE AUDITORIUM 300 CENTER DRIVE, RIVERHEAD, NEW YORK Verbatim Minutes Taken By: Alison Mahoney & Lucia Braaten - Court Reporters Verbatim Transcript Prepared By: Alison Mahoney & Lucia Braaten/Kim Castiglione - Legislative Secretary (*The meeting was called to order at 9:31 A.M.*) (The following testimony was taken by Alison Mahoney & Transcribed by Kim Castiglione, Legislative Secretary) D.P.O. VILORIA-FISHER: Mr. Clerk, please call the roll. (Roll called by Tim Laube, Clerk of the Legislature) LEG. ROMAINE: Present. LEG. SCHNEIDERMAN: Here. LEG. BROWNING: Here. LEG. MURATORE: Here. LEG. ANKER: Here. LEG. EDDINGTON: Here. LEG. MONTANO: (Not Present) LEG. CILMI: Here. LEG. BARRAGA: Here. LEG. KENNEDY: (Not present) LEG. NOWICK: Here. LEG. HORSLEY: Here. LEG. GREGORY: (Not present) LEG. STERN: Here. LEG. D'AMARO: Here. 2 LEG. COOPER: (Not present) D.P.O. VILORIA-FISHER: Here. P.O. LINDSAY: (Not present) MR. LAUBE: Twelve (ACTUAL VOTE: Thirteen). D.P.O. VILORIA-FISHER: Thank you, Mr. Clerk. There will be a Presentation of Colors by the Mattituck-Southold-Greenport Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps recently named the most outstanding unit in the Northeast United States for the fifth successive year. Applause and Standing Ovation D.P.O. VILORIA-FISHER: The salute to the flag will be led by Legislator Jay Schneiderman. Salutation The invocation will be given by Father Edward Sheridan from Church of Saint Rosalie's Roman Catholic Church in Hampton Bays, a guest of Legislator Jay Schneiderman. LEG. SCHNEIDERMAN: Good morning. I would like to introduce Father Sheridan. Father Sheridan is the Pastor at St. Rosalie's parish in Hampton Bays. It's the largest parish on the East End with 3200 year round families, plus quite a number of seasonal congregants as well. Before joining the seminary, Father Sheridan spent 25 years as an account executive with IBM, then heard the calling that sent him to seminary. He achieved two Master's Degrees, one in theology and one in divinity. He is very active with youth. Let's see, in 2008 he with Pope Benedict attended the, in Austria, the World Youth Day Conference, and this year he is attending World Youth Day in Madrid with a lot of young people from the Hampton Bay's area. I've asked Father Sheridan to offer a blessing for this legislative session today, so here is Father Sheridan. FATHER SHERIDAN: Good morning, everyone. However we pray, let us just be quiet and ask that we might be in the presence of the creator. Lord, let the light of your divine wisdom direct the deliberations of this County Legislature. Let it shine forth in all the proceedings and laws framed for our rule in government here in Suffolk County. May they seek to preserve peace, promote national happiness, local happiness and continue to bring us the blessings of liberty and equality which we hold so dear in these United States. We likewise commend to your unbounded mercy not only the citizens of this County, but of our whole state. We ask for the welfare of all those in our State and in our nation that we may be blessed in the knowledge and sanctified in the observance of your holy law. May we be preserved in union and in that peace which the world cannot give and after enjoying the blessings of this life, be admitted to those which are eternal. We pray to you who our Lord and God forever and ever. Amen. (Amen said in unison) 3 D.P.O. VILORIA-FISHER: Thank you, Father. If you can remain standing for a moment of silence. First for the four victims of a robbery at Haven Drugs in Medford on Sunday. And I understand that this is Legislator Eddington's neighbor, just around the corner from you. Jennifer Mejia, 18, of Medford, a pharmacist assistant who was to graduate Thursday from Bellport High School in Brookhaven and planned to attend Suffolk County Community College; pharmacist Raymond Ferguson, 45, of Centereach; and customers Bryon Sheffied, 71, of Medford, and Jamie Taccetta, 33, of Farmingville. Also, let us remember all those men and women who put themselves in harm's way every day to protect our country. (Moment of Silence Observed) D.P.O. VILORIA-FISHER: Legislator Romaine will present a proclamation to the Mattituck-Southold-Greenport Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps, recently named, as we said before, the most outstanding unit in the Northeast United States for the fifth consecutive year. LEG. ROMAINE: Madam Presiding Officer, colleagues. Not only has the Mattituck-Southold-Greenport Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps been named the most outstanding unit in the Northeast for the fifth consecutive year, they have been named the top NJROTC Unit in the United States, an award that recognizes the unit's overall excellence in the area of school and community leadership, annual inspection results of which I've attended a number of them and been extremely impressed by what I've seen, grill competitions and other achievements. I want to notify also that this corps has achieved this under the leadership of Major Grigonis, who has been an excellent instructor, leader and someone that has molded this corps into the success that it has received. Three of the cadets were notified that they took first, second and third place as the top area cadets. Cadet Battalion Executive Officer Kim Krupski. Kim, where are you? Congratulations. Cadet Commander Billy Goggins. Billy? AUDIENCE MEMBER: He's at Holy Cross. LEG. ROMAINE: He's at Holy Cross. And Cadet Lieutenant Commander Kevin Reyer. Congratulations. And thank you for bringing on our nation's colors to us today so we could do a proper salute to the flag. I have issued a proclamation on behalf of my colleagues commending you on this achievement, and I have Certificates of Merit for the Major. Cadet Reyer, I will give you this for Billy, and Cadet Krupski, and the proclamations. Applause LEG. ROMAINE: Thank you again, and I'll meet you outside in about three minutes. Congratulations. D.P.O. VILORIA-FISHER: Congratulations. And now Legislator Romaine will remain there because he will be presenting a proclamation to the Bishop McGann-Mercy High School Monarchs, 2011 varsity baseball team who captured the Long Island Class C Baseball Championship Title. Applause 4 LEG. ROMAINE: Mercy is a school that I know well. Both of my sons attended Mercy many, many years ago and it is a school that's close to my heart. We're here for a couple of things today for what is now called Bishop McGann-Mercy and we'll start with the baseball team, the Monarchs. They have earned first place in Section Two League A Championship, then they moved on to secure Section Two Suffolk County Class C Championship for the second consecutive year, and finally, the Mercy Monarchs finished the season with an amazing victory when they captured the Long Island Class C Baseball Championship. Guys, congratulations. I have certificates for all of you -- Applause -- which I'm going to give to your coach to hand out, and I have a proclamation from myself and my colleagues honoring your achievements. Thank you again. Applause LEG. ROMAINE: By the way, is the Athletic Director here? And you are getting a certificate for your leadership in this role, and of course the principal, who I know very well. Thanks, guys. Applause I'll see you guys outside. D.P.O. VILORIA-FISHER: And Mercy High School -- Bishop McGann-Mercy High School did very well this year because Legislator Romaine will present a proclamation to the high school's 4 X 400 -- is that what -- LEG. ROMAINE: 4 X 400 meter relay team. D.P.O. VILORIA-FISHER: Okay. LEG. ROMAINE: So if we could get that team up here briefly. Ladies. Applause This proclamation is given to the Bishop McGann-Mercy 4 X 400 meter relay team. The 2011 team finished their season with an amazing victory when they captured the 2011 State Championship. This from a small high school up the road here in Riverhead. We are all so proud of your accomplishments. I have certificates for all of you. And again, I have a proclamation commending you for this outstanding achievement on behalf of your high school and on behalf of Suffolk County. Thank you again. We will see you outside. Applause Thank you so much. Thank you again. Applause 5 D.P.O. VILORIA-FISHER: Congratulations and thank you, Legislator Romaine. Legislator Horsley will present a proclamation to the outgoing Poet Laureate, Tammy Nuzzo-Morgan. LEG. HORSLEY: Hi, Tammy. How are you? Congratulations. Jay, you want to come on up? Jay is your Legislator. Good morning, everybody, and this is a distinct pleasure to honor Tammy Nuzzo-Morgan, who is our Poet Laureate. She is concluding her term, and I just wanted to commemorate it with the note that she did a wonderful job. She was out there producing programs for the entire County. She brought the level of poetry to a new level, and that's what the Poet Laureate is expected to do and you certainly reached all those expectations that we had for you. When -- Tammy, I don't know if you knew, she's been published often, she is an adjunct professor, she is getting her MBA and published routinely in many, many books and the like, but more than that she brought the poetry of Suffolk County to the people and that's -- she's brought light to us during sad times and during those good moments she emphasized what was appropriate.