Smithtown Town Board Regular Meeting – January 6, 2026

The Smithtown Town Board held a regular meeting on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at 2:00 PM in the Victor T. Liss Board Room. All five board members were present: Supervisor Edward R. Wehrheim, Councilman Thomas J McCarthy, Councilwoman Lynne C. Nowick, Councilwoman Lisa M. Inzerillo, and Councilman Thomas Lohmann Sr. The meeting covered adoption of the 2026 capital budget, multiple fee amendments for public hearings, consent agenda items, personnel actions, and a lengthy public comment on property taxes and school spending.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes Approval: Approved minutes from December 18, 2025.
• Comptroller Items: Accepted two $600 escrow checks for landscaping (119 Whittier Drive, Kings Park and 5 Young Court, Nesconset).
• Resolutions (all adopted unanimously):
  • Agreement with seven banks as official depositories for 2026.
  • 2026 Investment Policy.
  • Adoption of 2026 Capital Budget with proposed funding sources.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Mark Brady (Hauppauge resident and self-employed business owner in Smithtown): Expressed extreme frustration over rising property taxes. He stated his Hauhauppauge school taxes increased 7%, with a $52.2 million renovation project, and noted his school taxes went from $2,200 to over $12,000. He questioned how the town will retain elderly and young residents, citing businesses leaving and vacant storefronts. He advocated for eliminating property taxes, citing examples in Florida and Ohio, and urged the board to engage with school districts and business owners. He also criticized school district waste, citing a federal audit that uncovered $5.2 million in Hauppauge schools. He requested the board relay his concerns to state and federal officials.
• Supervisor Wehrheim responded: He agreed with the resident’s concerns and explained that the town kept its tax increase to about $3 per week per average home (under the 2% cap) to maintain services. He attributed rising costs to unfunded state mandates (e.g., 8% health insurance increases, pension contributions). He noted that 11 cents of every tax dollar goes to the town, 63 cents to school districts, and the rest to county, fire, and library. He encouraged residents to attend school board meetings and promised to bring the resident’s suggestion for federal audits of school districts to Congressman LaLotta. The resident provided his email for follow-up.

Discussion Items

No separate discussion items were debated; all agenda items were voted on en masse as consent or routine resolutions.

Key Outcomes

• Public Hearings Scheduled: Unanimously authorized advertisements for four public hearings on January 22, 2026, at 2:00 PM to consider fee amendments to:
  • Chapter 322 (Zoning – Board of Appeals fees) – e.g., certificate of existing use from $1,650 to $1,700; area variance from $550 to $600.
  • Chapter 138 (Dredging fees) – application fee from $100 to $250; deposit per cubic yard from $0.10 to $1.00; minimum payment per cubic yard from $0.35 to $1.00; dam/dock hearing fee from $50 to $500.
  • Chapter 285 (Trees) – application fee from $100 to $200; penalty per tree from $100-$500 to $500-$2,500.
  • Chapter 112 (Building Construction fees) – numerous increases, e.g., residential gas pressure test $112 to $115, commercial plumbing $275 to $290 for first two fixtures, demolition of accessory structure $75 to $100.
• SEQRA Negative Declaration: Unanimously issued a negative declaration for the 2026 Capital Budget, deeming no environmental impact statement necessary.
• Bids and RFPs Authorized:
  • Bid #26-004 for disposal of construction and demolition debris (due January 29, 2026, 11:00 AM).
  • RFP #26-003 for parking violation software and collection services (due January 22, 2026, 4:00 PM).
• Contract Approvals:
  • Ratified agreements with PSEG Long Island for curb restoration reimbursements (two resolutions, one for a general agreement and one for $189,239.34).
  • Extended Bid #24-071 for urban forestry management with The Roxy Group through Dec 31, 2026.
  • Extended Bid #23-085 for emergency board-up services with Provide Restoration through Jan 31, 2027.
  • Approved 2026 Procurement Policy and Pre-Qualified List of Professional Services Consultants.
  • Approved 2026 List of Authorized Work Shoe Providers.
  • Amended lease with Celebrate St. James for Calderone Theater.
  • Waived $1,775 environmental review fee for Smithtown Fire District site plan #25-23.
  • Ratified 2026 insurance applications and awarded insurance coverage to Schaefer Insurance Services, Inc.
  • Approved fee amendments to Chapter 151 (Environmental and Coastal Quality Review) – e.g., residential consistency review from $275 to $300, non-residential from $550 to $660; various preliminary assessment fee increases.
  • Authorized contracts with Suffolk County: CSE Home Maintenance Repair Program (up to $45,000) and Nutrition Program for the Elderly (up to $475,378) for 2026.
• Amended Consistency Determination: Unanimously issued an amended written consistency determination for Nissequogue River Dredging (Coastal Consistency Review #2025-18A) consistent with the Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan, subject to conditions.
• Grants and Leases:
  • Authorized supervisor to sign NYSDEC Zero Emissions Vehicle Infrastructure Grant ($161,130.00) via NYS Financial System.
  • Extended lease for Caretaker's Cottage at Sweetbriar Farm Nature Preserve with Kathleen and David Albrecht through Jan 31, 2026.
• Personnel Actions (all approved unanimously):
  • Part-time appointment of Donald Lynch as Fire Marshal I ($29.91/hr, effective Jan 7, 2026).
  • Part-time appointment of Kenneth Bernardini as Audio Visual Production Specialist ($22.91/hr, effective Jan 14, 2026).
  • Seasonal reappointment of Grace Smith as Student Intern II ($16.00/hr, Jan 7-20, 2026).
  • Return from unpaid medical leave for Employee #008602 (Parks, Building and Grounds, effective Jan 7, 2026).
  • Rescinded Resolution #2025-1179 (adopted Dec 2, 2025).
• Meeting Adjourned: Unanimously closed at approximately 2:50 PM.