Politics plague the Riverhead Town Board as Election Day approaches

The town board work session ended abruptly Thursday after the four Republican members walked out as the board’s lone Democrat, Councilwoman Catherine Kent, who is challenging Supervisor Yvette Aguiar in the Nov. 2 election, attempted to respond to accusations of campaigning during town board meetings and coordinating a political attack with community residents.

Kent requested a work session discussion about the storage of water-damaged vehicles on a runway at the Calverton Enterprise Park by Insurance Auto Auctions, saying she wanted to address community concerns expressed by resident’s at Tuesday’s regular board meeting.

The town got backlash from residents after IAA exercised the option agreement they signed with the town in 2014, allowing the company to store vehicles flooded by Tropical Storm Ida. An electric vehicle caught fire late at night on Sept. 29. The fire spread to four other nearby vehicles.

“I think it’s really good… for the public to hear these things,” Kent said. “We know that the public has concerns, this is exactly why I brought it up today. This is why I’m asking the questions. And hopefully the public will feel better after hearing [the] answers.” 

Echoing complaints and questions raised by members of the public after the fire, Kent expressed concern about potential adverse environmental impacts of the firefighting foam used to extinguish the fire at the site. She asked whether the Department of Environmental Conservation had been to the site to inspect it. 

Many of these questions, however, have been answered by town employees and published in the press, including information about the type of firefighting foam used, known as Class C, which does not contain, or break down into, PFOS or PFOA, according to the DEC. The DEC examined the site on Sept. 20 and said the cars were properly stored. Town officials said they also regularly send their environmental consultant, Jeff Seeman, for random inspections.

Town Attorney Robert Kozakiewicz and town board members grew impatient with Kent’s questions, saying they had already been asked and answered.

“To continue beating this dead horse, to me, and make it redundant, is ridiculous,” Councilman Tim Hubbard said. “All this information has been presented publicly, time and time again. You have somebody out there who’s angry about it and they want to spew these things are not true, then shame on them,” Hubbard said.

Hubbard said accusations at town board meetings from the public that cars on the runway are leaking fluid, as expressed by Manorville resident Kelly McClinchy during Tuesday’s meeting, were fake. He suggested that if people have that kind of information, they are trespassing on town property and could be prosecuted. McClinchy told the board at the meeting she had seen pictures and heard stories of the leaks.

Hubbard also raised the possibility that someone might have been at the runway “tinkering with those vehicles,” even though the Suffolk County Police arson squad ruled the fire not suspicious.

“We know for a fact that somebody tried to get into Island Water Park the other night purporting to be a town employee to do an inspection at nighttime,” Hubbard said. “And my understanding is that person possibly is involved with the Manorville Fire Department,” he said.

“They are,” Aguiar interjected.

“That will not be tolerated,” Hubbard said. “If you want to go out and run like a wild gang, because you’re not happy with how things are going, shame on you — and you’re going to be held accountable. End of story,” Hubbard said.

Reached for comment Friday, McClinchy said she watched the video of the work session on the town’s website and was “actually speechless.” She declined further comment.

The supervisor said the night of the fire she heard on the police scanner that police were “looking for two individuals on Scott Avenue, that night, running.” Scott Avenue is a road inside the EPCAL industrial park.

“I think people want it to become a big park. And that’s it. Let nature take its course,” Aguiar said. “It was given to us for development. And again, this is obviously someone else’s campaign issue. This has got to stop.”

Councilman Ken Rothwell said he shared Hubbard’s concerns and has the same thoughts. “Who’s wandering up there? Who’s taking pictures? When I go up there I go through a security check,” he said. “I have to question the integrity of the comments that were made” at the meeting Tuesday.

“That was all coordinated, the last town board meeting,” Aguiar said. “It was all coordinated and it’s, again, I think it’s political, it is political and in either case, we’re gonna take politics and we’re going to continue with this meeting,” Aguiar said.

“I am going to speak on that right now,” Kent began. “First of all —

Councilman Frank Beyrodt interrupted: “Well, if this doesn’t have to do with our discussion items…” He got up and left the dais.

Hubbard said, “Yeah, I’m going to go too,” he said, rising from his seat. He called the board meeting “a circus.” Rothwell said he agreed, as the supervisor called for “a first and second” to adjourn.

“I am speaking on the issues. So if you have a problem, you have to make things personal and political,” Kent said.

“Nov. 2 can’t come fast enough,” Hubbard said as he left the room, referring to Election Day next Tuesday.