By Joseph D’Andrea

It wasn’t on the agenda and Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena at first questioned its relevance to “town business,” but Congressman George Santos dominated the discussion of the Town of North Hempstead last Thursday nonetheless. 

Several residents pressured DeSena to answer questions regarding her relationship with the controversial congressman prior to and during this past election, with others asking for action to be taken to ensure his resignation and removal from office.

“[This board has] called loudly for investigators to keep investigating,” DeSena said. “There are several investigations open … it is in the hands of Congress now; this is a federal issue. Believe me, I appreciate your frustration, I share your frustration, your disappointment and your disgust. I have been very clear about that. We as a town board cannot do anything more, other than serve the very best we can.”

Although the topic was initially dismissed by DeSena because of a lack of relevance to “town business,” it was ultimately decided by the board to be of significant importance to residents of the Town and deserving of discussion. 

Despite Santos’ remarks claiming he will not resign, residents remained adamant about expressing the need for some sort of action by the Town board, as very few attendees had faith that Santos is capable of carrying out his responsibilities as representative of New York’s 3rd Congressional District. “We’re not getting represented in Congress now,” one concerned resident said. 

DeSena has been critical of Santos and joined other Nassau County Republican officials in calling for him to resign last week. The recently elected congressman has been heavily scrutinized and criticized for lying about his personal and professional background.

Claims of working for Wall Street companies, graduating from a pair of New York schools and having a Jewish heritage have been proven to be untrue. Santos’ campaign finances and donations received during a successful election year campaign against Democrat Robert Zimmerman have also raised eyebrows.

The Republican’s connection to extremist groups and far-right officials, such as fellow U.S. Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz, have resulted in condemnation from Democrats throughout the nation. Local officials and 3rd District residents have been the most vocal in bashing Santos for the blatant lies he has committed.

Port Washington Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte of the 6th CD spoke to the residents’ desire to rebuild trust in government officials, saying, “I’d like to state that I called for Santos to resign before he was sworn in … and I did that before he was sworn in so we would not have to be dealing with this mess right now. I wish that everybody did that before he was sworn in, but you are the residents that I represent and if you have an issue, just like when there’s an issue on something else, I would like to hear from you.”

It became clear that after these first 30 minutes of the meeting, as well as the last roughly 45 minutes, which also consisted of public comments, that pressing Santos to resign was the primary issue in the minds of the dozens of residents who attended—those living in the 3rd District or elsewhere.

Other issues raised by residents included passionate rescuers seeking the Town of North Hempstead’s support for a cat shelter, as well as the request for continued support of Project Independence’s work in aiding seniors looking to live independently.

Among the 17 items on the board’s agenda for the evening was a resolution allowing an agreement with N&P Engineering, Architecture and Land Surveying, PLLC for the replacement of track and turf fields at Michael J. Tully Park in New Hyde Park.

“As most everyone knows,” said Councilman Peter J. Zuckerman of the 2nd District, “Tully Park offers residents a wide array of recreational amenities. Tonight we are voting to completely revamp and enhance that turf field. Tully is open to all Town residents and this upgrade will certainly mean a lot to the community. Although this particular park is not in my district, I have to say that I’m quite excited by the fact of what we’re doing here tonight, and I wholeheartedly vote ‘aye.’” All present board members voted in favor of the resolution. 

Another notable item was yet another agreement to be made with N&P, this proposition allowing for services to be made to Town Dock restrooms in Port Washington.

Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte briefly spoke on the matter: “Town Dock provides residents with an absolutely beautiful view in Manhasset Bay.  It’s a perfect place to go boating or fishing, the home to concerts, and our farmer’s market that’s every Saturday … with shops and restaurants nearby, and a great location to watch the sunset. Since [I’ve been in office in] January 2020, I’ve been advocating for these bathrooms to be redone. They are in disrepair, and I’m so happy that this resolution is on the agenda. I wanted everyone to know that we are going to be hiring an engineer to look at redoing these bathrooms so that the public can enjoy.”

Town of North Hempstead President and Safety Coordinator Tom McDonough stressed the need to “stay consistent” in hiring full-timers in his and others’ departments. The item itself concerns “the employment, appointment, transfer, adjustment, correction, change in grade or salary and/or termination” of certain individuals in various departments of the Town, and for them to be subject to the completion of any necessary “paperwork and civil service approval and are subject to the rules and regulations.” The resolution received united ‘ayes’ from the board.

The remaining 14 items all received unanimous votes in favor of their resolutions from Supervisor DeSena and the five present council members. Five of the six council members on the board attended, with Councilman Dennis J. Walsh of the 3rd District absent from the meeting.