Haber Challenges Suozzi, Sewage Plant Privatization

Earlier this week, Adam Haber announced he will be challenging Tom Suozzi to 18 debates across Nassau County.

“Nassau families are ready for a change and taxpayers deserve to hear from the Democratic candidates for County Executive,” said Haber. "Eighteen debates, three per month until the Democratic Primary, would help lay out the different visions Tom Suozzi and I have for Nassau County.”

Haber, a Democrat, is a Roslyn School Board member, community activist and entrepreneur, who is "running to create a fresh start for Nassau."

Cosmos Release Video of New Stadium Concept

The New York Cosmos soccer club released a video this week of its proposed new stadium near the Belmont Racetrack. Click here to watch the conceptual video.

NYLCV Calls For Private Operator to Run County's Sewage Treatment Infrastructure

The New York League of Conservation Voters (NYLCV), which works to make the environment a top political priority in New York State, has announced its support for a private operator to run Nassau County’s troubled sewage treatment infrastructure, including the much troubled Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant.

The statewide environmental organization also announced its support for appropriate financing to update and repair critical infrastructure to achieve environmental compliance and protect the health of Long Islanders.

Hurricane Sandy inflicted serious damage to Nassau County’s waste water infrastructure, particularly the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant, causing the release of hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated and partially treated sewage into Long Island’s Western Bays. While Sandy may have exposed the system’s weaknesses, many of its problems predate the storm and underscore a lack of investment that has lasted for decades.

“With a minimum of 119 violations in five years, the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant is the single worst threat to water quality on Long Island. But more than that, it puts the health of our residents and the very future of our region at risk,” said Michael Posillico, chair of NYLCV’s Long Island Chapter. “... Nassau County, by its own admission, has not kept up pace with required investments, best practices or personnel training, resulting in acute environmental degradation."

According to the NYLCV, new research shows that even before Hurricane Sandy, 95 percent of total nitrogen in the Western Bays originated from sewage treatment plants, with 85 percent from the Bay Park Sewage Treatment Plant alone. Bay Park discharges some 58 million to 65 million gallons of treated sewage a day into the bays every day.

Appellate Court Denies Nassau Repeal of County Tax Guarantee

The state Appellate Division Court has overturned a Supreme Court ruling which would have passed a portion of Nassau County’s property tax settlements onto local municipalities, including school districts.

The unanimous decision handed down by the four judges declared that Nassau’s attempt at repealing its county guarantee was unconstitutional based on the fact that a special state law created the measure in 1948 and another such special measure would have to be adopted by the state in order to repeal.

Click here to read more on the decision.

County Launches "Nassau Works"

Earlier this week, the county launched a free job finding application – Nassau Works - that notifies job seekers of job opportunities. Powered by TweetMyJobs, the platform provides a comprehensive and integrated social and mobile job solution that connects job seekers and employers.

This new platform is offered to County businesses for free - as to help reduce their recruiting costs and ensure they gain access to qualified candidates. One of the largest databases of available jobs on the Internet, Nassau Works also includes a one-of-a-kind augmented reality feature that allows seekers to view job openings in the geographic proximity of their smartphone.