Riverhead Hispanic advisory committee formed: Feb. 4 Town Board meeting wrap-up

Riverhead Town’s first committee focusing on the needs of the town’s Hispanic and Latino communities was formed by the Town Board Tuesday.

The Hispanic Development, Empowerment and Education Committee was formed to “develop and recommend strategies to abate and address the issues related to and necessary to improve quality of life of Hispanic members of the community and build a bridge between the Town government and the Hispanic community to better serve everyone and represent everyone,” according to the resolution passed by the board establishing the committee.

The town appointed the inaugural members of the board when it established the meeting: Alexander Escobar, owner of Cafe Victoria in Tanger Outlets (chairperson); Edgard Mejia, a former Guatemalan diplomat (vice chairperson); Montserrat Ruiz, a dentist and businesswoman; Daniel Sullivan, a businessman and green energy strategist; Annaly Kess, a Riverhead Central School District employee; Gary Vogel; and Pastor Elias Salcedo, founder of New Jerusalem Church in Riverhead. Council Member Ken Rothwell will serve as liaison to the committee.

Some of the committee members attended a work session last month to talk about the formation of the committee. (Read about it here: Riverhead Town forming committee for outreach to Hispanic community) 

Also during its meeting, the Town Board:

• Ratified the approval of a settlement agreement with Canal House, LLC D/B/A “Victorville by the Sea” and Victor Ozeri, to resolve litigation against the company for operating a short-term rental property in Aquebogue. Read about the settlement here.
• Granted an excavation/exportation permit to Cauliflower Square LLC to fill the site on the northwest corner of Old Country Road and Mill Road in preparation for the development of new commercial buildings for restaurants, including a Chick-fil-A and Dunkin’ Donuts.
• Held a hearing for a public water main extension to homes along Forge Road whose private drinking water wells are polluted with contaminants, including the “forever chemicals” PFAS. 
• Authorized the Community Development Department to seek grants to fund the creation of a new skate park in Riverhead. Read about that effort here.
• Authorized legal action in Suffolk County Supreme Court against the owners, tenants and occupants of 1944 Wading River Manor Road in Wading River to “enjoin the illegal use, occupancy and/or maintenance” of the property.
• Set a March 4 public hearing to increase the fee for excavating, exporting or importing material for new development to $3 per cubic yard, from $2 per cubic yard.
• Set a Feb. 19 public hearing on proposed electrical upgrades at Riverhead Water District Plant No. 7 at an estimated cost of $2.35 million.
• Set fire prevention construction and operating permit fees for energy storage facilities.
• Accepted the retirement of longtime Highway Department employee William Renten effective March 1. 
• Accepted the retirement of Kathleen Schroeher, a principal account clerk in the Finance Department , effective Feb. 22.
• Ratified the acceptance of the resignation of Vincent DeFilippis, an accountant in the Finance Department  effective Jan. 29.
• Authorized agreements with five per-diem interpreters for the Riverhead Justice Court.