Islip supervisor touts 'smarter initiatives,' future projects in State of the Town speech

The Town of Islip is "determined to come back stronger, and with smarter initiatives and projects” as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, Supervisor Angie Carpenter said in her annual State of the Town address.

In her address Monday, Carpenter focused on the town’s successes during 2021, touting its initiatives in combating financial hardships for residents affected by COVID, launching infrastructure improvements and boosting the local economy. 

Looking ahead, the supervisor pointed to new development projects, including the 354-unit apartment complex in Central Islip, a transit-oriented development at the former Touro College in Bay Shore, a $525 million modernization project at Good Samaritan Hospital in West Islip and a $500 million expansion at South Shore University Hospital.

On the economic front, Carpenter touted the Islip Community Development Agency’s initiative in distributing federal emergency rent relief aid for residents. The agency has an additional $9.98 million in federal funding, she said. For homeowners, $2 million from federal funds is available through a mortgage assistance program. Applications for the grants are available on the town's website. 

To help small businesses and nonprofits stay afloat, the town on Monday announced a new business grant program funded by American Rescue Plan Act. A total of $1.5 million is currently available in grants, which can be applied for through the town's website. Additional funding could be available based on demand.

“Through the incredible work of this town, its residents, our town board members and our dedicated commissioners, department heads and their teams, we pulled together,” she said.

In 2021, the town elected a councilman to the newly created District 1, which was formed after the settlement of a federal lawsuit. Jorge Guadrón was elected in November to represent Brentwood, Central Islip and North Bay Shore and was the first Hispanic or Latino council member elected to the board. 

“We certainly embrace this new chapter for the town,” Carpenter said. 

The supervisor highlighted the success of the town's Long Island MacArthur Airport, which saw the addition of Breeze Airways last year. The airport also expanded flights across the country and unveiled a centralized ground transportation center in March. 

The town launched upgrades to modernize services, including an electronic grievance complaint filing system in the Assessor’s Office, creating online form and application processing in the Town Clerk’s Office and revamping its online payment system in the Tax Receiver’s Office, Carpenter said. 

By Brinley Hineman

brinley.hineman@newsday.com

Brinley Hineman covers the Town of Hempstead and the City of Long Beach for Newsday. She previously was a reporter in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a West Virginia native.