Hempstead Village seeking federal pandemic funds for new water treatment plant

Nassau County Democrats are crying foul over how the Republican majority in the county legislature is divvying up $15 million in federal pandemic funds for local projects, including a funding request for a water project in Hempstead Village.

The issue has simmered for months after the Nassau Legislature approved using American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funds for local initiatives, including water projects in Republican districts, while a funding request for a water project in Hempstead Village, represented by Democrats, has gone nowhere, Democratic lawmakers said. 

“We're asking for the same treatment,” Nassau Legis. Scott Davis said at the June 24 legislature meeting.

The American Rescue Plan Act is a COVID-19 pandemic stimulus bill Congress approved in 2021. Long Island municipalities received more than $1 billion and funds must be allocated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.

Davis told lawmakers the legislature had approved or were about to approve $4 million in ARPA funds for initiatives advanced by the Republican majority, but Democrats said Republicans have refused to call any of their requests, totaling $3 million, for a hearing. 

Republicans hold a 12-7 majority in the legislature and control the legislative calendar and decide which bills are considered for approvals. Legislative majority spokeswoman Mary Studdert did not immediately return a call for comment Monday about whether the Democrats' request for Hempstead would make it to the floor for a vote. 

Davis and Legis. Siela A. Bynoe, whose districts include parts of the village, are seeking $1.7 million in funds for a new water treatment facility expected to cost $55 million. 

“We have asked for a written and transparent method of obtaining these funds," Davis said. "We were assured that we would be given it. We're in June. We have not received it.”

County spokesman Chris Boyle emailed a statement June 28 saying the county is waiting to see what federal and state funding Hempstead will get. 

“The Village of Hempstead is seeking federal and state funding for its capital plan and since any extension of funds is not reimbursable, the county is waiting to see what funds the federal and state governments have allocated to this project before committing county taxpayer dollars,” Boyle said.

At the June 24 meeting, the legislature approved two ARPA grants for the Great Neck Water Pollution Control District totaling $725,000 for the installation of security cameras, construction of a laboratory and an engineering study concerning wastewater, according to the adopted resolutions. Legislators also approved $300,000 in ARPA grants for the Hicksville Water District to offset an increase in expenses caused by the pandemic, according to the resolution. On March 25, the legislature approved $1 million to help pay for an approximately $18 million clean water project in Farmingdale, according to the resolution.

At its May 21 meeting, the Hempstead village board approved borrowing $55 million to pay for a new water treatment facility to meet tighter state water standards for “emerging contaminants” including 1,4-dioxane.

Republican Legis. John R. Ferretti Jr., who represents Farmingdale, responded to Davis at the June 24 meeting on behalf of the village water project, saying ARPA money was awarded to the project in his district because its state and federal funding had already been settled.

“The difference between the two submissions, requests for money, is that there’s a defined amount that village has to cover in Farmingdale,” Ferretti said at the meeting.

“There’s no ambiguity," he said." The state is providing X, the feds are providing Y. This is the difference.”

Farmingdale Mayor Ralph Ekstrand said in an interview the amount of state and federal aid the village will get remains uncertain.

The village has applied for three state grants totaling $10.6 million, two federal grants totaling $9.5 million and one ARPA grant totaling $1 million to build three water plants, Ekstrand said. Of those applications, the mayor said, the village has been approved for two state grants and the ARPA grant through Nassau County. The village applied for a third state grant in June and expects to learn the fate of the federal grant applications — applied for through the offices of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) — in January, Ekstrand said.

“If we get all the grants with the full money, it [the project] would be pretty close to being totally paid for by the … grants,” Ekstrand said. “Between the Senate and Congress we asked for $9.5 million, they may give us $5 million or $6 million.” 

“We’re a long way from January,” Ekstrand said. 

Ekstrand said costs are expected to increase beyond the initial estimate to as much as $22 million and the grants the village has applied for total $21.1 million.

Suozzi said in an interview last month he’s applied for federal grants for the Farmingdale water district and other water districts but the grants have to go through the federal budget process. Suozzi said he expects to know by January if Farmingdale will be awarded the funding he's seeking in the federal budget.

Hempstead Mayor Waylyn Hobbs Jr. said in an interview the village’s grants applications were made for “a portion of the project” that will address contaminants including 1,4-dioxane.

“We’re trying to get assistance from our state and federal and local agencies ... which would be a relief on the taxpayers of the village of Hempstead,” Hobbs said.

Hobbs said the county should approve the ARPA funds for Hempstead.

“They’ve already done it for other municipalities,” Hobbs said.

According to a 2022 drinking water report provided by the village, 1,4-dioxane levels were measured as high as 10.6 micrograms per liter. State regulations set the limit at 1 microgram per liter, Newsday previously reported.

State health department spokeswoman Erin Clary in May said, "The delivered water in the Village of Hempstead does not pose a significant health risk and continues to be acceptable for all uses."