New carpet for North Hempstead supervisor's suite, conference rooms, sparks feud

The latest spat involving the divided North Hempstead Town Board was not over proposed legislation, a political appointee or a change in town code.

It was over a blue carpet. 

Board meetings often devolve into shouting matches pitting the Democratic council members against the Republican ones. The carpet kerfuffle was the latest outgrowth of the tension that looms over town hall, which Republicans took control of this year for the first time in more than three decades. 

On Oct. 1, the subject du jour was a $15,300 contract to replace carpet in the town supervisor's suite, as well as in two conference rooms. All Democrats voted against it. Republicans called it routine maintenance for the town hall building in Manhasset. 

One of the conference rooms has "stains all over it," North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena, a Democrat who caucuses with Republicans, said at the meeting. 

And the carpet in her office suite is "comprised of typical blue carpet squares that were laid down directly without floor prep or padding by the building's facilities team, not professional installers," town spokesman Umberto Mignardi said in a statement. The town declined to provide a more detailed physical description of the carpets. The carpet in the supervisor's suite was last updated at least 10 years ago, Mignardi said.

The vote was 4-3.

Republican council members Ed Scott, Dennis Walsh and David Adhami voted with DeSena to approve the contract with Albertson-based Designers North Carpet and Home Inc. The Democrats — Mariann Dalimonte, Christine Liu and Robert Troiano — opposed.

Dalimonte said the town should first purchase a new sound system for broadcasting town board meetings.

"That's a lot of money," Dalimonte said of the carpeting expense.

"It’s about spending the money and using it where it’s going to affect everyone," Dalimonte said. The sound system is an issue that needs fixing, she said. "I don’t have to be getting texts, ‘I can’t hear you.’ ‘Speak up.’ I mean, we get that all the time."

DeSena agreed that the town should purchase a new sound system. But she insisted the new carpets were part of "maintaining the building." The council members’ offices were recently painted, she said.

Democrats have been sparring with DeSena since 2022, when she began her first term. Republicans won a majority on the town board in the November 2023 elections.

On her first day in office, DeSena emailed Democratic council members and their aides to rearrange their office space to include the new Republicans. Democrats had shuffled the space and relocated Republican council members' offices near the supervisor's suite. Democrats denied her request. 

Republicans defended the carpet upgrades.

Carpeting had not been installed "in a normal way," DeSena said during the board meeting. "It was just tile glued down to the floor, and so there is no padding. This is a basic improvement to the building. It’ll last 15 years."

DeSena said the town went to measure to install new carpeting in the council members' offices, but Dalimonte "told them not to."

Dalimonte disputed that and said she relayed that she didn't "need carpet in my office; my office is absolutely fine."

But Scott used Italian American slang to describe the carpeting in his office. Asked by DeSena to translate, Scott said: “It’s not good.”

He added of the supervisor's suite: "The carpeting, when our constituents come in and they look at it, it doesn’t speak nice on the town," Scott said. "I like the idea that we're getting a new carpet — I need it."

Still, DeSena said board members' offices could be renovated: "The offer is there."

By Joshua Needelman

joshua.needelman@newsday.com

Joshua Needelman covers the Town of North Hempstead for Newsday. A Long Island native and University of Maryland graduate, his work has appeared in publications including The New York Times and The Washington Post.