New Year, Busy New Town Supervisor

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By Connor Beach
cbeach@longislandergroup.com

While many Huntington Town Hall workers returned back Tuesday from the long weekend to business as usual, the New Year brought with it a change in the town supervisor’s office.

While the green walls of his office were still bare, Supervisor Chad Lupinacci on his first day on the job brought with him a Bible. It was placed on his desk at the new supervisor met with members of the media.

“This is the Bible I’m going to be taking the oath on tonight,” Lupinacci said, “it’s one my grandfather’s Bibles that came from Italy.”

The state assemblyman added that he swore on the very same Bible in 2013, when he assumed his previous post.

Next to the Bible was a small, white elephant -- a gift, he said, left by his predecessor, Frank Petrone, as a token of good luck.

“Supervisor Petrone and his staff were very good during the transition,” Lupinacci said, adding that Deputy Supervisor Patricia DelCol agreed to stay on in the position. “Little by little each day you learn more. It’s a good opportunity and a good challenge.”

Lupinacci, dressed in his usual suit and tie, exuded a sense of excitement when discussing the new job. His only complaint was that the desk is a little too small.

“It’s very exciting in terms of the challenges that lie ahead,” Lupinacci, who stands at 6-foot-6, said. “I think now that I’m occupying the office you are going to see a seamless transition.”

Lupinacci mapped out his top priorities for his first three months in office: enact term limits; ensure town staff positions are filled; address the need for a Huntington village parking structure; make town hall more accessible for residents; and reestablish a two town board meetings-per-month policy, which he and the council members later enacted at Wednesday’s town board meeting.

Lupinacci also discussed working with his town board colleagues to appoint both a new town attorney and deputy town attorney. The board later ultimately appointed Nicholas Ciappetta to the town attorney position and Daniel Martin as deputy town attorney.

After the meeting with the media, Lupinacci then geared for Tuesday night’s inauguration ceremony, which was hosted at his alma mater Walt Whitman High School.

Town Clerk Jo-Ann Raia presented the supervisor’s chain of office to Lupinacci, the first person to receive it since 1993, as he was sworn in as Huntington’s 80th supervisor.

Suffolk Supreme Court Judge David Reilly administered the oath of office as Lupinacci’s parents Sal and Susan held the Bible that sat on the supervisor’s desk just hours before.

In his inaugural address to a packed house, Lupinacci stated his policy agenda, including further initiatives like an increased social media presence; “new policies that will streamline the approval process in the building department;” and “building a parking garage in Huntington village.”

He continued, “While I believe the voters gave me the mandate for a new direction, I also understand and value the importance of compromise and working together to solve problems. That is what a new direction is all about… meeting the needs and addressing the desires of all our residents.”

Yesterday afternoon’s town board meeting Lupinacci was able to put pen to paper on some of the policies that he touted the day before.

Back at town hall for Wednesday’s board meeting, Lupinacci touted newly-appointed Town Attorney Nicholas Ciappetta.

“He’s very familiar with municipal budgeting and he knows the issues that are at bay, so I think he has had a good interaction not only with the very complex legal system, but also with members of the community,” said Lupinacci. He sponsored the resolution appointing Ciappetta, and it was seconded by Councilman Gene Cook.

In the wake of his first meeting, through which Lupinacci appeared attentive, especially when members of the public addressed the board, he said, “It’s just been a joyous first meeting here.

He added, “It’s been a pleasure to work along with all my colleagues.”

Lupinacci also joked that he never had the chance to chair a meeting in his former roles as a South Huntington School Board member, and with the state Assembly. But that’s since changed with the new role.

His second board meeting at the helm of the Town of Huntington is slated for Tuesday, Jan. 23, 7 p.m. at Huntington Town Hall.