Hempstead deserves solutions, leadership from Blakeman

The 59,000 residents of the Village of Hempstead are facing major issues that threaten to impede their access to nutritious food and clean water. As the leader of the municipal entity directly responsible for administering social services and preserving the welfare of our residents, I implore Nassau County Executive Bruce A. Blakeman and his administration to work with the coequal legislative branch and village officials to address the full magnitude of the challenges these compounding concerns are creating for our shared constituencies.

Hempstead was already facing the prospect of a tremendous public health issue after Mayor Waylyn Hobbs confirmed the presence of the emerging contaminant 1,4-dioxane in all of the village’s drinking water wells. When news later broke that Stop & Shop — the only full-service supermarket currently operating in the village — planned to close later this year, a dual-pronged threat emerged. It is one that could further exacerbate existing health care disparities in a community that experts have already designated a food desert, and where nearly one-sixth of the population under age 65 lacks health insurance.

There are pathways forward for addressing these issues, and Blakeman and the Legislature collectively have a full complement of tools at our disposal. However, a sense of urgency and purpose has been absent from the administration’s response to date.

I recently met with officials at the Hempstead Water Works, where I was advised that demolition and site work at the future location of a state-of-the-art water-treatment facility could begin immediately — work that could be funded using federal American Rescue Plan Act resources that are currently in the county’s coffers.

In May, Legislator Scott Davis and I requested nearly $1.8 million in ARPA funding from $15 million set aside for legislative initiatives to support the preliminary stage of this massive infrastructure project. Not only will these funds equip the village to expedite this vital multi-year endeavor, but it is important for residents to witness government working together to solve problems — especially as Hempstead’s most recent one-year dioxane enforcement waiver from the state is set to expire on Friday.

During the expected two- to three-year process of building the water-treatment plant, the administration should also apply ARPA resources to funding the distribution of bottled water; providing water filters for homes and businesses; and establishing point-of-use water distribution sites throughout the village to ensure that residents and businesses have access to safe, potable water. Direct delivery must also be provided for seniors and those with mobility challenges.

Similarly, it behooves Blakeman, the Legislature and our partners in government to sit with Stop & Shop executives and pursue the continuation of their service to the residents of Hempstead. Explorations of a grant drawn from Nassau’s roughly $50 million in remaining ARPA funds, which will be clawed back if not obligated by year’s end, should be on the table.

Collaborating with the Nassau County Industrial Development Agency is another avenue. Consistent with its mission to promote economic development and job growth and advance health and general economic welfare, I previously worked with the agency to launch a program that offers tax incentives to industries that upgrade their facilities to reduce pollution, conserve water and generate renewable energy. Based on the precedent our work established, a similar program of targeted benefits, tailored to aid in the retention of food grocers and prevent the emergence or worsening of food deserts in our county, would be appropriate.

It is clear that the precedents and tools exist to address Hempstead’s current challenges and ensure they do not further intensify. I stand at the ready to work with the county executive and my colleagues in government to deliver the solutions that are within our reach.

Siela A. Bynoe represents Nassau County’s 2nd Legislative District and is the Legislature’s alternate deputy minority leader.