May 10, 2022

Dear Neighbors:

A few updates relating to the seawall.

Last Friday, I had conversations with two members of the US Army Corps of Engineers regarding the condition of the seawall. We discussed the options that are available for short term repairs, long term solutions and how to arrive at the Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA). The BCA is a crucial component needed to apply for State and Federal grants. Town of Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth and I discussed the importance of partnering when applying for State and Federal grants. By partnering with another municipality, Asharoken significantly increases its chances of being awarded grant funding. Supervisor Smyth will be discussing this partnership with the Town Board as well.

On Saturday night, the Village had a strong northeast system come through; the steel sheathing sustained additional damage and a sinkhole developed in the same area. As soon as I saw the damage on Sunday morning, I contacted Congressman Thomas Suozzi, Huntington Supervisor Ed Smyth, NYS Senator Jim Gaughran and NYS Assemblyman Keith Brown alerting them to the new damage. Congressman Suozzi contacted the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers on Sunday morning and arranged to have Thomas Creamer, Chief of Operations of the ACOE, come to Asharoken inspect the seawall on Monday.

Deputy Mayor Pam Pierce and I met with Mr. Creamer on Monday. He made suggestions on how to secure the seawall on a short-term basis. In 2018 the Village and Town partnered to repair a sinkhole. Mr. Creamer suggested that we use the same plan to secure the new sinkhole. Mr. Creamer also began the process of assisting Deputy Mayor Pierce with the specific requests needed for a comprehensive long- term solution through a Congressional subcommittee as well as the ACOE.

In addition, I connected with the Long Island representative for Governor Hochul's office and began the process of coordinating the State and Town to support and assist the Village in repairing the seawall. I also spoke with Town of Huntington Highway Superintendent Andre Sorrentino to ask for his assistance with the sinkhole repair. He said the Highway Department is ready to do whatever it can to make the repair a reality

I appreciate the quick response from Congressman Suozzi, Senator Gaughran, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, and Superintendent Sorrentino. This was crucial to get rolling on a short-term repair. Ultimately, a complete renovation of the seawall is our goal for the residents of Asharoken and the Town of Huntington. As we make progress on the short-term repairs, State and Federal grant applications for funding of planning and design, and the full renovation we will keep you notified.

Sincerely,
Mayor Dr. Gregory Letica

May 5, 2022

Dear Neighbors,

Linda and I would like to wish all of the mothers and grandmothers a very happy Mother's Day. Every day moms are a source of strength, inspiration and happiness in our lives. Thanks for always being there for us. We hope that on Sunday you relax and enjoy your special day.

Here is the Mayor's Report from the May 3rd board meeting. It highlights several important points that occurred during the month of April:

• Mayor's Report: May 3

Happy Mothers Day,
Mayor Dr. Gregory Letica