Smithtown Officials to Borrow $5.5 Million

Smithtown town officials will move forward with borrowing nearly $5.5 million for purchasing new equipment and capital improvements largely for items that didn't hold up over the winter storms. 

Times of Smithtown reports the largest portion of the $5.5 million the town is bonding out will be used to purchase new equipment for the Highway Department. 

Highway Superintendent Glenn Jorgensen said his crews' response to the massive nor`easter was slowed down by a lack of capable trucks. The town will be purchasing 11 six-wheel trucks and two 10-wheel trucks with plows. 

The town's Municipal Services Facility will also receive new equipment, a chipper and a loader, while the Parks Department will also get a loader. 

Other major purchases included under the bond include: $360,000 for three natural gas pump-station generators to be used if a storm cuts power from a pump station to prevent flooding and for residents' flooded basements; $210,000 towards widening the intersection of Landing Avenue and Edgewood Avenue; and $510,000 for LED streetlights. 

One item not included in the budget is any funding for street or sidewalk repairs despite requests for $10 million by Jorgensen to catch up on a backlog of complaints. 

Read more on Times of Smithtown on the town's $5.5 million in purchases.