Legislators score victory, bring county committee meetings to Riverhead

It’s a victory for East End residents who’ve long been unable to attend Suffolk County legislative committee meetings, which have, until now, been held far from home.

Yesterday, Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski and newly sworn in Legislator Bridget Fleming — a former Southampton Town Councilwoman who was recently elected to the new post — announced that they’d successfully negotiated with their colleagues to hold two cycles of committee meetings at the Riverhead Legislative Auditorium, located in the Evans K. Griffing Building in Riverside.

For years, Krupski has maintained that critical issues of importance to East End residents are discussed at the meetings, but all too often, residents do not have the time or ability to drive long distances to attend the meetings, which, until now, have been held in Hauppauge.

Although five or six general meetings of the Legislature are held in Riverhead each year, all legislative committees have previously been held in Hauppaug, the legislators said.

That meant East End residents who wanted to have their voices heard would need to travel up to 60 miles to attend a committee meeting, the lawmakers said.

In April, Krupski filed a procedural motion in April that would have required the committee meetings preceding those general meetings held on the East End, be held there as well. The motion was voted down.

“This is a step in the right direction,” Krupski said. “Holding some of these important committee meetings in Riverhead will give East End residents better access to elected officials and hopefully encourage more participation in county government. I want to thank Presiding Officer DuWayne Gregory and my colleagues in the legislature for facilitating this more equitable committee schedule.”

“Government works best when the folks who elected us can keep an eye on government and this rule change means that the East End community can provide meaningful input and oversight,” said Fleming. “I am thankful to Legislator Krupski for his important leadership on this issue and I particularly thank the western legislators for their understanding and support.”

Patch courtesy photo.