Bellone & Cilmi Announce On-line Permitting in Suffolk County

Cilmi calls it a "great beginning"

Legislator Tom Cilmi attended a press conference with Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, Legislators Hahn and Anker and members of the business community to announce a new on-line permitting system aimed at speeding up Health Department and Public Works permit applications.  The system is called Suffolk County Submission and Status Terminal.

The webpage, accessible at www.suffolkcountyny.gov/sst, provides a secure gateway which allows users to apply for and track multiple permit applications on-line and in real time.

Legislator Cilmi, a vocal advocate for government efficiency measures, said government is finally catching up to the private sector.  He said, “This begins a new day in Suffolk County.  Inefficient bureaucracy and red tape too often stand in the way of job creation and economic development. This online system will go a long way towards making our permit processes more efficient and transparent, providing key information to applicants in real time, and that’s critical to their success.  After all, the best way for government to create jobs, is to stop preventing them.”

Cilmi said long wait times for permits can pose a financial burden on entrepreneurs who often borrow money for startup costs only to see their investment sit idle while waiting for what the former businessman calls, “the paperwork shuffle.”

“We are handicapping new business owners before they even have a chance,” he said.

A former Chamber of Commerce president, Cilmi said he had been working with members of the previous administration for nearly a year on the concept of online permitting.  Many of those same officials remain in the new Bellone administration.  Still, Cilmi says, County Executive Bellone deserves credit for making this a priority and getting it done.

“This is just a beginning,” he said, “but it’s a great beginning.  It’s results.  Kudos to Steve Bellone for seeing the need and getting this done.”

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Cilmi Leads Again!

Brings "LEAN" Government to Suffolk County

Today at a meeting of the Suffolk County Legislature’s Government Operations Committee, Suffolk’s new Deputy County Executive for Performance Management, Tom Melito, told the Committee he thought using “LEAN Government” principles in Suffolk County was a good idea and something he would pursue.  The statement prompted Committee member, Legislator Tom Cilmi, to table a bill he sponsored directing the Planning Department to explore the use of LEAN in Suffolk.

Contrary to the literal definition of “lean,” the term does not refer to the size of government, but rather is a scientific system for breaking down process systems and eliminating all the wasteful steps.  Cilmi says the management tool, developed in the private sector, is also being used effectively in the public sector in places like Iowa, Minnesota and Connecticut.

At the meeting, Cilmi also suggested books by Ken Miller, including “We Don’t Make Widgets” and “Extreme Government Makeover” that focus on increasing government’s capacity to get things done.  In an email to the Committee after the meeting, Mr. Melito said he returned to his office to find a copy of “We Don’t Make Widgets” on his desk and vowed to “make use of it.”  Cilmi said he had no idea how the book got there..

Legislator Cilmi said, “Passing laws is a means to an end.  If we can achieve the ends without the law, it’s all the more gratifying.  Once again, I’m proud to have led the way in proposing big ideas that could lead to meaningful changes in the way we deliver services in Suffolk County.  Following LEAN principles, we can not only accomplish more at less of a cost, but equally as important, we can improve service delivery which in turn can have a significant positive impact on economic development, jobs, public health and in so many other areas.”

Cilmi has also been at the forefront of mandate relief, having advocated for a repeal of the out-of-county tuition mandate which costs Suffolk taxpayers $14 million annually.  He sponsored and passed legislation which will result in millions of dollars of recurring savings.

He also led the way in the realm of pension reform, having co-authored a report with the former County Executive which offered a thorough analysis of Suffolk’s pension costs along with several recommendations on how to improve the system.

Most recently, Cilmi teamed up with Legislator DuWayne Gregory and County Executive Bellone in creating New York State’s first land bank, which will help Suffolk deal with contaminated properties, an issue which Cilmi has been working on since his election.  The land bank will allow Suffolk to sell contaminated properties, putting them back on the tax rolls, getting them cleaned up, and returning millions of dollars to Suffolk’s coffers while at the same time, creating economic development opportunities and ridding communities of blight.

Cilmi said, “The voters of Suffolk County elect us to lead.  Sometimes that means compromising on details but never on principle.  It means taking on the hard issues and not giving up.  It means working with others to get things accomplished which will ultimately improve the quality of life for our residents.  I am so thankful I have had the opportunity to do those things.”

Score Round 2 for Suffolk County

Battle Against F.I.T. Mandate Heats Up

Suffolk County Legislator Tom Cilmi is claiming another victory in his fight against the out of county tuition mandate, particularly as it relates to F.I.T.

Counties in New York State are required to partially subsidize residents who attend community colleges in other counties.  F.I.T. is the only community college that offers four year and graduate degrees.  That means that, while the per-student subsidy to Nassau Community College, for example, is around $2,000 a year, the per-student cost for F.I.T. is more than $10,000 annually.  Cilmi says this could cost Suffolk County taxpayers $7 million this year.

Having received an invoice from F.I.T. for a total of $3,566,502 for the fall and winter semesters 2011-2012, Suffolk’s Comptroller Joseph Sawicki sent payment of just $1,944,752.  Legislator Cilmi sponsored a bill in 2011 prohibiting the Comptroller from paying F.I.T. for more than an associate degree, a measure with which Sawicki agrees.  He said, “It’s time to bring it to a head and fight it out.”

Cilmi said his bill will save Suffolk taxpayers more than $3 million annually.  He admits the battle may not be over.  He said, “Passing my bill was Round 1.  Paying F.I.T. for only those students in an associate degree program is Round 2.  F.I.T. may come after us for the balance, but our law is now crystal clear, and case law supports my position that, at most, we should only be responsible for two years of subsidy, just like every other community college.”

Legislator Cilmi says that the entire mandate should be overturned.  He said, “We have one of the finest community colleges in New York.  Enrollment has been soaring in recent years.  If students from Suffolk County want to attend a community college other than SCCC, they absolutely have that right, but the taxpayers of Suffolk County should not have to foot the bill.”

He says that, according to documentation he’s received, Suffolk County in 2010-2011 paid for 2,531 students to attend Nassau Community College and 722 students to attend F.I.T.  The total annual cost of the mandate for those two schools alone is more than $12 million.  Meanwhile, only 266 students from other counties, the vast majority of whom reside in Nassau, come to Suffolk County Community College.

Cilmi says he’s gratified that his efforts have resulted in savings but that he won’t be satisfied until the whole mandate is repealed.  “Taxpayers can no longer afford to pay for these mandates and local governments can no longer ignore them.  Stay tuned for Round 3.”

Cilmi to Health Department: Not so fast!

"I don’t want unelected administrative officials mandating anything."

In an article in the Long Island Press, Legislator Tom Cilmi explained his reasons for sponsoring a bill, which passed unanimously last year, to prevent the Health Department from making major policy changes as a result of the Department's Comprehensive Water Resources Management Plan.

Citing the perils of unchecked administrative authority, Cilmi said, "When we’re going to make policy decisions based on [certain] facts, that will have major impact not only on the future of our environment and public health, but also on the future of our economy, then those decisions are most appropriately made with counsel from all of the stakeholders, but made by the legislature. I don’t want unelected administrative officials mandating anything. There are other implications to these decisions that need to be weighed along with everything."

Cilmi's comments can be found on page 4 of the article.

CILMI APPLAUDS POLICE DEPARTMENT, WITHDRAWS BILL

Suffolk County Legislator Tom Cilmi today (Feb. 3, 2012) issued a statement applauding Acting Police Commissioner Edward Webber for taking steps to modernize the police department.  After nearly a year of trying to pursue the issue administratively and getting no results, Cilmi filed a bill to require the Department to ensure that phones at the precincts would not go unanswered.  Today Cilmi withdrew his legislation after speaking with the Department.

He said, “The Commissioner assured me that he’s taking steps to modernize the Department including utilizing technology that will enhance communications within the precincts.  There is no need to pursue legislation when you have someone like Commissioner Webber in place who is willing to work cooperatively towards continuous improvement.  I applaud his efforts and look forward to working with him.  Therefore I am withdrawing IR-1010.”

Asked if he thought his proposal was the catalyst for change, Cilmi said he didn’t know but offered, “I expressed my concerns to the Commissioner and he agreed.  I care about the results, not the credit.  People deserve to have their phone calls answered, particularly when they’re calling the police.”

Justice System In Need Of Overhaul

Cilmi Asks Newsday to Review

Calling the justice system “clearly broken” in the aftermath of the killing of New York City Police Officer Peter Figoski by reputed career criminal, Lamont Pride, Suffolk County Legislator Tom Cilmi (R-Bay Shore) is calling for the overhaul of a system which, he says, all too often sets criminals loose to strike again, sometimes with absolutely tragic results.

In a letter to Newsday’s Publisher, Fred Groser, Legislator Cilmi extracted this paragraph from a story appearing in Newsday as grounds for his claim:

“Police said Pride is wanted in North Carolina on a charge of assault with a deadly weapon and had last been arrested Nov. 3, but was released by a judge on his own recognizance after it was determined authorities in North Carolina would not extradite him to face charges there.  Pride had a history of violence, including at least five prior arrests in New York and North Carolina on charges ranging from drug sale to grand larceny.” (Newsday, Four More Charged In Death of Cop from Long Island, December 13, 2011)

Cilmi asked the newspaper, which has been known for its in-depth reporting by way of a number of multi-part stories dealing with a variety of the most vexing issues of the day, to undertake a complete examination of the justice system including, but not limited to, the following topics:

1.  Evidentiary rules/standards
2.  Length of time from arraignment to trial
3.  Cost of public defenders
4.  Bail amounts and crimes committed while those accused are out on bail
5.  The justness and effectiveness of current sentencing standards
6.  Plea Bargaining & reduced sentences
7.  The “luxury” of incarceration (three square meals, child care, cable television and better medical benefits than many law-abiding citizens)
8.  Recidivism

Cilmi said, “Newsday has done a very good job over the years distilling complicated topics.  Our justice system is just one of many areas where we need large-scale change.  Officer Figoski’s violent death at the hands of this heartless criminal, and the relentless pain caused as a result, needn’t be in vain if we use it as a rallying cry to fix a system that’s clearly broken.”

Legislator Cilmi acknowledged that crime is an issue much bigger than the justice system.  “Fixing the justice system is obviously only one part of the solution.  There are so many factors leading to criminal behavior…societal, sociological, psychological, etc.  It’s a really big problem; but we cannot allow the size of a challenge to dissuade us from action.  Yes, this is completely beyond the jurisdiction of the County Legislature, but I am not about to chalk this up to someone else’s problem.  I am not going to remain silent when one of America’s finest is senselessly killed by someone who should have been in jail.”