Board says farewell to Councilman Wooten and Supervisor Jens-Smith

It was an emotional night at Riverhead Town Hall last week, as town board members and residents bade farewell to longtime Councilman James Wooten and Supervisor Laura Jens-Smith at the last board meeting of the year. Both are leaving office Dec. 31 — Wooten, term-limited after 12 years as a councilman and Jens-Smith, turned away by voters after just a single two-year term as supervisor.

Councilwoman Catherine Kent read tributes to each of her colleagues.

“Jim Wooten has given a lifetime of public service to our great town,” Kent said of the councilman, who served 24 years on the Riverhead Town police force prior to his election to the town board in 2007.

In the 12 years he has served on the board, he has “served many causes,” Kent said, from advocating for downtown revitalization to land preservation to better care for dogs in the town shelter and the creation of two dog parks in town.

“As a fellow councilperson I appreciate the Jim lets you know where he stands and does not flip-flop,” Kent said, noting that he “has not wavered on his stance on the EPCAL property,” where he has been a staunch supporter of the sale to Calverton Aviation and Technology.

No one has a stronger sense of community, she said.

“He exemplifies the fine qualities of integrity and trustworthiness,” Kent said. “I’ll even miss your corny jokes.”

Councilman Tim Hubbard, who grew up with Wooten and served with him on the police force, said dedication to community is “just who he is — it’s in his blood.”

“It’s been an honor working with you for so many years,” Hubbard told his colleague. “Your sense of public service is second to none and you’re going to be sorely missed up here without a doubt,” Hubbard said.

“I’ve been on the board with Jim for 10 years now,” Councilwoman Jodi Giglio said.

“Seems like 20,” Wooten interjected.

“We’ve had our ups and downs,” Giglio answered. “We disagreed on many issues but always showed respect for each other and always came to a compromise for what was best for the community,” she said. “Whatever it was, Jim always took it to heart. He served respectfully for 12 years. We thank him for his service and dedication.”

The board presented the councilman with a proclamation honoring him for his service.

Kent then turned to the supervisor, with whom she was elected to office two years ago. She said they didn’t know each other before the 2017 campaign and their time in office. Jens-Smith is “the hardest worker I have ever known,” Kent said. “She bravely pushes forward in the face of adversity, quickly learns new material and is willing to put in the time to educate herself further. She can be tough as nails but she has a soft heart underneath.”

Kent praised Jens-Smith for her accomplishments and “tackling issues head-on.” The supervisor improved public safety with a new foot patrol and security cameras downtown, Kent said. She increased code enforcement and worked to protect the town from “overcrowded, blighted and unsafe properties,” she said. Kent credited the supervisor for developing a capital program for the water district, creating the North Fork traffic task force to address the traffic issues on local roads and “using the power of her office to assist the helicopter noise task force in their quest for quiet skies.”

The supervisor “made historic investments in our parks and open space to insure we have areas to relax and play in,” Kent said.

“She completed and opened the EPCAL bike trail, a park used by hundreds each day. She invested in overdue infrastructure projects with long-term solutions. She secured funding to move forward with a master plan update and a downtown pattern book so that future planning will be done in an organized, smart way that protects our area,” Kent said. Jens-Smith’s “conservative budget practices stabilized the budget for years to come,” she said.

“Laura, I don’t know what lies ahead for you in your next chapter but I have no doubt that you will give it your all,” Kent told the supervisor. “Please know that you have made a clear difference in Riverhead’s future and in our lives. I am proud to call you my colleague and even more proud to call you my friend,” Kent said.

“It’s really an honor and a privilege to serve as Riverhead’s supervisor,” Jens-Smith said. “This has been a wonderful couple of years. The residents of Riverhead are some of the best people on earth. We live in one of the most wonderful places in this country. I’m proud to have served to try to make a difference in this town,” Jens-Smith said. She thanked her staff and the town employees who “work hard every day to serve this community and they do it with a smile. They’re proud to be here to serve you.” Jens-Smith said she cherishes the time she’s had as supervisor. “I thank you for the honor.”

At the end of the meeting, Wooten stepped down from the dais and stood at the podium.

“I want to take this opportunity, my last official town board meeting, to stay a few words,” he said. “With the exception of three meetings, I’ve sat on that dais for 295 town board meetings,” he said.

Wooten said he is “grateful” the town board recognized the need to update the master plan. He said it will be the last time the town will need to write a master plan, as the town attains “full buildout.”

He urged the board to “stay the course with EPCAL.” The job creation and the tax stabilization will forever put Riverhead on the map.” The taxpayers deserve that, Wooten said.

Wooten said he’s “never been very good at playing politics.”

He thanked the supervisor. “You did your best. You should be proud. The history books of this town will always show you’re the first woman supervisor of this town. They can’t take that away,” Wooten said.

“It’s been a pleasure and an honor to work with you all,” Wooten said.

He offered his colleagues one word of advice: “Please do not read the blogs,” he said, apparently referring to reader comments on stories and social media. “They’re mostly very mean-spirited and limited,” he said. “This job is stressful enough. “You can get side-tracked,” he said.

“I ask one thing please take the time to get to know one another. Don’t define yourself by any one issue. You’re all good people. You put your life and your reputation on the line

The town elected you because they put their trust in you that you will look out for their interests in all that you do.”