RiverheadLOCAL sat down with each of the candidates for Riverhead Town council — Joann Waski (R-C), Denise Merrifield (R-C), Andrew Leven (D) and Rene Suprina (D) — on Oct. 9 to discuss some of the important issues facing the town that will be on the agenda of the next Town Board.
Voters will choose two of the four candidates to serve as council members. The elected office of town council member is a part-time position and serves as one of five voting members of the Riverhead Town Board, the town’s legislature. Town council members serve four-year terms.
We wanted to explore in-depth certain replies to questions posed to the candidates at the three civic association forums last month, particularly with respect to the town’s contract with Triple Five affiliate Calverton Aviation & Technology (which has since been canceled by the Town Board), the future of the town’s property at EPCAL, as well as the proposed or potential logistics/distribution type warehouses.
We also wanted to get clarity on their positions regarding the role of the Riverhead Industrial Development Agency, the updated comprehensive plan — which the next Town Board will have the responsibility of adopting and implementing — and the town’s current needs for affordable housing and additional farmland preservation.
Candidates were also asked several questions relating to their specific records and public statements.
The wide-ranging conversations took place separately, with each session lasting roughly 40-45 minutes.
Below are verbatim transcripts of each of the Q&A sessions. The transcripts have been edited for clarity.
Read the transcript of the Q&A with Andrew Leven here.
Read the transcript of the Q&A with Rene Suprina here.
Read the transcript of the Q&A with Joann Waski here.
Read the transcript of the Q&A with Denise Merrifield here.
The civic association candidate forums can be viewed on Vimeo at the links below:
Greater Calverton /Wading River civic associations (held Sept. 21)
Parts one and two in one video.
Heart of Riverhead Civic Association (held Sept. 23)
Part one (council candidates) – Part two (supervisor candidates)
Greater Jamesport Civic Association (held 9/27)
Part one (supervisor candidates) – Part two (council candidates)
Videos were recorded and produced and are hosted by LI Environmental Newsroom.
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
