In The News

June 4, 2007

John Schettino Nominated for Islip Town Council
Calls on Town to take Lead in Environmental Initiatives

(West Islip, New York) John Schettino, a West Islip attorney, conservationist, and civic activist, accepted the Republican Party nomination for a seat on the Islip Town Council, Friday evening.

Mr. Schettino called on Islip Town to take the lead in environmental initiatives that would conserve energy, use alternative fuels and reduce dependency on foreign oil. He also discussed his platform to ensure tax stabilization, designed to make living and doing business in Islip Town more affordable through the sound fiscal management of town finances, the creation of workforce housing, and the application of smart-growth programs in the town’s downtown areas.

Schettino, a member of the Sierra Club since 2002, called on Islip Town to sign onto the U.S. Mayor’s Climate Preservation Agreement and to join the growing grassroots environmental programs, “Cool Cities Across America” and the “U.S Green Building Council.”  Schettino cited the growing number of towns, villages and cities across Long Island, New York and the United States signing onto these initiatives to promote energy conservation.

“By bringing business groups, developers, local governments and environmental groups together, we can move forward and improve how buildings, homes and communities are developed and built,” Schettino said.

“This will include providing incentives for the design and construction of ‘green buildings’ in the Town of Islip. This plan will also involve the gradual replacement of a portion of Islip’s fleet of vehicles with hybrid and alternative fuel consumption vehicles.  The result will be tax savings, preservation of the environment, all while doing our part to promote our national security by reducing our dependency on foreign oil.”

By encouraging economic development, smart growth in our downtowns, and developing workforce housing, Schettino said Islip Town can help to create good paying jobs and housing within reach of graduates, workers and young families.

“Too many of our town’s young people and workers have left or are considering leaving Long Island,” Schettino said. “With responsibility over planning and zoning issues, it is local government’s responsibility to help ensure affordability by encouraging economic development and housing that is affordable.”

Schettino also pledged to continue promoting government reform initiatives. While a member of the Town’s Planning Board, Schettino suggested that town board members be able to buy into the Town’s health insurance plan, just as is done in the private business sector. Schettino offered his idea during a town board meeting and his idea was incorporated into the town’s resolution on the matter.

“As government officials, we must put an end to the politics of personal agendas and put the interests of taxpayers and constituents first,” Schettino said.