Southold Town Superintendent of Highways

<p>Vincent M. Orlando,&nbsp;Eugene L. Wesnofske III</p>

News 12 Staff

Oct 29, 2017, 3:20 PM

Updated 2,541 days ago

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Southold Town Superintendent of Highways

Orlando, 56, of Southold, is running on the Republican, Conservative and Independence party lines. He is seeking his second term. He previously served as a town councilman from 2008 to 2012, and served four years on the Zoning Board of Appeals, from 2002 to 2006. He previously worked for Miller Environmental Group as a field supervisor and as vice president of business development. He earned an associate degree in mechanical engineering at SUNY Farmingdale. Orlando also is a member of Ducks Unlimited. He is married and has two children.

Orlando said he would continue to modernize the town’s fleet to reduce time spent on repairs and money spent on fuel. “That has a ripple effect on the budget and frees up more time for tasks other than equipment repairs,” he said. He also would continue looking for efficiencies and ways to make the department more effective. “We prepare and load jobs the day before to get out on the job more quickly,” he said. “I enjoy the job. It’s the most rewarding public service position because you’re giving back. You get instant gratification.”

Wesnofske, 70, of Cutchogue, is making his first bid for office. He is running on the Democratic Party line. He runs a 50-acre family vegetable farm in Peconic that sells produce and flowers at a farmstand and through farmers markets. He also plows snow in the winter. He is married and has five children.

“We need our roads to be in good repair and to stay within the budget,” Wesnofske said. “I can do that. It’s a tough job to do, but I’m the man for it. I’ve got the budgeting experience and mechanical skills.” He said he would look for more efficiencies within the department, and talk with employees about where to make improvements. He said he would seek partnerships with other East End highway superintendents to see if buying jointly would bring reduced costs, look for surplus vehicles to buy and see whether it would be possible to rent or lease machinery to lower costs. “We have a tremendous amount of potholes, so I’d start a pothole hotline or pothole patrol to get the holes patched more quickly,” he said. “I’d also use hot patch, which is harder and lasts longer than cold patch, to get the job done.”