Nassau County executive offices get makeover for Blakeman

Second floor Rotunda of Nassau's executive and legislative building: source: jgwaarchitects.com

All staff in Democrat County Executive Laura Curran's executive offices have been told to work from home through the rest of the year, starting tomorrow.

No, not because of the rapidly spreading covid virus variant Omicron.

But because the offices -- in the second-floor addition on the back of the old Nassau County courthouse at 1550 Franklin Avenue in Mineola -- are getting redecorated for incoming Republican County Executive Bruce Blakeman, who takes office Jan. 1.

Blakeman and Curran (from NY Daily News)

Blakeman's team, including his wife, were given a tour of the executive suite earlier this month. 

Blakeman, presiding officer of the county legislature from 1996 through 1999, had left county government before former Democratic County Executive Thomas Suozzi built those office in the mid-2000s as part of a complete refurbishing of the then deteriorated old County Courthouse complex.

On Dec. 17 Chief Deputy County Executive Helena Williams emailed staff to work remotely starting Dec. 23.

Asked about the planned redecorating, Blakeman said in a statement:

“The current administration offered to replace worn out carpet and repaint the office with a neutral color as the current color scheme reflected the school colors of the current county executive’s alma mater."

Cost was not mentioned.

But redecorating is the norm when administrations change.

Former Republican County Executive Tom Gulotta took all his personal furniture and knick-knacks when he moved out of the old executive office on One West Street in Dec. 2011, including his plush red carpet, after incoming Executive Suozzi declined to keep the rug.

Suozzi redecorated.

Then Suozzi took a coffee table he had made out of an old county courthouse artifact when he left office in Dec. 2009 -- after paying for it.

Incoming Republican County Executive Ed Mangano repainted and recarpeted when he took office in Jan. 2010.

Apparently all Mangano took when he departed at the end of Dec. 2017 were personal paintings and photographs.

Curran then redecorated and recarpeted, though not everybody agrees that she used her alma mater color scheme.

No word on Curran requesting momentos before she leaves.

Here is the email that Williams sent executive staff: 

                                                                               


                                                                                



 





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