Hempstead reopens town office building after bed bugs visit

Tom McCarthy
Clavin said that the government is still open despite set backs. His office is operating from a mobile home in his building's parking lot. (Photo by Mike Caputo.)

Democratic Supervisor Laura Gillen says the bed bug infestation in the Hempstead town office has been eradicated but not before it ignited a political battle with her Republican challenger, Donald Clavin.

The bed bug infestation in the Hempstead building led to its full closure on Thursday, July 18, and Friday, July 19.

After earlier reports of bed bugs led to the partial closing of the building July 11, Donald Clavin, the Hempstead tax receiver and a candidate for supervisor, became vocal about the town’s response to the infestation. Clavin has held press conferences concerning the issue on July 11, July 17 and July 18.

“I’m glad that the building will undergo a complete treatment for the bed bug infestation; however, I am deeply disturbed that it took so long,” said Clavin, whose office is in the infested building, said last Friday.

Gillen’s office issued a statement the same day announcing the closure of the town offices until Monday, July 22. The statement said the town commissioner of general services will continue to monitor the building for bed bugs.

The supervisor’s office also said the town’s exterminator will continue to monitor the building, along with a second exterminator to perform routine treatments.

Gillen’s press secretary, Michael Fricchione, said in an interview that the town exterminator had only been finding dead bugs, after the initial fumigation on the weekend of July 12 and July 13. The town has also sent in a bug-sniffing dog to investigate.

Clavin has been vocal about the Town of Hempstead’s response to the bed bug infestation in the building, originally demanding the building’s full closure when the news of an outbreak broke July 11.

“It wasn’t done properly,” Clavin said about the town’s initial response and fumigation of the office building.

“Last week I gathered with the president and vice president of the CSEA Local 880 to demand that these offices be shut down and properly treated,” Clavin said in a statement.

“Do the right thing,” Clavin said. “Close the building down and take the correct precautions in exterminating these pests.” Clavin said “inaction and procrastination will put the health of Hempstead town employees and constituents at risk.”

Fricchione had initially said on July 11 that the town exterminator told Gillen’s office the bugs were contained in one area and called Clavin’s press conference demanding full closure that same day “fear-mongering at its worst.”

The receiver and his office, with the help from the CSEA Local 880 Union, conducted their business last Thursday and Friday outside a mobile home in 200 N. Franklin Street’s parking lot.

“We got to keep the employees informed,” he said.

Clavin said that there have been no instances of employees finding bed bugs at home, saying, “Luckily not. We have to keep our fingers crossed.”

Michael Caputo, a spokesman for Clavin, said the building is open as of Monday, July 22. Fricchione said that according to the two different exterminators and the bug-sniffing dog, the eradication of the bed bugs has been confirmed.

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