The Suffolk Water Authority’s outside public-relations contract has gone from a firm headed by the sons of Angie Carpenter, Suffolk’s Republican treasurer, to another where one partner is Democratic National Committee member and party heavyweight Robert Zimmerman.
Act Communications Group, headed by Richard and Robert Carpenter, has worked for the authority for a decade, and received $180,000 in the past year to create and place ads in newspapers and on radio, TV and other media, said Steve Jones, authority CEO. He said the firm netted about $22,500 from the deal after the placements.
Richard Carpenter, Act’s president, denied its hiring was political, and said he made three years of calls on authority officials before the agency turned to his company — after its ad agency “screwed up” on a newspaper ad. “Because our last name was the same as an elected official, we over-delivered on everything,” he said.
But the state comptroller rapped the authority board last year for not seeking competitive proposals. So, Jones said, the body — now 3-2 Democratic — issued a request for proposals. Zimmerman, Edelson of Great Neck was chosen in a 4-0 vote in February. Board member Patrick Halpin, former Democratic Suffolk County executive, abstained because the firm also works for Babylon’s industrial agency, which Halpin chairs. The board accepted Zimmerman’s proposal for a flat $4,000-a-month fee — less costly than those of Act and a third firm, Harrison, Leifer, DeMarco.
Zimmerman said politics played no role in their hiring and his firm already represents the Plainview and Great Neck North Water Districts as well as the Long Island Water Conference.
Jones said he evaluated both offers for the board but gave no final recommendation. Asked if politics was involved, Jones said, “I don’t know,” but then added, “I’d say not because Republicans and Democrats both voted for it.”
Rick Brand