RSS 2.0 FeedJuly 1, 2010, Freeport-Baldwin Leader
Village board considers armory purchase
An effort to acquire the Freeport Armory by the Village, the settlement of a suit against Nassau Civil Service over administration of the police chief test, and the recurring theme of respect at board meetings were among the topics briefly discussed at the public comment segment of the village board’s June 21 meeting.
An effort to acquire the Freeport Armory by the Village, the settlement of a suit against Nassau Civil Service over administration of the police chief test, and the recurring theme of respect at board meetings were among the topics briefly discussed at the public comment segment of the village board’s June 21 meeting.
Responding to a question by Stephen Malone about a lawsuit filed against the Nassau Civil Service Commission over the administration of the test to select a police chief, Mayor Andrew Hardwick said that Freeport won the lawsuit and the village “can use any of the applicants” who tested successfully, rather than from a select group.
Village Attorney Howard Colton noted that the decision would not be final until it is reviewed by a judge. The Leader attempted to contact Mr. Colton to clarify and expand on the issue, but he did not return our phone calls.
Mr. Malone, the former deputy village attorney, also commented about an early morning fire June 20 at a single-family residence that left four families living there homeless. Three of the families were living there illegally. “Had the Building Department been permitted to do its job,” Mr. Malone said, “only one family would have been affected. The Building Department must be given the liberty to do its job and the war against over-occupancy must be renewed.”
Two pending bills now in the state Senate are of particular interest to Freeport. One would permit the mayor and trustees to approve or disapprove negotiated payments on real estate in compensation in place of property tax payments.
Known as PILOTs (Payments in Lieu of Taxes), they may be negotiated in specific circumstances, such as when an arrangement is made for a corporation or institution to build a facility on public land without assuming ownership of the land.
The mayor summed up his opinion of this program as “We can’t afford such foolishness,” he said.
Meanwhile, the village may be interested in purchasing the National Guard Armory in Freeport. The state of New York is also considering a bill that would permit this transaction to take place because the National Guard unit from Freeport is being consolidated with another unit in Farmingdale.
Mike Pomerico, executive director of the Police Athletic League that uses the facility, questioned why the village wanted to acquire the building and how it would maintain it.
Mayor Hardwick replied that because of limited office space at Village Hall, “We have people who need offices. There’s not enough space.” The mayor added, “The armory could be a jewel for Freeport.” Mr. Pomerico asked how much space the PAL would have for its use. The mayor replied that “It has yet to be determined.”
In comments about the safety of cell phone towers and antennas, community activist Pat Rowen expressed concern about the locations of such towers in the village. She noted that a class action suit recently was brought by a group in the Bayville School District where she said “30 percent of the teachers and students got sick.” “Is there a check system in place?” she asked. Ms Rowan also wanted to know what distance is considered correct for their placement.
Building Department head Richard Brown said “There is no such thing as a correct distance,” but that the village works with the companies placing the antennas. Adele Fields asked why the televised village board meetings on the public access cable channels are not shown in their entirety. “The public should be able to see what goes on at a meeting in its entirety,” she commented. Mayor Hardwick responded that, because of technology and money issues, Cablevision “can’t show the entire meeting,” adding that “some stuff that goes on here is a lot of show business.” He continued, “We have to pick and choose until we have a system that plays the meeting in its entirety. We have to pick and choose. The problem is money. It’s not cheap.”
Resident Alan Jay complained that The Leader has not printed anything negative about the teachers union either for Freeport and Baldwin. Trustee Carmen Pineyro, who also is a school board member, attempted to interrupt and tell Mr. Jay not to discuss school district issues at the village board meeting, but he would not be denied his 15 minutes of oratorical fame and continued. He did commend Superintendent Kishore Kuncham for his “most efficient” administering of the district.
Annette Dennis and Cora Blount each urged the public to show respect at the board meetings Ms. Dennis urged people to “express their opinion in a respectful manner and be courteous to one another.” She added that speakers can “agree to disagree. There’s nothing wrong with conflict. Different ideas can only be beneficial to our community.” She added that “diversity includes a diversity of ideas.” Ms. Blount said she was “disgusted at the disrespect…at what was going on at these meetings” and called the stationing of two police officers at the entrance to the meeting room “a disgrace.”
Another speaker commented that the study of the Bible should be added to the high school curriculum as an elective, but was advised to attend the school board meeting. Earlene Skates complimented the administration for several changes and improvements made in the village, the arrival of new businesses including the International House of Pancakes, a medical center and a computer repair store.