Update from the Munsey Park Board of Trustees, October 10, 2013

Update from the Munsey Park Board of Trustees
October 10, 2013

Hello again from Village Hall and the Board of Trustees.  We hope everyone has been enjoying the beginning of the fall, for those with kids getting them into a routine with school and their activities, while hopefully enjoying the wonderful colors the change in foliage brings to the Village. We again would like to recap some of the work we’ve be doing around the Village, what we have planned, and opportunities for residents to get involved.

AROUND THE VILLAGE: The month of September was a busy month around Village Hall.  Wilson “Willy” Mead, one of our most beloved and dedicated members of the utility crew, retired. Willy was honored at our September board meeting with well-deserved citations not only from the Village but also from Nassau County, North Hempstead Town Supervisor Ed Mangano, Nassau County legislature Judi Bosworth, and New York Senator Jack Martins.  Willie has relocated down to Georgia with his family and we’re all looking forward to receiving the first batch of peaches he has promised to deliver next spring.  In his last few weeks, Willie was hard at work training his replacement, Bernie Dunn. Like Willie, Bernie is also a very proud Veteran of the Marine Corps and is still an active reservist in the Army. We want to wish Willie all the happiness in the world with retirement, and also want to welcome Bernie and wish him the best of luck in his new position in the Village.

REMEBERENCE: During the September meeting we also took the time to remember those Village residents that lost their lives on September 11th with a moment of silence. They include Thomas Burke, Paul R. Casio, James Connor, Joseph J. Dickey  Jr. , John F. Iskyan, Timothy C. Kelly, and Frank Salvaterra.

VILLAGE TRUSTEE AND BAC POSITIONS: We are happy to announce we have filled the vacant trustee position after trustee Seidner relocated outside of the Village.  Jennifer Noone, has accepted to fill that position and will finish out that term until reelection in March. Jennifer has lived in Munsey Park for the past 6 years with her husband Brian, and children Brian, Aubrey, Natalie, and Tristan. Trustee Noone will move off the Building Advisory Committee and we are extremely happy to announce that Mimi Donahue has accepted to fill the vacated position on that committee going forward. The Board could not be happier with the addition of Jennifer and Mimi and are looking forward to working with and supporting their ideas in how to make the Village a better place for all residents. 

ROADS: Trustee Noone, wasting no time, has agreed to oversee the upkeep and maintenance of the roads. Prior to the kids getting back to school we had our crew out on the roads painting crosswalks and stop sign markers throughout the village. At any time if residents notice that crosswalks or any other road markings need some updating, please contact Village Hall.  Over the last few months we’ve been working with our village engineers to identify some of the worst damaged or decaying curbs and sections of streets that we can use the available CHIPS money to repair. With the areas identified we are hoping to get in as much of the work as possible prior to the winter.

TREE LAW AND ANNUAL PRUNING:  During our September meeting the board passed amendments to the current Tree Law we spoke of in our last newsletter. We are hoping the changes will make it easier for our residents to understand and execute the necessary steps required to remove and plant trees in the village.

After entertaining bids from several different tree removal companies, the Board accepted the bid for annual tree pruning around the village. This work is quite extensive including the pruning at over 75 different locations and is currently ongoing.

Please remember to check with Village Hall prior to starting any tree work. We have had many residents come before the board as of late due to not researching what our current laws allow. Please understand the Board in general is in place to help residents but should not be asked to circumvent the Villages codes or processes.

PARKS: This Friday the Munsey Park Woman’s Club will be hosting a fall festival at Copley Pond, we are happy they chose to host the event at the park and are looking forward to having more events held there for the residents in the future. The Village and the MPWC have also partnered to create a long term vitalization plan for the manmade pond at Copley. One of the first steps to stop the continued erosion of the pond walls was to remove the trees, vegetation, and root systems surrounding the pond. Once we have pulled those areas back we will determine the best method to reestablish and fortify the walls, replant trees and bushes, and then set our sights on replacing the deteriorating walkway. We are looking forward to this revitalization project and will make sure to include all residents that want to get involved in the process.

UPDATE FROM SANDY DAMAGE: The board was updated with unfinished work on damaged utility poles and hanging or damaged wires. The Board has been actively working with the utility and phone companies to address these outstanding issues so we may return the village back to its pre-Sandy condition.

TECHNOLOGY REPORT: Jeff Franchetti, the Village volunteer technology consultant, presented the board with his preliminary findings after doing an audit of the Village current capacity and website. We are extremely grateful for Jeff’s dedication to help the Village and are looking forward to launching our new website very soon.

VILLAGE HISTORY AND WELCOME PACKET: There was a time in Munsey Park that all new residents would receive a welcome packet form the Village explaining all the services and activities available to new residents. The Board has taken up the cause of re-establishing this packet with the intent of first finishing the published Village history which currently ends in 1980. Once that work is complete we will combine that work with the early history which longtime resident and former Board member George E. Miller had attempted to publish as a book. We are looking forward to the completion of that work and presenting the board a plan for a book we could fund that will be distributed to residents.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact any of the trustees

Mayor, Frank DeMento
fdemento@munseypark.org

Deputy Mayor, Sean Haggerty
shaggerty@munseypark.org

Trustee, Sue Auriemma
sauriemma@munseypark.org

Trustee, Patrick Hance
phance@munseypark.org

Trustee, Jennifer Noone
jnoone@munseypark.org

Update from the Board of Trustees, July 2013

July 15, 2013

We hope all our residents are enjoying their summer. We’ve had a busy month since our last update and we wanted to highlight some of the things that are happening in and around the Village.

AROUND THE VILLAGE: The filming of “This is Where I Leave You” concluded in June and we wanted to thank all the residents for their patience with this production. During the filming we received calls from several residents with concerns and advice, and we hope we were able to respond to all of those in a timely and responsible manner. Trustee Auriemma presented a post-production summary of the impact and procedures during the filming giving insight to the Board on managing future productions in Munsey Park. As for the donations from Warner Brothers, once the board accounts for all its legal costs related to the film we will discuss where the balance of the funds can be used to beautify the Village.

VOLUNTEERS: Trustee Seidner has informed the Board that he and his family have purchased a home outside of Munsey Park and plan on moving on or around our next slated meeting in September. We want to thank Matt for his hard work and dedication to the Village over the years and wish him happiness with his new home. The Mayor is in the process of speaking to residents that have shown interest in the position. In accordance with the law he will appoint a resident to fulfill the balance of Trustee Seidner’s term. With that said, any residents who have interest in getting involved are encouraged to reach out to any of the Trustees and we will work to find a position that could benefit the Village and be rewarding to you.

Further, The Village is looking for a resident who would like to serve as the representative to Cablevision/PATV. Meetings will take place every 2-3 months on a Thursday evening. Please contact sauriemma@munseypark.org if you are interested in learning more.

Lastly, we have created a new position “Village Technology Consultant” for Jeff Franchetti. Jeff has volunteered to help the Village create a new and user-friendly web site. Thank you, Jeff.

HURRICANE SEASON: The Village is compiling a list to present to LIPA of locations where temporary fixes were made following Sandy that still need to be repaired properly. If you are aware of any locations that need to be addressed please email that information to admin@munseypark.org. Further, with Hurricane Season approaching, residents are asked to be sure they are signed up for important emergency alerts from North Shore Alert. As our village is part of the Port Washington-Manhasset Office of Emergency Management, we are subscribers to North Shore Alert system that allows residents to enter their email address, cell phone number and/or phone number to receive emergency messages. In addition, the Village will be ultimately converting its email list over to North Shore Alert for routine emails such as this so please be sure to add your email at NorthShoreAlert.org

DOGS: It has been brought to the attention of the Village Board that residents should be reminded of the following section of the Village Code with regard to curbing of animals:

§ 76-2 [Amended 8-14-1996 by L.L. No. 2-1996] No person who owns, possesses, harbors, keeps or is in charge or control of a dog, cat or other animal shall cause, suffer, allow or permit any such animal to soil, defile, defecate, or urinate on any public highway, street, thoroughfare, or walk used in common by the public, or any place where people congregate or on any private property, without the permission of the owner of said private property. The restriction in this section shall not apply to that portion of the street lying between the curblines, and, with respect to streets which have adjoining sidewalks, the property between the curbline of the street and the sidewalk, which areas shall be used to curb such animals, provided that the person who so curbs such animal shall immediately remove all feces deposited by such animal by placing the feces in a paper or plastic bag which shall be secured and deposited in a covered garbage receptacle.

ROADS: We continue to employ funds from state CHIPS program to make minor road repairs. We are currently getting bids to do some work on Whistler and will work off our engineer’s report and resident input to continue road work throughout the year. Fire hydrant replacement by the Manhasset-Lakeville Water District is getting underway. The Water District will contact affected residents prior to replacement with tips for any disruption to service.

VILLAGE HALL: We are preparing to convert our current oil heat and air conditioning system to natural gas system. As any of you who have visited Village Hall know, our air conditioning system has run its course and we hope to have the new system in place by the next Board Meeting in September.

LEGISLATION: The following are the amendments and new laws that have been passed at the past two meetings:

Law #3-2013 Mayoral Term Limits: The Board passed a new law limiting the terms a Mayor may run for office. The new, law which can be found in its entirety on our website, states a Mayor is limited to running for 3 consecutive 2 years terms (6 years in total), and then must sit out one election cycle as Mayor prior to running again for a maximum of 3 consecutive 2 year terms.

Law #4-2013 Generators: After a considerable amount of research into what generators are available to residents for purchase that comply with the previous 60 Dba limit, and what residents have been actually installing, the Board passed an amendment to the previous generator law increasing the decibel limit from 60Dba to 80Dba and including limitations to where placement of the generator can be in the rear yard setbacks.

Law #5-2013 Filming Fees: After being made aware that the Village attorney fees were not covered in the previous Filming Laws, the Board passed a law that any additional Legal fees connected to a movie production in the Village will be the sole responsibility of the production company.

Introduction of Law #6 Trees: The Board has introduced amendments to the current tree laws meant to simplify applying the law as it pertains to residents. It is composed of three basic sections based on whether the tree for which a permit is sought on: 1. Village Property; 2. Homeowner’s Property; 3. Neighbor’s Property. The proposed law is on the Village website for review and will be again open for public debate at our next Board meeting on Sept 11th.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact any of the trustees

Mayor Frank DeMento, fdemento@munseypark.org
Deputy Mayor Sean Haggerty, shaggerty@munseypark.org
Trustee Sue Auriemma, sauriemma@munseypark.org
Trustee Patrick Hance, phance@munseypark.org