President’s Message
From the FEBRUARY 2008 EDITION .
Dear Mayors and Trustees:
The beginning of the New Year also marked the start of another ...Albany legislative session. Once again, we will be working diligently with John Kiernan, our Albany lobbyist, to advocate for issues and proposed legislation impacting villages and village residents. Of immediate concern is the proposed Workforce Housing legislation. As you know, the NCVOA has been working with Senator Skelos’ office to craft the legislation in a manner that makes sense and does not infringe on Home Rule. Needless to say, this has been an ongoing challenge. Understandably, Senator Skelos is under intense pressure to pass this legislation. To his credit, he has refused to move forward any legislation that would interfere with a village’s ability to control its zoning. NCVOA Counsel Gary Fishberg, who is expert in local zoning issues, has been guiding the Executive Committee as we have been seeking to reach a reasonable compromise. Currently, we are reviewing the fourth draft of this legislation and still have some areas of contention. While we expect Workforce Housing legislation to be enacted this year, we remain steadfast in protecting village Home Rule.
Taxi Bill
Villages that license taxis and limousines should have received a copy of the revised taxi bill that John Kiernan has been working on. I believe we now have a version we can live with and I urge you to write your state representatives to solicit their support.
NYCOM Winter Legislative Meeting
The annual NYCOM Winter Legislative Meeting is being held February 24-26 at the Albany Crowne Plaza Hotel. This is an opportunity for village officials to meet with their state representatives to reinforce the priorities outlined in NYCOM’s 2008 legislative agenda. With Westbury Mayor Ernie Strada serving as NYCOM President, you know village issues will be in the minds of any state legislator he speaks with. I think it is especially vital that as many NCVOA members as possible attend this important meeting to demonstrate our support for Mayor Strada. For many years, the Nassau County delegation was a dominate force at this meeting and we hope to return to that status. If you need more details, please contact Warren Tackenberg at 437-1455.
Garbage In, Garbage Out
We received notification from the Town of Hempstead that it has reached an agreement with Covanta Hempstead Company for waste disposal. The current contract expires in August 2009 and the new contract is for a period of 25 years. Upon initial review, the terms and conditions appear to be astounding. In addition to affecting Town of Hempstead villages, this contract has potential impact on villages in the other two towns. For example, based on the current fee of $88 per ton, the new contract calls for CPI increases and an additional 2% administrative fee. This will increase the cost to villages to $100.24 in five years. This is exclusive of any other costs which could appear in the actual contract. I have asked Gary Fishberg to review a copy of the contract and make recommendations to the Executive Committee.
Judge Marks Makes his Mark
I would like to thank all the village officials who attended our January general membership meeting featuring The Honorable John G. Marks, Supervising Judge for New York State’s 10th Judicial District (Nassau and Suffolk). I received many favorable comments regarding the judge’s presentation and we appreciate his candor and positive demeanor. These types of programs are invaluable as we gain insight into other functions and operations that impact our residents. I urge all members to continue attending meetings and encourage you to contact Warren Tackenberg with any suggestions for future speakers.
The next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 12, 7 p.m. at LaMarmite Restaurant in Williston Park. I look forward to seeing you.
Sincerely,
Jim Altadonna
President
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