Mayor's Message (continued)
fiscal year (1992-93), the municipal budget reflected no state aid, but after months
of battling in Albany, we received $631,000, a large reduction of the over $1 million
we were allotted in previous years. This coming fiscal year we anticipate receiving
$550,000 in State Revenue Sharing. Federal Revenue Sharing has been totally
eliminated. Also, federal and state mandates are constantly being thrust upon us
with no accompanying funds to pay for them.
On the positive side, our estimated revenues in the coming fiscal year include $1
million from park and recreation fees and $300.000 from the sale of the former Lydia
E. Hall Hospital.
While I believe that the Board has done a creditable job in bringing the budget
down to an increase lower than last year's, despite the current erosion of our tax
base, what we property owners want and need is the shifting of the burden of
government to a more equitable method. We have done our share by instituting
user fees so that the person receiving the services pays the full cost, rather than
all the property owners.
In addition, we believe that the future will see more sharing of services between
government entities. In this area-we have already swapped the cleaning and maintenance
of some Freeport roads with some of Nassau County's roads located in the Village.
We repair the Freeport School District's vehicles and provide them with discounted
prices on gas and oil. We also share undercover police officers with other legal
enforcement agencies. The future will see more such shared services for savings.
After close to 20 years, this is the last budge't in which I will be involved. The
process has become more and more difficult as elected-officials struggle to develop
a municipal budget which will not overburden their Freeport neighbors while providing
the fine services they have come to rely upon.
Our municipality will survive with the continued cooperation, patience and
understanding of our most important commodity—the spirit of Freeporters.
— Dorothy Storm
Handicapped Parking Permits
(continued)
Registrar who is located at the counter in
the lobby of Village Hall, week days, 8:30am
to 4:30pm. Handicapped license plates are
not available through the Village.
Handicapped residents, or their represen-tative,
will be given an application which
must be returned filled out by both the
applicant and a licensed physician. Perman-ent
parking permits are issued to those who
(a) have limited or no use of one or both
legs, (b) a neuro-muscular condition,
severely limiting mobility, (c) other physical
or mental conditions, certified by a licensed
physicians, which make the use of public
transportation unusually difficult, and (d)
blindness. Temporary parking permits will be
issued to persons unable to walk unaided
due to a temporary condition sich as a
broken leg.
There is no fee for the parking permits.
Applications will be issued only to Freeport
residents.
Village Election
Residents are reminded that the election
to select a Mayor, two Trustees and Village
Justice, will be held on Tuesday, March 16.
The neighborhood polls will be open from
7am to 9pm. Applications for absentee
ballots are available at the Village Clerk's
Office in Village Hall.
Village
News
A Public Information Bulletin
of The Village of Freeport
46 North Ocean Avenue
Telephone:" FRe'eport 8-4000
Dorothy Storm, Mayor
Meet with Mayor:
8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. every Friday
Public Meetings: 8:00 p.m., •
1st and 3rd Mondays of the Month
,- February 1993 -
MESSAGE FROM THE MAYOR
1993-94 Municipal Budget Adopted
Arter months of meetings with department heads, and a public hearing on
January 4, the Board of Trustees has adopted the municipal budget for fiscal
year 1993-94.
The new budget, which reflects cuts made by the Board after the public hearing,
goes into effect on March 1. The new tax rate is $19.28 per $100 of assessed valuation,
up$1.10 from 1992-93.
. The budget discussions were taking place as "Money Magazine"published a report
showing that residents of New York State pay the highest combined taxes—everything
from gasoline taxes to income and property taxes. The article also pointed out that
Long Islanders pay an average of $8,050 in property taxes (school, county, town
and village), the highest:average property taxes in the nation. Village taxes account
for 33% of the local tax bill.
One big factor facing the Board in drawing up the budget was the fact that the
assessed valuation of Freeport. has dropped $3 million, down to $87 million. This
is the result of increasing numbers ofcertiorari and Small Claims Court proceedings.
In addition, the State has decreased the value of telephone equipment over the past
few years which will no longer be a factor in 1994-95.
The good news is our assessed valuation will be increasing over the next ten years
as Meadowbrook Commons, Staples, Caldor's, Home Depot, the former Lydia E.
Hall Hospital, and other new construction begin to pay full taxes. For instance,
Caldor's assessed valuation is presently $269,910. It will increase substantially over
the next nine years. In addition to providing hundreds of jobs to Freeport, business
development is essential to our tax base and the general growth of our economy.
Other factors had to be dealt with in preparing this budget. One was the recent
signing of labor contracts with the Freeport Police Benevolent Association and the
Civil Service Employees Association, with benefit increases to come from this budget.
In addition, there is another labor contract due for the CSEA which could come
out of this budget as well.
State Revenue Sharing was also a factor in preparing the budget. In the present
(Message continued on back page)
Trustees: Ralph Smith, Victor Cohen, Vincent P. Campion, Catherine Collins;
Village Justice: Michael Solomon; Village Clerk: Karen A. Navin; Counsel: William Glacken; Treasurer: Andrew Ludwick
Snow Ordinances Must Be Obeyed
Mayor Dorothy Storm is issuing her
annual reminder to residents and
business owners .that the snow ordinances
of the Village must be obeyed. "I would like
to thank those who cooperated in past
storms," the Mayor said. "Unfortunately
there were tod many who did not cooperate
and it was necessary for the Police and
Building Departments to issue summonses
returnable to Village Court where violators
face a fine up to $250 per summons. We
would like to minimize the inconvenience a
snow storm brings to the public but there
is little choice if we are to accomplish a quick
and efficient storm cleanup needed to assure
safe movement of traffic and pedestrians."
Superintendent of Public Works David
Lovejoy states that the main impediment to
efficient plow operation in storms" is the
numerous veb'cles parked at curbside
throughout the Village. "Too often we see
clean and empty driveways with the family
cars parked on the street. Even with the
smallest plow, we cannot achieve a sufficient
path down a street when cars are parked on
both sides. Another headache are the
mounds of snow put in the streets by private
operators and shovelers."
When snow reaches the depth of four
inches, or there are predictions of that depth,
the Mayor has the power to put the Village
under Snow Emergency designation. When
a Snow Emergency is declared, it will be
announced over Radio Stations WBAB and
WHLI and aired on Cablevision's Channel 12.
Under a Snow Emergency status, vehicles
must be removed from ALL Village streets.
Owners who do not remove them are subject
to a summons.
The main arteries of the Village and other
key street are posted as "Snow Emergency
Routes." The public is asked to look for the
signs now to see if their home or business
is located on such a street. (A list of these
streets follows, please save.) The State and
County also post streets where they are
responsible for snow removal such as
Sunrise Highway and Merrick Road, North
Main Street, etc.
Vehicles parked on "Snow Emergency
Routes" are subject to being TOWED AWAY
at the owner's expense in a Snow Emer-gency
Vehicles without chains, snows or
radial tires may not travel these routes under
the Emergency status.
Mayor Storm noted that the Village
government recognizes the problem of
families with multiple cars and limited garage
and driveway space. "We can only encourage
cooperation among neighbors. If you have
space available, please offer it to others until
plowing is completed." The Mayor also
acknowledged long-time complaints
received by all municipalities from property
owners who clear their driveways only to
have them blocked by plowing operations.
"This is unfortunate but unavoidable. Our
primary concern must be to clear the roads
for the passage of emergency vehicles."
Owners and occupants of residential and
commercial, properties are also required to
remove all snow and ice from sidewalks 24
hours after the cessation of snoWfall. The
snow should be placed on a lawn or between
the sidewalk and curb, not in the roadway.
Not only may failure to remove snow and
ice bring a summons, but sanitation workers,
postal carriers and meter readers are within
their rights not to service uncleared
properties.
Village ordinance also call for owners or
occupants to keep any fire hydrants on their
property clear of snow and visible at all times.
This is of extreme importance in the case
of an emergency and violators will receive
summonses. Snow Emergency Routes:
Albany Ave., Merrick Rd. South; Ann Dr. E.;
Ann Dr. N.; Ann Dr. S.; Archer St., Bayview
Ave., Sunrise Hwy. to Pennsylvania Ave.;
Bayview Ave., Wilson PI. to Brookside Ave.;
Bayview Ave., Bryant St., to Sunrise Hwy.;
Broadway; Brooklyn Ave.; Brookside Ave. N.
& S.; Bryant St.; Buchanan St.; Buffalo Ave.,
Sunrise Hwy. to Mill Road; Casino St.; Cedar
St.; Columbus Ave. N.; Commercial St.;
Church St.; Doxsee Dr.; Front St., Long
Beach Ave. to Guy Lombardo Ave.; Grand
Ave., Main St. to Babylon Tpke; N. Grove
St.; Guy Lombardo Ave.; Hanse Ave.; Howard
Ave.; Hudson Ave.; Independence Ave.; Jay
St., Grand Ave. to E. Seaman Ave.; Jefferson
St.; Lakeview Ave.; Laurette Ln., Main St. to
Ann Dr. N.; Lena Ave., Long Beach Ave. to
Main St.; Long Beach Ave.; Long Beach Ave.
S.; Main St.; Merrick Rd. to Henry St. Ext.;
Meister Blvd.; Ocean Ave. N & S.; Parsons
Ave.; Pennsylvania Ave.; Pine St.; Polk St.;
Prince Ave.; Ray St., Westend Ave. fo Main
St.; Smith St., Bayview Ave. to Main St.;
Southside Ave., Brookside Ave. to Westend
Ave.; Suffolk St.; Westend Ave.; Wilson PL;
and Woodside Ave.
St* Patrick's Day
Lunch. For Seniors
The Freeport Recreation Department is
sponsoring a St. Patrick's Day luncheon for
senior citizens Tuesday, March 16, noon to
4pm. The luncheon will be held at Temple
Avodah, Oceanside Road, Oceanside.
The fee, which must be paid at the
Recreation Center no later than March 10,
is $17 per person. The fee covers a cocktail
hour, hor d'oeuvres, full course lunch with
traditional corned beef and cabbage as one
of the selections, and music for dancing.
Safe Boating Course
Flotilla 13-6 of the US Coast Guard
Auxiliary will again be giving a safe boating
course ,31 Freeport High School for ten
consecutive Mondays beginning at 7:30pm.
Starting date is March 1. One may pre-register
at the school on February 1 and 2,
7 to 9pm.
The course is free and a text book, work
book and other course paraphernalia is
supplied at a nominal fee. Those' that are
successful in the course will receive a
certificate of graduation which can be
presented to insurance companies which
often allow a 10% reduction in the cost of
boat insurance.
For further information, call 378-9376 or
747-8130.
Rules On Signs
Business owners are reminded that all
permanent signs require a permit. Applica-tion
for such permits is through the Building
Department located in the lower level of
Village Hall.
Village law requires that any sign adver-tising
an activity at a location must be
removed within 30 days after that activity
ceases operation at that location. If the
property owner fails to remove the sign after
30 days, the Village will arrange for its
removal and assess the costs to the owner.
No more than 10% of any commercial
window may be covered by paper signs,
curtains, shutters, etc. Aside from aesthetics,
covered windows prevent the security of
passersby becoming aware of any suspicious
behavior inside.
Display Your
Address
Residents are reminded that Village
ordinances require that all properties displa;
the number of their address so that it cai
be seen easily from the sidewalk. It is als<
suggested that the number be illuminated ii
darkness.
The ordinance was adopted to assis
firefighters and police officers responding tc
an emergency. Displaying your address also
assists in package deliveries and guests.
1993 Parking
Permits
All present commuter parking sticker
expire as of February 28.
New stickers go on sale February 22 fo
$56.96 which includes the state tax. They wi!
be available, 8:30am to 4pm on week days'
at the Register's counter in Village Hall.
In order to obtain a sticker, residents mus
present their current registration for thi
vehicle they will be using in commute
parking lots. In addition, a current electri
bill must be furnished. Both the registratio;
and electric bill must bear the same first am
last names.
Fine For
Bounced Checks
The Board of Trustees has adopted ;
resolution which allows the Village to impost
a $15 fine for checks received by the Villagt
which are returned for insufficient or uncol
lected funds.
Returned checks result in an expenditur
of time and effort in collection above an<
beyond any fees imposed by the bank.
Handicapped
Parking Permits
Freeporters, permanently or temporarily
handicapped, may now apply for handi
capped parking permits through the Village
(continued on back page
