Readers Write: NHP Fire District frustrates pubic participation

The Island Now

While the vast majority of municipalities either cancelled or had the forethought to schedule their monthly board meetings around Election Day, the New Hyde Park Fire District once again inexplicably held their public meeting on Election Day, frustrating the public’s ability to participate in the political process. 

The scheduling of meetings around the second Tuesday of November is routine.  

It provides the public and those that work for municipalities and those citizens who would like to participate in local board meetings with the opportunity to get out and vote.  To participate in the political process and have their voice heard.  The New Hyde Park Fire District and its staff choose, once again, to hold a board meeting on Election Day, showing a lack of concern and common courtesy for their own constituents.  

This is nothing new.  

The New Hyde Park Fire District has continually attempted to frustrate public participation in their meetings.  

They have refused, on many occasions, to respond to questions regarding key budgetary issues during regular and budget meetings, failed to make their board meetings more accessible to the public by holding their meetings in smaller rooms in the district offices or posting small signs on the entry door of headquarters stated that a meeting will be held, when they have an operational taxpayer funded digital billboard on the building, require Freedom of Information requests to view board meeting minutes and board members are generally rude and disrespectful to residents who ask questions and seek clarification regarding certain issues, providing smug remarks or refusing to respond to questions altogether.  

All of this occurs when board members actually appear for board meetings.  Indeed, this has been a serious problem for Commissioner Stephen Derenze, who has shown an absolute disregard of his duties and responsibilities for the district, missing a total of six of 13 meeting in the first year of his five-year term.  

No explanation for his absences has been provided.  It seems that this behavior has only increased since it was uncovered that the board was improperly changing meeting minutes to reflect a vote that never occurred. This is a board run amuck, who maintains the attitude that we can do whatever we want and no one can impede our actions.  

Unfortunately, these actions are just further examples of the board’s lack of openness and transparency in their governmental operations and budget process.  

While other fire districts, like Oceanside or Franklin Square-Munson, have moved their meeting minutes online or posted podcasts or audio recording of public meetings, this district pulls away, allowing the “good ol’ boys” on the board the opportunity to do what they wish with taxpayer funds without any true transparency or oversight.  

This must stop!  I encourage all district residents to come to a meeting and witness this behavior firsthand.

Deirdre Dolan

New Hyde Park

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