Readers Write: NHP Fire District ignoring rules, regulations

The Island Now

Rules and regulations do matter and any personnel in violation must be held accountable. 

At the open board meeting of New Hyde Park Fire District on May 3, board chairman Commissioner Michael Bonura announced he needed a motion to add commissioners James Nagy and Stephan Derenze, as check signors for the New Hyde Park Fire Department checking account [with] Capital One Bank.  

Motion was made by Commissioner Nagy, second by Commissioner Richard Stein.  All four present commissioners were in favor and motion passed. 

With the addition of these two individuals, there is now a total of six people designated as check signors.  

Yet, at the first open Board meeting back in January, Chairman-elect Commissioner Bonura made a motion to designate check signors for the district.  He announced check signors would be:  Treasurer (Mrs. Marie Cochran), Deputy Treasurer (Mrs. Patricia “Patti” Guy – Marie’s daughter), and one commissioner.  

One Commissioner would be himself or (Vice-Chairman elect) Commissioner John Waldron — empowered only in his absence.  The motion passed unanimously.

Clearly, there is a failure to follow the rules and regulations of the district  where only one commissioner is to be designated as a check signor.  

I addressed this issue and expressed my concern at the recent May 17 open board meeting.  I requested an explanation as to why there is a need for a total of six individuals to sign-off on checks?  

As you might expect, my question was blatantly ignored.

As another example of the District playing games with the taxpayers’ money, it was announced back during the December 1, 2015 meeting, by then Vice-Chairman Commissioner Bonura, that the board acknowledge it did not properly provide a formal motion which would have allowed Commissioner Derenze to attend an event in Louisiana.  

Now upon his return, the District, after the fact and without pre-approving the trip, made a formal motion to cover the expense of Derenze’s attendance.  In line with the board’s typical practice of non-transparency, no dollar amount of Derenze’s expenses were provided.  

Now, at Commissioner Bonura’s request and with the board’s approval, Commissioner Derenze and Commissioner Nagy (Bonura’s father-in-law), both inexplicably have the liberty to sign-off on the district’s checks at their leisure. 

It should be noted that Commissioner Stein, a retiree, has the advantage of being readily available to deal with daily district matters at-hand, and already has a signature card on record with the bank from his prior position as chairman.  With this in mind, why are six people needed to have check signing authority?   

Additionally, I addressed at this meeting the rules and regulations for the election of, fire district officers, where under New York State Town Law Section 175, it states: “Every fire district commissioner, treasurer, and secretary must at the time of his election or appointment, and throughout his term of office, be a resident of such fire district.  

“Membership in a volunteer fire company shall not disqualify any such fire district commissioner, treasurer, or secretary.”

With this law in mind, I note that Commissioner Stein’s personal motor vehicle, which has a specialty Florida state license plate is registered to a home within Broward County, Fla.  

As an elected official, Commissioner Stein is required to follow the law and must comply with (New York State and Nassau Civil Service mandates) residency requirements and reside full-time during his term in the district he represents. 

Public records indicate he is also listed as a volunteer member with the Fire Island Pines Fire Department, in Suffolk County.  

He served as their department chief for the year 2011.

How does one decide to give priority consideration to affected residents with a dual membership, managing day-to-day leadership roles in each, where duty calls to be readily available to serve and direct in a fire or emergency situation, and govern in mandated department or district meetings, in two different fire departments, located in separate counties, at the same time?  

Commissioner Stein was conspicuously not in attendance at this meeting and his absence will be simply marked only as ‘absent’ in the final record of the meeting minutes.  I asked that the district conduct an investigation into the actual status of Commissioner Stein’s residence at the time of his initial election to the board— and throughout his tenure as Fire Commissioner of New Hyde Park.  

This internal investigation should justifiably include each member of the Fire District’s staff. 

If Commissioner Stein is found to be a resident of Florida, he should be required to step down from his elected position as Fire Commissioner immediately, and reimburse the Fire District and/or the State of New York for any LOSAP payments that he has improperly earned during that period.  

Deirdre Dolan 

New Hyde Park 

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