Lake Success may shuffle environmental commission

Janelle Clausen
Village Administrator Patrick Farrell gestures to a line on a document that Mayor Adam Hoffman is reviewing. (Photo by Janelle Clausen)

The Lake Success Environmental Commission will hold off on appointments for one month, Trustee Alan Mindel announced at a village board meeting on Monday.

Mayor Adam Hoffman said the decision was made because some people were not attending meetings and there could be a restructuring of the committee. Currently, the commission is considering turning some board alternates into permanent members.

Normally, Hoffman said, he would renew all the members but Mindel, who heads the commission, requested time to better review who has been fulfilling their responsibilities and who could fill potential vacancies.

Members serve one- and two-year terms and are appointed by the mayor. Mindel serves with eight members. There are four alternates.

Trustee Alan Mindel, head of the village’s Environmental Commission, reviews a document during a board meeting. (Photo by Janelle Clausen)

Their primary responsibilities are to study the local environment and recommend actions the village should take to protect and improve it, according to the village website.

They are also responsible for ensuring water studies are conducted.

Water problems began in Lake Success when Sperry, a defense contractor, dumped degreasers and industrial solvents into underground chambers known as dry wells. This in turn leaked carcinogenic chemicals into the groundwater, leading to the contamination of a 900-acre area known as a plume.

In 1996, Lockheed Martin took over a Marcus Avenue property when it bought Loral, another defense contractor. Lockheed Martin, which ceased operations there in 1998 and sold the property in 2000, remains responsible for cleaning up the area.

The village also said that it is set to save 500 hours in police overtime per quarter, or 2,000 per year. The changes can be attributed to overall restructuring of the system, voluntary retirements and hiring younger officers.

“We were running at about 1,000 hours a quarter,” Hoffman said, which translates to a savings of $50,000 to $60,000 every three months.

Consequently, Hoffman said this could amount to at least $200,000 in annual savings for the village.

The Board of Trustees also announced a public hearing regarding proposed zoning law changes to address mansard roofs, which are rising in popularity, and floor area ratio calculations for garages.

Additionally, the board discussed drawing up a new catering contract to apply to future vendors and put the village in a stronger negotiating position.

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