With the June election behind it, the Manorhaven Board of Trustees took steps during their meeting on Thursday to implement the platform members campaigned on.
“All the candidates ran unopposed, and I think that speaks to the fact that the residents have given us a good rating on our performance,” said Mayor Jim Avena, who was one of the three re-elected village officials.
Among the major priorities for the village in the near future is repairing and rehabilitating the sewers. The board agreed to purchase a skid steer for $14,900 and a backhoe for $34,500 from the Port Washington Water District to work on that project. The village has budgeted for the purchases in case it cannot obtain funding through the CHIPS reimbursement program run by the New York Department of Transportation.
The board also approved the engagement of Walden Engineering to apply for the next round of sewer grant applications.
Avena mentioned later in the meeting that he wants to officially approve a $5 million bond that would pay for the sewer upgrades along with street repaving. He said that a $50,000 reduction in costs from the Fire Department — which was due to the reassessment of properties in Nassau County — freed up spare funds that would cover some of the costs to issue that bond.
In further construction news, Avena said that the village would be receiving $350,000 from the Nassau County Community Block Grant to finish construction on Morgan’s Dock.
There was a vote on moving the village’s 9/11 memorial, which led to some rare dissent from the board. The trustees almost always vote together on motions, but Trustee John Popeleski voted against moving a piece of the World Trade Center outside.
“Outside, it’s going to be in the elements and it’s going to rust,” he said.
But the other four board members voted to move it outside, where they said they believed it would be more accessible to village residents. The piece will be part of Manorhaven’s existing memorial outside Village Hall.
The board discussed — but did not take action on — the village’s annual street festival. Avena said he liked the festival but it required a lot of work from the village. Trustee Rita Di Lucia proposed holding it every other year.
“This way we still continue it because people like, but maybe just not as often,” she said.
The trustees talked about a possible law regarding the installation of cell nodes on telephone poles. These nodes are brown boxes that transmit cellphone signals. The trustees expressed a desire to regulate them to determine when they can be set up, saying they wanted to be proactive after phone companies “snuck in” and installed them in Great Neck.
The board also amended a local law that would permit parking on either side of Nesaquake Avenue from Sintsink Drive East to Manhasset Avenue. Previously, that stretch had been restricted to trucks and boat trailers.
Reach reporter Luke Torrance by email at ltorrance@theislandnow.com, by phone at 516-307-1045, ext. 214, or follow him on Twitter @LukeATorrance.
