Last week Great Neck Plaza Trustee Pam Marksheid wrote that they were looking at ways to “allow” restaurants to put tables and chairs outside their property.
However, when the notice was sent out to residents, it contained a stern directive that “no patron of the restaurant utilizing the outside dining area shall be allowed inside the restaurant,” even though the New York State guidelines clearly state that “designated areas…along with a taped or painted surface to ensure social distancing measures while patrons wait…for the bathroom” should be the protocol.
Why does this notice add an arbitrary restriction over and above that promulgated by Gov. Cuomo? I believe that if the Plaza administration had more empathy and concerns for their residents, they would not be putting in place such restrictions.
Moreover, I would expect the Plaza administration to have been more proactive in seeking financial relief regarding the payment of village taxes.
And, if they now have any interest in what Gov. Cuomo was saying about village taxes, then they should have read his Executive Orders 202.32 and 202.36.
In the Executive Order 202.32, the governor also included a provision, at the request of the chief executive of the affected village, to retroactively extend a grace period for payment of taxes without interest or penalty to the Villages of Russell Gardens in Nassau County and Head of Harbor in Suffolk County. Additionally, EO 202.36 also contained a provision to retroactively extend a grace period for payment of taxes without interest or penalty to the Village of Thomaston.
All a village administration had to do was ask! The fact that the tax bills were sent out in advance of an executive order does not negate the fact that a RETROACTIVE extension could have been requested, as was done by many other village administrations.
In her letter, Marksheid also said there were “other proposals” that the village is considering. Proposals for what? Why haven’t these “other proposals” been shared with their constituents?
Ellis Nash
Village of Great Neck Plaza
