Trustee Lynn Pombonyo

U.S. Congress Update
Today, Congressman Anthony D’Esposito of New York’s Fourth Congressional District was sworn in (in our District) at the Nassau County Police Academy in Garden City. The large crowd of constituents included many police officers and firefighters celebrating the Congressman’s career as a NYPD Detective and Chief of the Island Park Fire Department. Congressman D’Esposito’s experience will serve us well as he announced his recent appointment to the House of Representative’s Committee on Homeland Security. Our new Congressman emphasized his commitment to working constructively with any and all members of Congress and proclaimed, “Let’s Do Right for America.”

Fire Department
The Chiefs and members of Rescue Company were welcomed to the meeting.

As always, we begin by thanking all in our Floral Park Fire Department for their selfless, never-ending service in times of increasing challenges, complexity and demand. Now, as we work to meet the challenges, the understanding, cooperation, and contributions of all are highly important and necessary.

For nineteen years, many in our Fire Department and community have lovingly participated in or supported a monumental program called Nassau County Firefighters – Operation Wounded Warrior. Eight of our Floral Park Firefighters, Rescue Company members, and former residents traveled to Fort Bragg and Camp Lejeune in North Carolina to bring valued personal and family items that mean so much to our servicemen and women in base hospitals. These dedicated volunteers who made the trip included members of the Luger family (Ex-Captain Patricia, Chief Gil, Brian and Laurie), former Chief Ken Fairben, Rescue Company Lieutenant Julie Choy and Warden Lynn Wille, and Randolph Holmes.

NCFF-OWW president and former Chief Joe O’Grady accompanied the Lynbrook Department on Wounded Warrior trips to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland and Fort Belvoir in Virginia.

Thanks to all who have generously given of their time and efforts to serve our military, at their time of greatest need at the holidays. A nineteen year commitment and a most meaningful achievement!

Chambers of Commerce and Our Businesses
Our Chambers of Commerce are both engaging in active 2023 membership drives right now. All of our Floral Park businesses are encouraged to join our two Chambers and take part in their informative meetings and community activities such as the street fairs, tree lightings, and others. Check the websites at floralparkchamber.org and covertavenuechamber.org for the membership and events details.

And, speaking of events, the Covert Avenue Chamber will be meeting Tuesday, January 24th, 7pm at Trinity Restaurant. FPPD Lt. William Doherty will be speaking about Merchant Safety.

Thanks to the Covert Avenue Chamber who made a generous donation to Our Lady of Victory Outreach, the Respite Program, coordinated by Outreach Director Maureen Russell. This wonderful community program for children and adolescents with special needs pairs them with volunteer student peers and adults for an evening of recreation, basketball, games, arts and crafts, and pizza in the OLV gymnasium and cafeteria. Last Friday’s program was filled with friendship, caring, warmth and fun shared by large groups of happy students hanging out together to make it a special night for all. This awesome program takes place throughout the year. Thanks to the Covert Avenue Chamber of Commerce for supporting Respite with profits from this October’s highly popular and successful Street Fair.

Conservation Society (FPCS)
We all love our award-winning Centennial Gardens, so you are invited to learn more about it. At the January Hillcrest Civic Association meeting, FPCS president and long-time volunteer Dennis McEnery will do a beautiful, interesting PowerPoint presentation about the Gardens through the years, complete with fascinating photos and fun facts! Get together with other Gardens fans on Thursday, January 26th, 7:30pm at the Rec Center.

Trustee Frank Chiara

Building Department
The Building Department reports that the work associated with the Village-Wide Energy Performance Project is progressing nicely. Upgrades of all our Village buildings lights to LED’s is currently being performed. During the next month or so the next phase will be upgrading the Village sports fields. This upgrade should be completed before our active sports season begins.

Updates on the Village’s two major projects 1) Covert Avenue and 2) Centennial Hall are as follows: The Covert Avenue project drawings have been submitted to Nassau County for approval and to the Building Department for code review. Construction is expected to begin in the Spring. Centennial Hall developers are working on progressing their engineering drawings which will then be submitted to Nassau County and as requested to the Architectural Review Board for review.

Police Department
The Police Department would like to remind all residents about the Village’s overnight parking regulation. There is no parking on Village streets from 3am to 5am. It should be noted that as of January 1, 2023 the fine for violating this parking regulation has been increased to $100.00 per ticket. This increase was necessary due to the significant rise of residents violating the overnight parking regulation and the past fine not being a deterrent to follow the regulation. Residents can request an exemption to the overnight parking regulation by going to the Village website www.fpvillage.org, under the quick links titled “3am-5am parking & vacation watch”. Request for this exemption is limited to 24 events. Any questions regarding this overnight parking regulation can be directed to our Village Police Department at the non-emergency number 516-326-6400. Thank you.

Trustee Jennifer Stewart

Recreation Center/Pool
The Village is now accepting summer employment applications for the Rec Center and Pool for summer jobs. Applications are available on the Village website.

Reconstruction of the new sidewalk at the Rec Center to allow for access to the new Multi-Purpose Rink and to the Pool is expected to be completed by early Spring. Thank you to Recreation Superintendent Kurt Meyfohrt and Building Superintendent Renee Marcus for their vision and hard work in helping the Village implement this much needed and very nice upgrade.

MTA/3TC
Thank you to the MTA for paying for the new sidewalk at the Rec Center that is being funded through the Community Benefit Fund which was developed as part of the MOU with the MTA/3TC.

Last week, Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald, Village Administrator Gerry Bambrick, Former Trustee-MTA/3TC Board Liaison Archie Cheng and I met with MTA/3TC representatives to review and clear up the punch list items. We were able to cross some items off of that list that are completed and we are still working on some outstanding items. More information to follow.

As always, we encourage residents to reach out directly to the MTA with questions and concerns, as we have found this the most effective way of residents communicating with them. The MTA can be reached at contact.mta.info/customer-feedback or by phone at 516-203-4955 – this is an automated response, but you can ask for “more options” and then ask for “Comments and concerns” to speak to a person.

Trustee Michael Longobardi

Floral Park Library
Construction continues at the library with most of the ramp base in place as well as the roof almost complete. Plans are in the works for the 100th Anniversary of the library, details to follow.

Some upcoming events and classes are Game Nites for Grownups on select Tuesdays in February and March, English Language Learner Class Saturday January 21, Movie Matinee Monday January 23: Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, and children’s painting and cooking classes. Sunday January 22 is the Friends of the Library Bag Sale. Come by, fill a Friends of the Library bag with books for $5 or $7 and help support the Library. On Tuesday January 31 certified financial planner Daniel Mazzola will offer his assistance to plan retirement and understand social security benefits.

All activities and times are listed on the library website: WWW.FloralParkLibrary.org. You can also register on the website to receive regular emails on Library updates and events.

Four Village Studio (4VS)
Four Village Studio (4VS) has student opportunities. 4VS is currently recruiting four-village area high school student volunteers 15 years of age and older as well as college student volunteers who are interested in learning television production. For details or to schedule an informational meeting, call 516-326-1150 or email [email protected].

This week, January 16 – 19, our award-winning shows are being broadcast. Congratulations again to The Wes Houston Trio, FPPD: Behind the Badge Surviving an Active Shooter, FPFD Red Alert Emergency Medical Technology, and The Antique Road Test-Brewster and Co. Each of these programs received awards at the Northeast Regional Awards recently.

Regarding the 25th Anniversary of 4VS, all year long flashback shows looking back over the first 25 years will be aired. It will be a very interesting and entertaining look back. Watch the schedule for those. To see a list of all our shows, please visit www.4vs.org or watch your local provider station.

Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald
Following up on the presentation made two weeks ago at our last meeting regarding the FPFD’s proposal on the NYU Langone Ambulance being assigned “first due” in the Village of Floral Park, the Board will address the issue again at the next Board meeting. The Board may have a Special Meeting prior to that and plans to have FAQs published on the Village’s website on Friday, January 20, 2023.

Yesterday, NYRA began construction on the buffer berm for the Triangle area abutting the West End dead ends at Mayfair and Crocus Avenues and Hazel Place. I would like to thank Glen Kozak, Senior Vice President of Operations and Capital Projects for NYRA for listening to and responding to the residents of Floral Park’s concerns. There will be a fence and arborvitaes along the curb line to lessen noise, especially at post event times and to beautify the area. Thank you.

Thank you to Felix Procacci, “Just the Facts Media” and Brandon Duffy from Blank Slate Media for attending the meeting tonight.