Setting The Record Straight

To the Editor:

At the May 3rd meeting the Board of Trustees approved the reappointment of Cullen Dykman as Village Counsel by a 5 to 3 vote. Trustees Brudie, Watras and I dissented.

At that meeting three examples where the Counsel failed to properly represent the Village were noted and were reported in last week's Garden City News. In that article Counsel made some assertions about these matters to which I want to respond.

Labor Negotiations

Counsel's reported statement,..."the trustees never directed that Fishberg should give them a recommendation via a memo" is in error.

Last December, at a Board executive meeting, Mayor Bee (then Trustee) and I directed that Counsel, together with the Village Administrator, prepare a memo on a proposal the Board was considering for the CSEA negotiations. The CSEA represents over 200 Village employees. Mayor Bee confirmed this request in a March 5th e-mail. On March 7th, Counsel finally sent the requested memo to the Board but it was too late. Negotiations had begun with proposed terms on which the Board had no input

Counsel's reported statement "It was also known that the Village wanted longer contracts so they would not have to go through the negotiation process every five years"

Counsel refers to the six year contract proposal he made. How did he know that was the Village's position? It was never discussed with the Board. Labor contracts are usually three years. No one can predict economic conditions six years in the future.

Litigation

Counsel's reported statement,"...the added services resulting from that contested motion approximated $10,000 and not the $20,000 as Mr. Lamberti claimed," is in error.

In the lawsuit described in the article Counsel blames co-counsel for the improper release of confidential Village documents. Counsel recommended co-counsel and was to work together with him. Counsel admitted that he failed to coordinate with co-counsel on the release of these documents. As a result of this failure Counsel went to Court to seal the records. The Village was billed $20,000 for the "corrective" services performed and the Trustees objected. Counsel disputed the $20,000 but admitted to charging $16,792.50 for the "corrective" services in a memo to the Board, dated September 8, 2006. After months of discussions Counsel reduced their fee by $10,000. Why should the Village pay anything to Counsel for correcting their mistake?

Acquisition of Kanner House

Counsel's reported statement,"...the Village never purchased the house, this was a deal whereby the Village swapped land of almost equal value...The Village agreed to pay....$900,000, not $1,650,000 as Lamberti asserted" is a distortion of the facts.

Let's look at the facts. The Village signed a contract to acquire the Kanner house and lot on August 22, 2002. The "deal" was to give the Kanners the Village's adjacent lot and to pay for the relocation of the house and garage to that lot. The "deal" also included new heating and air condition systems, new basement, new patio and driveway, housing costs during the period of relocation, storage of furniture, moving costs in and out, legal fees, etc. At the time of the contract there were no appraisals of either property to determine their market value nor was there any cap on the relocation costs. The Village did not know either the value of the property it was acquiring or the price it was going to pay for it. Why did Counsel prepare a contract without any of those protections?

In May 2003 Counsel obtained appraisals for both properties. The Kanner house and lot was valued at $925,000 and the Village lot at $750,000. Why did Counsel not obtain those appraisals before the contract was signed? The relocation costs calculated this year were $900,976.79.

What was the total cost for the Kanner house appraised at $925,000

The value of the Village lot $750,000

The relocation costs $900,976.50

Total $1,650,976.50

To illustrate this transaction: You want to buy a house for $925,000. The owner offers you a choice pay $925,000 or give me your lot next door, valued at $750,000 plus $175,000. In either case you pay $925,000. Here we did both. We gave the $750,000 lot next door and paid over $900,000 for a $925,000 house. Does that make sense?

Ethics

The newspaper article incorrectly reported that I suggested that Counsel acted unethically and one of the Trustees said that I owed him "an apology for calling him unethical" I never did so. The tape of the meeting is available at Village Hall and no such statement was made. All my comments related to the quality of the professional services rendered.

Conclusion

I have committed myself to a Village government which will be transparent and will function properly and effectively. All that was said at the last meeting and in this letter had been discussed with the Board before I felt obligated to raise these concerns at the last Board meeting. Comments made by other Trustees at the meeting did not dispute these facts.

As those who attend the Board meetings know well, I reason and conclude from the facts. I take my fiduciary responsibility seriously. I don't expect everyone to agree with me, but I ask that everyone give careful consideration to these facts.

Thomas M Lamberti

What Is Village Doing?

To The Editor:

We read with interest the latest published developments regarding the LIRR third track. Kudos go to Queens Village, Bellerose and most of Floral Park for winning exclusion from the LIRR project. New Hyde Park should also be recognized for achieving the paring back of full property seizures from 19 to 8.

The LIRR is quoted as stating that the concessions were made in response to input from "local elected officials."

Conspicuous by its absence is the Village of Garden City. What are our elected officials doing to combat the negative impact of the LIRR third track project?

If we are misinformed, please, please correct us. Tell us that Garden City is being spared a third track to haul garbage from New York City. Tell us that our Bird Sanctuary will not be overcome by fumes. Tell us that Homestead School will not be affected by increased vehicular traffic. Tell us that Nassau Haven will not reek and shake as garbage is hauled through on a third track.

If we are not misinformed, tell us - tell every person in this village - how we can work together to prevent this atrocity. Waiting to develop a response to the Environmental Impact Statement during the abbreviated response time is not effective. We need to band together now. We need to do what Queens Village, Bellerose, Floral Park and New Hyde Park have done. We need to act so that the LIRR takes notice.

J. Maloney

Clash of Interests?

To the Editor:

I don't understand how Trustee Thomas Lamberti could vote on the renewal of the village contract with Cullen & Dykman if he was employed by this law firm for 30 years. (Board Debates Renewal of Counsel Contract, Garden City News, April 27, page one.) Isn't there a potential conflict of interest here? If there are two competing interests, how can Trustee Lamberti be sure he is impartial? A trustee can express his or her concern about any village matter but if they have, or have had, a relationship or affiliation with the party in question, shouldn't they abstain from voting to avoid even the appearance of impropriety? With Board of Trustee decisions on St Paul's expected in the near future, the residents of this village need to have confidence that there is no clash of public and private interests that might compromise their judgment.

Leo V. Stimmler

War And Peace

To the Editor:

The latest news concerning possible developments relating to the St Paul's schoolhouse reminds one of reading the wonderful, never ending novels such as War and Peace and the Forsythe Saga. Would that the story of St Paul's were as enjoyable.

The current authors of the St Paul's story (the Village Board), by their silence, seemingly ignore a substantial, if not majority opinion of Village taxpayers, which is: "Everything on earth has its own time and its own season." Ecclesiastes, and St. Paul's time and season are over.

We would like an undeveloped 50 acres of land, as is.

If the Board doesn't understand this, then would be developers of the property should. This community is not unanimous with regard to any commercial development of the property. Any attempt to do so will face resistance. Be assured.

Vincent J. Maroney

Thanks

To the Editor:

(Published at the request of the Committee to Save St. Paul's)

Hon. Carolyn McCarthy

United States

Representative

106 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Representative McCarthy:

On behalf of the Committee to Save St. Paul's and its Executive Committee, I would like to express our sincere thanks for your support as a co-sponsor of H.R. 1043, The Community Restoration and Revitalization Act. The Committee to Save St. Paul's and our development partner Canus Corporation are currently being considered for an historic preservation project - the redevelopment of the circa 1879 Victorian Gothic St. Paul's School in Garden City. In a grassroots petition drive last fall, we collected 1,000 signatures of Garden City residents in support our redevelopment plan. Passage of this legislation could significantly improve the environment for preservation projects like ours on Long Island.

As preservationists residing in your District, we also urge you to consider joining the Congressional Historic Preservation Caucus, co-chaired by Representative Brad Miller (D-NC) and Representative Michael Turner (R-OH). The Congressional Historic Preservation Caucus, established in 2003, brings together members of Congress who understand the value of America's historic places. Members of the Congressional Historic Preservation Caucus support and encourage the preservation and thoughtful economic development of historic places in their districts and states, on Indian reservations, and as a matter of national policy. The Caucus is now developing to serve as a clearinghouse for Members of Congress seeking information and sharing ideas concerning issues and opportunities in historic preservation.

We certainly understand your hectic schedule, but if you are able to join the Caucus, please contact staff Claire Sax (202) 225-3032 in Representative Brad Miller's office or Michael Wiehe (202) 225-6465, in Representative Michael Turner's office.

We thank you for the exceptional job you are doing for our District.

Maureen Traxler

Administrative and

Communications Director

The Committee to

Save St. Paul's

Note from the Committee: Federal historic preservation tax credits are a very real and significant source of revenue (and an overlooked Village asset) in the Committee to Save St. Paul's proposal. We will be able to take advantage of these credits because our proposal incorporates authentic historic preservation of St. Paul's Main Building. We are gratified that we were able to encourage our Representative, Carolyn McCarthy, to become a co-sponsor of this important legislation, and we are continuing a campaign to solicit other members of the Long Island Delegation to do the same. In addition, the Committee to Save St. Paul's is working through government channels in Albany to enhance historic tax credits at the state level.

Cost Savings

To The Editor:

Our swimming pool was the principal focus of our Recreation Department. Added were the tennis courts, a senior citizens entertainment area and other miscellaneous functions.

At our community in the Poconos, some of the amenities, the bar and skiing and even the water and sewerage services were contracted out to independent contractors. The savings in the sewer and water areas are significant, i.e. about 33%.

A study should be made as to whether our Recreation Department and our water and sewerage should be contracted out to determine whether it would be cost effective.

There is a water and sewerage company now operating in Long Island named Aqua America, which could be consulted to determine whether it might operate the water and sewer service at a savings to the village.

If we are operating our pool and tennis courts at a loss, perhaps we can find a similar company to run these areas.

What do you think?

Joseph A. Calamari

P.S. The Budget of the Recreation Department has been increasing at the rate of about $250,000 per year i.e. over 6.3%. The budget of the Public Works Department has been increasing at a rate of over 10.5% per year. These expenditures require more scrutiny.

P.P.S. I own 100 shares of Aqua America.

P.P.P.S. Syosset must have read my letter in the Garden City News. It has appointed a panel to study it's service district for cost savings. We should do the same.

Wonderful Performance

To the Editor,

During the past 2 months I have had the pleasure of attending several remarkable musical performances in the Garden City Schools. In March, the high school students presented an incredibly professional production of Little Shop of Horrors. Also in March, the entire fifth grade at Stratford School presented The Jungle Book. Both shows were wonderfully acted and meticulously directed, and both left the audiences cheering.

Last week the Music Box Players at the Garden City Middle School performed Fiddler on the Roof. Not only were the singing and choreography great, but the scenery and costumes showed the amount of effort and attention to detail that the students, their parents and the staff put into the play. Finally, last night I attended an electrifying performance by the Garden City High School Wind Symphony, Wind Ensemble, Chamber Choir and Women's Chorus.

Having attended schools in a district that barely had a music department, I can really appreciate the opportunity my children have to participate in the arts programs offered by our school district. I look forward to the upcoming spring concerts and the Stewart opera. I encourage all Garden City residents to attend and support these wonderful programs.

Catherine Burdi

Astounding Theatre

To The Editor:

This spring season the schools in our district has done an astounding job of promoting the art of musical theatre. The high school's Little Shop of Horrors was absolutely outstanding and the middle school's rendition of Fiddler on the Roof left audiences delighted and was extremely well done. Congratulations to the adults in charge and the students who participated. Their many hours of practice were made evident by stellar performances both on the stage and behind the scenes. We are indeed very proud to be part of a community so dedicated to promoting and supporting the arts. Bravissimi to all!

J. Mollica

A Letter Of Praise

To the Editor:

It may sound a bit odd to write a letter in praise of the Middle School's production of Fiddler On The Roof without having seen the show, but the perspective I was afforded was as rewarding as sitting front row center.

Mr. Victor Lee, with the help of very dedicated teachers from our various school buildings, built a show from the ground up. Having a play with complicated scenery, costumes, dialog, dancing, songs and history, Mr. Lee was able to mold adolescent children into matchmakers, mothers and fathers, brides and grooms, and townspeople with a history. The story line and the traditions behind them were unfamiliar to many of the cast. The children performed on stage as if they had lived in this small imaginary village all their lives.

For my part, I helped backstage making sure the apron strings were tied, the costume changes were fast enough and the actors went on stage with confidence. I heard the magnificent voices singing, hushed the over-anxious stage entrances, worked with an amazingly coordinated and focused stage crew carry out complicated maneuvers and finally watched the actors and support crew as they took their bows. The most rewarding sight for me, however, was watching these middle school adolescents change from nervous colts into the role they were assigned to when going onto the stage. Then, I got to see them come off stage with this wonderful look in their eyes - the look of " I did it and I feel so proud of myself." That is so incredibly hard to accomplish for a middle schooler.

The only thing I can say is "thank you," Mr. Lee. What you and your colleagues did for a group of tender young adults was help them see that they can take a role and make it their own. After all, that is what we ask them to do in growing up. You showed them yet another side to reaching adulthood. Please, may their futures be as successful as this production.

Cathi Cavanaugh