A decision by the Garden City Board of Trustees not to charge a fee to an outside organization to hold a parade in March angered a few people who attended the October 15th Board meeting to protest the new $150 fee trustees instituted for parking permits behind the Garden City Medical Building at 520 Franklin Avenue.

The Board voted not to charge the Irish American Society of Nassau Suffolk & Queens, Inc. to hold its annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 7, 2010, even though it costs the Village at least $6,000.

Citing the poor economy, the Board has increased several fees, and even instituted some new ones, which have significantly impacted Village residents. Trustee Nicholas Episcopia said in light of this, it would be unfair for the Board not to levy a fee on an outside organization to cover the parade costs.

Mayor Robert J. Rothschild agreed with Episcopia that a few should be implemented, especially since it is an organization which originates outside the Village.

Trustee Donnelly disagreed, saying that parades and festivals are assets to the Village and the business community and therefore should not be charged a fee. Deputy Mayor Donald Brudie was also opposed to the fee, arguing that it is a community relations issue. He said the parade has been held in the Village since the 1970s, and if a fee is levied the organization may decide to move its event to a neighboring community. Trustee Andrew Cavanaugh was also opposed to the fee, saying the parade has a very public aspect that includes the Police Benevolent Association and fire service organizations.

Donnelly suggested, and Cavanaugh agreed, that the Village should instead ask the Irish American Society for a contribution. Donnelly estimated that the fee will cost approximately 60 cents a day, if you assume most people work five days a week, totaling 260 days a year.

Mayor Rothschild made a motion to charge the society a fee of $6,000. The motion did not pass: The Mayor and Trustee Episcopia were the only affirmative votes. Trustees Donnelly, Cavanaugh, Brudie and Quinn voted against the fee. Trustees John Watras and John Mauk were absent, so if necessary, they would be counted as “no” votes.

Trustee Episcopia then made a motion to ask for a $4,000 “donation” to help offset the cost to the Village. That motion also did not pass. The votes were the same as the first motion.

Deputy Mayor Brudie made the motion to charge no fee, which ultimately passed 5 to 1 after the Mayor relented and voted yes.

Village Administrator Robert L. Schoelle, Jr. will notify the Irish American Society that a fee may be charged for future events and parades.

This was tough for several people in the audience to swallow, as they sat through the Board meeting to protest the $150 parking permit fee instituted in Village Parking Field 5, which is located behind the medical building where they work. Carmine Vacchio, a physician assistant, asked the Board to re-evaluate the fee. He said he and many of his co-workers believe the fee is too high. Vacchio claimed they have discussed making cuts in other areas, specifically when it comes to spending their money at local restaurants during their lunch breaks.

“It’s a balance,” Mayor Rothschild responded. “Unfortunately, certain decisions had to be made....The economy is the reason we did it.”

Deputy Mayor Brudie reminded Vacchio that he can park behind the Chamber of Commerce building for free and walk the 1.5 blocks. He defended the Board’s decision to not charge a fee for the parade, saying it is part of the life of the Village, and without these sorts of activities the Village would be “dead.”

Julie, another worker in the building, complained that paying the fee does not guarantee her a parking space. Last year 369 parking permits were issued. Village Parking Field 5 contains 193 spaces, 96 of which are designated for permit holders (93 are two-hour spaces, and four are reserved for the disabled). She also claimed many people who attend services at St. Joseph’s Church choose to illegally park in spaces reserved for those with parking permits in the lot.

Mayor Rothschild said the latter is an enforcement issue that needs to be handled by the Village police department. As for the lack of parking, he said the Board did not expect most people to pay the fee when they knew it would not guarantee them a parking space.