The Garden City Board of Trustees held a spirited debate on whether to raise the permit fee to hold a fireworks display in the Village of Garden City from $100 to $500 at its July 15th meeting.

Deputy Mayor Donald Brudie, Second Deputy Mayor John Watras, and Trustees Nicholas Episcopia and Laurence Quinn voted against the fee increase and the remaining four trustees approved the change. Mayor Robert J. Rothschild was called upon to break the tie; he voted in the affirmative, and the increase was passed.

Trustee Dennis Donnelly pulled from the agenda a request by the Cherry Valley Club, Inc. to hold its annual Labor Day Carnival and Fireworks Display on Sept. 6. He made a motion to increase the fee to $500, which he claimed “would better equip the Village to recoup some of their costs.”

The Cherry Valley Club did not return calls made earlier this week seeking comment.

Donnelly reasoned that Cherry Valley is a private club, not a charity, and collects dues from its members. “If Sears came to us for the exact same thing and decided to set off fireworks we would charge them $500 as well....We’re talking about a $400 increase for the one time a year that it happens. It’s pennies,” he said.

Trustee Nicholas Episcopia agreed the fee should be increased, but argued that a 500 percent increase was too much. “Five times in one shot is somewhat steep,” he said. He supported a 300 percent increase, which would be followed by another increase in 2011.

Mayor Rothschild said he is a member of the Cherry Valley Club, and said last year’s Labor Day event attracted 900 people. He thanked the Village’s fire, police and public works departments for assisting during the carnival, and reasoned that $500 was not too much to ask to help cover the additional costs. “I think we should raise the fee,” he said.

Trustee Laurence Quinn said he believed it would be inappropriate to change the fee now. He argued that it should be done when the Board discusses changes to the entire fee schedule.

Mayor Rothschild responded to Quinn’s concern, saying that he thought it would be unfair to increase the block party fee at this time, since many streets have already had their celebrations this year.

However, when it comes to fireworks permits, only two groups usually file requests: the Cherry Valley Club and the Garden City Country Club. The country club has not yet requested its permit this year. A few years ago at a fireworks display sponsored by the Garden City Country Club, the fireworks created a dangerous smoke condition along Stewart Avenue, severely limiting drivers’ visibility.

“It was a major issue,” the Mayor said. “These are the issues we need to be concerned about so I don’t think it’s too much to ask. We’re talking about $400, not $4,000.”

According to First Assistant Fire Chief Charles Cavarra, the fire department visits the site to inspect the conditions before and during the event. Standby crews remain in the firehouse. “We certainly want to make sure everything is in order,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Donald Brudie voted against the increase, saying it was not fair for the Board to raise the fee when prompted by the Cherry Valley Club’s permit request. “I think that is so inequitable and the wrong way of doing things.”

The deputy mayor said he is tired of hearing about the time the police and fire department spends at these events. “That’s why we pay the fire department and police department. That’s part of the tax base of the Village.”

Mayor Rothschild responded that the Board went through a very difficult budget process this year, and discussed several fee increases. “I don’t think it’s unfair at all to charge them an appropriate rate of $500 when they have over 900 people come to that event.” He said he does not believe that the club makes a lot of money from the event.

The Mayor asked the Board’s finance committee to get the entire Village fee schedule on the agenda for the next Board meeting, which is scheduled to be held on Aug. 19. The Board will likely discuss increasing the fees at the meeting.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Garden City resident Kathleen Auro said she believes it would have been fairer for the Board to increase the fee before the Cherry Valley Club applied for its permit. Mayor Rothschild said he did not disagree with her comments, but if it was not done at the July meeting it would have been done at the next meeting in August.

At the August meeting the Board also plans to hold the first of two public hearings on the recently released St. Paul’s School Demolition for Additional Open Space Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The date for the other public hearing on the document is Sept. 16.