Video Clips for AA5 Debate on Proposed Changes

With this blog something new: video clips from the last meeting of the Patchogue Village Board of Trustees. We have long known that posting videos of the entire meeting along with a time narrative to help guide viewers is not user friendly: too long to watch.  To make our public information campaign more user friendly an added feature: short video clips focusing on specific topics posted to You Tube.

There are now two clips both taken from the longer video previously posted on You Tube just after the 2/24/14 PV Board  meeting. Both touch on the debate which occurred about proposed changes to the 2014 Alive at Five event schedule. Before viewing them some back ground information is in order because there have been changes made which the public may not be completely informed about and does need to know. Knowing about them will help put the clips in perspective.

Last year, following concerns about public safety issues at ever growing AA5 events, the Suffolk County Police urged village officials to move the date to Thursday. As per Great Patchogue Chamber of Commerce Executive Director David Kennedy that change over all was successful. Large numbers of people still turned out for the event and public safety incidents were well managed.

However a number of business owners, initially main street bars and clubs, asked for 2014 changes to accommodate their business needs. So a request was made to return one of the dates to a Friday night, and also to pierce the existing noise control rules to allow for amplified outdoor music until 10 p.m. for the remaining three Thursday nights. The Noise Code prohibits such music after 9 p.m. on a Thursday night.  Riverfront club owners had already asked to be incorporated into publicity and planning for the event as they were complaining that the AA5 event was siphoning off customers from their venues hurting their bottom line. That particular request has been granted and in fact this year AA5 is being planned as an event to include Main Street, Division, West Avenue and River Avenue by including all the waterfront clubs that dot those streets. Note: Division, West and River avenue will remain open for traffic. 

So while the focus of event planning will remain on Main Street AA5 has been expanded for the first time beyond its past boundaries.

While the Mayor and the Board agreed that riverfront clubs should be included opposition did arise to the other proposed changes. First the Board disposed of the idea of holding again an event on a Friday night for the same reason it had influenced a change to Thursdays: public safety issues. The issue of allowing an extra hour of amplified outdoor music became a more complicated issue for it to wrestle with.

The first clip included with this blog highlights Trustee Hilton’s concerns about imposing a new burden of longer outdoor music on surrounding waterfront neighborhoods even if only for four more evenings a season. That same clip also includes Mayor Pontieri’s view that that the exception to the noise code could be lived with.  That clip can be seen by clicking here.

To complete the viewing of key parts of the debate see the second clip which features Trustee Crean’s comments, which followed in real time both Trustee Hilton and the Mayor’s remarks at the meeting.  His view was that public safety demands compelled caution a view which in the end prevailed. That clip can be seen here by clicking here. 

Please remember too for the full video of the entire debate go to our website where that video can be seen and look for the timeline narrative to find needed time marks to do so easily. Click or paste: www.patchoguevillagecitizens.com. 

Residents are reminded that other clips of Board meeting issues can now be seen on our Facebook page: Patchogue Village Citizens for Open Village Government. More are coming.  

Like us if you do on Facebook, join in moderated discussion, be alerted to other important village issues when they arise. Our motto: an informed citizen is an empowered citizen.