VIDEO FOR 12/9/13 Patchogue Village Board of Trustees: Hookah Lounges not welcome/Two Public Hearings set for next Monday

Below is a narrative providing time stops for the most recent video of the Patchogue Village Board of Trustees. The video taken by the Citizens Campaign for Open Village Government an organization compromised of village residents promoting public information about village government. Patch readers who want to skip the narrative below and see the video immediately can go directly to the Website for the Campaign by following this link: www.patchoguevillagecitizens.com.

Viewing the video from left to right at the meeting table: Trustees Keyes, Crean, Ferb, Village Clerk Seal, Mayor Pontieri, Deputy Mayor Krieger, Trustees Devlin and Hilton, Village attorney Egan.

The time stops narrative below is not a full summary of every issue taken up by the Board on this date. The narrative does represent significant events that are noted for that reason.

Time stops now provided in minutes and seconds

Meeting begins with payment of five largest bills but Mayor Pontieri adds surprise item: payment to RAM associates in the amount of several hundred thousand dollars. Discussion by Board members with Trustee Crean questioning missing documentation at meeting. Attorney Egan responding to his question. Approved.

10:10 Public Hearing regarding banning of Hookah lounges in village. Discussion by Mayor, Board members, Village Attorney Egan. No member of the public speaks. Approved.

20:00 Dennis Smith Executive Director BID (Business Improvement District) reports.

25:36 David Kennedy, Executive Director Patchogue Chamber of Commerce reports.

30:48 Deputy Mayor Krieger reports....theater roof bid approved with repair to begin mid January 2014...theater calendar roundup...parking meter start up commented on...other issues

41:19 Trustee Keyes reports...surprise agenda item request to approve contract for brine for village roads....Laurel street bulkhead repair planned...bike locker fees reduced

53:45 Trustee Crean reports...discussion of finding revenue stream to pay for recently approved Patchogue Theater roof repair...Mayor discloses FEMA repayment for Mascot dock storm repairs may be diverted into surplus funds to help pay for roof...other methods to pay for repairs discussed by Mayor and other Board members including special surcharge on tickets leading to disclosure that surcharges already exist to pay for salary expenses at the Theater.

Time line now in hour, minutes and seconds

1:03:02 Trustee Ferb reports

1:04:27 Trustee Devlin reports...extensive discussion of various funding sources present and future to pay for cultural activities in Patchogue Village...Plaza Mac improvements...filling of vacancy on the Village Planning Board

1:09:14 Trustee Hilton reports:...Christmas parade comments...vendors, pedestrians and hot rodders gone wild...protective steps taken already others planned...Public hearing scheduled to respond to neighborhood complaints about parking issues relating to the Emporium night club to provide resident parking on west side of Railroad avenue...dates for Great South Bay music festival announced with discussion relating to reimbursement issues from the last festival leading to village loss of tax revenues to provide services to otherwise profitable event

1:20:14 Trustee Devlin returns to the agenda to request approval for a public hearing to approve new regulations regarding the display of sandwich boards on village streets.

Public Portion

1:20:27 Non resident Dennis Zyburo reminds Board that in his opinion the village is woefully under insured for liability issues and he raises question about the amount of commission for the amount of insurance that the village has obtained. He cites the New Village complex as a potential future source of lawsuits involving the village due to the potential of ice, sleet, snow fall from the roofs of the complex that may fall on anyone below. No rebuttal from Mayor or Board members.

Further concern raised about local jobs created by the New Village project. Mayor Pontieri and other Board members respond by advising that local LI jobs have been produced by the project.

1:29:50 John Bogack...continuing issue of Carnegie Library not being transferred to the Patchogue Medford Library...Mayor and Village attorney Egan respond by stating that the process is ongoing but will end in the next few weeks.

Meeting adjourns.

Just last comments...the Village Website is also a good tool for information about the village. It contains agendas of meetings and written summaries of the minutes of past meetings. As well any elected official can be contacted by email about any issue and there are links on that site to do so. The village Website can be found at: www.patchoguevillage.org.

Next video will be the 1/13/14 meeting of the Board which has two public hearing scheduled for that date. There will be a public hearing to provide resident only parking on the west side of Railroad Avenue. And there will be a public hearing to regulate sandwich board displays in the village too. Any member of the public with an opinion about either or both of these subjects may speak when they come up. At the end of the meeting the Public To Be Heard portion of the meeting will close out the meeting. Any member of the public may speak on any issue of concern.

And just to add one final thing. The Citizens Campaign for Open Village Government is now distributing what we are calling the “Public Packet”. It contains the agenda for the meeting to help the public follow along as the meeting progresses. Copies are limited due to printing costs and are handed out on a first come first served basis.

Video filmed by John Bogack. Other videos of prior Board meetings can be found on the Website for the Citizens Campaign for Open Village Government: www.patchoguevillagecitizens.com.