Floral Park Board of Trustees Jan. 21 meeting reports

Deputy Mayor Lynn Pombonyo Police Department  As 2024 ended, our Floral Park Police Department compiled data in the all important areas of service, crime and law enforcement. Ongoing community engagement is reflected in all facets of our police work. In all, there were 10,133 incidents, involving FPPD, recorded in 2024. Of this number, 3671 were traffic stops, 972 were aided cases also involving our ambulance service and Rescue Company, 521 were suspicious person reports, 269 were for traffic accidents with damage, 411 were for citizens needing assistance, 206 for domestic incidents, and numerous other calls for Police assistance including, but not limited to, fire and other alarms and the important welfare checks on those who are alone and may be experiencing problems. There are also numerous directed patrols and school visits during which our Officers increase their knowledge of the school layouts and become familiar to our students and staff. Throughout 2024, our Police issued 2572 traffic summonses. Some of the most frequent violations included: failure to stop at stop signs (565), disobeying traffic control devices (68), obstructing intersections (74), uninsured vehicles (133), unregistered vehicles (87, plus 12 unregistered motorcycles), uninspected vehicles (109), unlicensed operators (125), improper u-turns (92), numerous inadequate headlights, taillights, brake lights, reverse lights, etc., and many other moving/equipment violations. With respect to parking violations, there were 11,696 summonses issued in 2024. Our Detectives, often collaborating with the Nassau County Police Department and other agencies, investigated serious 2024 crimes including 5 catalytic converters stolen, 4 burglaries, 50 identity thefts and 55 larcenies. There were 54 arrests in 2024. In 2025, our FPPD Detectives have already played key roles in a successful narcotics investigation. Last week, the Nassau County Police Department's Narcotics/Vice Squad reported the arrest of three males for Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance that occurred in December and January. According to the Narcotics/Vice Squad Detectives, after an extensive investigation was conducted into narcotics sales with the assistance of the Floral Park Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations, three individuals (two from the Village of Floral Park and one from Elmont) were arrested, arraigned and are awaiting their next steps in the criminal justice system. FPPD Police Commissioner McAllister commended the outstanding investigatory work done by Lieutenant Doherty and Detectives King and Timm in their partnership with the two other agencies. Our Floral Park Police Officers participate in ongoing, intensive training in all facets of policing and law enforcement. Their skills and strategies remain current. This training is often done by FPPD expert Instructors who themselves receive training to become certified Instructors and then impart their knowledge and skills to their fellow Officers. Such a highly regarded FPPD Instructor is Sergeant Dean Mayo. After outstanding careers in the New York City Police Department and in our Department for eighteen years, Sergeant Mayo will be retiring this month. We thank Sergeant Mayo for his decades of service in law enforcement, his years of developing the FPPD through effective training programs, and his lifelong contributions to the Village of Floral Park and its people. Sergeant Mayo, may God bless you and your family. Village of Floral Park, Local Law No. 7 of 2024 On November 19th, the Board held a public hearing to consider the enactment of a Local Law prohibiting the feeding of feral cats. The law was approved unanimously, absent any public comment. Subsequently, residents and others with cat rescue experience and expertise offered to share that with the Board. Trustee Chiara and I had a productive meeting with the group, at which we decided to pursue guidelines regarding what residents can do when they repeatedly encounter a cat outdoors without a collar, tag, or microchip or a cat in distress. The Board will also revisit Local Law No. 7. Trustee Chiara and I appreciate the caring and professional conversation that took place at this January meeting. Chambers of Commerce and Our Businesses  The Floral Park Chamber of Commerce got off to an energized New Year after many 2024 successes, including June's Floral Park Street Festival, December's Tree Lighting and Holiday Festival (with the Floral Park Junior Woman's Club), and the addition of twenty-four more business members to the Chamber. The January Chamber meeting brought a new Board of Directors sworn in by Mayor Fitzgerald. They include President Shane Parouse of Shelter Rock Wealth Management; Immediate Past President Marie Grant of Signature Premier Properties; Vice President Christos Vasiliou of the Floral Park Diner; and Directors Dan Licata of Furniture Pro; Jose Rosario of Guaranteed Rate; Mike Jakob of Landmark Tax Service; Noel Abraham of Bridge Community Church; Steve Bogdanos of All the Right Moves in New Hyde Park; Bill Barry of Uptown Taco; and Tom DeMaria of Tricia's Kids. We wish our Floral Park Chamber businesses and their leadership another busy, exciting and successful year! The next Floral Park Chamber meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 6^th, 6:00 – 8:00 PM at the United Methodist Church on Verbena Avenue. Catering and beverages will be provided by our local Floral Park restaurants. Come and enjoy the many flavors of Floral Park. For meeting registration and membership information, contact: floralparkchamber.org The Covert Avenue Chamber of Commerce will also be welcoming new businesses in 2025. For information and other, please contact: covertavenuechamber.org And, as always, SHOP, DINE AND TAKE OUT LOCAL in Floral Park and Stewart Manor! Conservation Society Although it's winter time, our Centennial Gardens and Bird Sanctuary continues to be filled with many species of interesting birds who call our Gardens their home or their home away from home during migratory periods. Annually, our Recreation Department, with Superintendent Kurt Meyfohrt, and Conservation Society, with President Dennis McEnery, host Gardens bird counts as part of the global Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). Sponsored by organizations such as the Cornell University Lab of Ornithology and the Audubon Society, the world will gather on Friday, February 14^th through Sunday, February 16^th to count birds and species, and gather valuable data to help scientists better understand global bird populations and their annual migratory activities. At GBBC 2024, Floral Park counted, charted and reported 3014 birds spotted amongst 14 different species. You can join us at GBBC 2025 at the Gardens on Floral Parkway on Friday, February 14^th, noon to 4:00 PM; Saturday, February 15^th, noon to 3:00 PM; and Sunday, February 16^th, noon to 2:00 PM. Bird experts and enthusiasts, Don Haug and Doug Cioffi, will be there to share fun facts and interesting stories. And there'll be bird literature and interactive activities for children and adults. Visit birdcount.org for fascinating photos and details, and report your bird counts at Floral Park's GBBC 2025.   Trustee Frank Chiara  Library The Floral Park Library is starting out the year with a month packed with programs. Some of the programs coming up may assist you in saving or retrieving some of your hard-earned money.

• On Wednesday, January 22, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, Rene Gonzalez from Fairview Independent Mortgages will educate homeowners and home buyers on the concept of reverse mortgages, addressing common misconceptions and highlighting the potential benefits of getting one.
• On Tuesday, January 28, 2025, from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM, Beth Moss, Senior Solutions Consultant, will return to the library to demystify the basics of Medicare.
• On Tuesday, February 4, 2025, from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, don’t miss a very informative presentation from Town of Hempstead Receiver of Taxes, Jeanine Driscoll, on Tax Grievances. She will walk taxpayers through the process of grieving their property’s assessment on their own. She will also be available to answer any tax-related questions.
• On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM, a representative from the NYS Comptroller’s office will be on hand at the library to explain how to search and retrieve Unclaimed Funds that may be owed to you.

Check the Library’s website at www.floralparklibrary.org for upcoming programs. Please remember that they fill up fast so register if you’re interested. Fire Department The Floral Park Fire Department is in good standing and continues to focus on honing its skills through the many training sessions that the members participate in every month. Our volunteers are very skilled and are prepared to respond to emergency situations. We are very fortunate to have such dedicated volunteers. The Dept is always looking for new members, so if interested, stop by one of the firehouses or check out the Fire Department website at www.floralparkfd.org to get more information on how to do so.   Trustee Jennifer Stewart DPW Following the snow storm, salt trucks went out at 4 PM Sunday afternoon as precipitation fell and temperatures plummeted. Plows began to clear Village roads at approximately 8:30 PM and crews worked tirelessly throughout the night in very difficult conditions to have all roads cleared. We are so very grateful for our dedicated DPW crews for their hard work. All roads and buildings were cleared by 5:00 AM Monday morning. Please be reminded to clear the sidewalk in front of your home, as well as clearing corners and fire hydrants. Additionally, Village roads and buildings have been cleaned and maintained, and all garbage and recycling has been collected throughout the Village. 4VS Some upcoming programming include the Author Corner with Stephanie Larkin, Jade Dee & Wilnona Marie featuring Influencers & Co Authors, and I Thought Series and FPFD Red Alert with Larry King featuring Nassau County Firefighters, Operation Wounded Warrior. MTA The MTA/LIRR has recently informed the Village of the anticipated construction of a retaining wall just west of the Floral Park Station. As part of this project, seven large trees will be removed next week inside the fence line of the MTA/LIRR property, necessitating partial road closures. The retaining wall project is slated to begin February 10^th, and will take several months. Superintendents Ginnane and Marcus, Village Administrator Gerry Bambrick, Mayor Fitzgerald, and myself will be meeting with MTA/LIRR officials later in the week to discuss this work.   Trustee Michael Longobardi Building Department Our Building Department is a busy place and 2024 was no exception. For the year, our three full time employees and four part time employees processed 587 permits, 550 contractor licenses, they have handled 11,328 phone calls, and processed 2,973 transactions at the counter. There were 17 Zoning Board cases and 85 Architectural Review Board cases. I want to give a huge thank you to Superintendent Renee Marcus and the hard-working, dedicated individuals at the Building Department who swiftly move along all that flows through the office. Thank you to Superintendent Marcus who continues to upgrade and streamline the department with the latest software upgrades and tracking. Many of our permit applications are available online and can be downloaded from our website.  Soon residents will be able to apply for permits and licenses as well as submit code violations online. These applications are not a nuisance process; they are required in many cases under NYS building code requirements.  Our very knowledgeable staff is available to assist you when needed, so please comply with the Village codes. Reminder to our licensed contractors to renew their licenses for 2025 and, if they are a new contractor to the area, the Village welcomes you and asks you to apply for a proper license. Construction continues at the proposed restaurant at 99 Covert Avenue and is expected to continue for several more months.  The first phase, shoring and foundation, continues at the Covert Fire property. Recent construction activity required temporary closure of Marshall Avenue and Beverly Avenue on separate days. Thank you for your patience as we strive to restore Covert Avenue to a full-strength vibrant business district.  Interior improvement is ongoing at the fire property at 266 Jericho Tpke. The apartment building at 1 Carnation Avenue is expected to be completed in the next month or two. The proposed Auto Zone at 2 Whitney Avenue, (old Rite Aid) is scheduled to start renovations by the Spring. There are no updates or meetings scheduled at this time for the proposed large-scale mixed use development project at 144-162 Jericho Turnpike. Recreation and Pool Recreation Session II programs are about to start and there are a few openings left. Please call 516-326-6336 for program availability.  Preparations are in full swing for park and pool 2025 season. There will be a field meeting this Saturday, January 25^th, with the various league officers to coordinate field schedules for the coming year. The next recreation committee and pool committee meetings will be the beginning of February. Registration is ongoing for the 2025 Floral Park Little League Spring Baseball and Softball leagues. For information and to register, please visit www.FloralParkLittleLeague.com. A reminder that our current winter hours are 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM (weather permitting). Town-Village Aircraft Safety & Noise Abatement Committee (TVASNAC) The next meeting will be on Monday, January 27, 2025, at the Hempstead Town Hall, One Washington Street, Hempstead. If you want to make a noise complaint regarding air traffic, you can call 1-800-225-1071. You can also go to our Village website which has the links under the TVASNAC noise complaint contact information page on our home page.   Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald To follow up on Trustee Stewart’s report regarding the snow storm, I would like to remind residents to please not push snow into the street when cleaning their property. Every snowstorm is different, but this one had a quick freeze, and there are places in the Village where there is no ice on the road which is hard to get rid of due to the below-freezing weather. So please be vigilant and do not move snow off your property into the roadway. I would also like to extend my congratulations to Sergeant Mayo on his retirement.  We would like to thank him for all he has done for the Police Department and the residents of this Village over the course of your career.