EAST PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP MEETING
April 17, 2002
The following households were represented:
Friedman, Druss, DeMilta, Shapiro, Fieldsteel, Tserpelis, Hochman,
Lerman, Feinman, Feinman, Mathison, Burak, London, Wasser,
Joseph, Strachman,Layne, Gottlieb,Arkin, Gavrin, Hamarat, Lipper
Smyth, Korn, Goldberg, Surace, Robbins, Weisenthal, Moskowitz,
Golden , Jablons and Feldman
Steve Strachman, President, called the third meeting of the
East Park Civic Association (EPCA) to order at 7:42 PM at the
Roslyn Library in Roslyn, New York. Mr. Strachman welcomed
all residents, and reintroduced the board members and announced
that Aaron Lerman was in the process of selling his house. Mr.
Strachman asked if there were any additions or deletion to the minutes
of the January meeting. The minutes were approved as written.
Mr. Strachman noted that Kandi Wasser, Treasurer, was excused
because of recent injury to her ankle. The balance of the Association's
account was reported. Mr. Strachman stated that most
of that sum would be used for the spring planting and beautification
of the East Park entrance. Mr. Strachman thanked our neighbors
at the corner of Parkside Drive and Colony Lane, the Trumpeters,
for donating the water to keep the foliage adequately hydrated.
Old Business
HOV Project - Scott Feinman and Gill Lipper prepared a letter to
the
NYS DOT. Copies of this letter, along with one previously sent to the
DOT by the EPCA, were disseminated among the residents present.
All were encouraged to mail the letter of their choice, or peferably a
handwritten letter drawing as they wish from the two sample letters, to
The Commissioner of the Department of Transportation, with a copy
going to Senator Michael Balboni. Also a petition was prepared for
attendee's signatures, urging the DOT to respond to the concerns
brought to their attention in the letter sent to them on March 21, 2002.
The petition is to be sent to the DOT (with copies to Senator Balboni),
along with the Civic Association's original letter. Those present agreed
with the letter and approved of the plan to attach it to the petition. Mr.
Strachman stated that all attempts would be made to contact residents
not present at this meeting
HOV Landscaping - The poor landscaping job done by the NYS DOT
was again brought up. It was felt by the residents present that there
continues
to be problems with dead trees and shrubbery. There was a question regarding
vacant property that now abuts the home of a resident. The consensus was
that there was no known plan for the property.
Nassau County Sewer Tax - Mr. Hamarat updated the residents on
the sewer
tax issue. He noted that initially the biggest problem was getting public
officials
to respond to our inquiries. However, two letters recently received from
the
Commissioner of The Nassau County Department of Public Works makes the
County's position clear: "The sewage disposal district tax covers the cost
of
operating and maintaining the Cedar Creek Water Pollution Control Plant
(known to us as the sewage treatment plant); The sewage collection district
tax covers the cost of operating and maintaining the lateral sewers and pump
stations which collect the sewage from the individual properties and transport
it
to the interceptors." Commissioner Gerbasi reiterates that the "treatment
and
disposal of sanitary sewage generated within Sewage Disposal District III
provides
a 'mutual benefit' to all County residents within the District by maintaining
the
quality of the groundwater and surface waters. As such, this 'mutual benefit'
is
borne by all the residents of the district." Those present agreed that paying
a
sewer disposal tax, paying a sewer collection tax, paying a water district
tax,
paying a commercial vendor for our water usage, as well as maintaining our
own cesspools at substantial expense is not a "mutual benefit".
Mr. Hamarat noted that in an April 3, 2002 letter, Commissioner
Gerbasi states
"within the near future, the Department intends to begin re-evaluating the
established collection and disposal district boundaries as part of a broadly
scoped 'DistrictConsolidation Plan'.
The intent of such plan is to reduce the yearly costs for administering
and operating the three sewage disposal districts and twenty-seven
sewage collection districts". Mr. Hamarat stated, indeed he had seen some
news
in the media about "consolidating sewer districts and storm drain systems
under
a new authority." However, what this means to our issue is unclear. Some
present
were concerned that a new "Authority" could create the possibility of these
taxes
being rolled in with some new taxes, further clouding "the sewer tax issue".
However, if any of this means redistricting and drawing out those of us who
pay
sewer taxes but do not receive sewer service, then we would all be for it.
One
thing all East Park residents present agreed on is that we no longer want
to pay
for the collection and treatment of other people's sewage.
LIRR- For the last several months LIRR has been doing track work
in
apparent preparation for the accommodation of the double decker trains.
They've removed some trees and created some overhead clearance.
Several residents expressed the hope that they will do some beautification
and install a proper safety fence when they are done with their construction.
Len Wiesenthal has been willing in the past to follow up on matters relating
to the LIRR. As he was not at this meeting we do not know if he would be
willing to follow up with this again.
WEBSITE- The Website advertising solicitation forms were printed
up and
15 forms were distributed to residents interested in contacting local
businesses.
The rates are on the forms, and vary by number of lines, number of years
purchased, etc. Kandi Wasser will keep the supply and board members will
make them available to interested parties as needed.
REPAVING- We need to form a committee to pursue the repaving of
the
streets in East Park, especially those on the East side of the community
that
were damaged during the HOV construction.
NEW BUSINESS- Ed Fieldsteel mentioned that the sump in the center
of
the community used to be cleaned out by the Department of Public Works
on an annual basis. He doesn't think it's been done in at least two years.
Mark Shapiro said he would look into this.
With no further business being brought up, the meeting was adjourned
at
8:40
Respectfully submitted,
Nurhan Hamarat
EAST PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
MEETING
February 27, 2002 at 59 Circle Drive Roslyn
Heights, NY
Present:
Steven Strachman, Len Weisenthal, Mark Shapiro, Kandi Wasser,
Ken Goldberg, Rita Layne, Aaron Lerman, Nurhan Hamarat.
Old Business:
Railroad fence clean up: There has been no known progress. Mrs. Feinman
has not reported back to this group regarding her efforts to contact County
and LIPA resources to work on the railroad trackside improvements.
Len Weisenthal said that he had not received any response to his inquiries
of the LIRR either. Mr. Weisenthal will continue to pursue this
issue.
NY State DOT: A revised version of the "petition"/letter to the
DOT
was reviewed and the general consensus was that it was too lengthy.
Mr. Strachman will ask the writers to fine-tune it.
Sewer issue: Nurhan Hamarat notified the group that the Nassau
County
Legislature has a session scheduled for March 11, 2002. He stated that he
would inquire about making a presentation to the Public Works
Subcommittee and/or what else can be done to bring this issue to the
forefront at this time. In any case, there are at least a dozen East Park
residents interested in attending the legislative session(s) that may
address the sewer tax issue. Mr. Hamarat will also prepare a generic letter
that may be used for a "mass mailing" to our county legislator. This could
be
hand written by each resident of our community at our next general member-
ship meeting.
New Business:
Collection of Rainwater: After a recent rainstorm, water was noted to have
collected at a low area of Parkside Drive west of Colony Lane. This would
seem to be the Department of Public Works' responsibility. Mr. Hamarat
stated that he would notify the Department of this issue.
Web Site: The advertising contract has been prepared. Forms for
these
contracts will be printed. Once we receive them, Board Members
will be able to solicit merchants.
Main Entrance: Kandi Wasser stated that she would meet with
the landscaper in late March and plan the permanent plantings.
The next general meeting of the East Park Civic Association is
scheduled
for April 17, 2002.
Respectfully submitted,
Nurhan Hamarat
EAST PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP MEETING
January 14, 2002
THE FOLLOWING HOUSEHOLDS WERE REPRESENTED:
Arkin,Burak, DeMilta, Druss, Feinman, Feinman, Fieldsteel, Friedman, Goldberg,
Golden, Gottlieb, Gavrin, Hamarat, Hochman, Joseph, Korn ,Layne, Lerman,
Lipper,
London,Mathison, Moskowitz, Robbins, Shapiro, Smyth, Strachman, Surace,
Tserpelis,
Wasser and Weisenthal.
The second meeting of the East Park Civic Association (EPCA) was
called to order at
7:40 PM at the Roslyn Library in Roslyn, New York. Steve Strachman introduced
the
interim board members. When asked for a vote, all present agreed that the
interim board
should be voted in as the permanent board. Mr. Strachman thanked Kandi Wasser
for
her hard work and creativity with the website and newsletter.
Mr. Strachman announced that 67 out of 77 households in East Park
(87%)
participated in the annual dues drive. Mr. Strachman stated that a proposed
budget for 2002 has been completed.
This budget is expected to remain constant from year to year. Mrs.
Wasser gave the treasurer's report. After paying for the East Park entrance
signs, the landscaping, nine months advance on the entrance light ,
web costs of $135 and printing expenses, the remaining balance
was reported.
Currently the only foreseeable expenses are seasonal plantings, future lighting
bills,
and meeting expenses.
HOV Lane: Steve Strachman said he saw DOT engineer Tom Daly on
January 7, 2002
and Mr. Daly said that some improvements will be made. Steve says he was
told it will
not be a concrete wall, but possibly a 5-foot cyclone fencing with ivy, but
even this will
take at least a year or more. Some members feel local media notification
should be
considered.
The sound levels are much higher though the DOT simply denies it. Especially
those
residents on the north side of East Park are convinced the walls were poorly
designed,
where the noise reverberates throughout the area. Some residents asked if
a petition
might get some results. An HOV Subcommittee was formed comprised of Scott
Feinman,
and Gil Lipper, which will explore remedies via political and media channels
as well
as preparing a petition for residents' signatures, the rough draft of which
will be ready
for review within one week.
Web Site: Mrs.Wasser said that we can begin soliciting local merchants
for ad postings.
Contracts will be available. Annual fee for an ad will average
$15-$20/Yr.
Sewer Taxes: As we have been unable to get any assistance from
our elected official(s),
we may opt to attend one of the County Legislature's Public Works
Subcommittee
meetings. Nurhan Hamarat will look into when the next public meeting is and
what notice and/or request is required to get on the agenda. There seems
to be strong
interest in many residents to further inquire into this issue and pursue
options
available to us.
Some residents said that they have heard that the traffic light
for the entrance was
approved and that it will be installed in 12-18 months (this of course is
not official).
Residents near the Long Island Rail Road tracks expressed concern
about the
deteriorated state of the bushes and greenery in the vicinity. One member
said she
knows Doreen Banks of the Parks Department and will look into what they may
be
able to do. Ms. Justine Feinman said she will try to get a combination of
County and
LIPA resources to put in some new greenery or at least replace those that
seem to
have died. Len Weisenthal said he will contact the LIRR regarding the litter
along
the tracks and a proper fence. Some Civic Association Board members agreed
that
the park might be a possible future capital improvement project.
The issue of street repaving as a possible future project was noted.
Also, funds
permitting, the possibility of a 4th of July or other summer holiday
community
party was mentioned.
Those in attendance seemed to agree that general membership meetings
held
on a quarterly basis would be more than adequate. The next meeting is
scheduled
for April 15, 2002.
Respectfully submitted,
Nurhan Hamarat
PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
NOVEMBER 7, 2001
59 Circle Drive
Roslyn Heights, NY
PRESENT
Ken Goldberg, Nurhan Hamarat, Rita Layne, Ken London, Mark Shapiro
Steve Strachman. Bernie Wasser, Kandi Wasser, Len Weisenthal
OLD BUSINESS:
The meeting began at 8:30 PM with Steve giving a progress report on the main
entrance project. The planting is complete. Of the $700 cost, $150 was for
plants. Steve stated that the landscaper offered to maintain it for free.
Kandi will identify plants for the spring planting and the general consensus
was that at least $500 to $700 a year can and should be allocated to the
seasonal requirements to keep it attractive.
The entrance signs should be delivered and installed within a week.
Steve recently met with Joe Lean, Senior Keyspan Staffer,
regarding
Keyspans dawn to dusk program. The program provides for the installation
of
a 250-watt bulb/fixture on an existing light pole, with the bulb and
related
equipment to be maintained by Keyspan for a fixed cost of $25/month. The
program requires a two-year commitment. The proposal to proceed with this
program was put to a vote and the motion carried.
ANNUAL DUES: At the annual meeting, there was general agreement
to make the
annual dues $20/year. Based on the expenditures so far, and the anticipated
costs for upcoming improvements, the board voted to make annual dues for
Fiscal Year 2002, $25. It was also decided that there would also be a one
time assessment of $15 to recoup some of the moneys spent recently, for a
total of $40 to be collected from each household. An informational bulletin
will be circulated by board members announcing the dues to be collected,
and
board members will canvass the community door to door on Sunday, November
18, 2001 in the hope of collecting from as many households as
possible.
We have a web site under construction. The costs are as follows:
A one time
set up fee of $30, $35/year for the domain name, and $130/year for hosting.
After the first year, it will be $165/ year (130/year for hosting and
$35/year for the domain name). Some or all of these costs can be offset by
the sale of advertisement to local businesses for them to advertise on our
site. The web site related proposals were approved unanimously.
HIGHWAY/ROAD WORK: Ken G. and Steve met a week ago with Tom Daly,
Head
Engineer of the high Occupancy Vehicle Project. They told him of their
concern about the appearance and noise of the HOV lane project. They feel
he
was receptive to their comments but no specific plans were established for
abatement. Ken and Steve said they also discussed putting up a fence along
the highway, that could eventually be covered with ivy out of sight,
out of
mind. This might also reduce the noise level. Steve said that there
are
anchors along the south side of the LIE as if there are more sound barriers
to be installed.
It was suggested that quarterly, or semi-annual association meetings
be
scheduled, if just for information purposes. Ken London will look into the
availability at the library.
SEWER TAXES: Nurhan will informally speak with a community resident
who is an attorney, to explore a course of action. Rita knows this individual
as a
neighbor and will attempt to make a connection.
The meeting adjourned at 10:00 PM.
Respectfully submitted,
Nurhan Hamarat
EAST PARK CIVIC ASSOCIATION
Roslyn Heights, New York
Minutes October 16, 2001
Present:
Ken & Gladys Goldberg,
Nurrhan & Maureen Hamarat
Rachel Pollock
Ray & Jita J. Jablons
John & Helen Mathison
Steven Strachman
Ron & Susan DeMilta
Tom Smyth
Seth & Michelle Golden
Ed & Lori Fieldsteel
Steve & Penny Feldman
B.J. Robbins
Annette Ehrlich
Abe & Mildred Druss
Norton & Barbara Furnman
Ken London
Kandi Wasser
Robert & Rita Layne
Marc & Margorie Shapiro
Mark & Cheryl Friedman
Clifford Katsamakis
Samuel, Gila & Karin Hoshmond
Fred & Francesca Surace
Len Weisenthal
Toby Friedman
Carin Medvin
Ellen Seigel
Aaron Lerman
The East Park Civic Association meeting was
called to order by
Ken London, at 7:43 p.m., at the Byant Park Library, Roslyn,
New York. Mr. London introduced himself as the past Co-President
of the Association, stating that currently there are no duly elected
officers of the Association. The meeting began with a recitation
of thePledge of Allegiance, after which, attendees were asked
to introduce themselves.
The initial discussion centered on previously
identified issues such
as road work, community park, Lilcos treatment of
customers,
(the possible pending removal of nearby high tension wires),
and the additional road noise resulting from the installation of the
HOV lane. Also, some members said they have heard that there
are plans for additional noise barriers to be installed.
Ms. Kandi Wasser gave the Treasurers report.
Also, Mrs Wasser offered to prepare a community web site.
The meeting then spent a considerable amount
of time on
procedural matters: Do we have by-laws? Can we elect officers
now? Do we have
a quorum and/or do we need one? Ken London said hes
never seen by-laws, and as far as he knows there is no record
of any by-laws. A straw vote was held on the motion to no longer
abide by any so called by-laws, but from now on to proceed
according to Roberts Rules of Order, which passed unanimously.
As to whether we can elect officers at this time, there was a
question of whether everyone in the community who might be
interested in running for office or voting had been given
proper notice and proper opportunity. Although the
Civic Association flyer announcing the meeting and election was
distributed to every household in the community, some members
felt another meeting should be held for the express purpose of
electing officers, holding out the possibility that more households
than the 28 (out of 79) would attend, assuring that everyone is
given an opportunity to participate.
A motion was made to identify individuals who would be willing to
volunteer their time and energy to work on the issues of concern
to the community. Those individuals agreed to serve as an
interim board. They have agreed to meet and form an agenda.
Some of the preliminary issues informally identified were:
sorting out the Title in Perpetuity for the community park,
noise abatement (pending additional walls), who at the DOT is in
charge of maintaining the plantings around the HOV installation,
resurfacing the roads within the community that have taken
such a beating as a result of the prolonged construction work,
the pending traffic light at the entrance, the garden beautification
at the entrance and signage, what to do about the additional
traffic cheating in and out of our streets to beat traffic/and
failure of motorists to respect our STOP SIGNS, annual dues,
and what to do about the sewer collection taxes this community
has been paying for over 50 years.
The interim board is comprised of Ken London,
Mark Shapiro,
Aaron Lerman, Rita Layne, Len Weisenthal, Steven Strachman,
Nurhan Hamarat.
Due to a scheduling conflict, the meeting
was adjourned
at 9:10 p.m.
Respectfully
submitted,
Nurhan Hamarat
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