Hearing set on Veolia bus contract Dec. 12
LI Bus bus listen as the Nassau Legislature discusses the Nassau Veolia contract. (Nov. 14, 2011) Credit: Howard Schnapp
Nassau's contract to privatize its bus system will be taken up for a vote less than two weeks before the MTA plans to run its final bus in the county, officials said Friday.
Nassau County officials said that a public hearing on the contract that formally hires Veolia Transportation, of Lombard, Ill., to run Long Island Bus will be held Dec. 12.
The full legislature will consider the plan on Dec. 19 -- 12 days before the MTA's Long Island Bus contract expires.
The Nassau Interim Finance Authority also has to approve the $106-million contract before Veolia can take over the system it plans to rename Nassau Inter-County Express Bus, on Jan. 1.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has operated the county's bus system for 38 years. Because of a funding dispute, Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano in June chose Veolia to take over the system.
The county initially intended to hold a public hearing Nov. 17, with the legislature voting later this month. But the county failed to provide public notice of the hearing in time and had to reschedule.
The county must give notice of a hearing 10 to 20 days in advance, so the legislature can't vote on the deal at its meeting next week.
Presiding Officer Peter Schmitt (R-Massapequa) said there will still be time to address any concerns with the contract.
"If there turns out to be a major defect that has to be addressed . . . we'll take it as it comes," said Schmitt, who praised the privatization plan as a "bold and creative" alternative to overpaying the MTA for its services.
MTA Board member Mitchell Pally said the MTA would be willing to continue operating LI Bus past Dec. 31 if the county requests extra time for the Veolia transition -- and paid for services.
"Our goal is not to leave everybody stranded on Jan. 1," said Pally of Stony Brook.
