Islip panel to find uses for parks funds

A newly created Islip town committee will give Central Islip residents a chance to recommend how nearly $1.5 million in parks funds should be spent in their community.

"I think it's good that the town will rely on a citizen committee to help prioritize what the money will be used for," said Nancy Manfredonia, executive director of the Central Islip Civic Council, which will have a representative on the board. "I think it's something that is overdue and a great idea."

Town board members Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution creating the Citizens Advisory Committee on the Central Islip Park Fund, which will include seven town officials and seven Central Islip civic group representatives.

The town board also decided the group will seek input from representatives of the disabled after Councilwoman Trish Bergin Weichbrodt read a letter from a disabled resident seeking such representation.

The money comes from fees paid by developers building in Central Islip and put into a fund created in 1989, said Islip Planning Commissioner David Genaway, who will sit on the committee. The fund, which does not include taxpayer money, must be used for development initiatives within the Central Islip development district, he said. Projects funded so far include a fence and new roof for the Clayton Street rec center and work on the PAL field on Clayton Street.

"I think the makeup of the board -- because we see representatives from the community and key town administrators -- we can be assured that this money is going to be distributed in a fair and equitable manner," Genaway said.

Debbie Cavanagh, president of Central Islip Coalition of Good Neighbors, another group with a committee representative, said the community has been asking for such input for more than five years.

"It's been a long time coming," she said. "We want to make sure that money stays in Central Islip and is spent in Central Islip."

The committee will meet several times, come up with a plan for expenditures, and present its ideas to the town board, officials said.

"This is a broad-based credible group of people who will give us solid suggestions and as such we will look very closely at them," said Supervisor Phil Nolan. "Their suggestions will be very seriously considered."