Roundup: Blood drive heading to Lakeview library

Nassau County Legis. Siela Bynoe (D-Westbury) has announced that the Nassau University Medical Center cancer screening van will be present and a blood drive will take place at the Lakeview Public Library on Tuesday.

The mammogram, which is for women older than 50, will be free for uninsured women, based on eligibility guidelines. A co-payment will be required from women with health insurance. It will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"I encourage women over 50 to take advantage of the mammography van . . . as well as all residents to understand that they could save up to three lives by donating blood," Bynoe said.

Mammography appointments are required and will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. Those interested should call 516-571-6202. Blood donors must bring photo identification with signature. It will run from 9 a.m. to noon. For health requirements for donors, call 516-572-6348.

ISLIP

Event offers to scrap confidential papers

Islip residents, get ready to shred.

The town is holding a shredding day for residents to securely dispose of paper documents such as bank records, medical records, bills, and other confidential materials.

Residents should bring proof of address to the event on Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the town's Multi-Purpose Recycling Facility at 1155 Lincoln Ave. in Holbrook.

The shredding service is free. For more information, contact the town at 631-595-3630.

Budget would raise spending, hold taxes

Islip Town Supervisor Tom Croci submitted his tentative town budget of $130,480,736 for 2015, a $5.86 million spending increase over last year's budget, but will not raise taxes, he said.

The 4.7 percent increase is attributable to rising labor and health care costs, as well as the inflated prices of equipment, supplies, fuel and power, Croci said.

This budget season is clouded with an estimated $6 million in cleanup costs related to the town-owned Roberto Clemente Park in Brentwood, where about 50,000 tons of fill laced with contaminants was illegally dumped since last June. The town board has voted to approve up to $6 million in bonds, although that amount is expected to grow.

The town has issued a short-term bond anticipation note in the amount of $40,000 -- which is included in this budget proposal to cover immediate cleanup costs -- in advance of a larger bond sale, Croci said.

"Until the town approves our remediation plan and either changes or modifies it or accepts it as is, it would be premature to sell the bonds," Croci said.

The town continues to face a deficit, last calculated at $11.3 million at the end of 2013. Croci said the deficit "continues to go down" but he could not provide an updated figure.

Croci, who said his proposal does not include any personnel layoffs, said the zero-percent proposed tax increase was made possible by each department's commissioner cutting its budget by 10 percent.

This method "requires a yearly review with every department and agency in the Town to operate in the most cost-effective, leanest and most efficient way," he said.

The tentative budget is subject to a public hearing, scheduled for Nov. 6 at 10:30 a.m. at Islip Town Hall, 655 Main St., Islip. It will then require a majority vote by Town Board members to pass by Nov. 20.

NORTH HEMPSTEAD

Town pitches higher tax levy for budget

The Town of North Hempstead has proposed raising the tax levy for its overall budget by 1.55 percent, or $1.119 million, shy of the state-imposed 2.09 percent tax cap.

The town, in its tentative budget, proposes a $65,913,304 general fund budget and a $34,627,079 budget for its Town Outside Village fund. The general fund budget for the current fiscal year is $66,407,191 and the outside villages fund had been $35,108,319.

This is a .74 percent reduction in general fund expenditures and a 1.37 percent reduction in town outside village fund expenditures.

The amount raised by taxation for the general fund will be $24,716,964; last year, the town raised $24,488,012.

The tax levy for the general fund will rise $228,952 or .935 percent.

The tax levy on the Town Outside Village fund will increase $282,171 or 1.064 percent.

Taxes on a household in incorporated villages will rise $2.38. Taxes on a household in the town's unincorporated areas will rise $10.64 additionally.

Town finance director Aline Khatchadourian said the town is expecting reduced mortgage and sales tax revenue. "To offset that, we really tried to reduce expenditures as much as possible, this way budget-to-budget, the expenditures are lower to offset the decline in the revenues."

There are no layoffs or any reductions in services, officials said.

The tentative budget was submitted to the town board Tuesday; hearings will be held at the Oct. 21 board meeting at 7 p.m. and Oct. 29, at a special budget meeting scheduled for 7 p.m., when a vote is expected.

BROOKHAVEN

Council members get more time to reply

The Brookhaven Town Board last night gave itself more time to speak at meetings.

Supervisor Edward P. Romaine announced that he would set aside time for council members to respond to comments made by residents who speak during the "public comment" time at the beginning of each meeting.

At several recent meetings, town board members interrupted residents who were speaking during the public comment period. Romaine said he would ask board members to refrain from cutting off residents.

"I'm going to wield a tougher gavel," he said. "We will not have council members speaking during public comment."

The new policy took effect at last night's meeting.

FREEPORT

Discussion to focus on walkability

A community walkability discussion will be held Thursday from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Freeport Public Library.

The discussion will center on recommendations to create streetscapes and communities that are safer, more walkable and a destination for all people, especially along Sunrise Highway, according to a release from organizers.

The recommendations come from the Washington State based-Walkable and Livable Communities Institute in collaboration with local groups.

The event is being hosted by Vision Long Island, AARP, Tri-State Transportation Campaign, Coalition of Nassau Civic Associations and other community partners.

The library is at 144 W. Merrick Rd. An RSVP is requested either by this link: aarp.cvent.com/sunrise; emailing info@visionlongisland.org; or calling 631-261-0242.