LI briefs: Permits for LIRR parking at Amityville station available

AMITYVILLE
Permits for LIRR parking available

Long Island Rail Road commuters who park at the Amityville Village station can pick up parking permits at Village Hall.

Permits are available from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, but the office will stay open until 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 22 and 29 to issue permits.

Parking applications are also available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at the village police department. The paperwork can be completed at the police department or later turned in with payment and the permit will be ready for pickup the next business day.

The permits, which are valid from Feb. 1 through Jan. 31, 2016, cost $30 for village residents and $250 for nonresidents. Permits should not be put on vehicles before Feb. 1, officials said.

The village only accepts cash or check as permit payments. Applicants must show valid vehicle registrations. Applicants who are renters or who drive new or leased cars should bring leases, deeds or utility bills as proof of residency.
-- NICHOLAS SPANGLER

BROOKHAVEN TOWN
With new equipment, town ready for snow

Brookhaven Town Highway Superintendent Daniel Losquadro said his crews are ready for winter storms after acquiring 12 new trucks that can be equipped with sanders and plows.

The heavy-duty, six-wheel dump trucks have replaced older models that were outdated and required frequent repairs, Losquadro said in a news release. The new trucks were purchased with $1.1 million from the Highway Department's capital equipment budget and delivered in early November, spokesman Frank Petrignani said.

"The older a truck gets, the more expensive it is to maintain it and keep it on the road consistently," Losquadro said. "All of the new trucks are fitted with sanding and salting equipment as well as plows. My goal is to provide the most reliable equipment year-round to better serve Brookhaven residents."

The retired trucks will be put up for auction, and proceeds will help to pay for the new trucks, officials said. Each new vehicle has a five-year, 100,000-mile warranty, which is expected to reduce maintenance costs, officials said.

Losquadro won a special election in March 2013, weeks after a blizzard dumped 30 inches of snow in parts of Brookhaven and snarled traffic on town roads as cleanup efforts were hampered by equipment breaking. He said he has upgraded the highway department fleet and purchased new radio equipment to improve communication during storms.

"Last season, the Brookhaven Highway Department rose to the challenge of keeping roads safe and passable during the second-highest snow accumulation total in recent history," he said. "While I am certainly hoping for a milder winter, the Highway Department is ready to handle whatever Mother Nature brings our way."
-- CARL MACGOWAN

HUNTINGTON
Town OKs funds for work at parks

The Huntington Town board has approved authorizing money for recommended improvements to Sweethollow Park in Melville and Erb Farm/Burrs Lane Park in Dix Hills.

The board approved spending as much as $14,000 for topographic surveys and up to $50,000 for environmental consulting services. The money will come from the Environmental Open Space and Park Improvement Fund and Neighborhood Parks Fund.

"The money is going ... to determine if any soil remediation is required for either of the properties, both of which were farms," town spokesman A.J. Carter said.

Both park sites were acquired by the town in 2013 with Environmental Open Space and Park Improvement Fund Review Advisory Committee program funding. Carter said once the environmental studies are in place town officials can proceed with finalizing engineering designs.

He said a firm has been selected to undertake the topographic survey and environmental analysis, but has to be approved by the town board, likely at the Jan. 14 meeting. He said the name of the firm was not available.
-- DEBORAH S. MORRIS

BELLPORT
New gates, lights at Boys and Girls Club

New gates and security lighting have been installed at the Boys and Girls Club in Bellport, Town of Brookhaven officials have announced.

Town officials said in a news release the gates and lights will improve safety along a path connecting the nonprofit with Robert Rowley Park, which is behind the club.

Funds to purchase the lights and gates were secured by the town's Housing and Human Services Department through a Community Development Block Grant.

"The Boys and Girls Club have such a positive impact on the community by giving children a safe place where they can have fun, learn and be with their friends," Supervisor Edward P. Romaine said in a statement. "We are happy to help them in any way that we can and will continue to support their efforts in the community."

The club provides programs such as recreation, leadership classes and cultural enrichment for children in the Bellport area.
-- CARL MACGOWAN

ASHAROKEN
Trustees to decide on tax cap hearing

The Asharoken board of trustees are to vote Tuesday night on whether to schedule a Feb. 3 public hearing on a resolution allowing the village to exceed the state tax levy cap if needed.

Other municipalities, including neighboring Northport, have approved the contingency measure since the state cap took effect in 2012. State law requires municipalities to hold a vote if they want to exceed the cap before approving a budget with such an increase.

"Every year we've done it as a precaution," said Asharoken Village Trustee Mel Ettinger. "We were always underneath the tax cap."

The village hasn't started the budget process for its next fiscal year, which runs July 1 to June 30, 2016. The budget is typically presented to Asharoken residents in March.
-- VALERIE BAUMAN

NORTH HEMPSTEAD
Town again lauded for financial reports

The federal Government Finance Officers Association for the fourth consecutive year has awarded a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the Town of North Hempstead.

The organization announced the award in a news release last week that recognized the town for its comprehensive annual report for the 2013 fiscal year. Association officials cited North Hempstead's "spirit of full disclosure" used to "clearly communicate its financial story."

The Chicago-based nonprofit represents 17,500 government financial professionals.

Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth, who was not in office during the period covered by the award, said in a news release that the recognition "affirms the Town's legacy of implementing strong fiscal strategies and policies for the benefit of the taxpayers of North Hempstead, which my administration has continued into 2014."
-- LISA IRIZARRY

BROOKHAVEN TOWN
Community group to do yard cleanup

The South Country Community Leadership Network, which has conducted a coat drive and offered a program highlighting different cultures in Brookhaven, now wants to clean up local neighborhoods.

The network consists of parents, teachers, civic leaders and elected officials dedicated to improving the quality of life in East Patchogue, Bellport, North Bellport and Brookhaven hamlet, officials said. The yard cleanup is to be held in the spring with volunteers working with homeowners to remove leaves and debris.

"The South Country Community Leadership Network is working hard to improve all aspects of our community, and this is one unique way it is helping to beautify the neighborhood," Suffolk County Legis. Kate Browning (WF-Shirley) said in a news release.

"It is wonderful to see the community and local businesses pull together to extend this offer to the South County community," said Suffolk County Legis. Rob Calarco (D-Patchogue).

For more information, call 631-451-TOWN.
-- DEON J. HAMPTON