Dennis C. Donnelly, who has served on the Garden City Board of Trustees for four years, is seeking another two-year term and was unanimously selected by the EPOA’s nominating committee. Garden City resident Francine Ryan has successfully issued a challenge through the petition process.
“I am running for re-election because I believe that my experience, both in government and professional, my voting record as a trustee of fiscal restraint...and my demonstrated commitment to the residents of Garden City over my 10 years of service to them, I believe it makes me the best candidate for trustee,” Donnelly said.
Ryan said professionally she has managed budgets, come up with strategic solutions and has looked for new ways to solve problems which never previously existed and has been instrumental in generating millions of dollars in revenue for her clients. As a working mother of three children, who are now adults, she has much experience with financial and time management.
Both candidates spent more than two hours answering questions posed by residents on a wide range of topics including business development, the future of the St. Paul’s School, the leasing of the St. Paul’s cottages to the Cathedral Nursery School, and ways to increase revenue and improve communication between the Village and residents.
Candidates were asked what they believe to be the single most important issue facing the Village. Ryan cited the unmanning of the satellite fire houses in the evening. Donnelly used his time to defend the Board’s decision to unman the satellite stations.
He told The Garden City News after the meeting that he believes the biggest issue facing the Village is how to manage the budget given all of the state mandates, especially concerning health care and pensions. He said he will work to keep the level of service residents are accustomed to with attempts to hold the line on taxes.
On the topic of business development, Donnelly claimed the business district is very healthy and he is focusing his efforts on resident’s concerns such as trash collection and keeping the streets clean. Ryan said the Village should solicit the help of residents to develop a marketing plan. She also suggested the possibility of closing Seventh Street to vehicular traffic, although Donnelly said local businesses were generally against that idea.
Both candidates spoke briefly on ways to generate revenue for the Village. Ryan said the Board should look at the recommendations contained in a report issued by the Citizens’ Budget Review and Advisory Committee. Donnelly said the Board has “looked very long and hard” for revenue sources but they are limited.
Ryan shared her thoughts on several ways the Village could save money. She said one way the Village could save money is by combining cleaner positions or outsourcing the job of cleaning Village Hall and the Garden City Public Library. Ryan also said that only Village employees who need to travel for their job should be permitted to use a Village-owned vehicle. According to Ryan, a possible way to save money is to utilize the Nassau County Police Department instead of a private police force. She also said the Village should study ways to save money through green initiatives.
Ryan also said the Village should set up a task force to try to find an interested person or group who would rent St. Paul’s. Her suggestion to install parking meters in the Village was met with concern from the audience. After hearing the audience, Donnelly was quick to add that he was not in favor of parking meters.
Ryan questioned why the Village turned down a grant several years ago to help staff the fire department. Donnelly explained that the grant required that a Village keep the same staff two years beyond the grant for a total of four years. He said the Village would have received money to pay for two firefighters for a department which he believes is already overstaffed.
As for the topic of St. Paul’s, Donnelly said he would like to save the building. However, he added that the plan submitted by The Committee to Save St. Paul’s (CSSP) which calls for public use only, is not viable and “will never happen.” He said he is interested in looking at the alternatives discussed in the Erwin report such as constructing a building behind the front fa?ade.
As for the topic of the leasing of the St. Paul’s cottages to the Cathedral Nursery School, Ryan said they should be offered a long-term lease so administrators do not have to worry if they will be evicted. She also said the Village did not communicate effectively with administrators. Donnelly said the Village has asked Senator Kemp Hannon to introduce legislation which would alienate the portion of the property with the cottages so it will no longer be considered parkland. Then, the Village will be able to offer the school a long-term lease.
Both candidates agreed that the Village’s communication with residents after Hurricane Sandy should have been better and needs to be improved. Ryan said the Village could utilize smart phones to communicate. She suggested streaming Board meetings live on the internet so residents who cannot attend will be able to still observe and perhaps interact via Twitter.
She asked if the Village has an emergency management plan, and cited an article in The Garden City News from May which discussed Village Clerk Brian Ridgway’s efforts. Ridgway confirmed to The Garden City News on Wednesday that the plan has been revised.
“The Village has always had an Emergency Management Plan in place,” he said via email. “My comments at the May meeting should have stated that the existing plan was going to be reviewed and adjusted if needed following the events raised by our past tropical storm. In addition, such a review would confirm the ‘contact information’ for other outside agencies that the Village might have to contact in the event of an emergency (i.e. Red Cross, LIPA, Nassau County Emergency Management contracts). Also, the review will allow the Village to get updated copies of various plans for our school district and Adelphi, to name a few, that are included in our Village plan.”
Donnelly said the Village is now asking residents to update information in the Swiftreach emergency notification system, which can send alerts to phone numbers and deliver text messages and e-mails. Residents are asked to visit the Village’s Web site to update their information.
Both candidates were given time to make closing statements. “We are the shining star of Villages on Long Island,” Donnelly said. “I want to keep and maintain our quality of life while keeping our taxes as low as possible.”
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