Politics & Government

Northport Notebook: Harbor Circle Sewer Costs Examined; 'Wounded Warrior Weekend' Planned

Notes from the Feb. 7 Village Board of Trustees meeting.

Harbor Circle Sewer Costs Examined

The Village will be looking into a reevaluation of rates on Harbor Circle residents in Centerport hooked up to the Northport Village Sewer system. Mayor George Doll said on Tuesday that he will be looking into what it costs to process the additional sewage and may present his findings as soon as the next meeting on Feb. 21.

Toxic Dust?

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John Desiderio requested that the Village test toxicity levels of dirt and gravel around , saying his concern was piqued by comments made by local environmentalist Jeff Bartels at a January . Bartels had sited extremely high soil toxicity levels around the old Jacobsen's shipyard in Oyster Bay and lead contamination from a shooting range near his house.

"What can the village do to prevent residents from being poisoned by toxic plumes of dust?" Desiderio asked the board, saying that dust contaminated with gasoline and paint chips was often kicked up by traffic around Britannia and drifted toward nearby homes on Milland Drive, where Desiderio lives.

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Village Attorney James Matthews asked Desiderio what proof he had of this "toxic dust" to which Desiderio replied that he didn't, but was asking the village to test the dust for toxicity.

Mayor Doll said he'd look into it and pointed out that the DEC required that the porous gravel surface be put down around Britannia to prevent run-off into the harbor.

Fire Hazard Worries

Desiderio also brought up his concerns prompted by the Freeport marina fire last week that critically injured two workers and took 200 firefighters from eight departments two hours to extinguish.

"The fire departments couldn't get in to where the hot spots were because the boats were crammed together so tight...There are about 150 boats crammed in along the fence line [at Britannia]," he said, saying that a fire there could potentially be much more dire because of proximity to the residences along Milland Drive.

Mayor Doll responded that he read about the Freeport marina fire and consulted with the , which reportedly considers Britannia's fire truck access areas adequate. Desiderio said he'd like a written statement from the Fire Department on the adequacy of fire safety at Britannia and Mayor Doll said that he'd look into it.

Category Corrections in New Budget

A woman asked if there were any corrections made to the recent recapitulation of the budget. Trustee Henry Tobin replied, "Yes, because there was redefinition and reattribution of some of the budget categories, particularly with the sewer fund. That was one reason some of the things were not categorized as they should have been and were redone," adding that the corrections are available to the public.

Wounded Warriors Weekend

A group calling themselves the "Cow Harbor Wounded Warriors" headed by resident Ray Boccia proposed a weekend of activities for and in honor of military veterans which received a warm reception from the board. The "Wounded Warriors Weekend," benefiting the Wounded Warriors Project veterans charity, would be held Sept. 7-9, punctuated by a four mile race from Crab Meadow through the village on a Saturday morning. "We're not going to shut down Crab Meadow," they said, emphasizing their plans to leave one lane open for traffic throughout the race.

The group asked for a permit to use for adaptive sports events, bathroom and parking lot access and were advised by Village Attorney Matthews that they would need to provide proof of their pending 501c application, as well as insurance and supervision and pay the cost of any part-time police officers and highway department assistance as needed.

Steers Beach Camp-Out Proposed

Rob Crafa proposed that Steers Beach be opened one night during the summer for a camp-out, as he has seen done in Darien, Connecticut to great success. Mayor Doll said it sounded like a wonderful idea, but having a nonprofit sponsor would make it easier for the village. Village Attorney Matthews said they would also need to provide supervision and insurance as "you could imagine concerns about what might go on." 

Flag Tribute

The Rotary Club proposed that next year's Memorial Day American Flag fields be dedicated in honor of . The board approved.

Other News

  • Trustee Tobin asked if Nextel's engineering review fees for the BZA listed under Trust Fund Warrants would be charged back to the company. Village Attorney Matthews replied that the Village had already been reimbursed.
  • This year's Blessing of the Fleet is scheduled for Saturday, June 16 at 11 a.m.
  • The Cow Harbor Race Committee wrote a letter proposing a new race called "The Northport Mile" on Saturday, June 2 from 8:30-11 a.m. starting at Pumpernickels and ending near the entrance to Village Park to benefit a number of local non-profits. Tom Kehoe expressed his support.
  • Village elections are coming up on March 20. The following election inspectors were appointed: Tom Mitman and Maureen O'Brien in District 1, Robert Palmer and Marilyn Barker in District 2, and George Sumereau and Molly Smith in District 3.
  • A resident wrote a letter expressing concern that the village had mentioned unincorporating at past meetings. Mayor Doll assured everyone at the meeting that the village was not considering it.
  • The board approved a $13,000 purchase of a new sign-making machine to make street signs for around the village.
  • Leo Montagne sent in a letter and requested that the letter be read by the Mayor at the meeting. The mayor summarized his points criticizing the tax assessment system and others, and made copies of the letter available at the meeting for anyone who wanted one. 


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