NASSAU COUNTY LEGISLATURE
NORMA GONSALVES, PRESIDING OFFICER
FULL LEGISLATURE
NORMA GONSALVES, CHAIRWOMAN
1550 Franklin Avenue Mineola, New York
December 15, 2014 1:02 p.m.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
2
A P P E A R A N C E S:
NORMA GONSALVES Chair
KEVAN ABRAHAMS Minority Leader
SIELA A. BYNOE
CARRIÉ SOLAGES
DENISE FORD
LAURA CURRAN
FRANCIS X. BECKER (Not Present)
HOWARD J. KOPEL
VINCENT T. MUSCARELLA
RICHARD J. NICOLELLO
ELLEN BIRNBAUM
DELIA DeRIGGI-WHITTON
MICHAEL VENDITTO
LAURA SCHAEFER
DENNIS DUNNE, SR.
JUDY JACOBS
ROSE MARIE WALKER
DONALD MACKENZIE
DAVID DENENBERG
WILLIAM MULLER Clerk of the Legislature
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
3
INSERT TO TRANSCRIPT
Page 137, Line 9 through Page 156, Line 18
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
4
LIST OF SPEAKERS
PENNY ELLIS...... 6
JAMES CARVER ...... 9
STEVEN SKRYNECKI ...... 17
JOHN JARONCYK...... 20
META MENEDAY ...... 41
PATRICIA FRIEDMAN...... 45
TOM BRUNO...... 50
PAT BOYLE...... 51
SAM LEVINE ...... 51
ROBIN LAVEMAN...... 57
GREG MAY ...... 59
GARY ACKERMAN...... 60
DOMENICA CALIFANO...... 60
ALLISON BLANCHETTE ...... 65
RICHARD CLOLERY...... 68
AARON LOPEZ...... 70
GAVIN CUMMING...... 72
DEBBIE WILSON...... 74
JOHN MICHNA...... 77
BRUCE MARKOWITZ...... 80
TERRY WINSTON...... 81
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
5
JAMIE BOGENSHUTZ ...... 82
LIST OF SPEAKERS (cont'd)
ANDREW MALEKOFF...... 94
JOANNE BORDEN...... 96
PAUL EGGERS...... 98
HENRY BOITEL ...... 104
VERONICA VANDERPOOL...... 108
CLAUDIA BORECKY...... 111
RICH GOLDSTEIN ...... 114
JAMES CARRICCIOLA...... 117
ALEX SLATKY...... 120
JOHN SULINSKY...... 123
MARTY LYONS...... 124
ROBERT BENESH...... 125
ARLENE O'DELL...... 127
KENNETH KESTENBAUM ...... 128
MICHAEL RYAN ...... 131
ROB WALKER ...... 148
JOHN BUDNICK ...... 152
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
6
2 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I would like to
3 call on Legislator Dunne to lead us in the Pledge
4 of Allegiance.
5 (Whereupon, the Pledge of Allegiance was
6 r e ci te d. )
7 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Okay. Today, one
8 of our fellow legislators has a point of personal
9 privilege, and I believe it's a privilege for all
10 of us here today. Without any further ado,
11 Legislator Ford will introduce the point of
12 personal privilege.
13 LEGISLATOR FORD: Good morning. And
14 thank you very much Presiding Officer Gonsalves.
15 Today, I'm happy once again to provide
16 everyone here with a wonderful, wonderful holiday
17 treat, as I introduce the Oceanside High School
18 Dance Team and their Best Buddies, under the
19 Direction of Penny Ellis, who was Teacher of the
20 Year, and the dance instructor, Kristen Perufal
21 (phonetic).
22 So, everybody, sit back and enjoy.
23 And Laura Gallalack (phonetic). I'm
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 7
2 sorry if I missed anybody.
3 Welcome, students. And we're looking
4 forward to your dance. We're all going to sit
5 back and enjoy.
6 This also, I failed to mention, that
7 Legislator Kopel and it might even be Legislator
8 Curran also has parts of Oceanside. Correct. So
9 you actually have three legislators up here who
10 are very, very proud and very happy that you've
11 come here to entertain us. So let the dancing
12 b e gi n.
13 I stand corrected by the teachers. Thank
14 you very much. Take it away.
15 Thank you very much. As you can tell,
16 Radio City and the Rockettes have nothing on this
17 group. Thank you very much for taking the time
18 o u t.
19 Penny, would you to just come up and say
20 a few words?
21 MS. ELLIS: Hi. We'd like to thank all
22 of you for coming. And on behalf of Laura
23 Galleck and Kristin Perufal, we want to wish you
24 all a happy and health holiday season and Happy
25 N e w Ye ar .
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 8
2 Also, we just want to let you know the
3 music was on fast mode, I think, and that's why
4 it didn't look the way it should have looked. So
5 we apologize for that. We just want to wish you
6 all a happy holiday season.
7 This really is a work of love. The dance
8 team, every single year, works with our students
9 and they practice with our students, and they
10 work very, very hard to include our students in
11 the high school and in everything that they do.
12 Thank you, Kristen. Thank you.
13 MS. PERUFAL: Just so that you know,
14 Best Buddies is a club and Anthony Shriver
15 started when he was in college, and it's a club
16 that pairs up students with intellectual
17 disabilities and the typical students from the
18 high school. They all do an amazing job. And
19 it's a club that pairs up friendships. And the
20 friendships that we've had in our high school, we
21 have over 150 members in our high school club.
22 It's actually the first Best Buddies Club
23 that was started on Long Island. There are now
24 12 chapters on Long Island. And we're just so
25 proud of our students.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 9
2 This past year we were nominated the best
3 chapter in New York; we are very proud of that.
4 And we are celebrating our tenth anniversary this
5 year, also.
6 And thank you to all the legislators for
7 having us. Thank you, Denise.
8 LEGISLATOR FORD: Thank you very much.
9 Once again, Penny Ellis, who had been voted Top
10 Teacher of the Year throughout the United States
11 I forget how many years ago. As you can tell,
12 even with the music being fast and they were used
13 to this, the students, you could see how
14 professional that they are. They did their
15 dance. They went through the routine without
16 missing a beat. Congratulations to all of you.
17 And thank you everybody for your
18 patience. Thank you.
19 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: It's always nice
20 during this holiday season to see how our young
21 people do perform and add that little extra cheer
22 that some of us may need.
23 We have some other point of personal
24 privilege today. This is something that all of
25 us here on the legislature have tried to do since
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 10
2 September, or October, I should say. We are
3 going to continue in that tradition, and that is
4 for us to honor our top cops. We have a few of
5 them here with us today. I will call them by
6 name and give a description of why they're being
7 recognized as PBA's top cops.
8 I believe the president of the PBA is
9 here with us too today. Am I correct? Okay.
10 You can introduce the first two, the life
11 saving award recognition, to the two officers,
12 and then, if you want, you can do the description
13 or I can read it.
14 MR. CARVER: However you want to handle
15 it, Norma. What Norma wants, she gets, right?
16 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Yes. Go ahead.
17 Who do we have here?
18 MR. CARVER: Glen Ciccone is president
19 of the detectives, and to the left of me is Kevin
20 Black, the vice president of the superior
21 o f fi ce rs .
22 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Okay. Good.
23 Thank you.
24 MR. CARVER: First off, let me thank you
25 for reinstituting this program. As we all know,
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 11
2 the media sometimes tries to shine a light on
3 alleged bad behavior of police officer instead of
4 the good behavior. And if they ever concentrated
5 on the good behavior of police officers, they
6 wouldn't have enough paper to print what our men
7 and women do day in and day out in Nassau County.
8 One of the best jobs in the world or the
9 greatest job in the world is committing yourself
10 to a career as a police officer, raising your
11 right hand and protecting the people or those
12 that you represent for 20, 30 years, our police
13 officers. And I don't believe that anyone does
14 it better than the men and the women of the
15 Nassau County Police Department.
16 Today, Norma, if you want, I'll read them
17 all because this is kind of special to us. This
18 is our top cops of the year. Again, these are
19 the best of the best, performance over the last
20 12 months. We just give you a short story about
21 what happened. There is more detail that goes
22 into this. The persistence in some of these
23 cases is outstanding, the work that the
24 detectives do, the police officers do when there
25 is a situation that arises and the commitment
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 12
2 that they have.
3 The first one that we have is a
4 lifesaving award. We have Police Officer Jimmy
5 Duignan and Scott Theil from the Third Precinct,
6 if they could come up here.
7 Officers Duignan and Theil of the Third
8 Precinct responded to an assignment for a house
9 fire within the Third Precinct. Upon arrival,
10 they found a fully involved working house fire.
11 Being advised that there were people inside, and
12 without hesitation the officers entered the
13 burning home. They located two occupants of the
14 home, pulling them to safety. Both aided persons
15 were unconscious and CPR was performed on them.
16 They were able to revive one of the home's
17 occupants, who fully recovered.
18 These officers showed a total disregard
19 for their own safety and well being to rescue
20 these individuals. Had it not been for their
21 courageous actions, both occupants surely would
22 have perished.
23 And they are named our Life Saving Top
24 Cop for 2014.
25 Thank you, guys. Great work.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 13
2 Next is our Meritorious Award. It's the
3 Fifth Precinct Police Officers Victor Gladitz,
4 Kerry Ann Hovert, and Charlie Volpe. You guys
5 can come up.
6 Officers Gladitz, Volpe, and Hovert were
7 working within the confines of the Fifth
8 Precinct, received an assignment for a robbery at
9 a high-end car dealership. Three individuals
10 armed with handguns entered a car dealership and
11 committed a violent robbery and fled the scene in
12 a waiting auto with a four subject driving. The
13 officers quickly responded to the scene and
14 observed the vehicle, matching the description of
15 the subject's vehicle, and a pursuit ensued.
16 The officers, after a brief vehicle and
17 subsequent food pursuant, were able to apprehend
18 the subjects and recover the weapons used for
19 this robbery.
20 Again, this is great work, persistence of
21 these police officers responding to the call in
22 an almost immediate fashion, since it went to 9-
23 11, and for that they are our Meritorious Award
24 winners for 2014.
25 For our Distinguished Service Award, BSO
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 14
2 Police Officers Dave Desentrack, Kevin Vehey,
3 Nick Brando, and Kevin Higby, you guys can come
4 o n u p.
5 These officers, assigned to the Bureau of
6 Special Operations -- and I'll tell you, it's
7 probably our elite unit on this job. When a
8 police officer is in trouble, the men in black
9 standing in front of you are the men that we call
10 to help us. They are highly trained and highly
11 motivated police officers.
12 On this night they were in plain clothes
13 in an unmarked vehicle attempting to locate a
14 subject involved in a home invasion robbery. We
15 all know home invasion - occupied house, where
16 people are coming in with guns into your house,
17 invading your privacy. These police officers,
18 they located the subject vehicle, which a subject
19 entered a short time later.
20 The officers approached the subject and
21 identified themselves as police officers, giving
22 him direction and orders which he repeatedly
23 refused. The subject, in an attempt to flee the
24 officers, struck the vehicles parked in front of
25 him and behind him. These were the police
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 15
2 officers' cars blocking him in. Again, they're
3 failing to comply with the police officers'
4 order. All they had to do was listen to the
5 police officers.
6 The subject them drove directly and
7 deliberately at Officer Brando, striking him and
8 pinning him between the subject's vehicle and
9 another vehicle. The subject then drove onto the
10 sidewalk, nearly striking Officer Higby, who
11 discharged his firearm, striking the subject.
12 The subject continued to flee for a short
13 distance, but was stopped by the officers,
14 including Brando, who, even after suffering the
15 serious leg injury, wouldn't stop until he got
16 his man.
17 For that, these police officers are
18 awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the
19 PBA for 2014.
20 Thank you, guys.
21 Now, the overall Top Cop Award, which is
22 next, isn't about any one, single individual act.
23 It's about their overall commitment to police
24 work during the whole year. And I think when you
25 hear this, although it's a short description,
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 16
2 you'll be amazed at how many arrests these
3 individuals made.
4 From the First Precinct, Police Officer
5 Donald Johnson and Carl Tedesche.
6 Police Officers Johnson and Tedesche of
7 the First Precinct, working a two-man unit, show
8 a consistent level of high activity. They
9 produced 138 arrests last year. And these
10 weren't low-level arrests; these arrests, most of
11 them were for burglary, robbery, larcenies,
12 assaults, and probably the two biggest things
13 that destroy our neighborhoods, drugs and
14 weapons. They also had, while they're busy doing
15 this stuff, they had 11 DWI arrests and issued
16 hundreds of traffic summonses. Their work ethic
17 and dedication to patrol make the community which
18 they serve a safer place. And for that, they are
19 named our overall Top Cops for 2014. Great work,
20 g u ys .
21 Now, we also honor each year Top
22 Supervisor and Top Detectives. Our Top
23 Supervisor Award goes to Sergeant Scott Bertini.
24 Scott, where are you? Scott's from the Second
25 P r ec in ct .
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 17
2 Sergeant Bertini, of the Second Precinct,
3 while on patrol, responded to an assignment for a
4 domestic disturbance. Upon arrival, he spoke to
5 a female at the residence and she stated she was
6 involved with a disturbance with her husband and
7 that he had left the house. Sergeant Bertini,
8 attempting to locate the husband, entered the
9 backyard, finding the subject seated in a lawn
10 chair holding a handgun. The subject was
11 distraught and threatening suicide. Sergeant
12 Bertini was able to start a dialogue with the
13 subject. And after speaking with him for some
14 time, he was able to convince him to put down the
15 weapon and surrender himself, all without
16 incident. For this, Sergeant Bertini is our 2014
17 Supervisor of the Year.
18 Our last award is the Top Detectives
19 Award. The three detectives could not be here
20 today. Detective Bill Brosnan, Gonzo Landano,
21 and Mike Maloney from the Homicide Squad.
22 As everybody in this room knows or should
23 be aware, back in October 2014 Police Officer
24 Arthur Lopez was brutally murdered on the side of
25 the Cross Island Parkway, along with Mr. Facey
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 18
2 moments later.
3 Detectives Bronan, Landano, and Maloney
4 of the Homicide Squad are recognized for their
5 investigation into the shooting death or Police
6 Officer Arthur Lopez and Mr. Raymond Facey.
7 Their tireless work and dedication into
8 identifying and connecting the subject to this
9 horrific crime ensured a conviction of the
10 subject and brought a killer to justice, putting
11 him behind bars for life, where he belongs,
12 without parole.
13 Again, this one touches us a little bit
14 close to home because it was one of ours. Any
15 time a police officer is killed, that's an act
16 against society, as we all know. They did an
17 unbelievable job. I know Glenn is here
18 representing those detectives that do a great job
19 day in and day out.
20 Thank you, Glenn, for your guys.
21 We also have the Chief of the Department,
22 Steve Skrynecki, Chief of Patrol, Frank Kerbia
23 here, and we have the Cos. Chief, I know you
24 wanted to say a few words. Come on up.
25 MR. SKRYNECKI: Thank you, Jim. I would
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 19
2 just like to thank the PBA, the DAI, and the SOA
3 for recognizing these wonderful achievements.
4 You have heard stories here of dedication
5 to duty, dedication to the public that we serve,
6 the residents in the communities of Nassau
7 County. You have heard about heroic and, very
8 often, acts that put these officers in peril for
9 their own lives. These men are dedicated - any
10 women? Men and women are extremely dedicated to
11 the work they do and to serving you and all the
12 residents of Nassau County. I couldn't be
13 happier to stand here. On behalf of Commissioner
14 Krumpter, I want to congratulate all of you for
15 your efforts and your heroic deeds and
16 representing the department in such an exemplary
17 w a y.
18 I'd also like to take a moment to thank
19 the legislature for, as Jimmy said, recognizing
20 the good work that police do. We're not getting
21 the recognition that we deserve these days. And
22 we very much appreciate the fact that you stand
23 behind us, and we know you stand behind us.
24 Thank you very much. And have a blessed
25 and safe holiday. Thank you.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 20
2 MR. CARVER: Thank you very much. And,
3 like the Chief said, enjoy the holidays. We'll
4 see you next month with more Top Cop stories.
5 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Before you leave
6 us, first of all, I think we should say thank you
7 for all the efforts that our police officers and
8 detectives do on our behalf. And the stories we
9 heard today certainly reminds us how important
10 they are to our communities. So I say thank you.
11 And I wish each and every one of you a happy
12 holiday and, of course, a safe and healthy New
13 Y e ar .
14 Without any further ado - the audience,
15 please oblige us for another five minutes. I'm
16 going to ask all of the officers to come up on to
17 this stage here so that we can take a group
18 picture. And my colleagues, please join them by
19 going down and up on the dais. Chief Skrynecki
20 and the Supervisor, please come to the balcony or
21 the stage, whatever we want to call it. This is
22 the easiest way to do it. I'm sorry for the
23 photographers. But this is, instead of us taking
24 individual pictures or group pictures, it will
25 certainly expedite the picture taking.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 21
2 Ladies and gents, fellow legislators,
3 hopefully you will take your seats. We have a
4 number of -- I don't usually talk if you're
5 talking. Are we ready?
6 Today's recognition of our Top Cops
7 certainly were very worthy of the time that we
8 took here today to recognize them. I honestly
9 think that unless you are -- you experience some
10 of the experiences they have or they've had, you
11 truly don't understand it. When we do the Top
12 Cop recognition here, I think it gives us an
13 opportunity to hear exactly what our officers and
14 our detectives are up against. So it's worth the
15 time to take and recognize the many, many
16 officers and detectives who do more than their
17 expectation. And you never know when you're in
18 an incident how you're going to react. I say
19 once again thank you. And I thank the public's
20 endurance during this time. And we will be doing
21 this on a monthly basis. Please understand how
22 important it is to us but it should be important
23 to you as well.
24 Without any further ado, I have a number
25 of slips. I am going to begin with John
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 22
2 Jaronczyk. John Jaronczyk.
3 MR. JARONCZYK: Good afternoon.
4 Presiding Officer Gonsalves, members of the
5 legislature, I thank you for your time today.
6 It's almost a shame that I have to come up here
7 and speak about what I have to speak about after
8 just seeing those last two presentations. It's
9 almost a disgrace to the Top Cops that duly
10 earned those awards that I have to talk about
11 what I have to talk about now.
12 We have a couple of issues going on at
13 the jail. As some of you may or may not know,
14 the Nassau County Film Commission approved a rap
15 video to be filmed inside the jail. This rap
16 video showed female correction officers disrobing
17 in male inmate cells. It simulated oral sex from
18 a female officers onto a male inmate. It
19 promoted prison rape, promoted gang violence, gun
20 violence. All done at the Nassau County Jail.
21 What's even more disturbing is they show my
22 officers in this video. They show your officers
23 in their video. They show Nassau County
24 correction officers and a sergeant in their
25 Nassau County patch in this video.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 23
2 Now, when I became aware of this,
3 obviously I was irate. I did do a five minute
4 Google search, and I found out that three of the
5 rappers that did the video are convicted felons.
6 One guy's name is Maino, he did ten years for
7 kidnapping. One guy's name is Uncle Murda, M-U-
8 R-D-A, arrested for attempted murder of a police
9 officer. The other one was Vado (phonetic) and
10 he has an extensive criminal record where he was
11 not allowed in Canada for a concert. Yet, Nassau
12 County lets these three individuals, plus their
13 whole posses, of who knows what individuals came
14 in, into the Nassau County Jail to film this rap
15 video. It's disgusting. It's deplorable. It's
16 too late to stop that because it already
17 happened. But we need to have a plan in place
18 where this will never happen again.
19 I had written letters, through my
20 attorneys, to YouTube to remove this. I have
21 written letters to the producers of the film
22 company to remove this. They are my officers in
23 my union, but Nassau County should be sending
24 that. Nassau County should be as irate about
25 this rap video as I am, and clearly they're not.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 24
2 They made $570 off this rap video.
3 Nassau County's Film Commission's statement is we
4 have no control over the content. Really?
5 That's their answer? That's like saying I'm
6 going away and have no control over what my kids
7 do in my house when I'm away. Does that make
8 sense to anyone?
9 There is one simple form they have to
10 download off the Nassau County website to rent
11 the jail. One simple form.
12 Nature of use: They wrote music video.
13 No one did background checks. No one did any
14 kind of security checks. And this video is
15 disgusting. I invite all of you to watch it.
16 You'll never get through it, Norma, no offense.
17 You'll never get through it. And that was filed
18 in East Meadow, in our backyard, in our facility.
19 What are we doing here?
20 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: John, I had a
21 meeting with the county attorney and the county
22 executive, and the application process is going
23 to be reviewed and, where necessary, we're going
24 to have to revise it.
25 MR. JARONCZYK: These individuals, as
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 25
2 disgusting as this video is, they do have a right
3 to film it. But Nassau County doesn't have to
4 give them the keys to the jail to film it. They
5 could film it in any Hollywood studio they want.
6 Nassau County should not be profiting from that.
7 That $570 they made, they should donate that to
8 charity somewhere. They should have no part of
9 i t .
10 Their answer was, hey, we can't control
11 the content of it. To me that doesn't make much
12 s e ns e.
13 That's the first issue I'm here for.
14 I have another equally as important
15 issue, and I know my time is ticking so I'll try
16 to be brief.
17 We have an affirmative action officer and
18 an EEO representative for the Sheriff's
19 Department that has publicly made comments on
20 FaceBook that are anti-law enforcement, they're
21 racist, derogatory, harassing and, as a matter of
22 fact, he threatens my officers on Facebook. He
23 writes - and I can't even go over all the posts.
24 I can't even say it here at the legislature
25 because you'll all be appalled. He says, in one
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 26
2 of them, I don't care about the stress of your
3 job. You were all beat up in high school, now
4 you're all steroid rage Rambos. I don't need
5 steroids to kick your ass, knuckle up punk asses.
6 Now that's one of the better posts that he put on
7 there. This man is a Nassau County employee.
8 As a matter of fact, this man is charged,
9 by Nassau County, to investigate biased
10 complaints against us. So if I have a bias
11 compliant, I have to go to him. Does that make
12 sense to anyone? Does that make sense to anyone?
13 I went to Nassau County EEO Commissioner
14 Mary Elisabeth Ostermann. Her answer was you
15 have to advise your members of their First
16 Amendment Rights of Free Speech. Does that make
17 sense to anyone? I reach out and try to handle
18 this and I got nowhere. I met with deputy county
19 attorneys. I met with deputy county executives.
20 I met with Office of Labor Relations. Nowhere.
21 I was forced to file a Federal EEO complaint
22 against Nassau County and against this
23 affirmative action officer, who has since removed
24 his posts from Facebook. But that doesn't make
25 it right. The toothpaste is out of the tube
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 27
2 already, we can't put it back. I have them all.
3 They're all in the federal complaint. If you
4 want, I can give a copy for the record to the
5 c l er k.
6 What are we doing here? Like I said, I'm
7 a little ashamed I have to follow these last two
8 presentations you just had with this. I know I
9 took the air out of the room now, the spirit out
10 of the room. Merry Christmas. Unfortunately,
11 these are things that are going on in the jail
12 and we need answers to them and we need them to
13 s t op .
14 CLERK MULLER: Your three minutes have
15 expired, sir.
16 MR. JARONCZYK: I’m done. Thank you.
17 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I just want to
18 say, John, that we are anticipating putting
19 together social media legislation.
20 MR. JARONCZYK: Right. But that doesn't
21 correct the problem now, Norma. I still have to
22 go to this man, who has publicly made his
23 positions known that he is anti-law enforcement,
24 he is anti-white, he is racist, derogatory,
25 harassing, and he's threatening my members and he
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 28
2 remains in a position as the affirmative action
3 officer EEO rep at the jail.
4 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: And he's also a
5 CSEA member.
6 MR. JARONCZYK: Okay. That's fine.
7 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: And so this would
8 be really something that CSEA should be
9 investigating as well.
10 I saw what was on the blog or whatever,
11 Facebook. I was certainly taken back by it. I
12 could not believe that someone would be so
13 derogatory towards law enforcement.
14 MR. JARONCZYK: Collecting a Nassau
15 County paycheck.
16 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I just said that,
17 John. He took the test, he passed the test, and
18 therefore he is in that position.
19 The only way we can rectify it would be
20 the fact that we should be looking to explore the
21 feasibility of social media legislation, and I
22 think we need to do that.
23 If we're going to use our facilities, if
24 we're going to be using our facilities for the
25 film industry, which we have had - we've had
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 29
2 about three or four here in this building;
3 however, we've never had any problem with them.
4 MR. JARONCZYK: They've been filming at
5 the jail, Norma, for probably about six or seven
6 years - Law & Order, Good Wife, a couple of HBO
7 movies. I think a rap video is a little, you
8 know, where is the line in the sand here?
9 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: That's probably
10 why we need to review the application process and
11 see how we can change it.
12 MR. JARONCZYK: And the fact that my
13 officers are still in their video and that Nassau
14 County has not written letters to remove them, to
15 remove this video is deplorable. That's almost
16 condoning this behavior. I'm not trying to beat
17 y o u up .
18 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I know you're
19 not, John. I know you're not.
20 MR. JARONCZYK: I'm just trying to bring
21 this to your attention.
22 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I think we have -
23 - Legislator Dunne would like to say something,
24 then Legislator Ford, Legislator Jacobs, and then
25 Legislator Abrahams.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 30
2 I know there are a lot of you here to
3 speak and some of you are probably going to be
4 talking about issues that are on the calendar.
5 However, we'll go as far as we can without
6 upsetting anyone today. It's the holiday spirit
7 that we're trying to promote.
8 MR. JARONCZYK: I think I upset
9 everybody already. I'm sorry.
10 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: John, it's okay.
11 We're going to be looking for solutions. It's
12 not like you're talking on deaf ears.
13 MR. JARONCZYK: Thank you.
14 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: Thank you, Madam
15 C h ai r.
16 I’m disgusted. This is a total disgrace.
17 We're going to investigate. As the Chair of the
18 Public Safety Committee, we're going to
19 investigate the possibility that we could put
20 forth legislation that the content of anything
21 being filmed in the County of Nassau must be
22 approved by possibly a committee appointed by the
23 county executive and members of this body, so it
24 comes out tasteful, it's not ex-rated. And we
25 should ban certain acts, such as the rap videos,
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 31
2 because they say kill the cop, rape women, which
3 is all awful stuff.
4 MR. JARONCZYK: Maybe start out by
5 banning convicted felons.
6 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: We, as government,
7 should not have anything to do with that. We
8 should be promoting good will, not do the exact
9 opposite. I'm ashamed that that happened in my
10 county, in a jail in my district, which is awful.
11 I'm going to do everything I can. I'm glad you
12 brought it before us today.
13 MR. JARONCZYK: Thank you very much.
14 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: Thank you. And I
15 want a copy of that.
16 MR. JARONCZYK: Absolutely. I'll submit
17 a copy to the clerk.
18 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: Thank you. Thank
19 you, Madam Chair.
20 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Legislator Ford.
21 LEGISLATOR FORD: John, thank you very
22 much. And actually I had received two phone
23 calls at home from people, somehow or another,
24 they saw the video and they were very upset and
25 could not believe that a Nassau County facility
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 32
2 was used during that video.
3 I join with Legislator Dunne; I think
4 that this is something that should never happen
5 again, shouldn’t have happened to begin with. We
6 will work on providing legislation to curtail
7 that type of activity, especially in our jails.
8 I’m equally concerned as you are with
9 somebody who is given the position to work as an
10 EEO officer to blatantly come out with
11 statements, to literally go against the spirit of
12 the position that he's in. I know how important
13 it is for everybody to be able to work in an
14 environment, in a work environment that is free
15 from harassment. We need to have a safe
16 workplace that is equitable for everybody.
17 For me, I know having had been a female
18 technician, I was in a non-traditional job. I
19 always felt comfortable that if I ever was in a
20 situation where I need protection under the
21 federal law, I had somebody who was going to
22 stand with me and defend me; obviously your
23 officers do not have that, and that is something
24 that needs to be corrected immediately because it
25 really is unfair. I don't know, but we're going
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 33
2 to look to see what we can do to correct this
3 behavior immediately. And I think that we nee to
4 be a little bit more sensitive. If we don't
5 stand up for the workers to make sure that there
6 is no workplace violence and no intimidation
7 throughout the county.
8 But even though you say, like, you have
9 to follow the police officers, you know what?
10 You're standing up for your members, and I think
11 that's the most important thing. And when
12 everybody else seems to be abandoning them,
13 you're here for them and I think that that really
14 says Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to them.
15 I thank you.
16 MR. JARONCZYK: Thank you.
17 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Legislator
18 Jacobs. Before Legislator Jacobs, just to
19 address the comments that Legislator Dunne and
20 Legislator Ford, that's the motive behind the
21 social media legislation. That legislation will
22 probably take into account the various activities
23 that can be done from private industry in our
24 facilities, so we're headed in that direction.
25 Legislator Jacobs.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 34
2 MR. JARONCZYK: John, hi.
3 MR. JARONCZYK: Good afternoon.
4 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: Obviously, I'm
5 equally as disturbed. It seems that both these
6 instances are just a no-brainer, that they do not
7 belong obviously happening in Nassau County. I
8 want to ask you a question, although I'm sure you
9 thought of this.
10 It appears to me that when people do a
11 film and they have extras, the extras have to
12 sign a waiver allowing them to be in it.
13 Wouldn't that be something you could stand on or
14 use as a legal reason to have this pulled? I’m
15 sure your officers did not sign a waiver.
16 MR. JARONCZYK: I could absolutely tell
17 you my officers absolutely did not sign a waiver.
18 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: I didn't have any
19 d o ub t.
20 MR. JARONCZYK: They did not -- they
21 were not aware they were being filmed. It was in
22 the rec yard where they filmed them.
23 We did write to YouTube, because that's
24 where the video is showing right now, and we
25 wrote to the producers of the videos, First
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 35
2 Avenue Productions, to have it removed based on
3 the fact that they did not sign waivers. But my
4 point is Nassau County should be following up
5 with that too, not my union attorneys.
6 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: I agree.
7 MR. JARONCZYK: Nassau County should be
8 doing that because it's their officers.
9 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: I agree with you 100
10 percent. I just feel legally this gives you a
11 strong leg to stand on.
12 MR. JARONCZYK: I would hope so.
13 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: If this whole
14 audience was asked to appear, before they left
15 the room they'd have to sign waivers agreeing
16 that if they're on camera they've allowed it.
17 Unbelievable.
18 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Minority Leader
19 A b ra ha ms .
20 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Hey, John. How
21 a r e yo u?
22 MR. JARONCZYK: Hi, Kevan. How are you?
23 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: I apologize about
24 missing the first part of your presentation. I
25 know you and I have --
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 36
2 MR. JARONCZYK: Do you want me to go
3 through it again?
4 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: I don't mind but
5 I don't know about the other 18 and the audience.
6 You and I have had an opportunity to
7 speak and obviously we go back a long ways. As
8 you know, I don't think anyone - I know no one on
9 this legislative body condones the use of the
10 facility for a rap video that talks about
11 committing murders on correction officers or
12 police officers or anything along those lines.
13 Obviously, I think my comments in regards
14 to the situation with the affirmative action
15 officer speak for themselves. It's strong enough
16 -- it's hard enough, I should say, to continue
17 the progress that we have had with race relations
18 not just here in this county but in the nation.
19 The comments that were made by that gentleman
20 were totally unnecessary, as well as I think
21 totally racist. I think from that standpoint you
22 would have not just my support but the support of
23 everyone in this body. No one should have to
24 work under those conditions and seek out guidance
25 from someone who doesn't basically see eye-to-eye
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 37
2 with a good chunk of the people that are there.
3 I think that's truly unfortunate.
4 That being said. Whatever we can do from
5 our offices, we'll be happy to support you.
6 MR. JARONCZYK: Thank you very much.
7 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: I think you hit
8 the nail on the head. I do believe that the
9 county, not the resources from the union, should
10 be more forthright and more capable to be able to
11 ensure that we look into how this practice, in
12 regards to the rap video, was actually conducted.
13 I can't believe that in this day and age we would
14 not do a better investigation or get a better
15 understanding of what somebody would be using the
16 facility for and not just issue a permit and
17 allow them to use the facility. We should know
18 the content of what they're going to say as well
19 as have an idea of how they're going to present
20 themselves and how they're going to use that
21 particular facility.
22 This is not something where someone is
23 basically using free public space. They are
24 using a facility that the taxpayers of this
25 county -- and they would not support a message of
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 38
2 that kind. To be quite frank, we have the
3 opportunity as well as the responsibility to say
4 now and tell them that they need to fabricate or
5 come up with it or go somewhere else. I think
6 that's what should have been done, nothing less
7 than that.
8 I am glad to see you here today.
9 Obviously, on a better note, happy holidays,
10 Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, as well as Happy
11 Kwanza to all your members.
12 MR. JARONCZYK: Thank you very much.
13 Also to you.
14 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Deputy Presiding
15 Officer Nicolello.
16 LEGISLATOR NICOLELLO: I just wanted to
17 -- first, I wanted to thank you. You've been
18 apologizing for bringing this up. On behalf of
19 the County, I want to thank you for bringing this
20 up and I want to thank you for persisting in it.
21 It's very important that we know about it. It's
22 very important that the County does something
23 a b ou t it .
24 I understand free speech rights. I just
25 want to echo what Minority Leader Abrahams just
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 39
2 said. I understand free speech rights but the
3 jail is not the place to do something like this
4 under any circumstances. It's a very sensitive
5 place. It's a very thin line between keeping
6 order in the jail, your members do a fantastic
7 job, and to do anything that would jeopardize
8 that is reckless, negligent, and everything else.
9 So even if you can't prevent somebody from
10 filming this type of film, you can certainly
11 prevent them from doing it in an environment like
12 t h at .
13 With respect to the EEOC, I understand
14 the individual may be Civil Service protected.
15 But if anybody is making racist comments, there
16 are disciplinary measures that can be taken,
17 Civil Service or not Civil Service. I'm not
18 really sure where we're going with that. At a
19 minimum, that individual should not be at the
20 jail if he is making comments against law
21 enforcement. If we can't fire the individual, he
22 should be moved away from law enforcement
23 completely.
24 MR. JARONCZYK: Legislator Nicolello,
25 that is all we're looking for. That is all we're
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 40
2 looking for.
3 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Legislator
4 Denenberg.
5 LEGISLATOR DENENBERG: Like everyone
6 said, it's your job to bring this issue here.
7 Have you been able to see, like, what is
8 the approval process to get a permit to use a
9 Nassau County facility for filming, for video?
10 Afterwards, what's the oversight process? It
11 seems like the oversight process here was you --
12 MR. JARONCZYK: There was none.
13 LEGISLATOR DENENBERG: actually seeing
14 the video and then bringing it to everyone else's
15 attention. So there's no oversight. What's the
16 approval process?
17 MR. JARONCZYK: There is a form -
18 LEGISLATOR DENENBERG: Someone just gets
19 a permit, from where?
20 MR. JARONCZYK: you go to the Nassau
21 County website. You go to the Nassau County Film
22 Commission. There is a one-page form. I printed
23 this up last night off of the Nassau County
24 website. It's just approved, denied. Nature of
25 use. We did FOIL request this form for that rap
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 41
2 video, but I'm told they just wrote music video.
3 Knowing that the guys name was Uncle Murda, I
4 would think maybe we'd have some problems with
5 who we're giving the keys to the jail to.
6 LEGISLATOR DENENBERG: Obviously,
7 whether it's the Film Institute or a permit there
8 from, the approval process itself -- I heard
9 about looking at legislation with respect to
10 social media, legislation with respect to using
11 the people's facilities, county-owned facilities
12 for film, video, etcetera, has to be subject to,
13 I would say, clearly a more rigorous approval
14 process and then an oversight process so that the
15 oversight process is not John Jaronczyk and the
16 union being appalled --
17 MR. JARONCZYK: Disgusted.
18 LEGISLATOR DENENBERG: If not disgusted,
19 and rightfully so, we all should be. But that's
20 not supposed to be everyone else's job. We need
21 to be overseeing that which is being approved and
22 the approval process has to be more rigorous.
23 It's ridiculous.
24 MR. JARONCZYK: I agree. Thank you.
25 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I think I said at
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 42
2 the onset that the application process is going
3 to be reviewed and revised so that it is more
4 comprehensive. It's a step in the right
5 direction.
6 Thank you.
7 MR. JARONCZYK: Thank you very much. On
8 behalf of the correction officers, Merry
9 Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Hanukah, Happy
10 Kwanza, and thank you for all of your support.
11 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: You're welcome.
12 I have a number of slips and I'm going to
13 them as they were submitted. Most of them are
14 items that probably will go by emergency today
15 and others are just general in nature. I believe
16 I'm going to begin with Meta Mereday from
17 Baldwin. Is it Meta?
18 MS. MEREDAY: Meta.
19 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I'm sorry, Meta.
20 MS. MEREDAY: Meta J. Mereday. Thank
21 you. My name is Meta J. Mereday. First of all,
22 I would like to say that I am very happy that
23 this time the meeting did start relatively on
24 time; I appreciate that. The last time it was
25 closer to two o'clock. So I do appreciate that.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 43
2 Secondly, I definitely want to echo
3 everyone's earlier statements with regard to the
4 great work that our police department does. I've
5 been in front of this forum for numerous
6 occasions addressing those issues in support of,
7 definitely the First Precinct, which I can
8 definitely say without a doubt is the hardest
9 working precinct. They all work hard. But First
10 Precinct is the hardest working. I'm happy to
11 see the efforts that are finally taking place
12 after years of effort to try to get that
13 addressed. So I'm hoping that we can continue to
14 move forward with that and also with regard to
15 the restoration of the Fifth Precinct.
16 My issue just really has to do with, it
17 starts out with a question, in terms of who is on
18 the firing line with a number of the, for lack of
19 a better word, failed programs through Nassau
20 County? Perfect example, the consolidation plan
21 for the police precincts; whose idea was it? And
22 since it has been proven that many of the
23 residents who came to this body to say that it
24 wasn't going to work, has been proven that it did
25 not work, who is on the firing line for that?
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 44
2 I know you're going to be addressing the
3 speed camera issue and a lot of the news that's
4 been following with regard to that and basically
5 it not working as well, who is on the firing line
6 for that?
7 It seems like the taxpayers are bearing
8 the brunt for a lot of the mishaps that are
9 taking place in the county. And it's about time
10 that somebody takes full responsibility for that
11 fiscal mismanagement.
12 Again, my theme for the day is who is on
13 the firing line?
14 In conclusion, because I want to make
15 sure that I stay timely and get all my issues
16 addressed.
17 Veteran, business, development and
18 unemployment - I always like to give credit where
19 credit was due, I was taught that by my mother,
20 who I'm so happy is here with me today. She has
21 served her time and given her expertise to Nassau
22 County. We still have a problem when it comes to
23 fully servicing and taking care of our veterans.
24 So I want to continue to make sure that that
25 effort and those issues are on the table.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 45
2 My organization, Veterans Entrepreneurial
3 Development Initiatives, is working with the Long
4 Island Association in terms of petitioning the
5 governor with regard to getting the billion
6 dollars of infrastructure funds so that we can
7 create jobs and businesses for our veterans so
8 that we can reduce the high and increasing
9 unemployment of our veterans and to keep our
10 student veterans, who are getting a quality
11 education on Long Island but cannot afford to
12 live here.
13 Again, I am encouraged by the legislation
14 that is being brought to the table in Nassau
15 County about veteran-owned businesses. But
16 again, that is not enough. We need to be
17 proactive instead of reactive.
18 I don't want to have to come to another
19 session, just like the previous gentleman from
20 the corrections, to find out about something
21 after the fact and all of you sit there and
22 you're appalled and you didn't know. But we do
23 not want to have, in Nassau County - and it's
24 probably in the works with regard to the tainted
25 dumping that is now in the forefront in Suffolk
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 46
2 C o un ty .
3 CLERK MULLER: Your three minutes have
4 expired, ma'am.
5 MS. MEREDAY: Okay. So trust me, it is
6 coming. Let us try to be proactive for a change.
7 Okay. Let's get out of the pockets of the
8 taxpayers, because we're just getting down the
9 point where we have nothing but lint in it at
10 this point. Thank you.
11 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you.
12 Patricia Friedman.
13 MS. FRIEDMAN: I'm sorry. I've been
14 sitting so long my feet fell asleep so I can
15 hardly walk, but I can talk, you know that.
16 I want to thank you for saying you will
17 repeal the school speed cameras. I'm glad you
18 came to the realization that it was wrong from
19 the beginning. However, I am not satisfied with
20 just the school speed cameras.
21 We oppose, We the People for People's
22 Rights Committee, of which I am chair, and have
23 been circulating petitions, and we have thousands
24 already, and we're going to continue up until
25 election time next year, that tells you that we
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 47
2 are opposed to all cameras, red light cameras and
3 speed school cameras. We demand that these
4 cameras be repealed now. And I hope you will
5 consider the red light with the school speed
6 today, even if you have to take an intermission
7 and I have to wait longer.
8 We will vote people out of office next
9 year if we are not paid attention to and get
10 these new tax laws repealed.
11 We also demand the following: dismissal
12 of all outstanding tickets when you repeal the
13 cameras; refund all the money that was robbed by
14 the county residents who had to do without their
15 medication and their food because they had two to
16 three cameras due to the negligence of installing
17 them correctly and illegally putting them in
18 place. I will also call upon the Attorney
19 General of the United States for a complete
20 investigation of all persons profiting from these
21 cameras programs, including the vendors with a
22 share of 32 percent - and I could give you
23 figures of what that means. 32 percent of the
24 tickets of red light cameras and school speed
25 cameras. Our family quality of life in Nassau
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 48
2 County is zero, and I am sure you do not want
3 that. And I've been here for 52 years, I
4 certainly will not take it sitting down either.
5 School safety was never the issue. We
6 want to be honest, you've even said it. Thirty
7 million shortfall was and is the problem. After
8 electing officials to serve us, we need to
9 provide them with money management education to
10 make sure they know how to budget billions of
11 dollars; that doesn't apply to just you. I said
12 I'm here 54 years coming to these meetings. I
13 said 54 years ago, and for many years thereafter,
14 we should have declared bankruptcy and
15 reorganized. It wasn't you that started this.
16 It goes back to almost every regime from Caso to
17 Gulotta, Purcell, and now Mangano. You inherited
18 this problem.
19 I give you people credit for repealing
20 the school speed. But step one step further and
21 do the red light cameras.
22 CLERK MULLER: Your three minutes have
23 expired, Ms. Friedman.
24 MS. FRIEDMAN: I know. But after 54
25 years I think you can allow me, like you've
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 49
2 allowed others today, 30 seconds longer. I have
3 about five bullets I want to present.
4 Madam Chairman, may I have a few seconds
5 m o re ?
6 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Ms. Friedman,
7 listen to me. I have at least two dozen slips
8 here, at least two. Excuse me.
9 MS. FRIEDMAN: I am going to give you
10 five bullets.
11 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I am going to --
12 MS. FRIEDMAN: County Executive Tom
13 S u oz zi - -
14 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Pat, I've known
15 you a long time --
16 MS. FRIEDMAN: and Assemblyman Lavine
17 approved the red light cameras. Move the
18 kangaroo court back to district court with an
19 elected judge not a political clerk dismissing
20 personal tickets, quoted in Newsday , don't fight
21 your ticket, you're guilty. We cannot tolerate
22 t h at .
23 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Pat. Pat.
24 MS. FRIEDMAN: State government will
25 also be petitioned to repeal state laws and all
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 50
2 c a me ra s.
3 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: All right.
4 MS. FRIEDMAN: Our police department, I
5 must say this especially today. Our police
6 department and crossing guards do an outstanding
7 job; this was a slap in their face. If safety
8 becomes a problem at schools, by all means, put
9 more crossing guards on, commonsense.
10 I'm sorry if you didn't want to hear
11 that, but it is the right thing to say.
12 Thank you.
13 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I'm going to
14 remind you, I know that I know Ms. Friedman for
15 years. But in all due respect to a number of
16 people who are here to speak, I limit you to
17 three minutes and only because I would like
18 everyone who is here to speak before we start our
19 meeting. I don't usually do that. Usually I cut
20 public comment off in 30 minutes. We're almost
21 close to that 30 minutes. But under the
22 circumstances, I believe that my colleagues and I
23 will allow the public comment to continue. But
24 if you insist on going above the three minutes,
25 then that means somebody else is not going to be
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 51
2 able to get a turn at the mic because I will not
3 continue to call all of these participants. So,
4 please, adhere to the three minutes so those of
5 you who are here today get the opportunity to
6 speak before we go into the calendar for the day,
7 which will include the emergencies as well. So,
8 please, accommodate your fellow speakers here
9 today by staying to the three minutes.
10 Tom Bruno.
11 MR. BRUNO: My name is Tom Bruno. I am
12 the executive director of the Hicksville Boys &
13 Girls Club, and I'm here today to find out what's
14 going to happen with these speed cameras at the
15 school districts. If that money comes out of the
16 budget, we all understand that there is going to
17 be a hold. We urge you strongly, please do not
18 balance the budget on the back of youth services
19 once again.
20 Programs that did survive the cut two
21 years ago may not survive it this time. I know
22 my agency got through last time; this time I am
23 not really sure if we're going to be able to, and
24 I'm sure there are many of my colleagues who are
25 here today who will be facing that same horrible
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 52
2 situation. So please, if there is a deficit in
3 the budget, do not use youth services to help
4 balance it.
5 Thank you very much.
6 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Pat Boyle.
7 MR. BOYLE: Hi. My name is Pat Boyle,
8 and I work with Gateway Youth Outreach. I'm
9 going to try this a little differently.
10 I think that the speed cameras going away
11 is somewhat inevitable from everything that you
12 read about. I'm going to ask you, is it the
13 intention of the legislature to fill this hole by
14 taking away funding from youth service programs?
15 UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: No.
16 MR. BOYLE: I love your answer.
17 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Judge Levine.
18 JUDGE LEVINE: Thank you, Madam
19 Chairwoman. It's been a long time since I've
20 been before you.
21 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I know it has.
22 JUDGE LEVINE: I'm Samuel Levine, the
23 past president of the Board of Judges of the
24 District Court of Nassau County, and I have been
25 acting as an advisor and counsel to Pat Friedman
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 53
2 and the group that is not being established and
3 functioning very well called We the People for
4 People's Rights Committee.
5 I have seven pages of documents that I'm
6 merely going to just highlight and summarize and
7 submit to the legislature, and they're in a
8 nature of all of the legal issues that are
9 created by the red light camera laws, state and
10 county, as well as the school zone speeding
11 cameras now to be repealed; we thank you for
12 that. The public will certainly support you on
13 that aspect of the problem, and the public will
14 support you to a much greater degree when the red
15 light cameras get repealed as well, in Albany as
16 well as here in Nassau County.
17 The thrust of the arguments that I've
18 made are basically in the nature of the question
19 of the constitutionality of these laws, state and
20 local, and the violations of the Fourth, Fifth,
21 Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments of the
22 Constitution, our Bill of Rights. Due process of
23 law, fair hearings, confrontation of witnesses,
24 proper rules of evidence, all of the other issues
25 that I've raised in my seven page memorandum of
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 54
2 law do not exist in the court known as the
3 Traffic and Parking Violations Agency of Nassau
4 County. There are many problems down there. One
5 of the solutions is and, according to the Court
6 of Appeals, there is a hybrid court system that
7 we have for traffic infractions as well as
8 misdemeanors and all other issues. Maybe the
9 time has come to restore to the District Court of
10 Nassau County the Traffic and Violations part of
11 the District Court. And I'm sure the Court of
12 Appeals will certainly agree with me, they did in
13 t h e Do lc e case, it's in my papers.
14 So those are some of the basic ideas that
15 I have and many, many others. But it gives you,
16 in these documents, the legal foundation to
17 support the repeal of the red light camera laws,
18 and to be very weary of similar types of laws
19 that sound like they're going to solve our
20 problems but really they are violating the
21 constitutional rights of people. And that comes
22 first, as well as safety, public safety and our
23 police department and other law enforcement
24 officials are doing a fabulous job in keeping us
25 safe within the rights that people have and the
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 55
2 public has in being safe under our great
3 Constitution of the United States in those four
4 amendments.
5 I will submit my document on the pages
6 relating to the law and a copy of Ms. Friedman's
7 is also attached to it.
8 We will stand ready to talk in the future
9 about just how we will be able to repeal in a
10 proper legislative way if necessary, if possible,
11 and I think it will be possible. I'm a great
12 believer in the mediation and settlement of
13 public and legal issues.
14 Thank you.
15 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I know there are
16 a number of people who are here to speak, and I'm
17 going to give you that opportunity to do so. But
18 I'm going to go into the calendar process,
19 primarily because we have two appointments here
20 that we would like to recognize and, of course,
21 approve today. I just need to open up the full
22 legislature meeting. After we do the
23 appointments, we will come back to public
24 comment. Is that okay? I think it is okay.
25 Guess what? Thirty minutes have gone by. But as
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 56
2 I said, we're willing to go on with public
3 comment, but first we're going to do the roll
4 c a ll .
5 CLERK MULLER: Deputy Presiding Officer
6 Nicolello?
7 LEGISLATOR NICOLELLO: Here.
8 CLERK MULLER: Alternate Deputy
9 Presiding Officer Kopel?
10 LEGISLATOR KOPEL: Here.
11 CLERK MULLER: Legislator Bynoe?
12 LEGISLATOR BYNOE: Present.
13 CLERK MULLER: Legislator Solages?
14 LEGISLATOR SOLAGES: Here.
15 CLERK MULLER: Legislator Ford?
16 LEGISLATOR FORD: Here.
17 CLERK MULLER: Legislator Curran?
18 LEGISLATOR CURRAN: Here.
19 CLERK MULLER: Legislator Becker?
20 (No verbal response.)
21 CLERK MULLER: Legislator Muscarella?
22 LEGISLATOR MUSCARELLA: Here.
23 CLERK MULLER: Legislator Birnbaum?
24 LEGISLATOR BIRNBAUM: Here.
25 CLERK MULLER: Legislator DeRiggi-
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 57
2 W h it to n?
3 LEGISLATOR DeRIGGI-WHITTON: Here.
4 CLERK MULLER: Legislator Venditto?
5 LEGISLATOR VENDITTO: Here.
6 CLERK MULLER: Legislator Schafer?
7 LEGISLATOR SCHAEFER: Here.
8 CLERK MULLER: Legislator Dunne?
9 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: Here.
10 CLERK MULLER: Legislator Jacobs?
11 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: Here.
12 CLERK MULLER: Legislator Walker?
13 LEGISLATOR WALKER: Here.
14 CLERK MULLER: Legislator MacKenzie?
15 LEGISLATOR MACKENZIE: Here.
16 CLERK MULLER: Legislator Denenberg?
17 LEGISLATOR DENENBERG: Here.
18 CLERK MULLER: Minority Leader
19 A b ra ha ms ?
20 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Here.
21 CLERK MULLER: Presiding Officer
22 Gonsalves?
23 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Present.
24 CLERK MULLER: We have a quorum.
25 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Okay. And we're
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 58
2 going now, out of order, to confirm the county
3 executive's appointments today. And I'm going to
4 begin with Item 21, Resolution 250, a resolution
5 to confirm the county executive's appointment of
6 Robin Laveman to the Assessment Review
7 Commission.
8 Motion, please?
9 LEGISLATOR WALKER: So moved.
10 LEGISLATOR NICOLELLO: Second.
11 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Moved by
12 Legislator Walker, seconded by Legislator
13 Nicolello.
14 Would you like to introduce yourself?
15 Robin, where are you? There you are.
16 MS. LAVEMAN: Good afternoon. My name
17 is Robin Laveman. Presently, I'm deputy county
18 attorney and counsel to the Assessment Review
19 Commission.
20 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Any questions or
21 comments for Ms. Laveman?
22 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: How are you, Ms.
23 L a ve ma n?
24 MS. LAVEMAN: Good.
25 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: I know it's hard
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 59
2 to see. I know we didn't get a chance to meet.
3 It's been a busy morning. I know we had planned
4 to meet. I believe everyone from our side had an
5 opportunity to read through resume and go through
6 your documents, and we feel that you are
7 qualified to serve on the commission, and we plan
8 to vote for you in the affirmative. Thank you.
9 Thank you for coming down today.
10 MS. LAVEMAN: Thank you.
11 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Any other
12 c o mm en ts ?
13 (No verbal response.)
14 Any public comment?
15 (No verbal response.)
16 There being none; all those in favor of
17 confirming the appointments of Robin Laveman to
18 the Assessment Review Commission signify by
19 saying aye.
20 ( A ye .)
21 Any opposed?
22 (No verbal response.)
23 Your confirmation is unanimous. Thank
24 you. Congratulations and success.
25 MS. LAVEMAN: Thank you so much.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 60
2 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: You're welcome.
3 The next item is Item 22, Resolution 251,
4 to confirm the county executive's appointment of
5 Gary Ackerman to the Civil Service Commission.
6 Motion, please?
7 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: So moved.
8 LEGISLATOR WALKER: Second.
9 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Moved by
10 Legislator Dunne, seconded by Legislator Walker.
11 MR. MAY: And we have Congressman Gary
12 A c ke rm an .
13 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Does anyone have
14 any questions of the Assemblyman? Okay. I have
15 Legislator - Congressman, I'm sorry.
16 Congressman, we have a comment from Legislator
17 J a co bs .
18 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: I'm going to say
19 something publicly that he knows. I think you're
20 just one of the best people we have in
21 government. You represent everything that's
22 right in government. And if we'd all fashion
23 ourselves after you, government would never have
24 a bad name again.
25 Congratulations. And I think it's a
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 61
2 wonderful appointment. Just stay involved so we
3 know that you're involved with everything.
4 CONGRESSMAN ACKERMAN: Thank you.
5 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Any other
6 legislator?
7 (No verbal response.)
8 Any public comment?
9 (No verbal response.)
10 There being none; all those in favor of
11 the appointment of Gary Ackerman to the Civil
12 Service Commission signify by saying aye.
13 ( A ye .)
14 Any opposed?
15 (No verbal response.)
16 Your appointment if confirmed
17 unanimously.
18 CONGRESSMAN ACKERMAN: Thank you.
19 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: The very best to
20 y o u.
21 Now I'm going to recess, as I said I
22 would. We're going to do as much as we can with
23 the public comment.
24 Domenica Califano, is it?
25 MS. CALIFANO: Good afternoon everybody.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 62
2 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Good afternoon,
3 D o me ni ca .
4 MS. CALIFANO: I'd like to ask a few
5 questions. One question is what is the process
6 when a village needs money for repairs? Does the
7 county go to them or does the village come to you
8 in writing stating that they need money?
9 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: We have someone
10 here who can address that question after you make
11 your comments. Where are you, Mr. May? Perhaps
12 maybe you will talk to Domenica after she has her
13 three minutes. Go ahead.
14 MS. CALIFANO: The other thing is there
15 is an establishment called VIP Splash. It was
16 established on 6/24/13. They won the bid with
17 the county on 10/13, which cleans up our
18 waterways. The County has given them $12
19 million, and hopefully us, taxpayers, won't be
20 swallowing it if FEMA does not give them the
21 money for it.
22 I wasn't sure why conservation of
23 waterways of the Town of Hempstead did not take
24 that. Also, Splash is a very wonderful volunteer
25 organization that's been out there. Not
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 63
2 understanding why some of the owners of Splash is
3 on the corporation of VIP Splash. I believe that
4 would be considered double dipping and ripping
5 off the taxpayers' money, because SPLASH is a
6 free organization. VIP Splash -- I'm sorry.
7 SPLASH is free; VIP Splash Organization is where
8 the county is giving them money.
9 The other thing was that VIP Splash has a
10 contract for five years, and it states in their
11 contract, as the county is holding the contract
12 for VIP Splash, states that they cannot clean any
13 private home or residential homes to remove any
14 debris. VIP Splash has removed debris all over
15 the place, which they are paid for weight and
16 pound. Taxpayers need to hear what is going on
17 with this organization and why the county is
18 backing them up 100 percent and giving them money
19 when they're not an organization that's been in
20 the field to remove debris from the wetlands in
21 Island Park, in Long Beach, and going around to
22 residential homes and removing debris for free.
23 I have a copy of the contract. The
24 contract is with Nassau County Office of
25 Emergency Management. And it shows in the
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 64
2 contract that VIP Splash Waterways Recovery Group
3 will not seek any exception requests for private
4 property owners, to remove any debris, removing
5 of any actual debris from VIP Splash. Not sure
6 why they're out there and who is overlooking this
7 since the county has the contract with them.
8 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you,
9 Domenica. We will investigate.
10 MS. CALIFANO: Will someone be getting
11 back to me? Will I be able to speak to someone?
12 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I just said to
13 you if you need to, there is a gentleman over
14 there by the name of Greg May --
15 MS. CALIFANO: Where?
16 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: you can talk to
17 him and he can direct you to the person that you
18 would like to speak to.
19 MS. CALIFANO: Okay. There is one more
20 other thing I have with Social Services
21 Department.
22 I manage a lot of properties throughout
23 Nassau County. Unfortunately, we have a lot of
24 tenants that have social services, which is
25 welfare, that they pay the rent to the tenant to
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 65
2 give to the landlord, which is a very small
3 portion of this. Unfortunately, a lot of the
4 workers in social services are not very nice to
5 any of us, homeowners, calling up about the
6 m o ne y.
7 This is an ongoing thing. I ended up
8 getting involved with one of the homeowners in
9 the town. I called a few of the legislators
10 trying to get them involved and, of course, I
11 came to a dead end.
12 There are homeowners that are due money
13 from the county that was never released to the
14 homeowners for over a year and a half. I have
15 called up the commissioner's office. I have
16 spoke with Denise Ford's office. And I'm not
17 getting anywhere with my answers.
18 CLERK MULLER: Your three minutes have
19 e x pi re d.
20 MS. CALIFANO: Okay. Thank you. I can
21 speak to this gentleman?
22 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Yes. Right
23 there. He's sitting right there.
24 MS. CALIFANO: Thank you.
25 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Allison
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 66
2 Blanchette.
3 MR. MAY: I'm sorry. Madam Presiding
4 Officer, just to address one point made.
5 As far as VIP Splash Waterways is
6 concerned, it's FEMA reimbursable and we do have
7 project worksheets detailing the reimbursed
8 e x pe ns es .
9 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you very
10 m u ch .
11 MR. MAY: Thank you.
12 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Allison, are you
13 here? Okay. Allison.
14 MS. BLANCHETTE: My name is Allison
15 Blanchette, and I am here from Long Beach, New
16 York. I came here today in support of the speed
17 c a me ra s.
18 I'm in support of you suspending the
19 speed cameras but not repealing them all
20 together. I would really love to see you suspend
21 them and reform them, not repeal. These can
22 w o rk .
23 All the opponents that I've been hearing
24 here today - the judge, in reading and stuff, in
25 newspapers and talking to people, all of these
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 67
2 arguments against the speed cameras seem to kind
3 of forget one thing, actually two things: people
4 are breaking the law and people are dying. Just
5 this year in Long Beach we lost a teacher. We
6 lost a teacher. We had two kids seriously
7 injured. Have we forgotten that? I think your
8 job is to ensure that there's safety.
9 I think people forget that driving is a
10 revocable privilege, whereas walking safely,
11 without the fear of getting hit by a car going 50
12 miles per hour, that's a right. That is my
13 r i gh t.
14 Whoever was responsible for the
15 implementation of this, I don't know the
16 specifics on that, like who the person was -
17 please get rid of him -- sorry, I'm assuming it's
18 a guy. Please get rid of that person or that
19 department, organization or whatever, because
20 they did such a horrible, embarrassing job. And
21 the fact that these might get taken away because
22 of that incompetency and that people may die -
23 actually, they will die. We will see -- we will
24 see more deaths on the street. I don't even know
25 how any of you could vote to repeal this knowing
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 68
2 that. And the thought of anyone repealing this
3 because they think they might lose their job -
4 like your job is more important than the life,
5 it's wrong.
6 What I would love to see is this program
7 to be suspended and reevaluated and looked at,
8 approached smarter. The money generated by these
9 speeding tickets must be earmarked for smarter,
10 reengineering of our streets, for reducing the
11 speed limit. The money generated by these need
12 to be earmarked for safety measures, not for some
13 general fund. They need to go right back into
14 the streets. And I would really love for, you
15 know, a clear agenda be spoken about. What is
16 the goal of this? The goal should be zero
17 fatalities. The goal should be zero injuries.
18 Is it a money grab? I don’t care. I
19 don't care. The fact is we have a speeding
20 epidemic here.
21 In the City of Long Beach the amount of
22 speeding tickets that we're giving out is
23 disgusting. I really hope that you guys decide
24 that you want to reevaluate this and not just let
25 it go because some people are cranky about it.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 69
2 This is a serious issue. These are lives, they
3 matter more. The right to be able to walk down
4 the street matters more than anyone's job. I
5 really hope you consider that.
6 CLERK MULLER: Your three minutes have
7 expired, ma'am.
8 MS. BLANCHETTE: I'm sorry if I'm
9 yelling. I'm angry. Passionate.
10 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Richard, I cannot
11 read your last name - I don’t know if it's
12 Clotery. Richard, when you come up here you can
13 tell us what your last name is. Would you tell
14 us your last name?
15 MR. CLOLERY: Clolery - C-L-O-L-E-R-Y.
16 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Okay. Clolery.
17 Thank you, Richard.
18 MR. CLOLERY: Madam Floor Person - well,
19 once again I'm here today to fight for the bus
20 riders union.
21 I personally believe that no money should
22 be cut from the Nassau buses. We depend on them
23 every day. And now, from what I've been hearing,
24 Mangano is planning to cut $4 million for what
25 he's contributing to the buses. I think it's a
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 70
2 grave wrong, it should not be done. To be frank,
3 without the buses I would not even be here having
4 this conversation with you nice people.
5 I depend on the buses practically for
6 everything - to get me to and from places and
7 sometimes, on occasion, to get me to my parents.
8 Without the buses, I will be moving back to my
9 parents and I wouldn't know what to do with
10 myself afterwards.
11 I really enjoy using the buses. Instead
12 of cutting funding, maybe we should invest in it.
13 Like the person who said before -- actually, I
14 forgot what I wanted to say.
15 I would be concerned about learning how
16 to drive because I would be -- oh, god.
17 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Take your time,
18 Richard. Take your time.
19 MR. CLOLERY: Because I would not -- I
20 would not be confident behind the wheel of the
21 car, to be frank. I really would hate to have to
22 be dependent on other people to get me to my job.
23 Madam Floor Person, please, for all that
24 holy and good in this world, do not cut funding
25 to the buses.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 71
2 Thank you. And have a wonderful life.
3 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you,
4 R i ch ar d.
5 Aaron Lopez. I'm looking around to see
6 where you are.
7 MR. LOPEZ: Hello. Sorry about that.
8 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: That's okay.
9 MR. LOPEZ: I’m here today - actually,
10 before I start. Thank you for letting me speak
11 this afternoon. Is the clock off?
12 On November 4 this body came forward with
13 bipartisan support to increase the Nassau County
14 funding to NICE Bus by $2 million and, on top of
15 that, promised they would have a fare freeze for
16 cash paying riders and those that use the mobile
17 app. On December 11, the county executive
18 released a proposal that would include taking $4
19 million in subsidies away from NICE Bus to fill
20 the gap due to the failure that was the speed
21 camera program.
22 Ridership and rider satisfaction are at
23 all time lows. By promising an additional $2
24 million and then reneging on that promise, what
25 kind of message does that send? What are you
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 72
2 telling bus riders around the county? I can tell
3 you. You're telling them you don't care. You
4 don't care that they can't get to work. You
5 would be saying that you don't care that Able
6 Ride can't access the whole Island because
7 there's not enough service. You're saying that
8 you don't care that they can't get to school,
9 can't get to Hofstra, can't get to Nassau.
10 Thousands and thousands of people rely on NICE
11 Bus every day.
12 As I've said before, NICE Bus is already
13 running on a $6 million deficit. If an
14 additional $4 million is taken away, it will
15 cripple the system. Currently, Nassau County is
16 contributing $4.6 million to NICE Bus. How does
17 anybody think that NICE Bus would be able to
18 operate on $600,000 if this proposal were to go
19 t h ro ug h?
20 So, I just would like to urge you that
21 when you are looking for funds to fill the failed
22 program gap, I urge that you look for alternative
23 funding streams. Leave NICE alone. If not,
24 you've just written a death sentence for NICE
25 B u s.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 73
2 Thank you.
3 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you, Aaron.
4 Gavin Cummings. Good afternoon, Gavin.
5 MR. CUMMINGS: Good afternoon. Ladies
6 and gentlemen of the legislature, thank you for
7 the opportunity to discuss an important issue
8 today, and thank you for answering the calls of
9 your constituents in bringing this important
10 piece of legislation to the floor. My name is
11 Gavin Cummings, and I am one of the members of
12 the group Nassau County Residents Opposing School
13 Zone Speed Cameras which, as of today, is nearly
14 5,000 members strong.
15 It is the opinion of most reasonable
16 people, including the many parents within this
17 group opposing the speed camera program in its
18 current form, that speed cameras can be helpful
19 in some situations, but not with today's
20 technology and not Nassau County's program as it
21 operates today. The problem lies in the
22 economics.
23 Unfortunately, American Traffic
24 Solutions, the vendor that the county has
25 contracted with to operate the speed camera
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 74
2 program, has a bad track record of safety and yet
3 a good track record of siphoning cash out of
4 cash-strapped cities.
5 Nassau County's speed camera program has
6 already fined an estimated 25 percent of the
7 drivers of the county in just two months. With
8 such a high percentage of drivers deemed
9 criminals under this law, it is clear that this
10 law is inconsistent with any standard of justice
11 in a democracy and therefore must be repealed.
12 There are more economical approaches to
13 the problems that today's speed camera technology
14 try and yet failed to solve. The county should
15 implement some of these measures to calm traffic
16 that are recommended by non-partisan groups, such
17 as the Institute of Traffic Engineers, a
18 consortium of transportation experts.
19 Let's look again to photo enforcement
20 when the next generation of technology arrives
21 because, for now, the technology does not meet
22 our standards of fairness and safety.
23 In order for today's photo enforcement
24 technology to be economically feasible for cities
25 and its private contractors, it must be operated
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 75
2 unfairly, avoiding important components that
3 ensure safe driving. Therefore, we should repeal
4 these cameras and pursue other more effective
5 avenues to keep our children and all of our
6 citizens safe.
7 Ladies and gentlemen of the legislature,
8 thank you for the opportunity to address this
9 group today. I leave you with one final thought:
10 if the legislature votes to repeal the cameras
11 today, before we talk about the budget gap, let's
12 first have an honest conversation about safety,
13 because in public service safety, not revenue,
14 comes first.
15 Thank you.
16 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you, Gavin.
17 Debbie Wilson.
18 MS. WILSON: Good afternoon everybody.
19 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Good afternoon,
20 D e bb ie .
21 MS. WILSON: Thank you for hearing me
22 today. I'm here about the cameras. For the
23 record, I've never received a ticket for either a
24 red light camera or a speed zone camera. I do
25 oppose them.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 76
2 I’m sitting here and I'm listening to
3 some of the conversations from some of these
4 people. Really, this had nothing to do with
5 children's safety. This had everything to do
6 with picking the pockets of hardworking taxpayers
7 of Nassau County.
8 I live in Freeport. It's a middle-class
9 community. I watch people struggle to pay their
10 mortgages and their property taxes. When they
11 get a ticket because they did 31 miles an hour on
12 Glen Cove Road and it cost them $80 plus a $35
13 admin fee, that comes out of food money, that
14 comes out of gas money to go to work.
15 I understand that accidents happen.
16 Accidents happen in front of schools. I got hit
17 by a car in the first grade. Guess what? The
18 crossing guard told me it was safe to cross and I
19 stepped in the street and got whacked by a '56
20 Chevy. So it does happen.
21 I resent the fact that Mangano had the
22 nerve to use the tragedy of that poor child in
23 Valley Stream as a defense to legitimize this
24 ill-conceived program. That was just awful.
25 Speed wasn't a factor in that accident. That
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 77
2 children wasn't in a school zone.
3 And the fact that he's trying to remove
4 funding from some of these youth programs is a
5 disgrace too, and from the NICE buses. Who is he
6 kidding? Then, in the next breath, he's giving
7 $40,000 a year pay raises to some senior
8 staffers. Come on.
9 Okay. I just have a couple of questions
10 and that will be it.
11 Can you give me a timeline as to when the
12 cameras are going to be shut off? Can you give
13 me a timeline as to when they will be removed?
14 Are you considering refunding the money that
15 you've received already from these tickets? And
16 will you be dismissing tickets that have yet to
17 b e p ai d?
18 That's it.
19 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you,
20 D e bb ie .
21 J o hn - -
22 MS. WILSON: Any response to the
23 questions?
24 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Listen -- hold
25 on. We are going to have an opportunity to
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 78
2 address your questions when we call the emergency
3 to repeal the cameras. So if you would like to
4 stay and wait for that action to take place, be
5 our guest.
6 MS. WILSON: Okie doke. Thank you.
7 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: John, I believe,
8 Michna. Is that correct? Okay.
9 MR. MICHNA: Thank you very much for
10 hearing all of our comments, I really appreciate
11 i t .
12 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: You're welcome,
13 J o hn .
14 MR. MICHNA: I feel compelled to come
15 before you today and voice my disgust over Ed
16 Mangano's suggestion to reduce the subsidy for
17 NICE Bus $4 million. I cannot drive and depend
18 on the buses to get around. In the past three
19 years since Mr. Mangano got rid of the MTA and
20 brought in this private company, Veolia, Transit
21 or whatever they call themselves now, to run the
22 buses, I see the service keep getting cut. Many
23 routes are scheduled to come less frequently now.
24 But what has really hit me and other bus riders
25 hard is the unreliability of the buses. Many
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 79
2 just don't even show up. One night the last bus
3 never even showed and I had to take the Long
4 Island Rail Road home. Then, just last week, I
5 had two buses in a row never show up. We were
6 waiting out there, in Hicksville, in the freezing
7 cold for over an hour until the third scheduled
8 bus finally showed up. While we were waiting,
9 another bus on another route pulled in to pick up
10 passengers and broke down before even leaving the
11 stop. It is worse than ever. How do you expect
12 people to get around? This is not saving the
13 county money. It is costing us money.
14 I recently read in Newsday that 60,000
15 people a day take the bus in Nassau County, which
16 is down significantly from the 100,000 daily
17 riders MTA Long Island Bus had in 2011. The
18 decline is not occurring on the Long Island Rail
19 Road or in New York City, as ridership has made
20 gains there. A large portion of the riders came
21 from New York City and came to our malls to shop
22 and spend their money here. Now they aren't
23 coming and the decline in sales tax revenue shows
24 that. We have more cars on the road and people
25 having to spend more on the Long Island Rail
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 80
2 Road. Or Mr. Mangano's personal favorite, taxis;
3 no wonder so many so many bear his name on the
4 roof. And now, Mr. Mangano is asking bus riders
5 to deal with even worse service by cutting $4
6 million from the NICE budget? For someone who
7 likes to claim he's putting Nassau back to work,
8 many people can't get to work. They lose their
9 jobs. How is that good for the economy? Most
10 bus riders don't make that kind of money Long
11 Island Rail Rider have. How can he suggest to
12 make their lives even worse? Who the heck has
13 $30 to spend on cabs every day?
14 Everybody is talking about these speed
15 camera tickets. What about poor people being
16 stranded and having to spend money on taxis
17 because the bus didn't show up?
18 I ask this county legislature to not
19 consider this short-sighted move. Any one of you
20 may someday find yourself in our situation. And
21 it is your duty, as elected officials, to look
22 after our concerns, just as much as motorists,
23 just as much as the county's wealthiest
24 residents.
25 Thank you very much for your time. Have
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 81
2 a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
3 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you, John.
4 Bruce Markowitz. Bruce Markowitz.
5 MR. MARKOWITZ: Good afternoon. My name
6 is Bruce Markowitz. I'm one of the founders and
7 administrators of the group Nassau Resident
8 Oppose School Zone Speed Cameras.
9 First of all, I want to thank the
10 legislators for listening to the voice of the
11 people in bringing up this repeal. According to
12 data recently released by the county, there are
13 around 15,000 outstanding not-guilty pleas on
14 these tickets awaiting trial. The problem is
15 that the law, as written, stacked the deck
16 against the motorist, who has almost no chance to
17 challenge the camera's finding, be they right or
18 w r on g.
19 Last week at a press conference,
20 Legislator Jacobs stated, "Everybody got a ticket
21 because they were speeding." Most people were
22 obviously speeding when they got their ticket.
23 I'm certain that what she meant to say was
24 everyone who got a ticket, pleaded guilty, and
25 paid the fine was breaking the law.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 82
2 15,000 voters and taxpayers should not
3 have to spend their time at trials and appeals
4 defending themselves against a discredited
5 program. In the interest of justice and sparing
6 the county the cost of 15,000 trials and appeals,
7 we ask that you immediately introduce and pass
8 unanimously a resolution calling on the Mangano
9 administration to dismiss all outstanding speed
10 camera notices of liability.
11 Thank you.
12 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Terry Winston.
13 MS. WINSTON: Good afternoon. My name
14 is Terry Winston, and I am a resident of the
15 Incorporated Village of Hempstead. I have two
16 questions, one is in regards to the pilot
17 program. There seems to be a disproportionate
18 amount of pilot programs in the Village of
19 Hempstead. Also, what do you propose to do about
20 the undocumented immigrants that have decided
21 that they were going to flood the Village of
22 Hempstead and overcrowd the school district?
23 Y e s?
24 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Hello. How are
25 y o u?
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 83
2 MS. WINSTON: I’m okay.
3 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: I'm not too sure
4 if I'm your representative in Hempstead, but I'm
5 happy to answer your questions. I represent a
6 portion of Hempstead. My name is Kevan Abrahams.
7 To take your latter point first, in
8 regards to the -- I'm sure -- you said illegal
9 immigrants, correct?
10 MS. WINSTON: No. I said undocumented.
11 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Undocumented.
12 MS. WINSTON: I didn't say illegal.
13 We're not going to say that.
14 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Okay. The
15 undocumented. Obviously, there are all different
16 types of issues to enforce on undocumented
17 individuals. However, as you probably well know,
18 whether it's done through ICE, which is the
19 federal organization, or if you're talking about
20 enforcing housing that's illegal that has
21 undocumented, either one of those are not
22 practices that are conducted from this
23 legislature.
24 Illegal housing is enforced through the
25 towns and, in many cases, the villages. In this
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 84
2 case it would be the village if you're talking
3 about the Village of Hempstead.
4 And in regards to undocumented aliens or
5 undocumented individuals, should be more humane
6 about it, that's a practice that's actually done
7 through the federal government. The county
8 doesn't have any role, in particular, about that.
9 MS. WINSTON: It just seems as if
10 they're being steered to Hempstead, that's what
11 I'm saying. My neighbors from Garden City and
12 West Hempstead don't have those issues. It just
13 seems like they just seem to know to come to
14 Hempstead.
15 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: I think you're
16 right in that estimation. But I think it's more
17 about economics. I think people have the low
18 economic means to rent a home or to rent an
19 apartment or basement in Hempstead --
20 MS. WINSTON: Hempstead's not the only
21 p l ac e.
22 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: No, no.
23 MS. WINSTON: It's not the only place.
24 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: You mentioned
25 Hempstead versus Garden City, so I'm giving you
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 85
2 an example of why that's the case. But Hempstead
3 is not the only place.
4 I represent Uniondale, Roosevelt,
5 Freeport, and Baldwin. I'm sure it's going on in
6 Merrick, Bellmore, Wantagh --
7 MS. WINSTON: It's not. It's not.
8 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: It is, actually.
9 MS. WINSTON: It's not.
10 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: How do you know
11 t h at ?
12 MS. WINSTON: Because I know.
13 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: How do you know
14 it's not going on anywhere --
15 MS. WINSTON: How do you know it's not?
16 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: I know it is
17 because I hear from people. In my capacity of
18 representing over 80,000 people in this County, I
19 know full well --
20 MS. WINSTON: So you're trying to say in
21 Bellmore and Merrick they have an issue with
22 undocumented individuals that they can't even fit
23 them in the school? They can't even educate
24 t h em .
25 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: You're talking
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 86
2 about something else. If you're talking about in
3 regards to the school, obviously that's an issue
4 that I would allow the school officials from
5 those areas they represent. What I was talking
6 about was -- I thought you were talking about
7 illegal housing.
8 MS. WINSTON: No. I was talking about
9 the educational system.
10 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: That's two
11 different -- I was giving you examples on what
12 leads to the problems of the schools, and one of
13 those problems is the fact that we have so much
14 illegal multiple-dwelling housing that exists
15 throughout the county, which is a problem for
16 every area not just one area in Hempstead; I can
17 tell you that for a fact. And I don't think
18 anyone in this audience would object to that. So
19 from that standpoint, let's just make sure we're
20 talking about the same thing.
21 Now, to answer your first point -- and
22 we've been going back and forth for quite some
23 t i me .
24 Your first concern was, in regards to
25 again? Just refresh my memory.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 87
2 MS. WINSTON: Excuse me?
3 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Refresh my memory
4 on your first point.
5 MS. WINSTON: My first point was the
6 pilot programs.
7 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Oh. I can tell
8 you Hempstead has well more than its fair share.
9 MS. WINSTON: Exactly.
10 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Obviously, it's
11 indicative -- a few of the legislators are asking
12 c o nc er ns .
13 MS. WINSTON: Who is responsible in
14 Nassau County for okaying these?
15 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: It depends.
16 MS. WINSTON: It depends?
17 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: The pilots are
18 issued by various different agencies on many
19 different levels of government. It could be
20 issued by the Town of Hempstead. It could be
21 issued by the County's IDA. It could also be
22 issued by the Village. What happens is in many
23 cases when they decide to give these pilots, they
24 believe they're getting a benefit in exchange for
25 it because they're getting jobs or they're
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 88
2 getting business in the community.
3 One of the things that I agree with you
4 on his that Hempstead probably has well over 40
5 percent of its properties off the tax rolls
6 because of pilots and because of not-for-profits
7 that do not pay taxes to any of those
8 municipalities.
9 So one of the things that I wanted to
10 talk to you about, that I actually support the
11 legislation - Deputy Speaker Erlene Hooper
12 introduced legislation in the state putting a cap
13 on the amount of pilots, not just for Hempstead,
14 amount of pilots that are being conducted here in
15 this County, but she did it with an eyeful for
16 Hempstead, because Hempstead has this disparity
17 with not just pilots but also properties off the
18 tax rolls. So that legislation I believe is in
19 implementation, and it's going forward in the
20 Hempstead area which would put a restriction on
21 the amount of properties that can actually
22 receive pilots.
23 Then also, quite frankly, I think it's
24 incumbent on the developer or the business owner
25 to demonstrate why they believe they need a pilot
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 89
2 and they can't pay the taxes that that property
3 is responsible to be paid.
4 MS. WINSTON: Because I pay my taxes.
5 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: As do I. I know
6 exactly --
7 MS. WINSTON: My taxes go up and I still
8 p a y it .
9 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Absolutely.
10 MS. WINSTON: And you're giving pilots,
11 ten year pilots where they're not paying taxes at
12 a l l.
13 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Yes.
14 MS. WINSTON: I would rather have a
15 ghost town, because what's the difference? I'm
16 still going to have to pay mine.
17 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Yes. I guess --
18 and I'm not defending their argument. I'm just
19 trying to give you both sides. They probably
20 would feel that not having that business or
21 having that entity in their community then hurts
22 them. As I'm sure you've probably read, whether
23 it's Cannon, who just took off, left Nassau
24 County and went to Suffolk -- they left Nassau to
25 go to Suffolk because they were getting a pilot
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 90
2 which was going to be able to help them or
3 restrict them on taxes on the amount of money
4 they were going to pay.
5 I pay my taxes just like you pay your
6 taxes. What I believe there needs to be is more
7 concern about that split that I talked about,
8 where you have a tremendous amount of properties
9 that are either paying pilots or they're off the
10 tax rolls. I think there has to be a greater
11 concern to bring that down and make sure that we
12 get more entities that want to be in the Village
13 of Hempstead that want to pay taxes.
14 To be honest, you know Home Depot, that
15 big complex, that's a pilot that was issued by
16 the Village of Hempstead. So the Old Navy, The
17 Home Depot, the Stop 'N Shop, I'm sure you know
18 about it, on Fulton Avenue, that was a 15 year
19 pilot that was put into place -- actually, it's
20 longer than that now -- that's been in place,
21 that basically their taxes have not gone up.
22 They pay a set amount of money. You, the
23 taxpayer, because their set amount of money is
24 set out for years to come, decades, your taxes
25 continue to go up.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 91
2 MS. WINSTON: I should get a refund.
3 Anyhow. I would like to address one more thing.
4 The red light cameras and also the
5 speeding cameras, I don't think, personally, that
6 it's more a deterrent for preventing people from
7 being involved in an accident, as far as
8 pedestrians being hit. I think it was more of a,
9 in my opinion, an excuse for the county to make
10 some profits off of it. I think that had it been
11 done with the citizens of Nassau County in mind,
12 as far as safety goes, maybe everyone would be
13 more willing to accept those cameras being
14 installed. There wasn't any transparency, as far
15 as, like, when you go to court and you have to
16 fight it, it's a no-win situation for the county.
17 You really don't have a voice because you're
18 guilty no matter what. You only have two
19 options, which is to pay it, which is $80, or to
20 fight it and then they attach another fee to it.
21 CLERK MULLER: Your three minutes have
22 expired, ma'am.
23 MS. WINSTON: Excuse me?
24 CLERK MULLER: Your three minutes to
25 speak have expired.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 92
2 MS. WINSTON: There were other people
3 that were up here longer.
4 CLERK MULLER: Ma'am, you've been up for
5 11 minutes.
6 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Terry, please.
7 T e rr y.
8 MS. WINSTON: Just so you know, the
9 first speaker was up for about 30 minutes.
10 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I have 20 slips
11 here, times that by three and what do you get?
12 MS. WINSTON: I apologize for the people
13 who are behind me, but it's not my fault. The
14 first person spoke for a long time.
15 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Terry, that was a
16 county issue that pertained to a county facility.
17 Now, I'm going to ask my colleagues - I
18 have 20 slips here, 22 to be exact - I could call
19 them now, and I'm going to ask my colleagues to
20 refrain from responding. If there anyone who
21 needs a question answered, where is Mr. May?
22 Hopefully he is still in the room; if he's not,
23 hopefully he will be back. He will take your
24 questions and hopefully give you an answer. If
25 not, we'll get an answer to you.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 93
2 In order to give 22 people the
3 opportunity to speak, guess what? Adhere to the
4 three minute limit. Thank you.
5 We have Jamie. I know Jamie Bogenshutz.
6 I hope I said it right, Jamie.
7 MS. BOGENSHUTZ: Good afternoon. My
8 name is Jamie Bogenshutz. I am the executive
9 director of YES Community Counseling Center,
10 serving residents of Massapequa, Plainedge,
11 Farmingdale, Bethpage, Levittown, Island Trees.
12 So, we started here today with lyrics,
13 All I Want for Christmas, and what a great song
14 that is. So all I want for Christmas, myself and
15 my colleagues, what you can give us today,
16 something that you can actually give us, you can
17 give to the 40,000 children that live in this
18 C o un ty .
19 You know, 15 years ago this month
20 exactly, the county defunded youth services. It
21 was a dark time for this county and everyone who
22 calls Nassau their home.
23 So, I'm sure you all watched A Christmas
24 Carol. We all remember Tiny Tim, Ebenezer
25 Scrooge and Mr. Kratchet. How tirelessly Mr.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 94
2 Kratchet worked for all those people that he
3 touched, for all those lives that he touched.
4 And then we all watched with awe as Scrooge
5 journeyed to his Christmas Past, and he learned
6 from his ignorance and his poor judgment. Well,
7 today is Christmas Present and here we sit. Yet
8 again, same story, same misgivings. In the
9 interim, some of our kids have died, some have
10 continued to live in homes that no one should
11 have to live in. We speak of drug abuse. We
12 speak of heroin deaths. And yet here we are
13 again, Christmas Future. Nassau's Future. The
14 future of our children live in your hands.
15 It doesn't matter how you find the
16 dollars. It doesn't matter whether it comes from
17 speeding fines, asset forfeiture funds, resource
18 allocation, unexpended funding, new grant
19 opportunities or vigorous fine collections. It
20 only matters that you do something that protects
21 youth and our families; that's your duty, that's
22 your responsibility, and that's why we elect you.
23 You honored our top police this
24 afternoon. But if you do your jobs right, their
25 work will be easier. They will be safer.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 95
2 Because when we do our jobs right, our
3 communities are safer, our children are
4 healthier, our families are more stable and, like
5 Bob Kratchet, we work tirelessly to protect and
6 to prevent tragedy.
7 We know what you can do. We also know
8 what you can do when you have the foresight, the
9 courage, and the commitment. Let us not keep
10 repeating the errors that preceded most of you.
11 Make a difference today. Make a difference for
12 tomorrow. And make sure our kids stay out of the
13 line of fire. Whether you repeal this law or
14 not, make sure that whatever decisions have to be
15 made tomorrow do not affect youth services. They
16 are too important to all of us. We've made the
17 mistake before, we've paid the price before, we
18 and need you to do something different.
19 Thank you.
20 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you, Jamie.
21 Andrew Malekoff.
22 MR. MALEKOFF: Good afternoon. My name
23 is Andrew Malekoff. I live in Long Beach. I'm
24 the Director of North Shore Family & Child
25 Guidance Center, a children's mental health
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 96
2 a g en cy .
3 So, two years ago yesterday marked the
4 second anniversary of the murderous rampage in
5 Newtown, Connecticut, at Sandy Hook Elementary
6 School, when the lives were taken of 20 first
7 grade school children and six of their teachers.
8 That provided a hopeful moment, in that there was
9 a national dialogue about mental health. In a
10 short period of time, the grandstanding faded
11 away and the promises turned to dust. And so
12 today we talk about safety. We talk about the
13 repealing of the school speed cameras or the cash
14 cameras, as I like to refer to them.
15 These were reported to be for child
16 safety. I think everybody knows that's in this
17 room that really what the speed cameras were were
18 a rainmaker for Nassau County. Let's not throw
19 the babies out with the rain water. Let's
20 understand that if the belief that was that these
21 cameras were for child safety and if, as my
22 neighbor from Long Beach said, they can be
23 reworked and they can ensure that safety in a
24 sensible way, I would certainly support that.
25 But let's understand that if you do believe in
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 97
2 child safety, then to fill the revenue that's
3 going to be lost, the $30 million from these
4 cameras, by cutting human services, as was one of
5 the recommendations that was indicated in Newsday
6 through Mr. Mangano's office, that would be the
7 height of duplicity.
8 So, I encourage you to make a sensible
9 choice about the cameras and to leave the funding
10 for mental health, chemical dependency, and youth
11 services for children intact, and increase it
12 when you can.
13 Thank you.
14 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you,
15 A n dr ew .
16 Joanne Borden. Joanne. I know it's been
17 so long, Joanne.
18 MS. BORDEN: I thought you said
19 something else. Good afternoon.
20 I have difficulty understanding your
21 refusal to pass a clarification of the word
22 gender that would remove the existing doubt that
23 the transgender community is protected from
24 discrimination.
25 Everyone determines their gender the same
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 98
2 way. All children who can remember that far back
3 know that as soon as we recognize there are
4 different sexes, we automatically knew which one
5 we were. We felt we were the gender we were from
6 inside us, from inside our minds. Every child
7 does the same thing. The only difference is most
8 children's mental concept of their gender and the
9 physical indications of it agree. That agreement
10 is so common, it is thought to be without
11 exception. When an exception occurs, when our
12 gender and our physical indication of it
13 disagree, we have a transgender person.
14 It is thought there is something wrong
15 with us, but what is wrong is the concept that
16 both never disagree. The disagreement between
17 our gender and our physical indications of it may
18 not be usual and may even seem abnormal. But by
19 every medical and psychological consideration, it
20 is normal.
21 Difference is not disease, non-conformity
22 is not pathology, and uniqueness is not illness;
23 yet, we fear discrimination and prejudice daily.
24 It's of little importance because it's not the
25 issue, whether you believe we are protected in
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 99
2 Nassau County's law or not. What is important,
3 what is the issue is the widespread perception.
4 Most people don't believe we are protected. More
5 importantly, the transgender community doesn't
6 believe we are protected. Therefore, we live in
7 constant fear of discrimination against us, in
8 jobs, housing, public service, healthcare, and
9 most aspects of life.
10 My neighbors, my neighbors, believe me,
11 the worse part of discrimination of the fear of
12 it. Therefore, in the spirit of humanity,
13 Americanism, and simple decency, I once again ask
14 you to include a definition of the word gender in
15 our law by passing the Gender Clarification Law;
16 thus, stop the process of ending prejudice and
17 remove the daily fear of discrimination we
18 s u ff er .
19 Thank you for listening.
20 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you,
21 J o an ne .
22 Paul Eggers.
23 MR. EGGERS: Good afternoon. Thank you
24 for the opportunity to speak.
25 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Good afternoon,
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 100
2 P a ul .
3 MR. EGGERS: My experience, I represent
4 myself. I'm not part of social media, none of
5 that stuff. My mantra is all people county.
6 As far as the speed camera problem, being
7 involved in technology and bringing new
8 technology into businesses and the consumer's
9 hands, hiccups occur, mistakes are made. You've
10 got to dust yourself off, move on, and figure out
11 another way to make things happen.
12 Twelve states have passed laws that
13 prohibit, with very narrow exceptions, the use of
14 speed cameras. Twenty-nine states have no law
15 address camera at all. Of those states that have
16 cameras, two limit their use by location, as we
17 do here, or other criteria in seven states. Of
18 the states that allow them, only a handful permit
19 violations to be issued without an officer being
20 present.
21 Colorado and Washington have passed
22 legislation legalizing marijuana, and Maryland is
23 heavily promoting its new casino in downtown
24 Baltimore. Are we getting the picture yet?
25 Tomorrow, New Jersey is ending its five-year red
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 101
2 light pilot program. Why? They did a comparison
3 between the camera data and crash site, and what
4 is revealed was the reduction percentages that
5 were spread by the camera industry and by town
6 officials are fictitious. In Nassau, tens of
7 thousands of drivers operating their vehicle in a
8 safe manner are being cited for split second
9 infractions, that's red light camera and speed
10 cameras. If the county had issued citations for
11 only the most extreme violations, which have been
12 identified or were identified on Saturday in
13 Newsday for the first time, there would have been
14 a greater public acceptance of these programs and
15 all of us wouldn't be here having this discussion
16 t o da y.
17 I was very for the program at the onset
18 until I received this violation in Westbury.
19 There is a camera that is a quarter of a mile
20 from my house, it hasn't caught me yet. But this
21 one got me on 9-11, which was like 11 days into
22 the program and at about 12 noon. We all know 9-
23 11. This was on the opposite side of the street
24 of the school in Carle Place. The Westbury
25 camera still does not appear even on the Town of
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 102
2 Hempstead website because that came in under the
3 radar after the county no longer released the
4 information of where the cameras were being
5 l o ca te d.
6 In doing the research recently, the City
7 revealed that on Staten Island they have 12 speed
8 cameras in school zones. The camera that is
9 located there on the South Avenue exit off the
10 Staten Island Expressway has generated $1.2
11 million in revenue in five months, issuing more
12 violations in that five month period or fewer
13 violations in that five month period than eight
14 locations that were identified in Newsday o n
15 Saturday. It's just an enormous problem, it's
16 not just in school zones.
17 I live on Roslyn Road, and I just sit and
18 watch every day. It's like a vacuum in the
19 summertime, I hear the cars flying up and down
20 the road. Speeding is a definite problem in our
21 society as well as distracted driving. Having
22 been the first person, texting while driving in
23 1995 on the Long Island Expressway, with a
24 technology company --
25 CLERK MULLER: Your three minutes have
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 103
2 expired, sir.
3 MR. EGGERS: There is a way to reinvent
4 this program, and I think it's through
5 incorporating it into the school districts,
6 providing funding to the districts to endorse the
7 program. Isn't that how they pass school
8 budgets? It's about the kids. It's not really
9 about the kids. It's about raising taxes. It's
10 about not having to trim the budget, not having
11 to really comb through and find every penny that
12 you can extract. We just heard earlier about an
13 employee who is bashing the county, a paid
14 employee, a union employee. Great, he's all
15 protected by everybody. He'll probably be
16 employed and receive his pension, like many of
17 us, just for showing up to work.
18 I think there is a better way to approach
19 the program, not repeal it all together. There
20 is a lot of merit in this program, and there is a
21 lot of money to be made to offset raising taxes
22 to all citizens and only penalizing the people
23 that really deserve it, not somebody that was
24 caught because his speedometer is not calibrated
25 accurate, and that's according to federal
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 104
2 standards. The program really is missing
3 something here.
4 And I'd really like to know of the
5 247,000 violations that have been issued for
6 speed between 11 and 15 miles an hour, how many
7 of them were issued for 11 miles an hour on cars
8 that are ten years old, like mine, that don't
9 have the technology in it that these high-tech
10 cameras have.
11 CLERK MULLER: Sir, your three minutes
12 have expired.
13 MR. EGGERS: I'm sorry.
14 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Could you wrap it
15 up, please?
16 MR. EGGERS: If the cameras can be moved
17 and made mobile, really, truly mobile, not a
18 fixed location that everybody sees.
19 I drove down Hillside Avenue Friday at
20 noon. Every car is going 15 miles an hour. The
21 speed limit says it's 30, the lights are
22 flashing, says it's enforced from seven until
23 six, what are you supposed to do?
24 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Okay. Paul,
25 thank you very much.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 105
2 MR. EGGERS: Thank you very much.
3 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Alan Tankers, I
4 believe that's the last name. It looks like Port
5 Washington, Alan Tankers.
6 (No verbal response.)
7 Mr. Boitel, Rockville Centre executive
8 leader, I believe.
9 MR. BOITEL: Good afternoon. First,
10 before I get into my point, I'd like to raise a
11 question. I was under the impression that when
12 people handed in these slips, they would be
13 called in the sequence that they were handed in.
14 Mine was just about, perhaps the first that went
15 in. You seem to be calling them out of order.
16 It seems to me they should not be arbitrary.
17 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I’m sorry. I'm
18 sorry, Mr. Boitel. The way they're given to me,
19 that's the way I call them. So if yours it not
20 where you think it should be, my apologies. I'm
21 sorry. The way they're given to me, that's the
22 way I call them. I do not shuffle them like a
23 deck of cards.
24 MR. BOITEL: I just ask that you make it
25 clear to the personnel that they should be given
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 106
2 to you in the order that they came in. In any
3 e v en t.
4 With regards to the speed cameras, I
5 second the comments made by a number of speakers
6 before me, and I'm not going to repeat all of
7 that. But I do suggest to you that you have been
8 aware, from the first time you discussed this
9 speed camera program, of many of the pitfalls
10 that have now become quite obvious. I was there
11 when it was pointed out to you. Nevertheless,
12 you adopted the program.
13 I think that this program was ill-
14 planned, not properly implemented, not properly
15 considered by this group. Really, one of the
16 things this ought to teach us a lesson about
17 because this is the obvious. The people are
18 involved across the board here, regardless of
19 party, regardless of where they live, regardless
20 of how much money they make, they're getting
21 tickets. They rose up and everybody saw it.
22 How much of what this body does is being
23 given the proper consideration before adoption?
24 I think you have to start turning your inquiry to
25 that important issue. Are you getting the kind
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 107
2 of documentation that permits you to make a
3 reasoned and proper decision in adopting some of
4 the legislation that's put before you? I don’t
5 think you are. And I've been attempting to
6 monitor what you are getting. I do not see the
7 kind of quality reports that you ought to be
8 demanding, and I do not see your subcommittees
9 issuing reports concerning what it is that they
10 h e ar .
11 Second, on the question of why this
12 legislation was adopted. It's now clear beyond
13 any doubt whatsoever that it was adopted to raise
14 money. When members of this body and members of
15 the Nassau County government said that it was for
16 safety, they broke faith with the people in a
17 very obvious way. I think you should make
18 certain that in the future, if you're going to
19 tax us, say you're taxing us. Don't pull a scam.
20 They call it S-cam, SCAM, the speed camera.
21 Well, that applies to this and applies to a
22 number of other things.
23 I urgently request you not to scam the
24 people. If you're going to do something, have
25 the courage to say you're doing it and why you're
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 108
2 d o in g it .
3 CLERK MULLER: Mr. Boitel, your three
4 minutes have expired.
5 MR. BOITEL: Finally, in this particular
6 program, I believe it was very poorly negotiated.
7 Millions, many millions of dollars were scheduled
8 to go out of the county in a one-way trip, not to
9 remain in circulation building our economy, as
10 money does, when it stays here. It was going to
11 Arizona. The outfit that put the program
12 together, that monitored it, that effectively
13 issued the tickets and sought enforcement of
14 those tickets was getting 38 percent of the first
15 $50. It was going to Arizona, never to come back
16 here again. You should not enter into those
17 kinds of agreements, it's bad for the economy of
18 the County.
19 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Mr. Boitel, would
20 you please wrap it up.
21 MR. BOITEL: Yes, ma'am.
22 In any event. I'm happy to hear that you
23 plan to repeal this legislation. I hope that
24 when you do talk about children's safety you have
25 programs that are actually calculated for that
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 109
2 p u rp os e.
3 Thank you.
4 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Veronica
5 Vanderpool.
6 MS. VANDERPOOL: Good afternoon. Thank
7 you for the time this afternoon to speak on speed
8 cameras. My name is Veronica Vanderpool, and I'm
9 with Tri-State Transportation Campaign. We're a
10 non-profit policy advocacy group, and we've
11 worked very successfully over the years with many
12 of you to increase funding for NICE Bus and to
13 bring safety improvements to some of Long
14 Island's most dangerous roadways.
15 And I'm here to say and urge you to
16 consider fixing this program, suspending it but
17 not repealing it. Let's make this program about
18 safety. I offer some recommendations to actually
19 d o t ha t.
20 We've heard many members of the community
21 express their frustration with the way that this
22 program was rolled out and the perception that
23 this is a money grab. Well, there are ways to
24 certainly address that. Let's make this about
25 safety. Let's put safety first.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 110
2 The first recommendation would be let's
3 create a task force of community members,
4 community stakeholders, school members, elected
5 officials that can recommend some of the priority
6 locations where these cameras can be placed.
7 The second recommendation would be to
8 collect the data and release this data publicly
9 to the community. Establish and demonstrate the
10 need for where these cameras can be placed. The
11 State Legislature says that -- the legislation
12 says that the criteria that should be considered
13 are speed data, crash history, and roadway
14 geometry. Collect that date and then share it
15 with the data and make informed, collective
16 decisions together.
17 The third recommendation would be use a
18 portion of the revenue for capital improvements.
19 Again, work with the task force that you can
20 create, and establish where some capital
21 improvements can be made. Municipalities across
22 Long Island have been struggling to add
23 sidewalks, to add adequate signage, to add
24 pedestrian islands. Work with them and use a
25 portion of the revenue to pay for those capital
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 111
2 improvements.
3 Lastly, embark on a rigorous public
4 education campaign. The public wants to know and
5 needs to know about this program why it's needed.
6 Again, rely on the data, collect the date,
7 substantiate the need for this program.
8 Had this rollout been done effectively,
9 the efficacy of this mechanism would have been
10 more widely embraced. It is an effective tool
11 that's indisputable. We cannot sanction the
12 reckless behavior of drivers.
13 There's a video montage that shows some
14 vehicles exceeding the posted speed limit in
15 school zones by a significant amount. Once car,
16 80 miles per hour in a 15 mile per hour speed
17 zone. That is unexplainable. However, had a
18 police officer ticketed a speeding motorist, that
19 person would have received three points on
20 his/her license, a fine ranging between 120 and
21 $800, and a possible jail time of up to 30 days.
22 We would love our police officers to be able to
23 be in every school district on Long Island.
24 Unfortunately, municipal budgets do not allow for
25 that to happen.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 112
2 And then lastly, I want to say we've
3 worked with many of you and many partners in this
4 room to ensure that NICE Bus is fully funded and
5 that there is an increase in funding every year
6 in the county budget. We would not support and
7 ask you to not support any proposal that cuts
8 funding for NICE. That is a very reliable -- a
9 mode of transportation that is essential,
10 particularly for many of the Nassau County
11 residents that do not have access to a vehicle.
12 Thank you.
13 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you,
14 V e ro ni ca .
15 Claudia Borecky.
16 MS. BORECKY: Hi. I'm here as a member
17 of the Coalition of Nassau Civic Associations.
18 Phil Franco asked me to come and speak on the
19 behalf. I'm going to be reading a letter to the
20 legislators that was collaborated between the ten
21 directors who represent the assembly districts
22 within Nassau County.
23 The success of a government program or
24 project is largely determined by how it is
25 perceived and accepted by the public. Since
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 113
2 physical parameters and traffic related safety
3 concerns around our schools differ widely among
4 Nassau's many individual schools and communities,
5 school zone safety measures require local
6 flexibility and input to match the local needs.
7 CONCA suggests that prior to any consideration of
8 further safety improvements that they first be
9 discussed with the individual school districts
10 and local communities and focus on improving
11 compliance with the lower school zone speed
12 l i mi ts .
13 With respect to the proposed installation
14 of flashing lights upon entering school zones,
15 there is no one size fits all solution for Nassau
16 County. Placement and installation of the
17 flashing lights should be clearly conceived and
18 implemented with flexibility to reflect the
19 diverse needs of each school's physical location.
20 Each school zone is unique and should be treated
21 u n iq ue ly .
22 Further, to effectuate a smooth roll-out
23 of this type of public safety measure, CONCA
24 respectfully proposes that the County include
25 representatives from the public in its decision-
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 114
2 making process. Initiating community
3 participation in the decision-making process will
4 help to inform and involve the public while
5 accomplishing the County's goals and objectives.
6 CONCA respectfully requests that: Each
7 Nassau County legislator host meetings in his/her
8 district with the town supervisors, mayors, city
9 managers, school district superintendents, boards
10 and PTA chambers, civic leaders and residents to
11 discuss proposed sites for the flashing lights
12 that Nassau County Legislature is installing in
13 our school zones and install such lights
14 according to need; the Nassau County Legislature
15 should create a citizens advisory public safety
16 committee, comprised of 10 to 12 civic and
17 community leaders, school superintendents, police
18 and concerned residents that meet with the
19 legislature's public safety committee on a
20 regular basis to discuss proposals, except as
21 prescribed by law, before they go to the
22 legislature for a vote.
23 CONCA believes that these measures will
24 enhance the safety of Nassau County residents,
25 while providing open dialogue between government
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 115
2 and the people, before programs are acted upon.
3 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you,
4 C l au di a.
5 Rich Goldstein.
6 MR. GOLDSTEIN: Good afternoon. I'd
7 like to thank everybody for giving me a few
8 m i nu te s.
9 I don't want to repeat what other people
10 said about the speed zone cameras, who spoke very
11 eloquently on why they should be repealed. What
12 I do ask is as kids being raised by parents ask
13 one thing: character. Character is what we do
14 when people aren't looking, that's what character
15 is. And when your character comes into question,
16 the entire legislature comes into question.
17 We were lied to as a people, directly. I
18 called up Mrs. Walker to complain about the speed
19 zone camera. I said what if my mom comes in from
20 Florida, has to go to the doctor, goes down the
21 street, and two weeks later I get a notice? Do I
22 call my mom and say, mom, you owe me $80? Her
23 answer to me was don't let your mother drive your
24 car. What kind of answer is that from a
25 legislator? Don't let your mother drive your
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 116
2 car, that's an answer?
3 You lied to us. Everybody lied to us.
4 You can laugh and you can snicker but you lied to
5 us. You told us it was about safety. It had
6 nothing to do with safety.
7 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Mr. Goldstein.
8 Mr. Goldstein, hold one minute.
9 MR. GOLDSTEIN: I’m sorry?
10 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: We were --
11 MR. GOLDSTEIN: You were what?
12 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: interested in
13 s a fe ty .
14 MR. GOLDSTEIN: Ma'am --
15 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: And that was our
16 primary objective.
17 MR. GOLDSTEIN: Ma'am --
18 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I'm not going to
19 discuss it with you now.
20 MR. GOLDSTEIN: I'm not discussing. You
21 talked about safety --
22 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Hold on.
23 MR. GOLDSTEIN: Let me speak, I only
24 have three minutes.
25 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: You're not going
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 117
2 to be derogatory toward a legislator.
3 MR. GOLDSTEIN: I only have three
4 m i nu te s.
5 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Okay. I'll give
6 you the extra minute.
7 MR. GOLDSTEIN: Let me speak. My time
8 i s u p.
9 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Mr. Goldstein,
10 I'll give you the extra seconds.
11 MR. GOLDSTEIN: Fine. Then go ahead and
12 s p ea k.
13 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I don't believe
14 it's necessary for you to be derogatory toward a
15 legislator who doesn't have a chance to respond.
16 MR. GOLDSTEIN: I wasn't. I asked a
17 legitimate question. Her answer to me was don't
18 let your mother drive your car. That's not
19 derogatory. To who?
20 The point is you say it's about safety.
21 Then you tell us we can go 10 miles over the
22 speed limit. How can you, as a county
23 legislator, tell us we can break the law? The
24 law in New York State driving handbook says you
25 can't speed. You're saying we're allowing you to
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 118
2 go up to 10. Like the man said, if you're not
3 driving a car that's digitally what-you-call-it,
4 one mile on your speedometer you're not going to
5 say. But at 31, bam, $80 later.
6 You guys have a responsibility to people
7 in Nassau County to do what we ask you to do,
8 that's why we elect you. We elect you for that
9 purpose, to do what we ask you to do.
10 I had a conversation with another
11 representative on the board. She and I had
12 words. In the end, we saw. You make a
13 statement. You wanted the money. You took the
14 money from Albany. Now you want to all
15 backtrack. You should've never take the money in
16 the first place.
17 You guys did wrong by the people of
18 Nassau County. All of you owe us all an apology.
19 Thank you very much.
20 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Adam Haber.
21 (No verbal response.)
22 Steven Meehan.
23 (No verbal response.)
24 MR. CARRICCIOLA: Majority Leader, Mr.
25 Meehan had to leave and he asked me to speak on
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 119
2 his slip. James Carricciola. Will you allow
3 t h at ?
4 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Yes, sir.
5 MR. CARRICCIOLA: Thank you very much,
6 Majority Leader.
7 Back in the 60's, Nassau County
8 government were great preservationists and
9 visionaries. I know most of you legislators
10 might remember when the Long Island Rail Road
11 proposed to elevate their rail road tracks and we
12 were frantically trying to preserve our historic
13 structures and structures of significance to our
14 history. Today we have the Old Bethpage Village
15 Restoration, a real jewel in our Nassau County
16 park system.
17 We also had great people of this country
18 living on our north shore, leaders who built
19 America living on the north shore who, for
20 whatever reason, gave properties to Nassau County
21 to perpetually preserve. Sands Point Preserve, a
22 jewel in the Nassau County park system. Museum
23 of Fine Arts, another jewel in our system. Many
24 jewels in our system, park system that are
25 perpetually preserved. They gave these
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 120
2 properties to the government to preserve them to
3 i n fi ni ty .
4 When it comes to visionaries, back in the
5 60's and 70's when we were planting trees on our
6 Nassau County streets we were being visionaries.
7 We were looking to establish suburbia, to have
8 tree-lined streets define who we are. Now, today,
9 I don't see -- and after 50 or 60 the visionaries
10 have succeeded. We had that vision of tree-lined
11 streets in Nassau County. Today, that whole
12 concept has, I feel, is being diminished by the
13 fact that we are cutting down trees on our county
14 r o ad wa ys .
15 Our trees should be perpetually preserved
16 on our county roadways. There are many, many
17 ways of preserving our trees. The green industry
18 is available to help the county in ways of
19 preserving trees, when it comes to sidewalk
20 issues or any other issues that affect safety.
21 I’m asking the legislature to please ask the
22 green industry to help you in preserving trees.
23 The trees are not asking for any money.
24 You paid, back in the 60's and 70's, to plant
25 these trees on our county roads. Today, the
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 121
2 trees aren't asking for any money. All they are
3 asking for is to leave us alone. They grow on
4 their own. They don't need maintenance. They
5 don't need fertilizer. They don't need water.
6 Obviously, when we were visionaries, we put these
7 trees on the roadway and they succeeded where
8 they were.
9 What I'm asking the legislators is to
10 perpetually preserve our trees. Think Green.
11 The green industry is available to help in any
12 way in saving trees. Thank you very much.
13 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you, Mr.
14 Carricciola.
15 Alex Slatky.
16 MR. SLATKY: Good afternoon, everyone.
17 My name is Alex Slatky. I’m a legislative
18 analyst for AAA New York, which represents over
19 297,000 drivers in Nassau County. We are here to
20 testify that the camera program should be ceased.
21 We take this position really with a
22 degree of disappointment. We praised the
23 County's red light camera program because it
24 worked. We've seen data that shows that crashes
25 have gone down. Certainly there are problems,
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 122
2 some flimsy right-on-red tickets. The
3 intersection at Old Country Road and Ring Road by
4 Roosevelt Field, that's the only one where
5 crashes have gone up, probably not coincidentally
6 that it is the one that has raised the most
7 revenue. But overall the program has produced a
8 crash reduction.
9 We support properly implemented school
10 zone speed cameras. Three-quarters of our
11 members support such cameras. There is evidence
12 that they have the potential to increase safety.
13 But I'm not going to go over what everyone has
14 talked about. In the end, it turned out to be
15 largely revenue driven, if not solely revenue
16 d r iv en .
17 Speed cameras are uniquely efficient.
18 Whether they're efficient in deterring dangerous
19 speeding or raking in cash depends on how you
20 implement it, and we know what happened here.
21 It's fairly obvious, why else would credit rating
22 agencies, why else would NIFA care about a
23 traffic safety measure.
24 Some have raised the question should we
25 suspend the program and reevaluate it and put it
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 123
2 back into place at a later date, maybe not in
3 school zones, maybe in other sites. Honestly,
4 we're skeptical that such a scenario could occur
5 with proper implementation. If we go back in
6 time and we had seen safety be a primary
7 motivating factor and revenue reinvested into
8 traffic safety, as someone else mentioned, if
9 revenue had been reinvested into traffic safety,
10 if the cameras had not been installed basically
11 within a month of authorization but there had
12 been time taken and alternative measures
13 considered, if there had been a warning period,
14 if you had evaluated crashes, if you had
15 rectified speed traps, then we wouldn't be up
16 here testifying in opposition to the program.
17 Unfortunately those things did happen. Honestly,
18 we can't foresee a scenario any time in the near
19 future where speed cameras would be implemented
20 in Nassau County free of those revenue concerns.
21 Nassau has a very, very, very real
22 traffic safety problem. Let's not dilute that
23 vitally important message with chatter about
24 revenue. What happens when you bring revenue
25 into the conversation, people lose respect for a
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 124
2 traffic safety culture.
3 I'm not going to cast blame on any one
4 individual. Someone like Chris Mistron, I do not
5 blame him because this is what happens when you
6 turn traffic engineers into tax collectors. This
7 is what happens.
8 We urge this body and the rest of Nassau
9 County officials, both in government and outside
10 government, let's redouble our safety efforts
11 with education, engineering, and enforcement.
12 Let's redouble those efforts. We know that there
13 are things that can work. Let's do what works.
14 Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
15 And have a happy holiday and New Year everyone.
16 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you.
17 John Sulinsky. Is there a John Sulinsky?
18 MR. SULINSKY: Hello. My name is John
19 Sulinsky from the Landtek Group, and I'm here to
20 represent our company.
21 We were a low bid on a contract and it
22 was discussed on December 1. And I understand on
23 December 1 it was tabled for various reasons. I
24 believe we submitted the paperwork to Nassau
25 County DPW. I have a bunch of my employees
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 125
2 behind me from various different trade
3 organizations to support the contract.
4 A couple of questions with regards to
5 apprenticeship programs, and I believe we
6 provided that information to DPW. We have not
7 heard a response. We have graduated iron worker
8 apprentices, labor apprentices, and we're
9 currently affiliated with many of the unions that
10 work throughout the county. I'd also like to say
11 that approximately 300 employees work for
12 Landtek, out of those 300 employees many of them
13 live within the county. So by not awarding the
14 county to Landtek, you're actually taking money
15 out of their pockets. They live, work, their
16 children, their families live in Nassau County.
17 And I'm not sure why we didn't award that
18 contract on December 1.
19 Thank you.
20 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Marty Lyons.
21 MR. LYONS: Thank you. My name is Marty
22 Lyons. I've been with Landtek for 15 years. I'm
23 also here to ask you to untable the contract that
24 was tabled on December 1, the contract for
25 general requirement contract for 2014. It was
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 126
2 tabled. You requested some information. In the
3 last two weeks, Landtek has provided the county
4 attorney with all of the information.
5 We appreciate your time of doing your due
6 diligence. And we hope today that you will
7 untable it and make the award to Landtek so that
8 all the workers that are fathers, husbands, can
9 go on and provide for their family.
10 Landtek has done quite a bit of work with
11 Nassau County for the last decade or so. We have
12 filled out many requirement contracts. We have
13 done a lot of work with you. And this has been a
14 solid relationship for you, and we believe it's
15 been a solid relationship for us. We're very
16 supportive of what goes on here in Nassau County.
17 Again, we thank you for doing your due
18 diligence so there are no questions from your
19 end. But we believe that all the paperwork is in
20 line now, and we're asking you to make the
21 decision today to untable it and to make the
22 award to Landtek.
23 Thank you for your time. Merry
24 Christmas. Have a great holiday.
25 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Robert Benesh.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 127
2 MR. BENESH: Good afternoon. My name is
3 Robert Benesh. I’m a business agent with Local
4 580 Ironworkers.
5 Getting back into the Landtek debacle, I
6 call it. The affiliation with a union is plant
7 workers, that's Local 175 Plant Workers, defined
8 in the dictionary as a manufacturing plant or
9 warehouse worker. Not a building trades worker.
10 We're trained in the building trades not as
11 warehousemen. We don't claim to be. We don't
12 want to be.
13 Far as the graduation rate, Landtek
14 acquired a company called Perimeter. Perimeter
15 Barrier I believe had zero graduates. Those are
16 the guys disguised as fence mechanics.
17 Also, I think it was 1996 there was an
18 NFL strike. The ironworkers didn't go play
19 football. We did fence, guardrail, signs. I
20 know Marty was an NFL union guy at one time.
21 Also, Landtek had a violation over in
22 Long Beach, Lido School District, on some turf
23 work and bleacher work over there for not paying
24 the prevailing rate.
25 Furthermore, when the time came a few
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 128
2 years ago, when Nassau wanted a 9-11 Memorial
3 built, they called the ironworkers, the laborers
4 to built a memorial. If they wanted something
5 done in a warehouse or a manufacturing plant, I
6 think they would have called Local 175.
7 I’m just here to say, as far as speaking
8 for the building trades which they aren't
9 affiliated with, that this should either be
10 tabled or reconsidered because they're not
11 qualified to do building trades work.
12 Thank you very much.
13 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you, Mr.
14 B e ne sh .
15 Arlene O'Dell.
16 MS. O'DELL: Good afternoon. Thank you
17 for giving everyone the opportunity to speak
18 today. I am Arlene O'Dell, the executive
19 director of the City of Glen Cove Youth Bureau.
20 I am here once again asking for your support of
21 youth services in Nassau County. I will be very
22 short and brief.
23 Madam Chairperson, thank you for your
24 response to Patrick Boyle's question; from your
25 lips to your colleagues' ears.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 129
2 With that said, I just want to say I urge
3 you not to cut funding to youth and family
4 services. Nassau children, all of our children
5 deserve access to safe, high quality, and
6 dependable youth and family services. Our
7 children are not discretionary. Please do not
8 use our children as pawns to balance the budget.
9 Thank you. And have a nice holiday.
10 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: You're welcome,
11 A r le ne .
12 Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith. Is he still
13 h e re ?
14 (No verbal response.)
15 John Budnick.
16 MR. BUDNICK: Do you have other speakers?
17 I'll pass and speak later. The things I'm
18 speaking about are not on today's calendar.
19 Thank you.
20 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Emma Mayday, I'm
21 trying to read it here. Emma? No. Okay.
22 Kenneth Kestenbaum.
23 MR. KESTENBAUM: Good afternoon. Thank
24 you for letting me speak today.
25 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Good afternoon,
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 130
2 K e nn et h.
3 MR. KESTENBAUM: I'm here to talk about
4 what most people are here to talk about, the
5 school zone speed zone cameras. I do believe
6 that they should be suspended. I believe that
7 the institution was poorly effected. I believe
8 that it was for revenue purposes, disguised
9 behind safety. But I do think based upon the
10 numbers that have been published in Newsday
11 between September 2 and December 5 there were
12 400,000 tickets issued for speeders. I think
13 we've shown that there is an epidemic on Long
14 Island of speeders, and that we need to do
15 something to enforce that and find some way of
16 slowing down the drivers in Nassau County.
17 I moved from New York City four years ago
18 to bring my family out here for a safer, better
19 lifestyle. I found that living in New York City,
20 on the streets walking, I felt safer than I do
21 today here in Nassau County.
22 I live nearby a school. There is a stop
23 sign in front of my house. Speeders, drivers
24 continuously speed right through the stop sign.
25 I've called Nassau County Police. They've come
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 131
2 out there. They've told me that they're doing
3 the best that they can, and I believe that. We
4 need something instituted that can effectively
5 slow down the drivers here in Nassau County.
6 I think we should suspend the program,
7 re-evaluate, look to see what we can do to make
8 our streets safer here in Nassau County, and
9 other counties in other parts of New York can
10 emulate what we've done or look what other
11 counties and municipalities have done not only
12 New York but outside, in other states to see
13 about how we can make our community a better
14 lifestyle.
15 I feel it's about quality of life. I
16 feel that we are losing here, in Nassau County,
17 the quality of life. If something does not
18 change, I think I will, personally, move back to
19 New York City. I find that it's more expensive
20 here, to live in Nassau County than it did when I
21 lived in Manhattan. I had a better lifestyle
22 four years ago and I brought my family out here,
23 to bring them to better schools than there were
24 in New York City. I'm finding that today it
25 doesn't seem to be the case. It seems that
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 132
2 Nassau County is becoming much more expensive
3 than it should be, and that this program itself
4 was disguised behind safety in order to bring
5 revenue in here.
6 I think we should use the dollars that do
7 come out of this type of program to be used for
8 the safety of the children and not just school
9 zones. I think we need to evaluate where we have
10 problems in Nassau County.
11 Hempstead Turnpike seems to be -- all the
12 time I read about how there are accidents and
13 fatalities on Hempstead Turnpike. We need to
14 look around our county to see where we need to
15 institute better safety for pedestrians as well
16 as drivers here in the County.
17 Thank you.
18 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you, Mr.
19 Kestenbaum.
20 Roland Bedwell. Roland?
21 (No verbal response.)
22 Michael Ryan.
23 MR. RYAN: Hello, ladies and gentlemen,
24 speaker.
25 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Good afternoon.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 133
2 MR. RYAN: Good afternoon. I would just
3 like to address the first thing that was brought
4 up about the trades union. The reason why I
5 asked some of our men to come today was
6 specifically for that reason, because I knew it
7 was going to be conveyed again that we weren't
8 part of the trades union.
9 Right here today, how many operating
10 engineers do we have in the room? Okay. How
11 many carpenters do we have in the room? These
12 are all trades union. How many 175 employees do
13 we have in the room? So, the accusations that
14 are being made about not being trades unions are
15 ridiculous.
16 Also, as far as our apprenticeship
17 program on the ornamental ironworkers, I have the
18 name of the employee, which I did send forward,
19 to which employee did, in fact, pass, our last
20 employee that went through our apprenticeship
21 p r og ra m.
22 We've been working for the county over
23 ten years. None of our apprenticeship programs
24 have ever been challenged before. We work for
25 the Town of Oyster Bay. We work for the Town of
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 134
2 Huntington. We work for the Town of Brookhaven,
3 numerous state and city agencies on Long Island.
4 We work in seven states. We're a complete union
5 shop. So, some of these accusations really have
6 n o m er it .
7 I have backed up all the things I'm
8 saying here today with documents to DPW so they
9 could be presented to you folks.
10 Thank you very much for giving us the
11 opportunity to come up here and talk about these
12 issues. Thank you.
13 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you, Mr.
14 R y an .
15 And now, Mr. Budnick, you are it. Nobody
16 else after you. Mr. Budnick, it's your turn.
17 MR. BUDNICK: I thought I'd wait until
18 after the --
19 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: After the
20 m e et in g?
21 MR. BUDNICK: after the meeting. I'd be
22 happy to wait for that.
23 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Okay. Fine.
24 That's okay with us.
25 MR. BUDNICK: My pleasure. It will be
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 135
2 short and sweet.
3 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Okay. John, I
4 don't know how short and sweet we're going to be.
5 A n yw ay .
6 That ends public participation. I truly
7 thank all of you for waiting.
8 Next on the agenda, we're going to take a
9 brief recess because we -- a brief recess, I
10 promise. We will then entertain two emergencies
11 and one will be the repeal of the speed cameras.
12 Those of you who need to leave, I thank
13 you for coming. A very, very happy holiday and a
14 healthy New Year.
15 (Whereupon, the Full Legislature recessed
16 at 3:54 p.m.)
17 (Whereupon, the Full Legislature
18 reconvened at 5:07 p.m.)
19 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Before we
20 continue with the Full Leg, I understand that
21 there are two students from Our Lady of Mercy
22 Academy who are on assignment.
23 For those who are not familiar, the
24 consent calendar are those items that went
25 through committees unanimously. And so I'm going
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 136
2 to call those items first, and I believe there's
3 only one item that did not go through the
4 committees unanimously.
5 We're going to begin with Item 1,
6 Ordinance 174; Item 2, Item 3, Item 4, Item 5,
7 Item 6, Item 7, Item 8, Item 9, Item 10, 11, 12,
8 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 were
9 already called, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30,
10 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42,
11 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, and I believe that
12 ends the consent calendar. Just remember that
13 the testimony from the committees will always be
14 incorporated into our calendar.
15 Motion, please?
16 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: So moved.
17 LEGISLATOR SCHAEFER: Second.
18 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Moved by
19 Legislator Dunne, seconded by Legislator
20 S c ha ef er .
21 All those in favor of the items that were
22 called signify by saying aye.
23 ( A ye .)
24 Any opposed?
25 (No verbal response.)
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 137
2 The items pass unanimously.
3 Let's go to Item 16. Item 16 is
4 Ordinance 189, an ordinance supplemental to the
5 annual appropriation ordinance in connection with
6 the Nassau County Traffic and Parking Violations
7 A g en cy .
8 (Whereupon, the following is the minutes
9 of the December 1, 2014 Rules Committee meeting
10 pertaining to Clerk Item 560-14.)
11 Now, for the one remaining, 560, correct?
12 CLERK KIERNAN: Yes, ma'am.
13 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: And the Item 560
14 is an ordinance supplemental to the annual
15 appropriation ordinance in connection with the
16 Nassau County Traffic and Parking Violations
17 A g en cy .
18 A motion, please.
19 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: So moved.
20 LEGISLATOR NICOLELLO: Second.
21 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Moved by
22 Legislator Dunne, seconded by Legislator
23 Nicolello. There is an amendment to this item.
24 So I'm calling for an amendment in the nature of
25 a substitution.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 138
2 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: So moved.
3 LEGISLATOR KOPEL: Second.
4 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Moved by
5 Legislator Dunne, seconded by Legislator Kopel.
6 This amendment replaces former Clerk Item 560-14
7 from a supplemental appropriation to the board
8 transfer with respect to certain department's
9 budgets for the year 2014. It's timed, I
10 believe, it looks like December 1st at 12:25.
11 A motion on the amendment.
12 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: So moved.
13 LEGISLATOR WALKER: Second.
14 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Moved by
15 Legislator Dunne, seconded by Legislator
16 Nicolello. All those in favor of the amendment
17 to Item 560 signify by saying aye.
18 ( A ye .)
19 Any opposed?
20 (No verbal response.)
21 Now, the item as amended.
22 LEGISLATOR KOPEL: So moved.
23 LEGISLATOR NICOLELLO: Second.
24 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Moved by
25 Legislator Kopel, seconded by Legislator
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 139
2 Nicolello. Mr. May, Minority Leader Kevan
3 Abrahams has a question for you.
4 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: How are you, Mr.
5 M a y?
6 MR. MAY: Good. Thank you. How are you?
7 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: In regards to the
8 supplemental appropriation, money that's being
9 transferred from the -- it looks like we are
10 transferring dollars into the Traffic and Parking
11 Violations Agency's DE line to pay for, normally,
12 I would think those expenses go towards the
13 vendors of red light as well as speed cameras?
14 MR. MAY: Yes.
15 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Why would this
16 legislature be considering an expense for speed
17 cameras at this juncture?
18 MR. MAY: I have Roseanne D'Alleva from
19 the Office of Management and Budget to answer
20 that question.
21 MS. D'ALLEVA: Hi. So, during the 2014
22 adoption process, speed cameras was not
23 contemplated at that time. So, basically, the
24 expense for the ATS contract is 38 percent of the
25 revenue. So we have to pay that out on the DE
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 140
2 l i ne .
3 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Say that beginning
4 part again, Ms. A'lleva.
5 MS. D'ALLEVA: When the 2014 adopted
6 budget was contemplated, the speed camera program
7 had not been initiated. It was initiated in
8 July, after the budget process. So, therefore,
9 appropriation was not set aside for the ATS
10 contract for speed cameras.
11 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: But we could have
12 done the board transfer back then, in essence,
13 right? Couldn't we have done it in September or
14 August or July?
15 MS. D'ALLEVA: We're doing it now because
16 now is the time where we're starting to run out
17 of appropriation because ATS is actually the same
18 vendor that does red light camera.
19 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: I see.
20 MS. D'ALLEVA: So we were just leveraging
21 the DE that we had appropriated in the 2014
22 b u dg et .
23 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: I understand why
24 it's before us today because obviously we have to
25 pay this expense before the end of the year, but
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 141
2 I can't find a good reason why we couldn't
3 calculate this expense months prior to December
4 1 s t.
5 MS. D'ALLEVA: We had. It's just that we
6 had enough funding in the account and
7 contemplating how the red light camera program is
8 performing versus the speed camera program
9 performing, basically dictates what appropriates
10 or expenses are going to be on that DE line. So,
11 we're coming down to the end of the year. We
12 really weren't 100 percent sure how speed cameras
13 would perform this year.
14 As you know, there's been ins and outs.
15 There's ups and downs in the speed camera
16 program, so we had rolled it out in July, didn't
17 work, and we basically now started in September.
18 So we didn't want to move funding without
19 knowing 100 percent how much we would think we
20 would need to finish out the year.
21 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: I understand where
22 you're coming from and I guess, really, our
23 objection to it is the ins and outs. Obviously,
24 the way the program has been rolled out, and the
25 fact that it's turned into more of a gotcha type
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 142
2 program without the proper lights and the proper
3 beacons and the proper signage in certain
4 locations and we don't even know in certain
5 locations whether people have the proper signage
6 or the proper lights and the proper flashing
7 lights and the proper beacons. It just seems
8 that the whole program should be stopped and
9 there should be no payment to ATS until we get
10 everything into order and then reevaluate where
11 w e a re .
12 That's been our position for the last
13 couple of weeks. We have been calling for the
14 proper signage, the proper so people have a fair
15 shot. Until that happens, we believe the program
16 should be suspended.
17 Obviously, this item being before us
18 today, that's not the case, but I can tell you
19 right now, this will not receive any votes from
20 the Democratic minority until this program am has
21 been reviewed and reevaluated and so that this
22 legislature has the proper information.
23 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Legislator Jacobs.
24 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: Roseanne, I know we
25 are talking to you, but, honestly, I know it's
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 143
2 not you. I am fully aware, after being here --
3 I'm in my 20th year, that's something that we can
4 discuss another time.
5 I might need extra help.
6 But the truth of the matter is, this
7 rollout was such an inept rollout. It created
8 such a feeling of people not even understanding
9 what this was all about, or feeling that feeling
10 that you get, especially now when it's dark out
11 early and you're driving down a street and you're
12 going into almost darkness to find that you are
13 now being -- a bright light is coming at you,
14 because you didn't even see it. Now, all of a
15 sudden, this is just another example, in my mind,
16 of such a poorly thought out program that now,
17 after the -- and I know I'm not just speaking for
18 myself, although my particular area got hit very
19 hard with the speed cameras, I know every area
20 g o t hi t.
21 But, honestly, to expect any legislator
22 right now to have a special item on the calendar,
23 to actually vote for more money to go into this
24 program, which easily could have been at the
25 beginning of the year, this was up in Albany from
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 144
2 January 1.
3 This isn't a surprise. The only surprise
4 would have been is if it didn't happen.
5 Seriously. I'm talking to you as someone
6 with a lot of experience. We're fighting -- the
7 county was up there fighting for it even before
8 2 0 14 .
9 So, the fact that it went into action in
10 August, I mean, honestly, it should have been
11 part of the initial rollout. Otherwise, every
12 step along the way has been grunt. We are being
13 shot at from every side. I think that's the way
14 people feel. I think that's why there's distrust
15 out there. I think that's why people don't
16 believe our feeling that we did it for health,
17 safety and welfare.
18 Because what we were promised at the
19 beginning never happened, and now that it's
20 happened and we're supposedly getting what we're
21 asking for, now we're first going to go ahead and
22 say to people, now we have to try to explain why
23 we are voting for more money for it.
24 I don't even expect an answer. Actually,
25 I just had to vent to you. It's that awful.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 145
2 MS. D'ALLEVA: I understand, Legislator
3 Jacobs. Just primarily, please, you have to
4 realize that we were getting wild estimations in
5 terms of what the production in terms of revenue
6 would produce for the program. So we were very
7 cautious in terms of appropriating funding for
8 the program. And, again, it's for work already
9 done because it is 38 percent of the revenue
10 p r od uc ed .
11 So now we're just contemplating the next
12 30 days which is budgeting, projecting, let's
13 just say, for the next 11 days, we know what the
14 expense has been and we've been able to leverage
15 the funding on the red light camera program as
16 well in order to pay for this. But, at this
17 point, we are running out of funds.
18 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: I understand all of
19 that, so I'm going to get back to what I asked a
20 long time ago when this whole thing blew up in
21 our faces. That was, why in the world we didn't
22 immediately, when we realized there was a mistake
23 with signage and the blinking lights, take it off
24 the revenue that was coming in every month and
25 start putting them in as you were installing
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 146
2 t h em ?
3 MS. D'ALLEVA: To my knowledge, let's put
4 it this way, the rollout, to my knowledge, was in
5 accordance with New York State Law. Then, I
6 think, before this body, there were changes made
7 that we have to basically, the lights and all
8 that stuff. So, now I think there have been
9 contemplations in terms of further rollout as how
10 we can rollout with "flashing lights."
11 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: Well, I agree with
12 the Minority Leader. Today I'm going to vote
13 against this. I will absorb it for the next two
14 weeks and see what we are going to end up doing
15 in front of the Full Leg.
16 Thank you.
17 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Ms. D'Alleva, it's
18 our understanding, this being a supplemental
19 appropriation, it requires 13 votes of the Full
20 Legislature.
21 MS. D'ALLEVA: No. It was amended. We
22 first initially put in a supplemental
23 appropriation, but the amendment is for a board
24 transfer.
25 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: So it's not a
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 147
2 supplemental appropriation?
3 MS. D'ALLEVA: No.
4 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: So it's a board
5 transfer which would require ten votes?
6 MS. D'ALLEVA: That's correct.
7 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: That's unfortunate.
8 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: We may have
9 additional information in two weeks.
10 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: I've got to tell
11 you, and I don't want to put them on the hot
12 seat, but we had requested some information from
13 the Independent Budget Review Office and I know
14 they are working on a report for us which I would
15 gladly share with the entire legislature. But,
16 the bottom line is, we need an accounting of the
17 revenue that's being generated by location in
18 each of the spots where the speed cameras are
19 located. We need an accounting of how this
20 program is being rolled out. We need an
21 accounting of where there are flashing lights
22 a l re ad y.
23 It's just feels like it's the cart before
24 the horse, and it just feels like we are trying
25 to play catch up for an issue that was very
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 148
2 poorly rolled out.
3 Something that should be protecting
4 pedestrians, children and families, is really has
5 just turned into more of a revenue generating
6 gotcha program. From that standpoint it's a
7 s h am e.
8 We are looking for that information. I
9 know it's been a very tight season with the
10 budget but we are looking for that information.
11 I'm sure you are working with independent budget
12 r e vi ew .
13 MS. D'ALLEVA: Yes, we've already spoken
14 to the vendor. We have had several
15 communications with them and a conference call as
16 well. It's unfortunate, the data points that you
17 are requesting are so specific, that it's an ad
18 hoc report, and the vendor is seeking to put that
19 information together for you.
20 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: To allay
21 your concerns, minority leader, I'm expecting,
22 and we have requested pretty much the same
23 information from the administration. I'm hoping
24 that we will get it before the 15th.
25 In the meantime, I know Mr. Chalmers has
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 149
2 been doing his due diligence too with this issue.
3 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Do you concur with
4 Mr. Chalmers, Ms. D'Alleva?
5 MS. D'ALLEVA: We were actually on the
6 conference call together with the vendor.
7 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Okay.
8 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: I know that I
9 personally look forward to hearing about this.
10 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: So do we, Judy.
11 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: And this has nothing
12 to do with you, but I'm sure they're listening
13 in. I actually believe that we would like to
14 know why certain areas could possibly be
15 surrounded by four cameras.
16 Just a question. Plainview absolutely.
17 Forget Plainview. It happens, and I want to know
18 who, in their wisdom, picked selections of
19 locations that would create a lot of the uproar
20 that's going on right now.
21 MS. D'ALLEVA: Unfortunately, I won't be
22 able to answer that question.
23 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Legislator
24 Nicolello.
25 LEGISLATOR NICOLELLO: I just want to
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 150
2 say, I agree that there's been problems with the
3 rollout of this program.
4 I think every one on this legislature
5 agrees. But, that having been said, the fact of
6 the matter is, anecdotal evidence and other
7 evidence indicates that it's working in terms of
8 the intended result.
9 My understanding is that there are a
10 number of violations at each location per day has
11 dropped drastically.
12 MS. D'ALLEVA: Drastically.
13 LEGISLATOR NICOLELLO: These numbers may
14 not be correct, but I heard something around the
15 order of 4,000 a day to 900.
16 Secondly, anyone who drives anywhere near
17 a school in Nassau County has to notice that
18 vehicles are driving a lot slower, myself
19 included, even in locations where people know
20 there are no cameras. My experience is that
21 people are actually paying attention to the speed
22 l i mi ts .
23 MS. D'ALLEVA: The school zones with the
24 speed limits are clearly marked and people are
25 now really adhering to the speed limits. So we
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 151
2 have seen a huge drop in the number of violations
3 per camera.
4 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: I don't want to cut
5 off Mr. Nicolello. But, just so you know, Ms.
6 D'Alleva, I think Ms. Caprice was here earlier
7 today and one of the locations, it's not your
8 responsibility, but if there is somebody from DPW
9 that's there or out there, I see Brian there and
10 Mr. Arnold here too as well, but there's a
11 location in Hempstead, and I think Caprice
12 brought it up earlier, and I drive by it every
13 single day and there are not flashing lights
14 t h er e.
15 MS. D'ALLEVA: No, no. Clearly marked
16 meaning there is a school zone. I'm not talking
17 about flashing lights. I'm just saying relative
18 to the legislation.
19 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Okay. I
20 understand.
21 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: All those in favor
22 of 560 signify by saying aye.
23 ( A ye .)
24 Any opposed?
25 ( N ay .)
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 152
2 The item passes four to three.
3 Mr. Chalmers, I don't want you to come
4 up, stay right there, by the 15th will you have
5 any data for us?
6 MR. CHALMERS: Probably by Friday.
7 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Friday, good. I
8 was promised too by Friday. Let's see.
9 MS. D'ALLEVA: We will try. I was away
10 last week. I know I was on the conference call
11 with the vendor and I'm not 100 percent sure by
12 Friday but I will give a call tomorrow.
13 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Roseanne, I want
14 you to know that the administration said by
15 Friday. So I'm hoping that it's going to happen.
16 MS. D'ALLEVA: I'll try.
17 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Just have to work
18 24 hours. Caprice, you want to say something? I
19 know you do.
20 MS. RINES: I will say that Legislator
21 Abrahams has a great light, and I know they
22 already made them because on Jerusalem Avenue
23 they have a flashing light.
24 I always adhere to the 20 mile an hour
25 limit in any school zone. Why people don't feel
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 153
2 like -- bypasses them, it doesn't. But the signs
3 are very small.
4 On Baldwin Road, they do a good job in
5 Legislator Abrahams' district they have a light,
6 they have a sign that tells you that there is a
7 light there. The only thing that it doesn't do,
8 on Nassau Road, it doesn't tell you, you know how
9 some of these lights count down. You don't know
10 when the light is getting ready to change.
11 There's a red light camera there.
12 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: Red light cameras are
13 different than the speed cameras.
14 MS. RINES: What's the difference? Oh,
15 one is a speed camera. Now there is a speed
16 camera in certain areas, is there a difference?
17 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: There is a
18 difference. The location, I know exactly where
19 you are talking about on Grand Avenue and DeMott.
20 That's a red light camera location meaning that
21 if somebody goes through the red light, there
22 will be a photograph of their car, and it will be
23 sent to them in a couple of days in terms of that
24 infraction.
25 MS. RINES: Wantagh has a speed camera,
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 154
2 right, on Wantagh Avenue, Hempstead Turnpike?
3 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Not sure.
4 I'll defer to Dennis.
5 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: That's Island Trees
6 School District, yes, it does.
7 MS. RINES: That's a speed camera?
8 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: A speed camera and
9 then right after it is the traffic light camera,
10 the red light camera, on Hempstead Turnpike. So
11 it's two different things but very close
12 together. The same thing with McArthur High
13 School. You will see them around.
14 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: They look similar
15 but, in the speed camera case, you should just
16 take note, the speed cameras sometimes do not
17 look similar because they're also mobile devices.
18 Which are, there are white vans, sometimes they
19 have stripes, sometimes they don't, but they are
20 white vans with a device on top of the car which
21 actually do the picture taking.
22 The location you brought up earlier on
23 Franklin, that's actually a speed camera
24 l o ca ti on .
25 MS. RINES: So that's mobile?
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 155
2 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: That's mobile and it
3 actually has traveled from Franklin to Fulton
4 School in Hempstead as well. So you can go to
5 either one of those sites.
6 MS. RINES: David Patterson?
7 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: David Patterson
8 School. Yes, you're right. I'm old school. I
9 grew up knowing it's Fulton, but you're right.
10 Absolutely. So, it can either go to that school
11 or go to Franklin in those cases. But there are
12 fixed locations like Mr. Dunne had mentioned as
13 w e ll .
14 MS. RINES: I think it's working.
15 The only thing, I think the signage is
16 too small. How the state can say that that is IN
17 compliance, that tiny tiny sign, you only see it
18 when you get up on top of it. If you are far
19 away, you don't see it. I think that it's two
20 schools on that one road. So I don't think it's
21 smart to put such a small sign.
22 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: Caprice, that's what
23 we have been fighting for from the beginning,
24 better signage, number one, because if you blink,
25 you miss the sign; and flashing lights, number
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 156
2 t w o.
3 Supposedly, at the beginning of next year
4 2015, this is what is going to be happening.
5 MS. RINES: I mean, honestly, it's six in
6 one hand, half a dozen in the other, but I think
7 our children are safer for it. So, I don't think
8 we should stop it. Leave it there. Because our
9 children in Hempstead, we have had too many
10 children hit by cars in Hempstead.
11 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: All over the county.
12 MS. RINES: But more so in Hempstead
13 because we got money for it because we had too
14 many deaths, too many fatalities, especially by
15 David Patterson. We had fatalities, and we got
16 $3 million, Safe roads, Safe Routes to Schools.
17 So I'm not for stopping it because our children
18 need safe routes to school.
19 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Sorry, vote on 560
20 as amended.
21 (Whereupon, the following is the
22 continuation of the minutes of the December 15,
23 2014 Full Legislature meeting.)
24 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Motion, please?
25 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: So moved.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 157
2 LEGISLATOR NICOLELLO: Second.
3 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Moved by
4 Legislator Dunne, seconded by Legislator
5 Nicolello.
6 Any input?
7 MR. MAY: Are there any questions?
8 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Any questions
9 regarding this item?
10 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: If we can have
11 the transcript from the Rules Committee be
12 carried over to the Full Leg.
13 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Yes. All the
14 testimony from the committees.
15 Any public comment on this?
16 (No verbal response.)
17 There being none; all those in favor of
18 Item 16 signify by saying aye.
19 ( A ye .)
20 Any opposed?
21 ( N ay .)
22 The item passes ten to eight.
23 Eleven/seven.
24 That takes care of the calendar as
25 presented.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 158
2 Mr. Muller, please call the emergencies.
3 CLERK MULLER: Presiding Officer, we
4 have an emergency, the first one that comes -- we
5 have three, but the first comes from the county
6 executive. It's a recommendation by the county
7 executive to the County Legislature at the
8 meeting of the County Legislature on Monday,
9 December 15, 2014, for the adoption of emergency
10 resolution declaring an emergency for immediate
11 action upon an ordinance, fixing the tax rates
12 and levying taxes for the 12-month 2015 fiscal
13 year, beginning January 1, 2015 and ending
14 December 31, 2015, upon taxable properties within
15 the towns and cities of the County of Nassau for
16 town, town highway, town general fund, town
17 general fund-part town, town special district,
18 unpaid water charges in arrears, town sidewalk
19 and curb assessment and other lawful purposes and
20 authorizing and directing the county executive
21 and the Clerk of the Nassau County Legislature to
22 execute separate tax warrants addressed to the
23 receivers of taxes of the towns and cities within
24 the County of Nassau for the collection of the
25 several sums mentioned therein; pursuant to the
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 159
2 provisions of the County Government Law of Nassau
3 County and the Nassau County Administrative Code,
4 the Real Property Tax Law, the County Law, the
5 Local Finance Law, the Tax Law, the Town Law and
6 the Education Law of the State of New York, and
7 Chapter 14 of the Laws of 1995.
8 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: This is a motion
9 to establish the emergency.
10 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: So moved.
11 LEGISLATOR KOPEL: Second.
12 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Moved by
13 Legislator Dunne, seconded by Legislator Kopel.
14 All those in favor of establishing the
15 emergency signify by saying aye.
16 ( A ye .)
17 Any opposed?
18 (No verbal response.)
19 The emergency is established.
20 Now for the item.
21 CLERK MULLER: Emergency Resolution 58-
22 2014, an ordinance fixing the tax rates and
23 levying taxes for the 12-month 2015 fiscal year,
24 beginning January 1, 2015 and ending December 31,
25 2015, upon taxable properties within the towns
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 160
2 and cities of the County of Nassau for town, town
3 highway, town general fund, town general fund-
4 part town, town special district, unpaid water
5 charges in arrears, town sidewalk and curb
6 assessment and other lawful purposes and
7 authorizing and directing the county executive
8 and the Clerk of the Nassau County Legislature to
9 execute separate tax warrants addressed to the
10 receivers of taxes of the towns and cities within
11 the County of Nassau for the collection of the
12 several sums mentioned therein; pursuant to the
13 provisions of the County Government Law of Nassau
14 County and the Nassau County Administrative Code,
15 the Real Property Tax Law, the County Law, the
16 Local Finance Law, the Tax Law, the Town Law and
17 the Education Law of the State of New York, and
18 Chapter 14 of the Laws of 1995.
19 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Just for the
20 record, it is Emergency Resolution 59.
21 Motion, please?
22 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: So moved.
23 LEGISLATOR KOPEL: Second.
24 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Moved by
25 Legislator Dunne, seconded by Legislator Kopel.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 161
2 Any comment regarding this item?
3 (No verbal response.)
4 Any public comment?
5 (No verbal response.)
6 There being none; all those in favor of
7 Item 564 signify by saying aye.
8 ( A ye .)
9 Any opposed?
10 (No verbal response.)
11 The item passes unanimously.
12 Now for the second emergency.
13 CLERK MULLER: Just to be clear,
14 Presiding Officer, because I had mislabeled them
15 in order. That's actually 58. I put on your
16 calendar it's 59, because I had made it second.
17 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Okay. My
18 apologies.
19 CLERK MULLER: I should have told you
20 t h at .
21 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: It's okay.
22 CLERK MULLER: We have a second
23 emergency, which comes by recommendation of at
24 least 13 members of the Nassau County Legislature
25 at this meeting of the Legislature on Monday,
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 162
2 December 15, 2014, setting forth that an
3 emergency exists for consideration of and the
4 immediate action upon certain local laws,
5 ordinances, and resolutions referenced herein.
6 Please entertain a motion to place this
7 matter before the legislature, which would be
8 Clerk Item Number 563-14.
9 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Motion to
10 establish the emergency?
11 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: So moved.
12 LEGISLATOR KOPEL: Second.
13 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Moved by
14 Legislator Dunne, seconded by Legislator Kopel.
15 All those in favor of establishing the
16 emergency signify by saying aye.
17 ( A ye .)
18 Any opposed?
19 (No verbal response.)
20 The emergency is established unanimously.
21 Now the underlying item, Emergency
22 Resolution 59-2014, which would be Local Law 19-
23 14, which would be a local law to repeal Title
24 72-B of the Miscellaneous Laws of Nassau County
25 which established a demonstration program
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 163
2 imposing monetary liability on the owner of a
3 vehicle for failure of an operator thereof to
4 comply with posted maximum speed limits in a
5 school zone.
6 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Motion, please?
7 LEGISLATOR NICOLELLO: So moved.
8 LEGISLATOR KOPEL: Second.
9 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Motion by
10 Legislator Nicolello, seconded by Legislator
11 K o pe l.
12 Any comments or questions? Legislator
13 J a co bs .
14 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: I have some comments
15 I want to make, but they're going to be very
16 q u ic k.
17 I'd like to say from the very beginning
18 on this matter, it went through the State
19 Legislature, it went through our legislature with
20 all the good intentions. Really, there were no
21 politics involved at that time it was republicans
22 and democrats in both houses. However, the
23 rollout was flawed. There was no education of
24 the public. There were no warnings, proper
25 warnings of signs and flashing lights for people,
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 164
2 and it led to a human cry by the constituents.
3 I tried to urge a suspension of this
4 program from September. When I realized the
5 administration was re-rolling it out in September
6 the exact same way it was done in August, which
7 ended up being pulled back, I said let's suspend
8 it. Let's suspend it. Give ourselves two, three
9 months to do it the right way, roll it out again
10 with all the proper bells and whistles that
11 should have been in from the beginning. I never
12 even got a return of that e-mail.
13 I have to tell you, in my estimation,
14 suspension would have been the ideal. But I
15 truly feel that at this point there is no other
16 way left for us but to repeal.
17 I want to just put that on the record
18 because it wasn't something that we didn't try to
19 do the way it should have been done or urge the
20 administration to take it back and do it right,
21 but it didn't happen. When that happens, you're
22 boxed in a corner. And that's what's leading to
23 the repeal today.
24 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you,
25 Legislator Jacobs.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 165
2 LEGISLATOR JACOBS: You're welcome.
3 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I just have a few
4 comments regarding the repeal.
5 The intent of the law was a noble one.
6 And by a unanimous vote of this legislature, we
7 authorized the commencement of a two-year
8 demonstration program that we hoped would protect
9 the public safety by ticketing those that drive
10 in excess of ten miles over the speed limit
11 within a school speed zone.
12 However, at no point in my career have I
13 ever seen opposition to the continuation of a
14 program as I have with this one. Unfortunately,
15 it became very clear very clear into the program
16 that the public had no confidence that the
17 program was designed for public safety. And a
18 program that has no public support cannot
19 c o nt in ue .
20 As we have learned from the speed camera
21 program is that we do have a problem. Yes, we
22 have a definite problem with speeding in school
23 zones. We are hoping - and this is our goal and
24 the goal of my colleagues - that we will continue
25 to pursue the safety of our students and our
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 166
2 residents not only in the school zone areas but
3 throughout the county. I, for one, have been
4 working with the police department to ensure that
5 a police presence is maintained within the school
6 zones to deter drivers from speeding and so that
7 dangerous drivers are identified and ticketed.
8 In addition, I believe that we are all
9 intent on implementing the flashing beacons so
10 that drivers are better aware of speed zones.
11 But I also know that it's imperative upon us to
12 work with our school districts to improve signage
13 an identify capital improvements that will
14 enhance safety near the school areas.
15 And that is why today we are, in a
16 unanimous fashion, looking to repeal a well
17 intentioned piece of legislation that turned
18 sour. I'm pleased that we're able to do this
19 today in a bipartisan fashion.
20 And at this point, I don't know if there
21 is anybody else that would like to comment. The
22 floor is open to you. If not -- we had a great
23 deal of testimony during our public comment and
24 that's all part of this action taken by the
25 legislature.
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 167
2 If there are no other comments, we can
3 certainly take a vote.
4 I think it's important that we simply
5 take a vote.
6 All those in favor of repealing the speed
7 camera law signify by saying aye.
8 ( A ye .)
9 Any opposed?
10 (No verbal response.)
11 The repeal is unanimous.
12 Thank you very much.
13 We have -- I have to say we thought long
14 and hard about it. It's not something that we
15 just rashly came upon. I know that it's
16 important that we listen to those we represent,
17 but at the same time we also make sure we do our
18 homework and find out exactly what went wrong,
19 and I think we did exactly that.
20 So that ends that one.
21 We have our third emergency which is, Mr.
22 M u ll er .
23 CLERK MULLER: Presiding Officer, we
24 have a third emergency, this comes by way of the
25 county executive. It's a request by the county
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 168
2 executive to declare an emergency on Clerk Item
3 565-14, an ordinance amending the budget of the
4 County of Nassau for the fiscal year 2015.
5 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Motion to
6 establish the emergency, please?
7 LEGISLATOR DUNNE: So moved.
8 LEGISLATOR SCHAEFER: Second.
9 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Moved by
10 Legislator Dunne, seconded by Legislator
11 S c ha ef er .
12 All those in favor of establishing the
13 emergency signify by saying aye.
14 ( A ye .)
15 Any opposed?
16 ( N ay .)
17 Okay. The emergency is not established.
18 But at this point I would like Mr. Walker to come
19 to the podium and tell us why, why we needed to
20 do this emergency today.
21 CHIEF DEPUTY COUNTY EXECUTIVE WALKER:
22 Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer and members of
23 the legislature. Obviously, today, with the
24 actions that will take place, in retrospect, of
25 the speed cameras creating a $30 million hole in
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 169
2 the 2015 budget, this amendment, by emergency,
3 preserves a balanced budget for the County of
4 Nassau. It puts in place roughly additional
5 revenue sources that we believe, the
6 administration believes in working with the
7 legislature will, in fact, again, continue to
8 keep the budget balanced which, for many reasons,
9 I don't have to tell any of you, is an important
10 thing that we must do.
11 The rating agencies over the past days
12 and weeks, upon learning of the potential for the
13 speed cameras to be repealed, voiced some
14 concern. They also voiced many successes that
15 the legislature and the county executive have
16 made in moving the budget forth.
17 We believe, again, this needs to be done
18 as quickly as possible. Obviously, the emergency
19 is not being provided today with that vote.
20 Again, we will continue to keep the county moving
21 forward, continue to keep the county budget in
22 balance and, more importantly, preserve programs.
23 We heard today from so many of our youth
24 agencies. We heard from those that are involved
25 with our bus service and utilize NICE bus. This
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 170
2 amendment does not take any dollars away from
3 that. It continues to move both of those
4 programs forward, by them I mean our youth and
5 those that provide great services. Lastly,
6 again, our bus system that we all know that we
7 must continue to look for additional dollars and
8 the county executive and I know this legislature
9 believes that we should continue to, in fact, do
10 t h at .
11 I believe hopefully over the next couple
12 of weeks we will see an amendment go forth that
13 continues to keep our budget in balance.
14 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: I just want to
15 comment regarding that.
16 I did have the opportunity to meet with
17 the minority leader, and he assured me that we
18 will be considering it again down the road. But
19 to the extent that we were able to advance the
20 budget amendment today through emergency, we will
21 be considering the legislation in January.
22 When asked by the youth and bus advocates
23 whether it was our intention to cut their
24 programs to satisfy our budget requirements, all
25 of us here, on both sides of the aisle, said that
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 171
2 it was not. This budget amendment will reflect
3 that commitment. And so, Mr. Walker, this is no
4 longer an emergency item but we will be
5 entertaining it again in January.
6 CHIEF DEPUTY COUNTY EXECUTIVE WALKER:
7 Thank you.
8 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: If I may.
9 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: You got it.
10 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: I think in the
11 spirit of cooperation, I think Legislator
12 Gonsalves and I, as well as working with the
13 administration, have tried to demonstrate that.
14 We had every full intention of trying to work
15 with the administration and the majority to try
16 to ensure that we were able to fill the $30
17 million in revenue that needs to be generated.
18 Us not giving the emergency today was
19 more tied into the fact that we have learned
20 about some of the budget amendments that the
21 administration has been considering over the last
22 several days in a letter and obviously having
23 more dialogue today. Basically, we did not want
24 to take an approach, a knee-jerk approach which
25 basically -- not knowing the ramifications six
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 172
2 months from now without digesting it for a longer
3 period than 24 hours. That being said.
4 We still choose to be included in the
5 process and we still choose to continue to
6 explore some of these items over the next couple
7 of weeks. We do understand the urgency of time
8 in regards to the credit agencies, as well as
9 NIFA. We still choose to be a part of the
10 process to ensure that, one, we have a balanced
11 budget, and, two, whatever we do to balance the
12 budget are not on the backs of those that need us
13 the most in this county.
14 Thank you, Madam Presiding Officer.
15 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: You are most
16 w e lc om e.
17 Mr. Walker, the dialogue is going to
18 continue into the New Year. In the meantime, a
19 very happy holiday. Merry Christmas.
20 CHIEF DEPUTY COUNTY EXECUTIVE WALKER:
21 L i ke wi se .
22 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: And a very
23 healthy and happy New Year.
24 CHIEF DEPUTY COUNTY EXECUTIVE WALKER:
25 L i ke wi se .
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 173
2 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: The item did not
3 -- the emergency was not established, which
4 concludes the business of the calendar for today.
5 However, Mr. Budnick, you wanted to talk,
6 so we're letting you talk.
7 LEGISLATOR MUSCARELLA: Just before we
8 end, I'd just like to comment that today is
9 Senator Venditto's last meeting. He hasn't been
10 here long, but he's been an invaluable part of
11 this Legislature. We all want to wish him well
12 and ask him to, please, don't forget us when he
13 serves in New York State government.
14 Michael, thank you.
15 MR. BUDNICK: In fact --
16 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Hold on.
17 MR. BUDNICK: Okay.
18 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Go ahead.
19 LEGISLATOR ABRAHAMS: Real quick, Mr.
20 B u dn ic k.
21 Obviously, we want to wish Michael
22 Venditto the best in Albany. But we are too
23 losing somebody not of the elected status. But
24 Dave Gugerty, our Chief of Staff, who has served
25 in that capacity for the last three years is
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 174
2 going to be leaving us at the end of this year.
3 I just want to be able to wish him the best. He
4 had a dentist appointment which he had to run out
5 to. I don't know if it was better to be here or
6 there. I just wanted to publicly say on the
7 record to wish him the best.
8 I think Dave has always been very fair to
9 all of us. I just want to wish him the best in
10 his new endeavor.
11 Thank you.
12 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Now it's your
13 turn, Mr. Budnick.
14 MR. BUDNICK: I want to wish everybody a
15 happy holiday season. Merry Christmas. Happy
16 Hanukah. Happy Kwanza. Happy Diwali, for those
17 who celebrate, although that's actually
18 technically passed. Happy New Year to everybody.
19 I mean that, everybody. I know all sorts of
20 people are going all sorts of places and all
21 kinds of various things. God bless you one and
22 all, especially having put up with what you've
23 had today.
24 To make it quick. Southeast Nassau
25 County is facing a health emergency, it is called
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 175
2 the Grumman Navy toxic waste plume.
3 The New York State Legislature did,
4 indeed, get passed the Assembly and the State
5 Senate, a bill to try to hydraulically extract
6 that toxic waste plume, clarify it, purify it,
7 and recharge it. That proposed bill, A9492,
8 S7832, has not yet been signed by the governor.
9 I ask every one of you individually to please do
10 all you can to try and help make sure that the
11 areas in Nassau County, such as the Massapequa
12 Preserve, the Tackapausha Preserve, the county
13 parks, the town parks, the village parks in this
14 area, and below that the waters of the bay and
15 Jones Beach not be destroyed by this toxic waste
16 plume the way that Massapequa Preserve was in the
17 1920's, 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's, and 80's,
18 and 90's, until former Supervisor Angelo
19 Dellagotti and our own Peter Schmitt fought to
20 fix it and got it fixed. All that work may be
21 u n do ne .
22 One other thing. I've given a set of
23 flyers I've received from Nassau County Sewer and
24 Water Conservation Board about a thing that's
25 called a rain garden. I've asked that it be given
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 176
2 out. We need to make sure that having this type
3 of a piece of equipment, so to speak, in all
4 county facilities, particularly in the west end
5 of the county where there are so few recharge
6 basins, will help to promote the recharge of pure
7 water into our sole source aquifers.
8 You've listened to so much today. All I
9 can say is God bless you one and all.
10 Thank you very much.
11 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Thank you, John.
12 And a Merry Christmas and a blessed and Happy New
13 Y e ar .
14 I think Senator-elect Venditto would like
15 to say a few words.
16 LEGISLATOR VENDITTO: Just very briefly.
17 Ms. Presiding Officer, Minority Leader,
18 all the members of the legislature, all the
19 staff, the entire workforce and everybody here
20 today, I want to thank you personally for your
21 well wishes. It has been quite an experience
22 here. This is a wonderful group, it really is.
23 We've done a lot of good things together and the
24 good work I believe is going to continue.
25 You can rest assured that we will be
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 177
2 working together - I won't forget - in the time
3 ahead. And I wish everybody, of course, a happy,
4 healthy, and safe holiday season. Best of luck
5 in 2015. Thank you all. Thank you.
6 CHAIRWOMAN GONSALVES: Legislator Dunne
7 moves to adjourn, seconded by Legislator Walker.
8 All those in favor of adjourning the
9 legislature meeting signify by saying aye.
10 ( A ye .)
11 Any opposed?
12 (No verbal response.)
13 A happy and healthy holiday to each and
14 every one of you. Stay safe. And don't eat too
15 m u ch .
16 (Whereupon, the Full Legislature
17 adjourned at 5:31 p.m.)
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353
1 Full Legislature – 12-15-14 178
2
C E R T I F I C A T E
I, FRANK GRAY, a Shorthand Reporter and
Notary Public in and for the State of New York,
do hereby state:
THAT I attended at the time and place above
mentioned and took stenographic record of the
proceedings in the above-entitled matter;
THAT the foregoing transcript is a true and
accurate transcript of the same and the whole
thereof, according to the best of my ability and
b e li ef .
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my
hand this 6th day of January, 2015.
______
FRANK GRAY
REGAL REPORTING SERVICES 516-747-7353