Robert Weitzner was sworn in as mayor for his sixth consecutive term on Wednesday, April 1, during the annual meeting of the board of trustees of the Village of Port Washington North.
Trustees Sherman Scheff and Matthew Kepke, who both stood for re-election in March, were also sworn in. Kepke is starting his first elected term. He had been appointed to complete the term of Michael Schenkler, who resigned last year.
Town Clerk Palma Torrisi was reappointed for a two-year term, as were Deputy Clerk Linda Kropacek and Treasurer Mary Jo Bella.
Each year during the annual meeting of the board, 19 additional appointments are made in order to enable the board to continue doing business and representing the interests of village residents. These various commissioners and inspectors serve at the request of the trustees. The appointments are typically for one-year terms with the exception of the members of the Village Planning Board, who each serve a seven-year term. There are seven members on the planning board. One member’s term expires each year. This rotating process ensures that there is continuity on the planning board and the opportunity for long-range planning. Irwin Kellner was reappointed to the planning board.
Immediately following the annual meeting, a public hearing was held on the 2015-16 budget. The budget was adopted by a unanimous vote. Taxes will increase by .26 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, well below the 2 percent state tax cap.
The largest increase in revenue for the new fiscal year will come from grants to fund the completion of the final phase of BayWalk Park. The village has been granted $500,000 from the New York State Department of Parks and $250,000 from the Town of North Hempstead. The village is required to match the grant from North Hempstead.
The grants will enable the village to add amenities to the park, such as a handicapped-accessible parking area, shade spots and additional artwork.
In a separate conversation with Mayor Weitzner, he confirmed that Publisher’s Clearing House, a business that has been in the village for at least two decades, sold its property last year and will be relocating to Jericho.
Weitzner confirmed that The Alzheimer’s Foundation also intends to leave the village and is searching for a location that is more centrally located.
When asked about the vacant King Kullen space, Weitzner said he and the board are increasingly frustrated by the condition of the entire Soundview Marketplace shopping center. He declined to elaborate on exactly how the village intends to deal with the center except to say that the village has not excluded the possibility of legal action.
