The community of Port Washington came together and voted for commissioners for the special districts on Tuesday, Dec. 13, at the Polish American Hall. All of the candidates this year were uncontested. However, it has been known in the past for a write-in to put pressure on the incumbents; therefore, the commissioners emphasized the need for all to come out and cast their ballots.
The individuals who were reelected are: William Scaglione, commissioner for the garbage district with 125 votes; Dave Franklin as police commissioner with 173 votes, Mindy Germain as water commissioner with 178 votes; and Donald Kurz as commissioner of the Water Pollution Control District, with 126 votes.
The owner of Bill’s Auto on Main Street, Scaglione is grateful to be reelected as garbage commissioner and said that there are many useful tips on the garbage district’s website, www.pwgarbagedistrict.com, including that during the winter months, a good thing to keep in mind is that if school is closed due to inclement weather, then garbage pick-up will not occur until the next scheduled day.
Franklin is humbled by his third reelection to police commissioner. He credits his popularity to constantly reaching out to the community for feedback and taking a proactive approach when it comes to helping to manage the Port Washington Police District. In 1933, after political involvement, red tape and other bureaucratic hurdles, the official status of the police district was finally legislated. On May 28, 1934, Governor Herbert Lehman, with controversy and much hesitancy, signed a bill authorizing the town board to appoint three commissioners to conduct the district’s affairs. This bill transferred supervisory powers from the town board to the three commissioners. The only commissioner-run police district in New York state, the Port Washington Police District’s budget, bids and other duties are carried out and voted on by three elected commissioners who are civilians residing within the district and voted in every three years.
“It is an honor to serve this community that I love so much”, Franklin said of his win.
It is evident that Germain is passionate about her role with the Port Washington Water District. She constantly researches, attends seminars and educates the public on the matter of water as a precious resource.
Chartered in 1913, the Port Washington Water District serves an average of 9,250 customers in Port Washington, Manorhaven, Port Washington North, Baxter Estates and parts of Flower Hill and Plandome Manor with approximately 1.3 billion gallons of water annually. All of the water comes from underground wells and is stored in two elevated tanks of 1 million and 250,000 gallon capacities each, and two underground tanks of 1 million and 22 million gallons each.
Of the reelection of Germain, Superintendent Paul Granger and the water district issued a statement: “The Port Washington community reelected Mindy Germain to the Water District Board of Commissioners for another three-year term on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2016. Commissioners Brackett and Meyer congratulate Germain on her reelection and thank her for her dedicated service to the community. Germain said she is ‘honored to serve in a district that puts community first.’ Germain kindly recalls how much she loves when children stop her in the street and say, ‘That’s the water lady.’ She says that makes her so happy and of her being reelected, she said, ‘I am so proud that the community voted to support the course that we are on to make sure families have clean, safe drinking water. I am proud to serve three more years.’”
As a commissioner, Kurz helps to oversee the Port Washington Water Pollution Control District.
The district was founded in 1915 and is one of the oldest water pollution control districts on Long Island. They serve more than 28,000 residents and businesses in the greater Port Washington area, including the Village of Port Washington North and portions of the villages of Flower Hill and Baxter Estates. In addition, under the terms of an outside contract, the district treats the sewage collected by the Village of Manorhaven, which the village conveys to the district via their sewage pumping station. They are responsible for Sunset Park, which is located by the town dock, and the PAL Building and baseball/softball diamonds.
