Manorhaven residents showed off their holiday spirit this week as the village board of trustees recognized winners of its annual holiday home decorating contest during a meeting Wednesday, Dec. 17.
The first-place winner, at 93 Edgewood Road, received a $100 gift card to local restaurant Pepe Rosso. Second place, at 51 Graywood Road, earned a $75 gift card, and third place, at 57 Lynwood Road, took home a $50 gift card. Trustees Khristine Shahipour and Monica Ildefonso visited homes throughout the village to judge the competition.
Mayor John Popeleski praised all residents who participated, noting the creative efforts brightened the community during the holiday season. He also thanked the Department of Public Works for its response to a recent snowstorm that brought more snow than expected.
The board conducted routine business, including approving the clerk’s report and the building department report for November. Police department statistics were not yet available and will be included at a later meeting.
Trustees unanimously adopted a resolution waiving the village’s 30-day notification period and raising no objection to a New York State liquor license application for Fly Chick to the Moon, a restaurant at 95 Manorhaven Blvd.
In a separate 5-0 vote, the board approved a resolution to replace the village’s CodeRED emergency notification system with GoGov. The new service will cost $5,260 annually and will disseminate emergency and relevant village information to residents.
During public comment, resident Christine Zahn urged the board to issue a formal request-for-proposals process before selecting a consultant for a comprehensive village plan.
Zahn provided information from the Village of Seacliff’s comprehensive plan, noting its structured approach, clear milestones and community engagement strategies as a potential model.
“I am not personally against Vision Long Island, but there’s no proof they have done the type of community plan we need,” Zahn said. “In Seacliff, you can see a clear timeline, benchmarks, and a process that includes resident input. I encourage the board to vet multiple companies through a proper RFP to ensure Manorhaven gets a plan that reflects our needs.”
Popeleski said the village is compiling a list of potential firms and plans to issue an RFP soon, calling a comprehensive plan “long overdue” and a priority for the community.
Resident Kris Murphy also praised recent village improvements, including new walkways and the resolution of a summer vagrancy issue.
Popeleski updated the board on a grant-funded trail near the dog park, which is about halfway complete and expected to open within a few weeks, with lighting planned for the spring.
Upcoming meetings include a special Board of Trustees session Dec. 22 to approve abstracts, a public forum Jan. 7 at the Senior Citizen Center to gather resident input on the village’s future, and the next regular board meeting on Jan. 28.
