The Floral Park board voted at its Tuesday, March 3, meeting to authorize $200,000 in payments to settle a U.S. Office of Personnel Management claim against the village filed by a Nassau County woman for injuries from a fall.
Some $20,937.56 of the payout settles a Medicare lien incurred by Elizabeth Leonardo and $179,062.44 is for Simon and Gilman, LLP, which represented Leonardo.
A contractor working for the village on Covert Avenue did unsafe work, leading to the fall, Village Clerk Joseph O’Grady said. He said a judge ordered the village to pay out to settle the claim.
Trustees also voted to approve a $170 daily stipend for village election inspectors.
Village elections will be held on March 18.
Trustees Jennifer Stewart and Michael Longobardi are both seeking reelection unopposed.
Village trustees also held two public hearings, including one on a local law that would authorize the village board to override the 1.91% tax cap. The law was not adopted, and will be revisited at a future board meeting.
“This does not mean that we are or we are not overriding the tax cap. This just gives us the ability to do so,” Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald said. “We are in the process of examining all department requests and formulating a budget, which hopefully we will present later in the month.”
The public budget hearing will be held on April 14.
The board held a public hearing to consider a special use permit for the expansion of Tulip Bagels at the northwest corner of Tulip and Plainfield Avenues. The expansion will add a juice bar to an adjacent storefront.
Anthony Kelly, the bagel shop’s owner, said the expansion will be under the same business but will have a separate door for a grab-and-go juice bar. The application said the cafe’s expansion will not increase delivery traffic and will have minimal impact on traffic and parking.
“For people coming home from school or work, they can grab something on their way home or to the gym,” Kelly said. He said the building will not need substantial changes, just cosmetic and simple appliance installation.
The village board did not approve the special use permit and will reconsider after the applicant’s second presentation at a future board meeting.
No members of the public were present to ask questions or offer comments.
The board also voted to approve resignations from Motor Equipment Operator Alexander Hickey in the Public Works Department, Park Attendant Karen Lacey in the Recreation Department and Michael Fusco, a laborer in the Public Works Department. Trustees approved a payout of about $1,800 for Hickey’s unused sick, personal and vacation leave.
The board authorized the use of public fields and facilities for 14 village groups, including Our Lady of Victory School, Floral Park Little League and an over-60 softball league.
“I’d like to point out, this is definitely a sign of spring,” Fitzgerald said about the number of public use applicants. “This is good news.”
