Local Scouts Get Civics Lesson From Village Board

It wasn't the type of explanation you'd usually hear at a government meeting.

"There's a lot of motions, just so you know," Massapequa Park mayor James Altadonna said at the beginning of Monday night's village board meeting.

While most people who attend these meetings are very much aware of motions and other procedures., Altadonna was addressing his remarks to a special group of attendees getting one of their first looks at real life democracy in action.

Weblos scouts from Pack 776 located in Massapequa were on hand to work on getting their government badge.

There was a light agenda at the meeting, but rather than rush through each resolution, those who spoke, took extra time to explain what the board was considering.

"Community development money is money we get here in the village for people that are low income residents, or senior citizens," village administrator Peggy Caltabiano said while explaining a public hearing on the use of the funds for residential rehabilitation and for handicapped ramps at public facilities.

"Is this about taxes?" Grady Mather, one of the scouts, asked the board.

Altadonna explained that the money, "does come out of the tax revenue pool."

"Not particularly Massapequa Park, but all of Nassau County collectively," he said.

Grady later said he asked the questions because "I'm always looking in my parents mail and seeing tax bills."

The board approved the use of the funds and also approved a resolution referring a study of after hours parking in to the village planning commission.

"We've noticed there's some difficulties at night with cars parking there when they shouldn't," the mayor said. 

"We want to refer it to the planning commission to study it and come up with a safe and effective way to block that parking lot at night."

A resolution to authorize Altadonna,Caltabiano and village attorney Kevin Walsh to negotiate with the union for village workers on upcoming contracts was also approved. Altadonna said that in these rough economic times the village has been pushing for one year contracts with employees.

Two sign permits for at a troubled property at 4700 Sunrise Highway were approved and the mayor reported that some progress was made in cleaning the area.

And a resolution to authorize the village to buy the liens on unpaid village taxes was also passed.

"We purchase them rather than have someone else purchase them and we've been successful, pretty much," Altadonna said.

"It gives them a little more time and allows them to stay in their homes."

The scouts were given a special patch by the board to commemorate their visit.

With the night's business finished, Pete LaMassa, 42, was glad his troop came.

"We wanted them to see that for everything that happens in the village there's people in charge and responsible for it," he said.

"And if people come here and complain about things or say that they need help, it'll all be pretty reasonable. There's no arguments."

Alttadonna said "It's great when young people want to get involved in politics.

"Our job here is to inspire them to go forward and be civic minded and value the community that they live in."