Village To Test NextG's Compliance With FCC Standards

Failing to block the installation of NextG's cell phone antennas into Massapequa Park last year, the Village announced plans this week to take every step to ensure that the cellular provider’s equipment strictly adheres to the standards set by the Federal Communications Commission.

At Monday’s Village Board meeting, Mayor James Altadonna revealed that Massapequa Park had engaged the services of Vitatech Electromagnetics, a Virginia-based firm, to perform a comprehensive full-spectrum radio frequency analysis of the Village-based NextG antennas to confirm that they pose no threat to local residents. The board voted to approve an agreement with Vitatech Monday night.

"As you know, with NextG, we were able to work with them to at least get a location that wasn't in front of people's homes," Altadonna  said. "We did promise that we would, from time to time, monitor the frequencies that were coming out. It took us a while to find a company that we felt comfortable with, and that had the expertise to monitor these emissions.”

However, Altadonna assured residents that NextG would have no prior notice of any scheduled testing.

“We’re not going to tell anyone when we’re going to do it...but we are going to do it,” he said. “We’re going to see if everything is within the spectrum of the FCC, and we will make the results available to our constituents as they become available.”

Without mincing words, Altadonna made it clear that NextG had better be running a tight ship.

“They will have a big problem,” he said. “If they’re not adhering to FCC standards, there will be consequences.”

Altadonna said that the funding for the cell antenna testing will come from NextG themselves; hence, it will not cost Village residents anything.

The Board also discussed proposed uses for annual Community Development Funds supplied by Nassau County. The Village is currently negotiating the amount of the funds with the County; the amount hoped for this year is $750,000.

“Every year we ask Nassau County for these funds,” he said. “We do get some funds, but not as much as we’d like. But what we do get, we like to apply to our residents, and it goes a long way in our community in upgrading homes that desperately need repair for residents that can’t afford it.”

As of now, the proposed use of the Development Funds is to split them up into three separate categories:

• Residential Rehabilitation- $300,000
• Public Facilities and Improvements/Handicap Ramps- $150,000
• Revitalization/Repair of Public Roads- $300,000

These amounts will vary based on the finalized funds supplied by the County.

Altadonna said that Massapequa Park residents who would like to apply for access to a portion of these funds for much-needed home improvements should contact the Village.

“It’s based on income,” he said. “Once we get the funds, the resident would apply and see our Village Administrator and she would work with them.”

Altadonna mentioned that any home improvement money provided to a resident would include a clause that, if their house was sold within a certain amount of time, the funds would have to be repaid to the Village.

The next meeting of the Massapequa Park Village Board is scheduled for Monday, April 2^nd, at 8 p.m.