The Mayor’s Corner Village of Williston Park

Written by Paul Ehrbar Friday, 18 January 2013 00:00

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish all a happy and healthy New year on behalf of your village board. I hope all enjoyed their holiday season.

The Village employees have, for the most part, completed the cleanup from Sandy and the Nor’easter. Although there may be some minor issues to be resolved, the major effort is completed. Reimbursement requests from FEMA began weeks ago with the filling of numerous documents required to complete this process. We have been informed that the formula for reimbursement is 75 percent federal, 12.5 percent state and 12.5 percent village. The way in which the reimbursement guidelines have been set, the village should be able to absorb its share of the costs due to the total number of items available for reimbursement. Having said that, I’m concerned about how this funding is being handled in Washington. There should be no politics involved and the relief monies should be dealing with damages suffered in the northeast as a result of Sandy and the Nor’easter. 

Winter has arrived yet we’ve been lucky weather wise to date. The temperatures have been moderate but this will most likely change. If we have snow accumulations this year please follow the “Lessons in Snow Etiquette” as noted:

Follow the snow ordinance, which requires that cars must be removed from the streets when 2 inches of snow is on the ground.  Listening to weather reports should be your best guide, and cars should be removed from the street the evening before the expected snowfall.  Just pass down the streets that could not be plowed because cars were not removed and the results are obvious. The village ordinance also states that cars should remain off the street for 18 hours after the snow stops.

This is to allow the plows to come back again. When cars are put right back on the street after the initial plowing, it prevents the plow from making a second pass. Cars in the driveway prevent snow from covering the driveway, so leaving it there saves both time and energy as that section of the driveway will not need to be shoveled.

Don’t shovel the snow back into the street; it will only get plowed back into the driveway when the village staff plows for a second, third or fourth time. This also can create a hazardous condition when piles of shoveled snow freeze on the road. Shovel out your neighbor if they can’t shovel themselves or maybe just do it to be nice. Shovel a pass through if you live on the corner to allow entrance from the street to the curb and help clear the fire hydrant. Commercial properties must make arrangements to have the front of the business shoveled as quickly as possible. If you have more cars than can fit in your own driveway, make arrangements with your neighbors to put your car in their driveway.

 A little courtesy goes a long way and we pride ourselves in Williston Park for the caring attitude and small town feeling that we try to maintain.

This time of year, with the holidays behind us, we are all outside less often and remain inside more often. It’s important to remain in touch with our neighbors especially our seniors and those who live alone. 

As most are aware, I am available for residents at village hall on a daily basis, unless I’m out of town. On Saturday, Jan. 19, I, along with available trustees, will at Village Hall from 9 a.m. until noon, for those residents who may not be able to meet with me during the week. Call in advance on my cell phone at 941-8463 to set an appointment or just show up to discuss issues impacting our village. I expect to set a date for evening hours in February for those who would like to meet with me but cannot do so during the week or on Saturday morning.  

The first neighborhood watch meeting is scheduled for Jan. 26 at 10 a.m. at village hall. A representative from the Town of North Hempstead’s Project Independence will be there to explain this program.