With the results of the June 20 election accepted, and Julianne Beckerman and her team to be sworn in on July 3, Mayor Richard Murcott and his board summed up their thoughts at their Monday, June 26 meeting. He made a farewell speech as did trustees Ed Henn and Laura Shapiro.

After serving on the board for many years, those leaving office had a moment to reflect on the job of serving the public. Mayor Murcott thanked all the people who work in the village building department, village office, court clerk. "It's been a very good time so thank you very much," he said.

Mr. Henn said this was his last election after 40 years of public service. "It's been hectic and I have worn a number of hats. I've been a trustee, worked on the planning board and as a police commissioner. My son asked, 'Dad what do you get paid for all the time you serve?' Nothing I said. I do it because I get to meet wonderful people including the staff here. Thank you for the friendship and support. I do not regret one minute. I enjoyed it - making the quality of life - where I live - to be better."

Trustee Henn had some advice for the new administration saying the village was at present a divided one and it would be in the best interests of everyone to start to bring everyone together. He said, "a team of horses has to be pulling in the same direction. Those of us still dedicated to the village will try to make that happen."

Trustee Laura Shapiro said, after her 20 + years, and after serving with two mayors and 11 trustees, she was retiring from public service. She read from a written speech. As Muttontown Beautification chairperson, she thanked Highway Commissioner Raz Tafuro for his help in replacing "quaint but not so visible signage with clear elegant signs."

She called Trustee Ed Henn, "A gentle man who came to us after serving in Farmingdale as a trustee. His wisdom and calm manner and sage advice has always been an asset to the board and mayor." She thanked him for the time and effort he spent in his role as chairman of the planning board saying, "We were so lucky to have such a knowledgeable person to fill that role." As police commissioner he worked to "hopefully" bring the new police headquarters to fruition.

She thanked trustee Russell Corker whom she called, "A truly southern well-bred man, who happily filled the role of deputy mayor and as tree warden strove to maintain the balance between the residents' needs and our desire to keep as many trees as possible in the village."

She thanked Trustee Rich Entel for his work with the East Norwich Fire Department and as deputy police commissioner working "in the negotiations and strategy on the police contract and new headquarters." She complimented him on his campaign for mayor saying, "I am proud that he chose to run a positive campaign and not resort to negativism." [Mr. Entel was not available for the meeting.]

Trustee Shapiro thanked Mayor Murcott who served for 34 years as a member of the planning board, chairman of the zoning board and for the last eight years as mayor. She said, "I respect Dick and hold him in the highest regard. He is easy to work with: always cheerful, in good humor and very energetic." She said she was glad to call him and his wife Mary, her friends.

She added, he chose the trustees in his administration for their opinions, lifestyle and beliefs; for their experience in business, law, construction and engineering; people who would represent different factions of the community.

She called him a hands-on mayor: always accessible, listening and responsive to residents. "If you ask Dick what his greatest accomplishment has been he would tell you it was his efforts to preserve open space. He has been attuned to all the land conservation efforts." She credited his willingness to attend numerous meetings to learn more about conservation, zoning issues, mayoral concerns and police issues. She added, "As trustees, we always have made decisions based on what we felt was best for the village and its residents. If we have made any errors in judgment they have been purely unintentional."

She also thanked village attorney Peter MacKinnon saying, "We all know he is compensated for his services, but his endless availability, dedication and devotion are priceless."

Ms. Shapiro also thanked her husband Bernard Shapiro for his three years of service to the village. "I consider introducing him to the board and residents as my major contribution," she said.

She recounted his hiring as the village administrator. She said the trustees received a memo in 2002 from Village Clerk/Treasurer Vivien Van Wagner stating, and she quoted, "Recent events in the building department bring to light the need to introduce hands on supervision over the entire department to quell the growth of resident annoyance, and prepare for the department's expected growth within the next year."

Ms. Shapiro said, "An evaluation by Dvika and Bartilucci, municipal consultants, resulted in them also recommending that the village needed building department supervision.

"The trustees hired Bernie for the job after receiving an opinion from New York State, that there would not be any [legal] conflict of interest if he was hired and I was a trustee as long as I did not participate or vote on any decisions concerning him," she said.

There was a question of the public's perception of a conflict of interest.

His wife said, "Bernie's subsequent efforts in reorganizing the building department, and his training of two outstanding administrative associates, Roseann Lydon and Tracy Lynch, has resulted in a department that now runs efficiently and professionally."

She added, "Under his guidance the department has settled: 168 outstandng ordinance violations, many of which the residents were unaware even existed and were happy to have them concluded; 142 received certificates of occupancy and when the residents sell or refinance they will be able to avoid a last minute costly scramble to obtain the required COs. Only 11 residents have not yet complied.

"Most importantly, over 75 legal pool fences have now been installed and only five residences have not complied: three of whom are actively working with the building department to achieve compliance.

"If we save any child's life we can all be proud."

She added, "Bernie is a kind and caring person who enjoyed helping his fellow residents and it is unfortunate that he has had to endure undeserved criticism but as I have indicated I think his work speaks for itself."

Ms. Shapiro said, "I hope the new administration serves the residents well. I feel that I was lucky to work here. I've enjoyed this and I hope the new administration will enjoy it as well."

Village Clerk/Treasurer Vivien Van Wagner said in a telephone interview, "Some of the older items [violations] that needed correcting were not issues of health and safety and now, all efforts are being made by residents to be up to date with their paperwork. In many cases inspections were done years ago but not all the 't's' were crossed and 'i's' dotted."

Interestingly, the Beckerman's have had an open issue on their house - of having additions to their home that were made in the 1970s that never received certificates of occupation although the young couple bought the house with the improvements there. It is a typical story of what has created controversy in the village.

Ms. Van Wagner said the Shapiros themselves "were even surprised to find their own property needed attention from the late '90s. They initiated some actions that were never brought to conclusion and when he came on board some of them were attended to - some were safety issues and some were aesthetic issues."

Ms. Van Wagner said one of the issues was a pool fence, and was of concern to the village since they are mandated by NYS law. That is why it is paid attention to. If you don't follow up with a CO on a shed it is not critical but that doesn't hold true for a fence around a pool, she added. The Shapiros put up a fence last summer. Everyone learned from the attention to detail.

As the meeting ended, Mayor Murcott announced that trustee Russell Corker is selling his house and leaving Muttontown and therefore was resigning from the board. [Mayor Beckerman will announce the new appointment shortly. She was inducted on the village hall steps on Monday July 3 by Village Clerk/Treasurer Van Wagner.] He added that Ed Henn was resigning from the Planning Board, Lawrence Smiley from the Planning Board and Adam Beckerman from being a tree warden.

He congratulated the election winners Julianne Beckerman, Pat Miller and Carl Juul-Nielsen saying that their terms will expire in 2010, which, he said, sounded like a long time away. Village Attorney Peter MacKinnon said the candidates agreed through their counsels that all legal procedures around the election were ended.

The board then went into executive session to hear attorney Murphy speak to the board on a potential litigation the subject of which was not revealed to the public.

People mingled after the board went into the clerk's office to talk. "I think the Julianne election really expresses the best of what local democracy is all about. Four years ago so few people voted. The people of the Village of Muttontown rose up and had their say. This is a wise mayor," said Brian Smith, ZBA member.

Julianne Beckerman said of her new job as mayor, "We have a wonderful team so together we will all do it. The residents will all do it. We're all neighbors. It really is humbling, but so many people care and are concerned."

Paul Leventhal, CPA and an American history buff specializing in the Founding Fathers said Thomas Jefferson, said, "The tree of Liberty should be watered from time to time with the blood of patriots."

It appeared the voting in Muttontown appeased that purpose, as it has in Oyster Bay Cove and other villages over the years. The voters come out and express their opinion and often return to grow their own gardens until the next time.

The village will have a new beginning on July 18 at their organizational meeting. The next board meeting will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 8. Usually the board didn't meet in August, but with a new administration that meeting is being scheduled. Additionally, future Muttontown meetings will be heard the second Tuesday of the month (instead of Mondays) per Mayor Beckerman.