In his letter to the editor (June 22: Response to Village Action on Closing Day Laborers Site) Mr. Thompson suggests that Farmingdale Village has control over who is permitted to speak at a village board meeting. This assumption could not be further from the truth, in fact, such a practice would be against the law.

One of the main purposes of a village board meeting is to provide a forum for the public to be heard. In Farmingdale, anyone who attends a board meeting is treated with respect and given a chance to be heard. No concern is too small.

Although village officials set an agenda for each meeting, under New York State law, we cannot prohibit anyone from speaking publicly and no advance notice is required. This has been a normal practice in Farmingdale since its first village board meeting was held in 1904.

If Mr. Thompson has a solution to the problems regarding the day workers, we invite him to come forward to share his ideas.

Joseph M. Trudden

Mayor, Inc. Village of Farmingdale