Our monthly Farmingdale village trustee meetings are a great opportunity for all village residents and interested community members to see firsthand how village government operates. The meetings also offer attendees an opportunity to address the board. Board meetings allow residents to share their observations, suggestions and thoughts on how we can make our village a better place to live, work and play. Community input plays an important role in local government. I hope all residents will come to our meetings at some point in time. Many times the wrong information is spread through hearsay and innuendo. My administration and I are proud of our open government policy. The system works and will get even better as more people come to the meetings and get involved (as the following true story illustrates).

A village resident came to the last trustees meeting and voiced her concern over the trees being removed at the department of public works facility on Ridge Road. Fred Zamparelle, our DPW superintendent, explained the details of what was happening and why and then invited her to meet with him and the mayor on another occasion to see firsthand what they were doing. Village attorney Greg Carman arranged for a meeting this past Saturday. She was given a tour that, not only included her area of concern, but also included a tour of the revamped facility where she saw many examples of how the department is turning around the years of neglect it inherited. She also received a full explanation and saw first\hand why the trees needed to be taken down. The post 9/11 era has created Homeland Security requirements that mandate certain public work areas to be visible from a required distance. This makes it easier for police and law enforcement agencies to monitor the site. The necessary trees have been removed to meet the requirements. Now understanding the situation, she walked away with a much greater understanding of what our DPW department is involved in and how Fred and his crew really do care about doing what's not only the best for the village but also the most economical. Please be assured that we will continue our open government policy and strive to include all who are interested in helping us make decisions to benefit the entire village.