The Dec. 3 Farmingdale Village Board meeting was run like any other; however, by the end of the night it was clear board members had taken sides on the upcoming contested mayoral election between Mayor George Graf and Trustee Butch Starkie.

First on the agenda, the board voted to recognize former Mayor Joseph Trudden with a photo presentation at Village Hall in April 2008.

Then they voted to utilize Parkland Funds totaling $14,100 to cover the balance remaining from the Northside Park construction. The village created the Parkland Fund last year in an effort to create and maintain open space in the village. Contractors seeking building permits are encouraged to voluntarily contribute toward a village need.

The board then approved 11 building permits after Building Superintendent Ron Craig described them as "nothing significant."

Almost $140,000 between five tax certioraris were voted on. Trustee Starkie pointed out that $120,000 was budgeted for tax certs for the 2007/08 fiscal year.

"That is gone," he said. "This is another $140,000 on top of that."

Mayor Graf explained that this is happening across the state and several other villages are struggling with paying out these tax certioraris.

"As our tax base shrinks, residents end up having to pick up the tab," he added.

As for the extra money, Village Clerk Dave Smollett explained, "when we pay the certs back it comes out of a bond anticipation note."

Village resident Chuck Gosline suggested getting together with other members of the Nassau County Village Officials Association to see if they could make a joint effort to reduce these tax certioraris.

Smollett said he would look into writing a letter.

After a year-and-a-half building moratorium, the board voted to extend it another six months to June 5, 2008.

The board then held a hearing on a local law to amend parking requirements at buildings where public assembly occurs. According to Craig, this includes places where assembly occurs to an extent of over 50 persons. It does not include retail or office space. Previously the law required one parking space for every four seats of use.

"The village sought to make it more strict and make it one parking space for every three seats," Village Attorney Kevin Walsh explained.

The board approved this amendment.

Gosline commented that the residents do not receive a copy of the local laws prior to them being discussed at meetings. He suggested making them available on the website or on paper at meetings.

Smollett explained that local law hearings are published in the Farmingdale Observer's legal section and posted on the village website.

A hearing on a local law dealing with construction run-off/sediment control at building sites was then held.

"This is to make sure ongoing construction is monitored by the village," Public Works Superintendent Fred Zamparelle said. "It is to make sure they are doing what is required according to the state's Stormwater Management Plan."

"This is a law that came down from New York State and we are enforcing it," Deputy Mayor Joe Rachiele added.

During the Good & Welfare portion of the evening, village resident Robert Jenkins again addressed traffic conditions on his block, Staples Street.

"The tree in front of my house has been hit five times," he added. "There are speeding cars that have jumped the sidewalks to avoid a crash. Trucks are using the road as a bypass."

Jenkins has an ill teenage son and expressed concern over his safety when walking on the block. He said he has addressed this issue with both the village and 8th Precinct several times.

Smollett said he spoke with 8th Precinct P.O.P. Officer Paul LaMonica just a few days prior regarding the situation and on that day, Dec. 3, a police car was dispatched to Staples Street to monitor the situation.

"He said 36 tickets were written in a matter of hours," Smollett said.

Village resident Jerry Ahearn inquired about kids skateboarding after dark at the new park.

Smollett assured that police are posting No Trespassing signs shortly and this should help curtail the problem.

Linwood Avenue resident Rich Gosline addressed his ongoing problem of flooding on his block. He said he wrote three letters to the village and has voiced his concern at previous board meetings.

Zamparelle said the Nassau County Department of Public Works said they would be sending a team in soon to clean the vegetative growth in drainage pipes. Although Zamparelle said he hadn't heard anything since the beginning of November.

"It's unfortunate it takes so long," Starkie said.

Staples Street resident Geoffrey Toole then offered praise to Zamparelle and his team for "doing a great job on the leaves this year."

A Taylor Road resident questioned the vacant land on his street. The village is currently in litigation with three neighbors who each claim they own it.

"The neighbor to the west sold their rights to the property to a third party," Walsh said.

According to Walsh a man named Amos Sullivan originally owned the property and his heirs deeded it to the village in 1948. The neighbors claim he deeded it to them before then.

"The neighbors are not paying taxing on the land now," he explained. "Taxes and ownership are not synonymous."

Walsh said they are expecting a decision in the spring.

Trustee Starkie requested that the village newsletter, which is published monthly, be suspended from now until the election.

"If not suspended, then get approval by the board," he suggested. "As of now it is not put together or approved by the board. The first time I see it is when it arrives in my mailbox."

Originally not a supporter of the newsletter, Starkie stated the village is spending too much money on it at the Aug. 7, 2006 board meeting. He also suggested then that it become a quarterly publication. Currently the village public relations representative, Dan Kornfeld, puts the newsletter together along with the mayor.

At that Aug. 7 meeting Trustee Pat Christiansen agreed with Starkie and mentioned the redundancy of having the same information in the Farmingdale Observer that appears in the newsletter.

Rachiele and Graf responded at this month's meeting that a quarterly publication presents a problem with the timeliness of items.

Also at the Aug. 7 meeting, Graf invited board members to write columns and contribute to the newsletter.

"At any time in the last 20 months he could have submitted an article and it would have been printed as long as it didn't attack the administration," Graf later told the Observer.

"Upon taking office four years ago I made a commitment to keeping residents informed," Graf said. "It's not only a celebration of all special events, it's also an information conduit that goes out on a monthly basis."

This led to a heated dialogue between board members, with Starkie and Christiansen on one side of the debate and Graf and Rachiele on the other. Trustee Tom Langon was not present at the meeting.

"The newsletter is an open communication to the people," village resident Geoffrey Toole said.

Other residents began shouting comments back and forth. Village resident Chuck Gosline commented that the mayor should allow the board to approve the newsletter before it's printed.

Walsh then chimed in, asking residents to allow the board members to make their comments as "the board listens to you when you speak."

Starkie said his main reason for the request was because "there's also political stuff in there that I'm not happy with."

Graf invited residents to log onto the village website and "see for yourself."

Graf contended that the newsletter was not political, but rather a compilation of "what is being accomplished."

Christiansen said in only the last issue were the trustees' names even mentioned.

"If the problem is that my picture is in the newsletter a lot, it is because I go to all of the events," Graf responded.

Christiansen said, "How could you say that? What events have we not been at?"

In the end, Graf said board members would be allowed to preview and comment on future newsletters.

The Village of Farmingdale will hold a board of trustees meeting on Monday, Jan. 7, 2008 at 7:30 p.m. All meetings are held at Village Hall. For more information call 249-0093 or visit www.farmingdalevillage.com.