For the seventh consecutive year, Plandome proposes no tax increase. The rate of $17.48 per $100 of taxable assessed valuation would remain. The board of trustees provided residents with a tentative budget summary for their review and comments.

Increases in appropriations for general government and transportation were offset by decreases in appropriations for public safety, home and community services, and employee benefits. For general government, contractual expenses were up. These are expenses for legal fees, village hall maintenance, ordinance review and notification, and contingency expenses.

Savings in the budget come from many areas. Notable are the decrease in the cost of the purchase of water and the decrease in spending in fire department equipment.

Revenues for the village are expected to be down slightly with a loss mainly in interest earnings.

A public hearing on the adoption of the budget and annual meeting of the village is scheduled for Tuesday, April 14.

In addition to the budget, the board set its objectives for the upcoming fiscal year. The board will continue to codify village ordinances, study the feasibility of improvements to Plandome Road, continue the refurbishment of the Village Hall, and maintain the funding for the Shade Tree Program.

After the informal hearing on the budget, the board formally adopted Local Law No. 1-1998, a law which relates to fees, charges and deposits that will be paid to the Village's Board of Zoning Appeals. Effective immediately, a filing fee of $175 and a hearing cost deposit of $600 are required. Trustee Michael Donoghue, confidant that the law "will service both the village and residents alike," applauded the adoption of the statute.

On highway matters, the engineering study for the improvement to Plandome Road continues. Additional drainage data is still being gathered. A meeting between the village engineer, Rich Webber, of Sidney Bowne and Son and Nassau County is planned to review the relevant drainage issues. On March 27, Sidney Bowne and Son will submit to the village the formal proposal for the design for the improvement to Plandome Road.

Trustee Betty Craco updated her report on the Shade Tree Program. The decline of Plandome's numerous Norway maples continues at an alarming rate. Of the 474 village trees surveyed in 1997, 46 were removed, a loss of 10 percent of the village tree stock. Of the 46 removed, 20 trees of different varieties were replanted. A number of trees were pruned and fertilized - 138 in total. The cost of the project was $41,650. The board has proposed the same expenditure for the upcoming fiscal year.

One of the problems with the replanting is the size of the trees. Normally, they are two and one-half to three inches in width. In an attempt to plant trees four and one-half to five inches in width, the village is looking into a plan that would allow residents to contribute the difference in price for the purchase of the larger trees and take the amount as a tax deduction. Since all trees would be totally located on public right-of-way and under the complete control of the village, the donor's property would only receive a nominal benefit, making the contribution fully deductible.

Trustee Scott Wilson presented the board with a final draft of the rules for the use of Plandome Village Hall. The general provisions, user responsibilities, prohibitions, and security are all designed to keep the historic village centerpiece as a community center and preserve "the fine, old building and give it the respect that it deserves."

The next board meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 14. This is the annual meeting of the village. All residents are encouraged to attend.