Carlo Manganillo, the mayor of Plandome Manor and senior managing partner in a law firm that bears his name, is the Republican nominee this fall for the new North Hempstead councilmanic district covering all of Port Washington and parts of Manhasset.

Mayor Manganillo also has won the support of the Conservative and Independence parties and will be appearing Tuesday, November 4 on their ballot lines, as well.

The Port Washington-Manhasset councilmanic district, created earlier this year after North Hempstead's voters approved the expansion in the number of town board council seats to six from four, includes all of Port's villages and unincorporated areas as well as the Manhasset villages of Plandome Manor, Plandome, and Plandome Heights. Manganillo and his opponent are vying for a four-year term in what is known as District #6.

North Hempstead is home to about 220,000 and will elect for the first time this year council members from six separate districts in which a little more than 37,000 reside. The supervisor, town clerk, and receiver of taxes will continue to be elected in a townwide election.

"I'm in the midst of my third term as Plandome Manor's mayor, but believe I can help our North Shore communities even more by winning election to the town board," Manganillo said. Manganillo was a Plandome Manor trustee for five years before his election as mayor in 1999.

His service on the Nassau County Village Officials' Association (NCVOA), he added, has given him a broad understanding of the region's problems and a network of elected officials with whom he can work. He was co-chair of the NCVOA's small village committee.

Lazarowitz & Manganillo, his law firm, is marking its 30th anniversary this year and now has a total of 22 employees. They are headquartered in Brooklyn and specialize in real estate and litigation. Having earned an undergraduate degree from St. John's University, Manganillo worked early in his career as a teacher-librarian in the New York City public schools, a job he left after graduating from New York Law School and joining the law firm with which he remains to this day.

Manganillo and his wife, Kathleen, are the parents of three grown children and have three grandchildren. The Plandome Manor mayor and North Hempstead Republican-Conservative-Independence council candidate is also a member of the Nassau County Museum of Art's board.

The need for inter-municipal planning and cooperation, and community participation in problem solving were the predominant themes of our recent interview with Town Councilman Fred Pollack. "The best solutions come from the community," he said.

Pollack demonstrates his commitment to cooperative planning and his interest in the waterfront by serving on the Manhasset Bay Protection Committee, which includes representatives of the local incorporated villages, the Town of North Hempstead, and Nassau County. He also serves on the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee, another intermunicipal body. In addition, he sponsored the creation of the Town of North Hempstead Waterfront Advisory Commission. Pollack said that he started these waterfront related activities in 1994. "Now it is more important than ever," he said. "The waterfront is critical to the economic development of our area. It is important to bring different groups together to design and implement a comprehensive plan for the waterfront."

"We need to have an intermunicipal approach to planning," Pollack said. "There has to be a peninsula-wide approach, and we have to generate discussion and come up with creative ideas. We have to stop thinking the way we always have."

Pollack included the special districts in his plea for cooperative planning. "I'd like to get them all in a room," he said. For example, perhaps they could plan and schedule major projects together to reduce the impact on the taxpayer. They could consider joint purchasing, as could the villages. Pollack would not exclude the Town government from scrutiny. "We should look at what we have and ask, if we were to do it over, would we do it this way? Like a 'sunset' law. Maybe we would do it the same way, maybe not."

A major concern, mentioned by almost everyone - citizens and elected officials alike - is overdevelopment, with the resulting traffic problems and the strain on the infrastructure (schools, water and sewer systems, and so forth). Pollack's plea for comprehensive planning would be a major factor in finding solutions. One action that the Town did reduced the floor area ratio, which he said was helpful. Pollack suggested another approach, which he called "radius control." That is, no one would be allowed to build a house more than a certain percentage - say 5 to 7 percent - larger than what is within the surrounding area. "We cannot allow unbridled development. We have to find a way to control it," he commented.

Pollack said that he has worked hard to strengthen the Town Code. "I write my own laws," he said. One of the code items that he worked on dealt with abandoned vehicles. Another toughened the regulations for illegal occupancy. It is now a crime for an owner to rent illegally, and the fines have been increased. In addition, if there is found to be a threat to health and safety, the Town attorneys are authorized to take action to remove everyone from the premises, and revoke the certificate of occupancy (c of o). In such a case, the owner would have to re-apply for a new c of o. "We have to get them out," Pollack said. "Individual communities should not have to bear the burden of a society that fails to provide adequate housing."

Workforce housing for younger people is another priority for Councilman Pollack. He pointed out one important issue with respect to the lack of affordable housing for our younger workforce, which is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to recruit and retain young men and women for our volunteer fire departments. "They have a real age issue," he said.

Pollack spearheaded the creation of an Environmental Trust Fund. (Note that this is distinct from the Environmental Legacy Fund.) The fund is a public-private partnership designed to encourage donations of money or property for environmental purposes. It was passed a few years ago, and is now getting more active. The property or funds that are contributed can only be used for only for new efforts at beautification.

Pollack is the Town's representative to the Senior Citizen Commission of the Town of North Hempstead. He is proud of what they have done for seniors, but says that he wants to revitalize and refocus the Commission. "We have done a great job for the active seniors," he said, "but I don't think we've done enough for the homebound elderly." For example, he would like to address their need for transportation, accessible housing, and find a way to provide Internet access to link them with the outside world. One of the things the Commission is engaged in currently is persuading taxi companies to give discounts to seniors during off-peak hours. Some companies have already agreed; some are actively considering it.

Fred Pollack has been a member of the North Hempstead Town Board for six years (not consecutive). Under the new re-districting, he is running for re-election as the representative from Port Washington (the five villages and the unincorporated are), Plandome, Plandome Manor, and Plandome Heights. He said he has been in public service virtually all his life

Pollack is an attorney in private practice specializing in criminal defense and family law, and occasionally practices election law. He and wife Merryl, a registered nurse, have lived in Port Washington nearly 20 years.

Pollack reiterated that he is committed to working with the community with the intention of ensuring that the taxpayers can get the best possible value for their tax dollars. "We want your input," he repeated. "Come to Town Hall to see us; phone, write or e-mail." (Pollack's e-mail address is pollackf@northhempstead.com.)