Summer was around the corner at the Mary Jane Davies Park on June 6 when the Manhasset Chamber of Commerce held its annual outdoor picnic in the shade of the gazebo. Members and government dignitaries rubbed elbows until Nancy Morris, chamber vice-president, began her opening remarks, noting Town of North Hempstead Supervisor, Jon Kaiman, was called away suddenly and that Councilman Fred Pollack would pinch hit. Pollack was asked to provide updates on the Plandome Road visioning process and on the problems at the building department.

Regarding the visioning process, Morris asked, "Where do we go from here?" Kaiman had indicated earlier, she said, that he had traveled to Washington in an attempt to secure funds to finance improvements recommended by the visioning process. What happened?

Morris stated the chamber is following economic developments on Plandome Road and that there are vacancies. She said the town should not be an impediment to business formation, rather, it should provide assistance. The building department was criticized for taking far too long to process permits.

Pollack took the floor and informed the gathering that the town has 32 miles of waterfront and Jon Kaiman was attending an American Waterfront Association meeting in Washington where 47 municipalities had assembled to lobby the federal government for funds.

He then addressed Plandome Road, a county road in the process of being transferred to the town. Once the town is in control of the road the proposed improvements, a result of visioning meetings with the community, will be easier to implement, he said. As always Pollack stressed that in the visioning process the improvements should originate with the community, not the politicians. Plandome Road, he avowed, has the exciting possibility of not only improved safety, but of becoming a destination, an economic engine, the heartbeat of the town.

A chamber member reminded Pollack that town activist, Betsy Chesebrough, had spent years on the equivalent of the visioning process and nothing ever happened. If there is a budget for improvements on Plandome Road, she suggested, it should be safeguarded and not swept away on some other project. Pollack responded that when the town commits to do it and the funding for big - ticket items is in place, it will get done. For smaller ticket items, like cross walks and bump outs, he said, they can get estimates and decide whether to do them in house or not, and then include it in the next year's budget. At present, according to Pollack, there is funding solely for the visioning study conducted by the engineering firm. He stressed once more that elected officials are not sitting in a room somewhere making decisions about the visioning process, that the community has been invited to contribute.

Three million has been secured for the transfer of roads and parks from the county to the town and as passive parks don't require as much upkeep, there are not many operational costs involved, Pollack said. He added they have been trying for years to get Hempstead Harbor (county) because it is adjacent to Bar Beach (town) and it makes sense to be owned by one entity. "Then you just take down the fence separating them," Pollack said.

"My taxes have tripled in three years," bemoaned a member, "Won't the transfer of Plandome Road and various parks to the town increase our taxes?" Pollack quickly said town taxes are not the major culprit, property taxes are. He said all roads must be in good condition at the transfer, that future expenses would be covered by 5 - year maintenance plans. The town is spending $5 1/2 million in Mill Pond in Port Washington, Pollack said, and most of that has been federal and state money. "We have been lucky securing funds," he added.

A chamber member asked, "If the town receives money for renting space to outsiders for an event in Manhasset, does that money stay in Manhasset?" No, Pollack said, it goes into the Town of North Hempstead budget for parks unless a specific request is made to use the money in Manhasset. "How about using the money to clean up Valley Park," the questioner suggested.

On the second topic, the building department, Pollack declared, "For 3 1/2 years we have been trying to restructure the building department." He said the internal procedures have been overhauled, codes changed, people hired, processes streamlined, and it had been computerized. The real issue is why does everything take so long? Pollack suggested partly because of all the changes implemented at the department, and the desire to make those changes properly the first time so in the future the department will work more efficiently, those changes have taken longer. A Request For Proposal (RFP) has gone out to consultants to review the planned building department changes, and Pollack acknowledged, "The process should be fair, not different outcomes for similar issues."

A complaint was registered that a permit requested from the building department in December 2006 for a small renovation had produced no permit and no feedback. For all the petitioner knew the request had been lost. It was suggested the building department initiate pro-active courtesy and update petitioners on the status of their requests.

The topic switched to garbage pickup on Plandome Road and whether it was adequate. Some stores generate more refuse than others, and there is a law on the books that store owners are responsible for maintaining the space in front of their establishments. Town Clerk Leslie Gross said all should work together as a community and if you spot debris pick it up. If you see someone littering remind them there are receptacles for their personal trash. Pollack suggested if the situation is egregious, call 311. A member suggested the code enforcement arm of the zoning board should get involved to keep the town litter free. Rita Eredics said she has observed that the Villa Milano restaurant sends its employees into the park across the street to pick up garbage. And, Eredics said, "Garbage doesn't have a name on it." She wished others would be as civic minded.