Recently, there have been some important issues facing citizens in North Hempstead:

• The third track

• Garbage tipping fees

• Housing - allowing multiple non-related residents in one home

• Parks - North Hempstead assuming operations of Nassau County parks in our town.

Also, recently, in a Newsday article concerning falling mortgage tax revenue for L.I. towns, there was no information available from North Hempstead, whereas other towns furnished budgetary information.

Most residents know little about the town's position or their reasoning on these issues. Yet, they affect both our quality of life and economic well being.

Is there a better way to reach out to the citizens of North Hempstead? We believe so and we model it on what has transpired in the Village of Mineola, which is part of the Town of North Hempstead.

A few years ago, the Mineola Village Board voted to televise all its proceedings. Mineola Village Board meetings, public hearings and public meetings are all televised. Residents actively participate at these meetings or have the option to watch them on their public access cable TV station, including our seniors who have difficulty attending these meetings.

The result has been village citizens who are well informed on their village budget, services, new construction, safety and other important items of interest. Participation at these meetings has also resulted in the village board conducting further evaluations and coming up with new policies or modifying existing ones. We are well informed on our village matters and are prepared to let our voices be heard at our village meetings.

We should be allowed to participate in the same way at the Town of North Hempstead meetings. Why are our political leaders reluctant to televise government meetings? Special interests have easy access to the officials of the Town of North Hempstead, but the citizens of North Hempstead do not.

It is time for open government through televising all meetings and allowing citizen participation.

Carmine Festa

Dennis Walsh