Message From Mayor Morrow
June 13, 2011

Village Residents,

We are a few days away from the start of summer and the end of the school year. And while it’s a gift to live in this community all year- summer is particularly special. It is also the season with the most activity.

I wanted to take a minute to put out a few reminders:

• Your fellow residents are out walking on our narrow roads- children are playing and riding their bikes. Please drive slowly and observe the speed limits. In fact, on many roads drive lower than the speed limit. Please stay off cell phones, refrain from texting and make full stops at our stop signs. Let’s make sure we are all safe.
• Your fellow residents are out walking on our narrow roads- children are playing and riding their bikes. Please drive slowly and observe the speed limits. In fact, on many roads drive lower than the speed limit. Please stay off cell phones, refrain from texting and make full stops at our stop signs. Let’s make sure we are all safe.
• Our Village code states that all dogs need to be on a leash and we must pick up after them, including on the beach. Please respect your neighbors.
• Construction can only be done Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.
• Construction on weekends is not allowed.
• Landscaping can be done Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
• Landscapers are not allowed to work in the Village on Sundays.
• Please lock your cars in your driveways. We have had numerous thefts over the years from cars left unlocked with valuables in them.
• Please be cautious when swimming off our beaches alone.
• All State laws regarding fireworks will be enforced by our Village Police.
• Call the police for any of the issues listed above or if you see something suspicious. You can call them at 631 427-2020. If you get Voicemail CALL 911- we have set up 911 in Huntington Bay so that the calls go to a dispatcher on duty 24 hours in Northport. That dispatcher will handle the call if it is an emergency. They will also contact the officer on duty to respond to the issue you are calling about even if not an emergency. Again: 911 in Huntington Bay is NOT restricted to emergency calls only. That dispatcher will handle the call if it is an emergency. They will also contact the officer on duty to respond to the issue you are calling about even if not an emergency. Again: 911 in Huntington Bay is NOT restricted to emergency calls only.

Enjoy the summer! Feel free to contact me with any issue you have or if you have any questions or suggestions. You can reach me at 631 423 8291 or by email at hfmhuntbay@aol.com.

Sincerely,
Herb Morrow Mayor

Message From Mayor Morrow
August 2009

Dear Village Residents;

I would like to update you on a few issues in our community.

VILLAGE BOARD ORGANATIONAL MEETING:
We held our annual organizational meeting in the July Board meeting. Trustees Dennis Gai and John McCusker were sworn in having been re-elected in June. Jay Cavanagh was appointed to another term as a member of the Zoning Board. The following annual appointments were made;

The Village Trustees and Mayor are elected for two year terms - elections held in June. Members of the Zoning Board of Appeals are appointed by the Trustees serving five year terms with one position up every year. Other appointments made by the Board are for one year. The Village Board of Trustees, Zoning Board and I all work as volunteers.

I believe that we are fortunate to have Boards, Staff and an appointed team that have significant expertise in municipal policy and procedures, substantial experience with our Village Code and issues and who all work together for the benefit of our community. And we have a professional, highly trained, dedicated Police Department, one of a few “accredited” departments in all of New York , making this an exceptional place to live.

GARBAGE COLLECTION:
In June, Winters Brothers significantly increased the cost of service. In an effort to alleviate your concerns and objections to that increase, the Village has had a number of discussions and meetings with them. At our August meeting, the Board concluded that it
is in the best interest of the Village to continue the long standing service with Winters Brothers. Each homeowner will be receiving notice from them with a new rate retroactive to June 1st. They will also offer resident discounts on dumpsters. The arrangement continues to be that Winters Brothers is contracting with the individual homeowner not the Village. They have agreed to consult with the Board prior to any change in your service/fees. While not having approval authority, the Village will serve as an advocate for the residents. It is our opinion that Winters Brothers service is excellent, their trucks are clean and drivers are courteous. We believe this is the best solution at this time.

VILLAGE HALL RENOVATIONS:
Renovations at Village Hall have been completed! All work was done with a grant from New York State. We put on a new roof, painted the interior, installed new carpet and re-furnished. A second grant from the Town will allow us to renovate the lavatory in the fall. It is important to keep this historic site, built in 1925, maintained. It is also important that we have professional space for our staff to work and for those who come to the hall. Thanks to Lynn and Kristen for managing the project.

POLICE DEPARTMENT:
Police Chief Hubbs recently added a new part-timer to our Staff. Mathew McCormick comes to us with great experience working as a Sergeant in the Suffolk County Police Department. We are delighted to have him and welcome him. Chief Hubbs has also received a grant to replace our oldest police car with a new one. Keeping our police vehicles current is important to insure that our officers have proper equipment to do their jobs and are personally safe when doing so. Thanks to the Chief for his work.

FINANCIALS:
The annual audit has been completed. It was presented to the Board in our August meeting by the outside accounting firm that conducts the audit. Copies are available at Village Hall for review. The annual budget passed in April is on the website.

VILLAGE CODE:
Modifications were made in our August Board meeting to the Village Code as it relates to Lot Area Coverage, Floor Area Ratios and the Waterfront Preservation District. Those changes can be found on our Village website.

NEW YORK STATE CLEAN WATER BOND ACT:
The drainage work as part of the Clean Water Bond Act has been completed in Bay Hills. Thanks to Dennis Gai for his leadership and the Bay Hills Association for its cooperation.

ROAD ISSUE:
We have had a very wet spring and summer, causing substantial growth in trees and shrubs. Most of our roads are very narrow and overgrowth that spreads into the streets can cause dangerous situations. Please trim your hedges and trees as soon as possible so that they do not extend into the road. Everyone’s cooperation is needed.

A FEW REMINDERS -

Please Drive Slowly! - Folks are out- Our kids are out - Our roads are narrow-

Please report any suspicious activity in the Village immediately to the Police.

Lock your cars in your driveways or at our beaches- don’t leave valuables in them.

Permits are required for many construction/alteration projects. If you are not sure if you need a permit contact Village Hall.

Construction is not permitted in the Village on Saturday and Sundays.

Professional Landscapers are not permitted to work in the Village on Sunday.

Residents are required to keep dogs on a leash and to clean up after them.

Contact Village Hall/ Police if you are having an event requiring parking on the street.

The Village Board meets on the second Monday of every month. The Hall is open Monday thru Friday from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Agendas for both Board meetings are posted on our website one week prior to the meeting. Minutes of the meetings are posted on the website. Public Hearings are noticed in the Long Islander. Letters are sent, as a courtesy, to homes within 200 ft of a proposed application.

Visit our website for information, press releases and notices. We suspended the Village Quarterly because of budget reasons. While we will do an occasional letter like this one, the best place for information is on the website.

Enjoy the rest of the summer! Feel free to contact me with suggestions, comments or questions through the Village Hall, or (631) 423-8291 or hfmhuntbay@aol.com.

Sincerely,

Herb Morrow
Mayor

Message From Mayor Morrow
June 10, 2009

Dear Village Residents,

Since last Saturday I have received many phone calls from Village Residents regarding their garbage removal bill from Winters Brothers. The cost of service was increased $20 per month/ per home, an increase of over 60%. The only notice of this was a one line statement stamped on the bill. This is on top of fuel surcharges that were increased last year in the same manner. Residents who have called the company and complained have received reductions that fluctuate between $5.00 and $20.00 per month. This type of random negotiation is unfair to all the residents in our community.

As you are probably aware, the Village does not manage this service. The practice has been in place for some time and the “contract” is really between the individual home and the contractor, The recent increases in price with no oversight makes me believe it’s time to review the way this is done.

In an effort to protect the welfare of our residents, the Village Board of Trustees intends to evaluate whether it should exercise its right to take over the management of trash collection services. We would have three options: we could collect garbage ourselves as some Villages do, enter into an intermunicipal agreement with the Town of Huntington, or send out a Request for Proposals and award the work to a contractor that met certain criteria, who would then report to the Village. In any of these options, the Village would manage and oversee the cost and quality of the service. Instead of receiving a monthly bill from the carting company directly, the cost of service would be in your Village tax bill.

We will be reviewing these options over the next thirty days and will report back to the residents before we make a decision. If you have any questions please let me know. I would like to hear your opinions on this issue. You can reach me through Village Hall (631)427-2843 or by email at hfmhuntbay@aol.com.

Sincerely

Herb Morrow
Mayor

Message From Mayor Morrow
June 5, 2009

Dear Village Residents-

I want to update everyone on our 2009-2010 Village Budget (click here to view). The process this year was challenging because of the economy. At our May meeting, we passed a budget that had a 2% increase in the tax rate- 2 points higher than I wanted. But that was the minimum revenue increase needed to make the budget work this year.

We made a number of decreases to reduce costs. These included:

(* Unless Sponsors/Advertisers can be found to completely offset the cost. Suggestions are welcomed!)

We reviewed our financial obligations in compensation and benefits to the current police department, the current retired police officers and the anticipated obligations to those who will retire in the future. We also carefully reviewed discretionary police spending.

On the revenue side, we expect to see a continued reduction in Interest Income, Mortgage Tax revenue and State and County aid. We made our best estimates for non-tax revenues, seeking input from local officials and professionals. We also carefully reviewed unused funds from prior years that are still good for this year, primarily for roads. A detailed analysis of our cash positions was done to insure funds are sufficient, safely invested and available as needed.

While grants have gotten fewer and harder to get, we have pursued them aggressively. We recently received a State grant that paid for much needed renovations to Village Hall. Our Hall was built in 1925 and needs to be maintained. We were able to put on a new roof, paint, replace the 13 year old carpet and acquire some new furniture. This was done at no cost to Village residents. Special thanks to Kristen Gerken for her diligence in getting these funds. Police Chief Hubbs was also able to secure a grant for a new police vehicle which we need to replace an older one. That was a huge help to the budget this year and again the vehicle will be gotten with no cost to the residents.

In addition, we have submitted five proposals for ‘shovel ready’ projects to be funded by the Federal Government’s Stimulus Plan. They include three road projects and two projects to upgrade Village property. The first property is at the corner of Vineyard and Kaiser Hill Road and the second is the property behind Village Hall and the renovation of the barn to serve as storage for Village records. There is tremendous competition for these finds but we will be in there trying to get something for our Village.

A summery of the budget is attached and is on the Village website. If you have specific questions on any line item please let me know.

We make every effort to keep our residents informed. Our communication efforts will continue to include:

Our annual Village election is on June 16th. Two Trustee positions are up. Voting is from Noon-9 p.m. at Village Hall. Village elections are held every June.

Again, if you have any questions or comments, please contact me via telephone or email.

Hope you all have a great summer!

Sincerely,

Herb Morrow
Mayor

Click here for 2009/2010 budget

___________________

Message From Mayor Morrow
August 2008

Dear Village Residents,

As we start our new Village Government year on July 1st, I want to thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Mayor for another term.  The Board of Trustees, the Zoning Board of Appeals, the Police Department, Staff and I are all committed to providing the Village with the highest level of service in New York State.

We were delighted to receive the accreditation of our Police Department from the New York State Department of Criminal Justice in June as outlined in the cover story.  This is a very big deal for our Village.  It recognizes commitment to the highest standards of police work that our department displays every day, now recognized by the State. I am proud to say that we live in one of the safest communities in America.  The Board congratulates Police Chief Hubbs and his team who proposed the idea, sought the Board members support, did all of the documentation and requirements, hosted the accreditation team from the State and went to Albany for final review.  We were delighted to have the representatives from the State join us at the July meeting to make the presentation.  We were also honored to have our State Senator Carl Marcellino join us.  Senator Marcellino continues to be a strong supporter of our efforts.

During our July meeting Senator Marcellino administered the oath of office to the individuals who were re-elected in June.  In addition we made our annual appointments which included:  Dennis Gai as Deputy Mayor, Road and Police Commissioner, Lynn Pincomb as Village Administrator, Kristen Gerken as Deputy Clerk and Village Court Clerk, Mara Manin as Village Attorney, Carl Lawrence and Andrew Lawrence as Prosecuting Attorneys, Richard Kinch as Building Inspector, Jeff Volmuth as Village Engineer and the Long Islander as Village Newspaper for public notices.  

Our annual audit will be conducted in August by an outside independent accounting firm. A summary of our budget is included in this issue.  Should you have any questions about it, please contact me.

During the year we attempt to provide information about the Village’s Government in various ways.  This includes; our monthly Board meeting on the second Monday of every month; meeting agendas; meeting minutes and various other items posted on our website www.HuntingtonBay.org ; our Village Quarterly; and  press releases to the local papers asking them to cover issues in the Village.  I also have communicated to all of you that I am available to meet with the Board and/or membership of the various associations in the Village.  These meetings have been very productive.  In addition, Lynn and Kristen are available at Village Hall Monday through Friday.   As always, I am available to by email at hfmhuntbay@aol.com  or by phone at (631) 423-8291.

Please support our second annual Operation School Supply Drive by dropping supplies off at Village Hall by August 22nd.  Your help is appreciated.

Our New Residents party will be held in September.  Anyone who has moved into the Village in the last year will receive an invitation.

Enjoy the rest of the summer!

Sincerely,

Herb Morrow
Mayor

(Letter from the Mayor -Summer 2008 Quarterly)