As part of Mayor Andrew Hardwick's ongoing quality-of-life initiative, the Long Island Railroad will be performing their bridge painting project at North Main Street in the Village of Freeport during the month of March. They will continue to paint the overpass as weather permits. Due to the nature of the work it will be necessary to close the road at this location while the work is being done.

This work cannot be performed under inclement weather so therefore the schedule may change on a continuing basis. The current schedule is as follows:

The southbound lanes will be closed on North Main Street directly below the railroad tracks
from March 3rd to the19th

If you have any questions or concerns please call the Village Engineering Department at 516 377-2233

2010 Sanitation Schedule by Area [Additional info...]

While the Freeport Police Department is actively investigating a recent spate of vehicle break-ins, officials also urge motorists to take the following precautions to secure and protect their belongings:

• Lock your vehicle, and if you have a car alarm, activate it.

• Make every effort to park and secure your vehicle in a well-lit area.

• Remove items from your vehicle whenever it is left unattended. These items include, but are not limited to: wallets, pocketbooks, portable GPS units, gifts, clothing, loose change and electronic devices, such as iPods, laptop computers, satellite radios and cell phones. Remember to record serial numbers for all your valuables, so that if the items are stolen and recovered, they can be identified.

• Do not place valuables in the glove compartment or underneath the seat. Thieves will quickly find them. Remember to not leave anything on display that could tempt a thief.

"We also ask you to remain vigilant and always call 911 if you observe any suspicious persons or activity in your area," Freeport Police Chief Michael Woodward says.

For further information, please contact the Freeport Police Department Community Response Unit at 516-377-2438.

Ty Pennington and his crew have been all across the map, and they are ready to drive that famous bus into Freeport!

Who are they looking for? Deserving families and individuals who have amazing strength of character and put their own needs aside to help others. Whether it's a mom, a soldier, a teacher or a firefighter, they are deserving persons or families who inspire those around them. In addition, the producers are looking for families whose houses need major alterations or repair -- homes that present serious problems for the family and affect their quality of life.

Eligibility: Families must own their own single-family house and be able to show the producers how much of a difference a home makeover would make in their lives.

Interested families -- or those who wish to nominate a family -- should e-mail a short description of the family's story to CastLongIsland@gmail.com .

Nominations must include:
1. The names and ages of each member of the household.
2. A description of the major challenges within the home.
3. An explanation of why the family is deserving or a positive role model in their community.
4. Photos of the family and a photo of the home.
5. A contact phone number.

The deadline for nominations is March 15, 2010.
[Additional info...]

Recruiting efforts for the volunteer positions will enhance the police department's ongoing crime-prevention efforts across the Village. Volunteers must be at least 21 years old.

For more information, click the "Additional info" link below, send an e-mail to ncap@auxiliary-police.org or call Chief Woodward at 516-377-2480.

[Additional info...]

More than 150 people joined Mayor Andrew Hardwick Jan. 28 at the unveiling of the plan during a commuinty meeting at Perfecting Faith Church, 311 N. Main St., a 3,000-member congregation located in the targeted redevelopment area.

After months of research, planning and community input, Mayor Hardwick says he's excited about the way the plan is taking shape. "The plan is coming along better than great for the simple fact that it has the residents’ fingerprints all over it, and not just the mayor's," he said. "From the beginning, I’ve said that this comprehensive plan must include the thoughts and visions of the residents. That will help to create a solid Master Plan for the Village."

Time is of the essence for Freeport, and "opportunity is knocking loud and clear,” he added, issuing a challenge to residents village-wide. “If you really care about Mrs. Freeport, stay involved or get involved to help make the change that’s needed.”

To read the 83-page Draft Master Plan, click the “Rebuilding Freeport” link on the home page or "Additional info..." below.
[Additional info...]

The Engineering Department is asking residents who would like to have a tree planted in front of their homes to call the office at 516-377-2233 and request that their names and addresses be added to the waiting list. Locations on the waiting list will receive top priority once the program resumes. Please note: Whenever the program starts up again, trees no longer will be planted in the spring but the fall, in hopes they will live longer and flourish.

And remember this: Planting trees around your home can increase its value up to 15 percent or more. The trees you plant remove carbon dioxide from the air and help fight global warming. They also produce oxygen and give songbirds a home.

The visitors, led by Zefeng Chen, chief executive officer and lead economist at Zhongde Waste Technology AG, included other high-level company officials and John Wang, founder and president of the New York in China Center in Beijing and the Asian American Business Development Center in Manhattan, which sponsors the Empire State’s “Invest in New York” trade missions to China.

Zhongde is a manufacturer of 21st-Century incinerators that convert solid waste into electric and thermal energy. The company, which is headquartered in Hamburg, Germany and has its production base in Fuzhou, China, is considering building a waste-to-energy plant in Freeport at a projected cost of $460 million to $550 million. It would be the first of a generation of high-end, “WtE conversion technology” in the eastern United States and on Long Island. Using the latest WtE technology, the proposed plant would have the capacity to treat up to 3,200 tons of solid waste and generate about 650 to 850 kilowatts of clean, locally-controlled electricity per day for Freeport and for resale to the Long Island Power Authority and the New York grid.

The process Zhongde uses also could provide thermal energy for manufacturing and heating Village-owned facilities and commercial businesses in the Village’s industrial park. Under the proposal, the plant would dispose of the solid waste from Freeport Village and other municipalities at a substantial savings over existing disposal methods. The project also would create 120 permanent jobs in Freeport and increase tax revenue to the Village. It would have the added benefit of reducing the need for more landfill space.

In addition to addressing the ongoing issue of climate control, “the project will serve as the nexus of a relationship between China and Freeport that could be a long-term source of revenue and tax relief for our property owners,” Mayor Hardwick said. “A facility like this would allow us to slash our waste-disposal costs, lower electric rates for our residents and hold the line on taxes. We could literally turn our garbage and other people’s waste into energy and sell our excess power back to LIPA. It is an innovative project that we clearly hope will come to fruition in Freeport.”

During Friday’s visit, Mayor Hardwick and other elected officials, including Assemblywoman Earlene Hooper (D-Hempstead), who is Deputy Speaker of the New York State Assembly, and Senator John L. Sampson (D Brooklyn), leader of the Democratic Conference of the New York State Senate, also had a chance to show the Chinese visitors some of the best that Freeport has to offer. They took a trip to the world-famous Nautical Mile, stopping to have a working luncheon at one of its most popular restaurants, E.B. Elliott’s. Mayor Hardwick then took the delegation on a guided tour of the Village’s industrial park and power plant.

The Zhongde waste disposal proposal is advancing quickly from the discussion stage to the planning stage. As a follow-up to a recent meeting between the Chinese delegation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the project is being prepared for a full review by that agency. The mayor’s objective is to execute a memorandum of understanding with Zhongde by late spring. "Having a cutting-edge, waste-to-energy plant in Freeport could have enormous benefits for its residents and all of Long Island", Mayor Hardwick said.

“This is the leading company in the world that builds this kind of facility. It is an innovative project that would also put Freeport Village on the front line of President Barack Obama’s global initiative for environmental enhancement and climate control.”

WATER WORKS “RACKETEERING” LAWSUITS SETTLED

[Water Works Realty Corp. and Gary Melius vs Harrison J. Edwards, William F. Glacken, Renaire Frierson-Davis, Jorge Martinez, Donald K. Miller, William H. White, et. al., in the United States District Court - Case Nos. Civ. 08-04754 and Civ. 08-00449]

As Mayor of the Incorporated Village of Freeport, I am pleased to report to the taxpayers of Freeport Village that my administration has been able to settle the “Water Works” lawsuits that we inherited from the former Glacken administration. Those alleged federal “Racketeering and Corrupt Organization” claims were projected to cost us millions in lawyer’s fees and had the potential to bankrupt the Village if the individual defendants lost. I am especially gratified that we found a way to structure the settlement in a manner that will avoid bonding and/or raising taxes.

The disputes underlying the legal actions began in 1997, and the lawsuits were filed in 2005 – four years before I and Trustees Kennedy and Pineyro were elected. We have absolutely no personal interests in the lawsuits. Yet we were put in the position of having to settle a legal action where the alleged misconduct of some Freeport officials, if proven, would expose the Village to a jury verdict that could bankrupt us. It is the duty of the Mayor and the Village Board to protect the residents and taxpayers of Freeport. So, I and the members of my administration took action and voted in favor of settling the lawsuits.

We voted for the proposed settlement on and with the advice of counsel. The settlement was recommended by our risk manager and every attorney in the lawsuits except the firm representing the primary defendants (Glacken, Edwards, Frierson-Davis, Miller and White). Although the allegations, if proven, paint an egregious picture of wrongdoing by certain individual defendants, it would ultimately be our taxpayers who would have to pay for any misconduct.

We could accept the recommended settlement or face paying out millions of dollars in attorney’s fees and millions more in damages. That was a gamble we were not willing to take. Here is the math we were faced with in attorney’s fees alone, as well as expenses for the Village of Freeport and the eight individual defendants for whom we were statutorily obligated to provide attorneys:

$300,000 - Attorney’s fees paid through November 1, 2009.

$2,100,000 - Projected attorney’s fees through the end of trial.

$250,000 - Additional attorney’s fees for an appeal (win or lose).

$250,000 - Additional expenses if the matter was retried (appeal).

In reviewing the proof submitted to the Village, we were concerned that the Village of Freeport faced the possibility of a jury verdict awarding significant damages to the plaintiff. In the worst case scenario, the exposure would be astronomical. Conservatively, these are the damages that we could have faced:

At least $1,000,000 - Projected jury verdict, if the Village of Freeport or individual defendants were found liable under any of the various fraud and/or racketeering claims.

$800,000 to $1,000,000 - As an award of attorney’s fees for the plaintiffs’ lawyers if the Village of Freeport were to lose on any of the claims.

This could result in a special tax assessed to each Freeport homeowner and commercial building owner in an amount of up to $400.

The amount of the settlement our lawyers have negotiated is $3,500,000, payable over a period of six years at 6.5-percent interest on the unpaid balance, which is:

(1) $200,000 less than what we would have to pay in attorney’s fees if we lost after trial; or

(2) $600,000 more than the estimated amount we would have to pay in attorney’s fees alone if we had stayed in the action.

Compare this to the $4,000,000 in damages the Glacken administration agreed to pay, in a lump sum, to settle a lawsuit brought by a bicyclist who was hit by a Village department head in a 2006 auto accident. That case was just an example of the tough decisions that have been made to settle cases involving the Village of Freeport. This is no different.

The current lawsuits were voted on, and a settlement was approved by the Board of Trustees on November 5, 2009. Under the terms of the settlement, an initial payment of $250,000 was made to the plaintiffs. Further, the Stipulation was submitted to the court to be “so-ordered.” As soon as all of the post-settlement matters are completed, I intend to hold a public meeting to discuss the following:

(1) the Glacken administration’s handling of the lawsuit involving the Village department head and the bicyclist;

(2) the current Board of Trustees’ reversal of the Glacken administration’s decision to pay for former Mayor William Glacken’s defense in an alleged defamation lawsuit that had nothing to do with his duties as mayor;

(3) the Hardwick administration’s successful avoidance of having to issue bonds and/or raise taxes to pay for the Water Works settlement.
[Additional info...]

[Waterworks Realty Corporation and Gary Melius v. Harrison J. Edwards, William F. Glacken, Renaire Frierson-Davis, Jorge Martinez, Donald K. Miller, William H. White, et. al., United States District Court Case No(s). CV-08-4754 and CV-08-0449]

GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW 18-803 FULL DISCLOSURE STATEMENT OF MAYOR ANDREW HARDWICK IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT OF THE ABOVE CAPTIONED FEDERAL RACKETEERING ACTION AGAINST THE INDIVIDUAL DEFENDANTS AND THE INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF FREEPORT:

I am hereby voting as Mayor of the Incorporated Village of Freeport to support the attached resolution to settle the above captioned cases currently pending in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York. In those actions, it is alleged that certain individuals and government officials engaged in a pattern of behavior (alleged and denominated as Racketeering under Federal Law) that was designed to unlawfully deprive the Plaintiffs of their property.

The facts underlying the current lawsuits began under the previous (Glacken) Administration; William Glacken and his brother-in-law “Joe” Edwards, who was the Freeport Village Attorney, are the primary targets of the lawsuits. Neither I nor any other member of my Administration has any involvement or personal interest in the initiation and/or outcome of the lawsuits, pecuniary or otherwise. However, the Plaintiff, Gary Melius, is an individual who is personally known to me. Due to that familiarity, I would prefer to abstain from voting on this matter.

The reason I must vote is that I have a duty as Mayor to act in the best interests of the Village. And, because the individuals who are alleged to be responsible for getting Freeport into this morass and/or those whose responsibility it is to review the proposed settlement and determine what is in the best interest of the Village have either 1) refused to address the Board of Trustees when requested to do so; or 2) avoided voting “FOR” or “AGAINST” by citing hypothetical conflicts of interest when requested to carry out their duty as Village Trustees.

As a result of the refusals to vote, attending their abstentions, the Board does not have the necessary votes for or against the resolution to move it forward. Accordingly, without my vote, there can be no settlement and the Village would then be left exposed to a potential jury verdict that would lead to burdensome taxes or, in the worst case, a potential municipal bankruptcy.

This settlement has been recommended by the Village’s Risk Manager and all of the attorneys representing the Incorporated Village of Freeport. However, the attorneys representing the Glacken Administration Defendants have not yet joined in the current settlement and have rejected all prior offers. The taxpayers of Freeport did nothing wrong, period! It is the individual members of the prior administration who are personally accused of alleged egregious misconduct.

Unfortunately, it is the Village that will have to pay millions of dollars above the settlement amount in legal fees and expenses in the event the Plaintiff prevails at trial. In fact, it is estimated that the Village’s legal defense will cost millions of dollars -- over and above what has already been spent. We cannot take that chance, as those additional millions would require a mandatory tax increase. As your Mayor, I cannot and will not gamble with the taxpayers’ money.

Although I am addressing this disclosure directly to all Village Residents, I am formally directing it to the Board of Trustees as the governing body of the Village of Freeport pursuant to General Municipal Law, Article 18, Section 803. It is being made a part of the record herein in order that any resident or other interested person can easily review and, hopefully, understand it. Once the signing is complete, I intend to hold a public meeting to lay the matter out in full.

2010 Sanitation Schedule [Additional info...]