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Friday, April 7, 2023
Vol. 11, No. 14
SANTOS ATTENDS TRUMP RALLY PAGE 6
FLOWER HILL OKs FIRE CONTRACT
BLANK SLATE MEDIA WINS 6 STATE AWARDS
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Town OKs $3.1M for sewer project Vote follows months of delays from Dems’ inquiries on federal funds BY B R A N D ON D U FF Y The North Hempstead Town Board Tuesday night unanimously voted to allocate $3.1 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds to the Manhasset sewer project and appointed Kristen Schwaner as the town’s comptroller for the remainder of the year. The vote on the sewer funds comes after months of delays in which town Democrats called for answers about the project, including the legality of using the federal money for the sewers. “Never in my lifetime did I think I would see this happen,” said Lynn King, a property owner on Plandome. “It’s not the miracle on 34th Street, but I’m calling it the miracle on Plandome Road.” The $3.1 million allocation is based on cost estimates of $1.76 allocated for up to 88 property owners at approximately $20,000 per connection, $1 million for town facilities to connect to the sewer line and $334,000 for miscellaneous expenses, according to a press release from Democrat Council Member Veronica Lurvey. State Assemblywoman Gina Sillitti (D-Port Washington) secured a grant in April 2022 of $5 million to help fund the project. “The approval of these ARPA funds
has gone on long enough,” said Barbara Donno, mayor of Plandome Manor. Donno read a letter of support for the project signed by 13 North Shore mayors, including herself. The villages include Baxter Estates, East Hills, Flower Hill, Kensington, Kings Point, Manorhaven, Munsey Park, North Hills, Plandome, Plandome Manor, Saddle Rock, Sands Point and Thomaston. “Allocating these funds will send a strong message to our businesses in downtown Manhasset that we actually care about their future and their livelihoods,” DeSema, a Republican, said. “We’re prepared to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to complete this project.” DeSena was critical of Town Democrats, saying their decisions to block or postpone the vote since January was just to stall out the project. Lurvey responded that allocating the funds would have been reckless without proper due diligence, which was echoed by fellow Democrats Peter Zuckerman and Mariann Dalimonte. “We simply had some unanswered questions and the bulk of those questions have now been answered,” Lurvey said. “We can move forward knowing that the allocation is legal and as Continued on Page 40
PHOTO BY KAREN RUBIN/NEWS-PHOTOS-FEATURES.COM
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivers his ‘Florida Blueprint’ at the Cradle of Aviation Museumon Saturday. See story on page 12.
Passi outlines $107.7M budget for 2023-24 BY R OB E RT PE L A E Z
get, which does not exceed the allowed 2.97% tax levy increase. The tentative budget increased The Manhasset School District has proposed a $107.7 million bud- by more than $3 million, while the get for the 2023-24 school year, a tax levy grew from $94.3 million in 3% increase from the current bud- 2022 to $97.1 million this year, ac-
cording to officials. The driving forces of the budget’s growth include a $1.8 million total increase in benefits, a $620,000 increase in compensation and a $681,000 increase in all Continued on Page 40
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