Talking the issues in Mill Brook

More than 60 residents turned out to the Mill Brook Civic Association meeting last week to hear from a variety of speakers, with topics ranging from taxes to flood insurance to crime.

The March 16 meeting at the Forest Road School featured a visit from Nassau County Legislator Howard Kopel, whose district includes the 811-house neighborhood. He spoke about the takeover of county finances by the Nassau Interim Finance Agency, and said that budget cuts are very likely to close the deficit. “We are not going to raise real estate taxes no matter what,” he said.

He added that taxes are too high and are driving businesses out of Nassau County. The county has done its part to save money, he said, and called on schools — the biggest part of any property owner’s tax bill — to do the same. “You can find efficiencies virtually everywhere if you look for it,” he said, adding that he does understand that school districts are faced with numerous unfunded state and federal mandates.

Kopel was asked about the construction on Peninsula Boulevard, the main route from Valley Stream to the Five Towns. He said the construction is part of a federal project to eventually divert all sewage from the Lawrence and Cedarhurst sewer plants to the one in Bay Park. “We’ve got to do the construction now,” he said, “or else we lose the federal money.”

The construction is a hazard, he said, and it has been difficult for emergency vehicles to get through the massive traffic back-ups. However, Kopel said the work should be winding down and all areas that have been ripped up on Peninsula Boulevard will get a fresh coat of blacktop.

Flood insurance

Gerry Petrella, the regional representative for Sen. Chuck Schumer, spoke about the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s flood maps, which put Mill Brook into the high-risk flood zone in 2009. “It has become one of our key issues,” he said, noting that Schumer understands that every dollar is important to middle class families. “We know how important and how tough it for all of you.

Many residents were hit with four-figure annual insurance bills. Petrella noted that a two-year relief period went into effect this year, in which residents can renew their flood insurance for the preferred risk rate of about $400 per year. However, he said this is only a short-term fix and the senator is working hard for a long-term solution.

Petrella said that Schumer wants to know that FEMA used the best science available to draft Nassau County’s flood maps, and there is reason to believe the agency did not. Schumer has called for an independent investigation. “If they did not use the best science available,” Petrella said, “we want them to go back to the drawing board.”

Civic Association President Marc Tenzer said he was grateful that Schumer has been working hard on this issue.

Crime

Sgt. Ed Grim of Nassau County Police Department’s 5th Precinct told residents that Mill Brook is one of the safest communities in the area. He spoke of the department’s efforts to keep it that way.

After a series of burglaries in the community, the police department stepped up its presence with both plain clothes and uniformed officers. They are targeting vehicle and traffic violations in the neighborhood such as speeding and running stop signs. “We’re trying to be proactive,” he said, “and try to stop crime before it occurs in the neighborhood.”

In the surrounding community, Grim talked about efforts to remove drug paraphernalia being sold in local mini-marts. He said officers busted one shop, a Sunoco on Rockaway Avenue near Peninsula Boulevard, which was charged for selling bongs, pipes and baggies.

Grim told residents that if these see any suspicious activity, they should call 911, not the precinct. He said even if it’s not an emergency, call 911 so the concern is documented and officers will respond. “You are the eyes and ears of the community,” Grim said. “Help us help you.”