Earlier in the day, FNYN visited the Community Development Agency (CDA) offices to pick up the backup material for the evenings public hearing. CDA director Kelly, seemingly following the orders of the secretive Mayor Glacken, refused to release the material that was stacked on the conference table in her office. When FNYN asked for a copy of the material, director Kelly said, "You can look at it, but you can’t have it." FNYN explained that the rule of thumb regarding the access to public documents is, "If you can see it, you can have it." Ms. Kelly still refused to release the documents. Some fifteen minutes later FNYN returned to the CDA offices to give Ms. Kelly the FNYN fax number. The documents had been removed from the conference table and had been stuffed between the papers on Ms. Kelly’s desk.

The CDA hearing convened at 8 p.m. Northwest Civic Association President Ken Bagatelle, pictured here, suggested that more could be done to make sure all the curbs have ADA curb cuts. The Mayor explained to FNYN that the 100,000 dollar sidewalk improvement on Guy Lombardo was to brick the side walk from Sunrise Highway to Ray Street. The Mayor claimed to have no idea how much it would cost to brick that length of sidewalk. So far, in the past two years, the Mayor and his team has set aside 200,000 dollars for bricks on Guy Lombardo, while the Village is uncertain of the time frame regarding its re-paving and reconditioning. The Mayor also set aside thirty thousand dollars for four bus shelters. He said that the MTA provides the four shelters in the Village for free, but he did not like the advertising or their design.

Also in the 26th year CDA budget is five thousand dollars set aside for work on the comprehensive plan, also known as the master plan. The Mayor has been working on completing the Village master plan for over three years. He did not say when he thought it was going to be completed, but he previously said that he didn’t think that it was that important and it was not necessary to have in order to continue with his own plan. Some residents have referred to the Mayor’s plan, as the masters plan, for his almost total disregard of public input.

Many groups filed requests for the 141,000 dollars of available public service money, including the Village. When the Mayor was asked if he thought the Village had a good chance of being approved for the funding, he smiled. It is expected that the Board’s decision regarding these funds will be known in the next few weeks. For the past three years the Mayor and his trustees have had these discussions in secret, with last years results being announced at a specially convened Board meeting on a Tuesday. 

Mayor Glacken and the Trustees blew through the March 27th Village Board Agenda  in fifteen minutes. As usual, Glacken’s trustees were silent, other than for casting their usual unanimous votes. Without one word from any of the Trustees, the Board voted to increase towing fees 300% and storage fees 1250% and then added many new tow-away-zones.

On Monday night the Board and the Mayor flew through the meeting's public agenda. As usual, the Mayor couldn't prepare the agenda in time for distribution at the end of business on Friday, as is required. When FNYN attempted to pick up the agenda at 4:25 on Monday afternoon, Village Clerk Anna Knoeller tried to be helpful, but advised that the agenda hadn't been approved. The Mayor's secretary, Julie O'Toole, appeared to want to release the agenda, looking down at a stack of them on her desk, saying," I'd like to give it to you, but the Mayor hasn't approved it yet." Ms. O'Toole made a valiant, but unsuccessful effort to locate the Mayor. The Mayor's brother-in-law, chief of staff and head of personnel services, Ray Straub, was on hand, standing in the doorway to the Mayor's office. He made no attempt to locate him even though it was apparent that the Mayor was in the building. Mayor Glacken has taken the position that he must be the one to approve the agenda before it is released and has made no effort in the past two years to see that the public has timely access to it. Glacken also continues to refuse to publish the agendas, meeting schedules, and Village Board minutes on the so-called Village web site, where one can always find a multitude of pictures of the Mayor involved in almost every activity. Go to Agenda

Shopping Cart Law Revisited

Also on the menu at the Village meeting last night was the reconvening of the February 28th public hearing regarding the new Village "Shopping Cart Law." Deputy Village Attorney, Steven Malone, pictured, presented the re-written law to the Board. Based on last night’s testimony, it appears that after the massive amount of time spent on the initial presentation, the law needs to be amended and might very well be unnecessary. Resident Alan Jay asked the Board, "Where is the need for a legislative remedy?" The Superintendent of Public Works told the Board that since the last hearing he had picked up sixty eight shopping carts. Mayor Glacken told him, "You missed one at Randall and North Longbeach," which brought a chuckle from the audience, as that is down the street from the Mayor’s residence.

Two of Compare Foods principals, Francisco Jorge and Jose Gutierrez showed up at this hearing. Compare operates three successful supermarkets in Freeport. Mr. Jorge testified, explaining to the Board that it is very costly to lose the shopping carts. He said that he sends a truck into the community every morning to look for them and bring them back to his stores. He told the Mayor, "All you have to do is call us and we will come right out and pick them up." When it was suggested by your reporter that the new law should include a provision to have the store owners identify the carts with their phone number, as well as the store name, the Board refused to entertain the idea, the Mayor claiming they would think about it. When it was suggested that the Village employee's time would be better spent attending to Village business and letting the store owners pick up the carts, the Board ignored the issue. Mr. Jorge complained about the provision in the law that fines the store owner twenty-five dollars for every one of his carts the Village finds. A Village resident commented to FNYN, "How can they fine them if somebody takes their cart? If somebody steals your lawn mower the Village doesn't fine you."

Your reporter commented at the hearings. He said that the penalty for being in possession of a shopping cart should be reconsidered. He said that to subject a non English speaking mother, pushing her food home with two children in tow, to a fine of two hundred and fifty dollars and fifteen days in jail, seemed thoughtless and harsh. Mr. Jorge had commented earlier that some people really need the shopping carts to bring their groceries home. He seemed to display genuine compassion for these folks. During his testimony, he never complained that he had to pick up the carts. He testified that doing so was part of the cost of doing business. At the conclusion of the hearing the Board passed the law, unanimously as usual, unchanged and without one word of comment.

Pat Murphy, the Mayor's PR person, took up what has become her usual spot in Village Hall, sitting a few rows back from the front and almost directly behind the speakers at the podium. From her position behind their backs, she continually signals the Mayor by nodding and gesturing.

Freeport Firefighter Thomas McBride Honored
By Mayor In Almost Deserted Village Hall

FNYN Photo

Freeport Fireman Thomas McBride received an award from Mayor Glacken last night as his friends, family, and members of the fire department looked on. Village PR person, Pat Murphy, was on hand to snap the Mayor’s official picture. Fireman McBride, a member of Hose Company 2, competed in the nationwide firefighters combat challenge. Among other things, he had to run up five floors in full gear with a 44 pound pack on his back. Firefighter McBride finished forty-second out of the over fifteen hundred competitors who made it to the competition. FNYN congratulates Mr. McBride, one of Americas best, for a job well done.

Mayor Glacken Attempts to Ban Photos In Village Hall.
Mayor Glacken Attempted to Ban FreeportNYNews from taking photographs in Village Hall. After snapping the last of six photographs, Mayor Glacken proclaimed that he was distracted and asked your reporter to stop photographing. The Mayor, a well know political adversary of FNYN and this reporter, refused to answer when he was asked if it was just "me" that was banned from taking photographs in Village Hall, or everybody. This was an unfortunate incident, as some of Mr. McBride's friends had brought cameras to the almost deserted village hall. It appeared that they took the pictures anyway. When Ms. Murphy, as seen above, was about to photograph Mayor Glacken, His Honor said to me, "Put away the camera. I told you to put away the camera." When asked why Ms. Murphy could take a picture, Mayor Glacken explained it was the "Official Picture." After the meeting, I asked the Mayor to explain the rule that enabled only official pictures to be taken at public meetings in Village Hall. He said he didn't know any. Unfortunately, other than a couple of village officials and Mr. McBride's well wishers, Village Hall was deserted, as usual. The two individuals in the photo on the right are PR person Pat Murphy and in the front row is the Mayor's secretary, Julie. Sadly, almost no residents show up for the meetings any more.

March 3, 2000
ONCE AGAIN, Mayor Glacken, working with the highest priced Village Attorney in America, was unable to prepare the Village Board Agenda by the close of business on Friday, as is required.

March 2, 2000
Freeport Police Working Without Contract. After three years of Mayor Glacken claiming that parts of the contract were illegal, his Republican Administration has been unable to negotiate a new contract. Negotiations are at a standstill.