Fresh faces in new places on village board

Lawrence installs new mayor and three fresh trustees

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The Lawrence village board dais looked different that it has in the past few years as new mayor, Alex Edelman, and three new trustees were sworn in, along with Village Justice Donald Buchalter at last Thursday’s meeting.

Syma Diamond and Uri Kaufman won the four-way at-large election last month over Daniel Goldstein and Rochelle Stern Kevelson. Goldstein was appointed to the board to fill Edelman’s unexpired term. The only holdover is Trustee Michael Fragin who was appointed deputy mayor. Edelman ran unopposed and succeeds Martin Oliner who was term limited after three two-year terms. All trustee terms are two years. Buchalter serves a four-year term.

In an effort toward esprit de corps following the election, Kevelson was asked for her suggestions and she reported them during the Good and Welfare portion of the meeting. She said that election signs and those for other events should be removed within 48 hours after the events or a fine should be imposed as way of improving the village’s appearance. And candidate petition signatures should be checked to ensure the people are village residents and eligible voters and there should be switching of party affiliation so close to a village election.

Edelman said he “wholeheartedly agreed” concerning the signs and said that there is an existing village ordinance that needs to be enforced.

With village attorney Peter Bee sounding a lot like an auctioneer the board members moved through the nine-item agenda like a Long Island Rail Road train passing between stations.

The mayor was appointed police commissioner. Fragin is the fire commissioner. Goldstein is commissioner finance and the Department of Public Works. Kaufman is parks and recreation commissioner and Diamond is sanitation commissioner. The trustees serve as the liaisons with their respective entities.

Gary Mandel was appointed village prosecutor. Bee and Kenneth Gray, a fellow lawyer at the Mineola-based firm of Bee Ready Fishbein Hatter & Donovan LLP, were appointed to serve as deputy village prosecutors. Simon Gluck was again appointed as associate village justice for a one-year term.

Tackling the controversy surrounding the Baid Medrash of Harborview, the reconstituted board approved the spending of possibly $10,000 for a traffic study and to review recommendations made by a three-person committee. The shul was permitted to operate seven days a week by the village’s Board of Appeals for a one-year trial period beginning last summer. A decision that was upheld in court. Several homeowners in the residential area strongly opposed the expanded hours. The trial period is expected to be reviewed at the July 27 BOA meeting.

Fifteen new parking meters will be purchased at a cost of approximately $4,600. Rates for golf, tennis and marina memberships at the Lawrence Yacht & Country Club were set for 2017 and it includes a 4 percent increase for non-resident golf memberships. Lights are expected to be installed at the tennis courts furthest from the homes on Monroe Street. The board also approved a contract with Crown Castle that will install cell phone signal enhancement antennas on existing towers. The village is expected to receive 5 percent of the revenue per tower.