Contents in this issue
Big Grant for our Water Dept
Village Club update
Trash along roadways
Building Department
Village Club hotel and private banquet moratorium
Good December to all!
It’s been a busy and exciting past few weeks and we have lots to report regarding our Village, the Building Department, and the Village Club among other things.
New $5mm Grant for our Village!
I am thrilled to share with you the great news that last week we were awarded a $5 million grant for our next water infrastructure project--which we must do to meet federal and state water requirements.
This grant was from the BIL (Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) Act to support water projects around the country. We are very lucky to have received this grant as we are the only municipality on all of Long Island to have been awarded one from this program. And we are also one of only fourteen in all of New York State.
These specific grant monies are directed to the GAC (Granular Activated Carbon) filtration system for the Thayer Lane well. This GAC is already being design-engineered.
We would like to thank both New York State and Representative Tom Suozzi for their efforts in creating the BIL Act from which we were awarded.
We will continue to pursue additional grants for the other water infrastructure needs we have. And we will continue to make progress to secure Sands Point’s water infrastructure for the next 25 years!
Village Club update:
I am happy to report that many residents have shown interest in learning more about our Village Club and its relationship to the Village. Since not all residents get the Village Club newsletter, increasingly, we will share information about the Club.
Firstly, as a reminder, the Village Club is a department of the Village and is NOT a separate legal entity and, as such, it is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees to ensure that it is well run, financially strong, and continues to be an asset not just to the residents who are members– but to all the residents including the many who do not use it and/or play golf.
This past week, upon recommendation from the Village’s third-party management company, the General Manager will not return for next season. We have already begun the search for a new GM.
On the good news front, after the retirement of Karl Obermeyer, our long-term Director of Golf, and Ann Obermeyer, one of our lead instructors, we ran a very in-depth search for Karl’s successor and hired a new Director of Golf, Kyle Higgins. He comes to us from Inwood Country Club and has a very successful history of leadership.
I’m also very pleased to report that the other instructional golf staff will be returning, including Jay Himelberger, Jacob Cheshire, James Losee, and Austin Carabba.
Residents of the Village continue to be entitled to a membership discount. And, residents only, are entitled to a social/dining membership, which is not open to non-residents.
Our Club is considered a GREAT value. Please consider joining. You can reach our Assistant General Manager and Director of Membership Services, Will Blackman, on either his direct line 516-944-4374 or at will@villageclub.org.
Trash along roadways
We have a beautiful village and our roadways are what we and all of our guests see.
It is the responsibility of every homeowner to maintain up to the curb line on any side of their property that is along a public or private street–even if it is on the other side of your fence. In season, we would suggest you ask whoever maintains your lawn to also maintain along the streets. This obligation extends to your responsibility over the winter--including removal of leaves.
While the Village continues to use some of its own resources to help with the major thoroughfares, we ask you to take responsibility for your own property. Village Code Enforcement does not want to be in the business of enforcing this unless it has to. Thank you so much for your cooperation.
Building Department
First some background for newer residents.
The Building Dept (“BD”) is the department of the Village that handles applications and oversight for any work on your property that requires a permit.
The Board of Zoning Appeals (“BZA”) is a board of appointed volunteers that serves as a legally independent “tribunal” which reviews applications for new homes, expansion of homes greater than 50%, and variances. Variances are requests to deviate from the applicable building laws (setbacks, skyplane, lot coverage, height, square footage, etc.)
The Planning Board (“PB”) is a board of appointed volunteers that serves as a legally independent “tribunal” which considers requests to subdivide properties.
Please allow me to use this as a brief moment to express our appreciation for those volunteers who give so much of their time and effort to these boards.
For the current BZA, they are: Chair: Bill Schmergel, Deputy Chair: Larry Balaban, and Members/Alternates: Daniel Kohs, Josh Kurloff, Zadia Feliciano-Schaub, Brad Egna, and Steve Miller.
For the current PB, they are: Chair: Dan O’Connell, Deputy Chair: Jon Schiff, and Members/Alternates: Josh Milgrim, Patrick Foye, Larry Janus, Lawrence Paltrowitz, and Karen Fagelman.
Thank you all, again!
Over the years, the BD, the BZA, and PB have experienced increased permit and review activity for more homes and properties being expanded or redeveloped. With these boards’ help and our efforts, the backlog has been materially reduced.
We have spent a significant amount of time over the last 12-18 months to upgrade our staff and to improve departmental organization, clarify forms and applications, clarify many of our laws, and to try to speed cases through the department. As shared, most of the long delays from a couple of years ago are now in the rearview mirror.
We continue to develop a more uniform, quality experience for applicants and more uniform field review and enforcement--all the while, importantly, focusing thoughtfully on balancing the interests of any one particular applicant and those of the neighbors and the Village.
On a related note, we have had multiple situations in which sites under construction are not being adequately maintained during construction, causing issues ranging from litter, over-removal of trees, to water runoff problems. This needs to be a major focus and we are working hard to reform the laws and attend to field conditions to address those issues.
With respect to this, we have passed new legislation that requires contractors who perform site work (such as grading, fill, drainage, etc…), under a BZA-reviewed case, to be properly licensed by the Village. We hope this will also help mitigate some of the issues we have had.
As the inventory of easily sub-dividable lots continues to dwindle, as would be expected, we are reviewing which changes are needed to protect the look and feel of the Village and to prevent over-development on the remaining lots.
At some point, we will need to upgrade our BD to a more digitized platform, but that is a major project that we hope to focus on after we resolve other issues, as discussed above.
As a major improvement in our BD, for the first time in the history of the Village, we have hired Village Arborists, who are officially appointed and can now handle the many, many tree issues that have caused delays in the public hearings and with building permits. This has been a major step forward.
And last but not least, although he has now been with us for a number of months, I would like to highlight and welcome Michael F. McNerney as our Supt. of the Building Dept. and Building Inspector. Michael is a long-seasoned architect and has worked for a number of other villages. He brings great experience and speed to our Building Dept and is helping us continue to strengthen it.
Village Club hotel and private banquet moratorium
The Village Club has evolved from a money-losing operation about 6 years ago into one that now generates substantial profits to offset Village expenses that would otherwise be paid for with tax money. In 2018 the club had a “free cash flow” burn of about $2mm. This year the Club will be close to positive $3mm on an apples-to-apples basis. That is a change of cash flow between 2018 and 2024 of $5mm/year annualized.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars were sent annually from Village-owned cell towers on Club property to the Club. Those cell tower funds are now directed to the General Taxpayer Fund at Village Hall.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars were sent annually to the Club from Village property subdivision fees. Those subdivision funds are now directed to the General Taxpayer Fund at Village Hall.
$550,000 is sent to the General Taxpayer Fund to reimburse for fire, administrative, police, public works, sanitation, etc… (“FARPPS”).
Additionally, Club profits, in excess of any other expenses, (somewhere between $1.7mm and $2.2mm per annum), are distributed to the General Taxpayer Fund--the owner of the Club.
All of these “return of funds” to the General Taxpayer Fund are occurring while we have made many of the largest facilities reinvestments in the Club’s history--(with more to come).
We will continue to look for ways to make the Club a better experience for members and more profitable for the Village and its taxpayers.
Even with those profits, at the end of 2023, the Club reported a loss on Food & Beverage (F&B) operations of approximately $900,000. While losses in F&B are typical at most private clubs (which we are not), we have asked Club Management to conduct a deep assessment of this area of the club, which is ongoing. Furthermore, we have engaged a cost accountant and others to support this determination. During this evaluation process, Club Management has imposed a moratorium on new bookings for private banquet events and golf outings until the assessment is complete and Management is comfortable with the club’s plan and pricing moving forward. F&B operations include a la carte dining (at mansion and grille), membership-wide events (like Taste of Summer, Clam Bake, and other member-focused events, etc…) will continue throughout the evaluation period and, if it makes sense, we will reopen to new bookings in the near future.
While some have been frustrated by the moratorium, it is the responsible thing to do as we must manage the club in the best interest of ALL the taxpayers. Until then, we cannot ask a subset of the residents of the Village to offset these potential losses.
In conclusion, we hope you are finding these newsletters informative and will continue to send them on an as-needed basis. More to come soon!
Best for an early winter,
Peter A. Forman
Mayor