We must preserve the unique, natural rural beauty of our Village, up our commitment to best practices to improve the environment and water quality, and improve the transparency, collaboration, long term planning and fiscal management of our Village government. Decisions are being made that are not consistent with the goal of preserving our rural character and fragile environment and without adequate public comment and details on expenses and plans for future maintenance and funding.
Committed to future planning, Barbara also calls for a long overdue Comprehensive Plan, required by Village law, which is the community process for developing a shared vision with a clear statement of priorities. In her opinion, the Village also needs longer-term forecasting and a capital budget. “Covering 20% of our budget by transferring 30% of our reserve fund, as we are doing this year, is not sustainable. This path will take us to major tax increases in as soon as two years. It is time to do some thoughtful sensible collaborative planning.”
We Can Do Better:
The Best Choice to Lead North Haven
We Can choose….
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Better Fiscal Management: We need a long-term master plan for our future developed by the community with detailed plans for the the use of the reserve funds.
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Better Planning For our Future: We need a long-term master plan for our future developed by the community with detailed plans for the the use of the reserve funds.
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Better plans for our water, sea level rise and extreme weather. Stonybrook research has specifically identified bacteria and alga concerns in every creek in North Haven. We urgently need concrete plans for upgrading septic systems and limiting toxic fertilizers.
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Better Village Codes and Enforcement: The explosion of huge houses on North Haven, allowed by our current code, is changing our rural character . We need smarter codes and better enforcement of current codes, including gas-powered leaf blowers.
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Better and More Inclusive Decision Making: We must stop decisions made by only a few trustees. We must invite and respect public input. Citizens deserve agendas posted days (not hours) before meetings and time for public comments before any law is passed.
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Better Plans for Lovelady Park: The Mayor’s plan for Lovelady Park calls for wetlands clearing beyond what is allowed for residents. It also plans for a $20,000 pump station and irrigation system, a $200,000 bridge, $219,200 for new plantings and total budget of $490,000. Is this what we want? Or do we want limited development showcasing best practices for wetlands management, not destruction?
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Better Maintenance of Existing Amenities: Our 30-year-old, 73-acre Stock Farm Preserve, secured by the Village in 1990 with a fund that built beautiful trails and two walking bridges has fallen into disrepair. Rebuilding the bridges could cost taxpayers $100,000. We can have a better plan for maintenance and funding.
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Better efficiency, collaboration, and transparency of our Village government: We can improve transparency by publicly posting all opportunities for Village Board positions, employment, and contracts and improving our processes for securing these services.
Together we can do better….
If elected Mayor, I promise to move us forward on all of these items and that my decisions:
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Will have a positive impact on our environment and be consistent with best practices to mitigate sea level rising.
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Wil preserve our natural rural beauty and character.
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Will be made only after residents’ concerns have been fully heard and acknowledged.
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Will reflect responsible fiscal management based on accurate financial projections for current—and future costs.
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Will increase safety and the quality of life for our residents and guests.
The Southampton Press editorial awarded me one of their annual government service Candy Canes awards for my 12 years of work on Suffolk County Planning Commission. They cited me for having “the guts and passion to stand above the fray, refusing to rubber stamp conclusions, and crystalizing points of focus to ensure true discussion” and action on controversial decisions.
If you are a North Haven resident who agrees that we can do a better job of managing our resources and priorities, I urge you to vote for me for Mayor in the June 18 election.