Plandome Heights Village Attorney Christopher Prior, Trustee Norman Taylor, Mayor Kenneth Riscica, Trustee Daniel Cataldo (L. to R.) at the Monday, April 6 meeting.
Miao Li
At its April 6 evening meeting, the Plandome Heights Village Board reviewed recent election results, swore in officials and addressed a range of resident concerns with parking remaining a central issue.
The board started with reviewing the results of its March 17 election, in which Mayor Kenneth Riscica and three trustees were elected unanimously with a total of 76 votes. The elected officials were sworn in at the meeting by Village Attorney Christopher Prior.
Much of the discussion focused on confusion around parking rules and enforcement. Officials acknowledged ongoing complaints and pointed to unclear signage as a key problem.
“The bottom line is the signage is confusing. People are genuinely confused,” Riscica said, noting that residents receiving tickets often believed they were parked legally.
Recent efforts from the village included installing a new sign at the corner of Plandome Road and Webster Avenue and clearing obstructions along Chester Drive to improve visibility.
“We made a lot of progress on clearing it up in the last couple of days,” he said, adding that the village will monitor whether the changes improve compliance.
Board members also discussed possible updates to parking rules, including expanding the three-hour limit beyond daytime and weekdays, increasing penalties for repeat violations and employing a code enforcement officer. No immediate action was taken, however.
Resident Rosemary Mascali voiced concern over added enforcement measures. “I think that starts a whole different tone to the village,” she said.
“People are getting $125 fines,” Riscica added. “I’m not inclined to act at this time. I think we should see if the new signs have an effect.”
The board also moved forward with a code update, adopting a change to explicitly prohibit dumping snow into the street.
“This proposal essentially adds a word to include snow as items that cannot be deposited in the street,” the mayor noted, pointing out it was “a real issue this year.”
The village also approved its tentative budget with a minor $200 adjustment to finalize compensation figures. The tentative budget has been available to residents since March 2 and received no public comment.
Earlier in the meeting, officials noted the departure of Deputy Clerk Susan Martinez after nearly four years with the village. In connection with staffing changes, the board approved compensation adjustments for clerks, citing increased responsibilities and workload.
Village Attorney Christopher Prior swore in Trustee Eric Carlson and Trustee Mary Hauck. (L. to R.)Miao Li