Story by A.J. Arias
The Village of Florida Board of Trustees had a busy night at their monthly meeting on Wed., Feb. 12. The Board introduced Local Laws #1, #2, #3 and #4 of 2020 and adopted two additional Local Laws. Public hearings for the Local Laws #1 through #4 will be held on Wed., Mar. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, 33 S. Main St., in Florida.
Local Law #1: Tax Levy
The first introductory law introduced this year relates to the tax levy. The introduced law would allow the Board to exceed the 2% tax levy cap if necessary. The law is introduced every year while the Board is creating the budget but is rarely used.
Local Law #2: Quarterly Water, Sewer Bills
The second introduced law of the year concerns sewer and water bills. If adopted, the law would adjust the mailing for both sewer and water bills to be mailed out quarterly as per the fiscal year of the Town Board.
Local Law #3: Village Salaries
Local Law #3 pertains to Chapter 25 of the Village of Florida Code which lays out the recommended salaries and compensation for each member of the Village Board as well as appointed officials. According to the Village’s counsel, the recommendations haven’t been followed in years as they are out of date. All village officials’ salaries are still public record as noted in the text of the law.
Local Law #4: New 3-way Stops
Introductory Local Law #4 would establish, if adopted, two new three-way stop intersections in the Village, one at the intersection of Glenmere Ave. and Roe St. and the other at Glenmere Ave. and Werner Ave. The new stop signs are being proposed as a way to slow down drivers on Glenmere Ave. It has been noted by residents that speeds on the street have been well above the speed limit and the hope is that the two new stop signs will induce drivers to operate with more caution.
Two New Laws Adopted
The first newly adopted law of the year in the Village of Florida extends the terms of service of the Mayor, the Board of Trustees, the Village Clerk, and the Village Treasurer from two years to four years. The new law has been resubmitted to the Secretary of the State of New York after making adjustments in the original version that was introduced as Local Law #8 of 2019.
The second new law adopted by the Village of Florida Board of Trustees amends the Village zoning code, changing when a mailing is required to residents and expanding it to encompass more criteria. This is in an effort to keep residents more informed about what is going on in the Village with regards to the planning and zoning boards.
Grievance Night
Any Village resident that would like to air their grievances in regards to the 2020 Tentative Assessment Roll may speak at Village Hall on Wed., Feb. 19 from 4 to 8 p.m.
Next Meeting
The next meeting of the Board will take place on Wed., Mar. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall, located at 33 South Main St. in the Village of Florida. During the meeting, there will be Public Hearings for all the introductory laws in this article.
