News

As you may or may not be aware, our village is going to be experiencing some very exciting changes that will bring employment and prosperity to our community.  The vacant Sears building has been purchased by a real estate and development company that has secured a long-term lease with Stony Brook Medical. The collaboration of medical and retail will assist in keeping the Smith Haven Mall vibrant and active.

Wegmans Food Market has purchased half of the property at the center located on Middle Country Road where Miller’s Ale House is. Those familiar with Wegmans are very excited about them coming to Lake Grove as it will be the first Long Island store for the chain.  This privately held supermarket chain is very particular about where they locate their stores, and we are proud that they have chosen our village to come to the Island.

These additions to our village will encourage other retailers to come into the community, further enhancing the area by occupying what are now challenged retail spaces that would otherwise become a blight to the community.

These projects also provide a good source of revenue through permit, inspection and engineering fees.

We have also been very busy at Village Hall. Day to day operations and harsh weather conditions take a toll on our Department of Public Works equipment. Diligent office staff along with your village board have set out to utilize FEMA storm related monies and constantly pursue grant dollars to replenish some of our aging fleet.  Storms, whether they are tropical or winter storms, put a lot of wear on even the best maintained equipment.

Equipment is replaced while it still retains some value for a less demanding entity. These vehicles generally go to auction and help to make the purchase of a new vehicle less of a burden on our budget. Both the big green garbage truck used for leaf bag pick-up and the very old Mobile sweeper will be sold and replaced with brand new vehicles.  We are also taking ownership of our third electric vehicle to be used by our building inspectors. These vehicles are perfect for our purposes of local driving.

The village is also taking bids for a new electric sign to advertise upcoming events, meetings, and safety related notices.

Speaking of events, our annual Summerfest will be held on August 21, as it is always held on the third Sunday of the month of August. The event will start at 11:30 a.m. and continue until 8:30 p.m. It will be a full day of music, food trucks, vendors and a classic car show.

Classic cars will start arriving at 8:30 a.m. to set off the event. Come early and stay late. It’s a great summer event for the entire family.

Please feel free to contact us at Village Hall about any of the above information.

As always, thank you for your continued support!

Robert J. Scottaline (Bob), Mayor

Due to the winter storm, the Village of Lake Grove Mayor has issued a State of Emergency beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday February 18, 2021.

All parked vehicles and basketball hoops must be removed from the roads to accommodate plowing efforts.

Thank you for your cooperation with this very important matter.

The following is a note from Lake Grove Mayor Robert Scottaline …

As most are already aware, we are operating under the New York State Tax Cap.  The tax cap applies to all independent school districts and all local governments outside of New York City, and is intended to capture the broad range of property taxes levied in New York.

The so called two percent tax cap is a bit misleading. As per the guidelines, we actually were only permitted this year to have an increase of much less than one percent. While this may appear to be a positive thing to most of us paying extremely high taxes to live on Long Island, to a  Village it is an extremely challenging financial hardship.  Villages operate for the most part with a very strict budget and see little of the high taxes paid by most.  I encourage all Village residents to look at their Village tax bills. After deducting the fees for garbage removal which is paid out to those who are contracted vendors, the balance is what the Village has to work with.

The cost of paving roads, concrete for sidewalks and aprons, sand and salt for snow removal, fuel for trucks, and employee benefits continue to rise. With a budget that has no fat to cut, we started a few years back getting as creative as possible to cut spending.  Older, less efficient vehicles were replaced with new energy efficient vehicles. Solar panels, waste oil burners and metal recycling all helped in lessening the pain of the cap. Lighting fixtures at  Village Hall have been replaced or retrofitted to use bulbs requiring less energy for the same amount of lighting. HVAC systems have been upgraded and thermostats settings are set to be as efficient as possible while still providing employees with adequate comfort.

We are also taking a close look at how employees will be replaced going forward as full time employees retire. Promotions unfortunately are put on hold, while negotiating bargaining agreements are more difficult each year to find compromise that will be fair to both employer and employee.

No one wants to hear that we can no longer provide all of the services that we have grown accustomed to. No one wants to hear that we are going to vote to exceed the tax cap. The reality is, that we are running out of options and the Governor’s cap is hurting local government. That is, the level of government provided by those living within our communities. Those that care most about our communities and those working the hardest for our communities.

We will continue to conserve, operate at a high level of efficiency,  maintain services and stay within the limits of the tax cap as long as possible.

JUST THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW!