Mineola, NY - Legislator Patrick Williams (D-Uniondale) and members of the Democratic majority voted to amend the Nassau County Environmental Preservation Law of 2001 during their July 30, meeting, to require that the Nassau County Open Space and Parks Advisory Committee (OSPAC) be included in the review of any proposal for disposition of county-owned land.

OSPAC would then have 30 days in which to report any recommendations regarding the proposal to the Nassau County Planning Commission, which would in turn use the criteria identified in the Commission's Open Space Plan dated March, 2001, and the local law governing the establishment of OSPAC.

Democratic legislators also voted to preserve in perpetuity county-owned sump land, located in Salisbury, which is one of the rare remaining parcels of land from the original terminal morain glacial ridge known as the Hempstead Plains. The subject property, which had been proposed for sale for development by County Executive Thomas Gulotta, is considered to be of particular natural beauty and is characterized by geological, ecological and environmental significance.

The Democratic majority of the Finance Committee, led by Legislator Michael Zapson (D-Long Beach, Chair, said no to a proposal from County Executive Thomas Gulotta to settle a billing dispute with Carltun in the Park restaurant, located in Eisenhower Park, for $250,000 and to lower the amount of future rent the restaurant is required to pay on its lease.

According to Fred Parola, Nassau County Comptroller, Carltun owed the county approximately $1.5 million in back rent on its lease. The lease, signed in 1995, provided the county a minimum monthly rent as well as a percentage of gross sales. Parola said Carltun had only paid its base rent as of late 1999 in spite of sales that totaled more than $8.5 million. The owners, Anthony Capetola and John Tunney, maintained they were owed a credit from the county for repairs they had made to the facility for which the county was responsible, they said.

Lastly, Democratic legislators amended the county's new cell phone law to include Nassau's two cities: Glen Cove and Long Beach. The legislation inadvertently omitted the two cities when originally drafted. The amendment allows city police in both Long Beach and Glen Cove to enforce the county law.

For additional information, contact the Majority Press Office at 571-6226 or 571-6285.