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June 19, 2001 Williams Removes Final Hurdle to
Cradleof Aviation Museum
Approves Operating Agreement with Nassau Heritage Mineola, NY - Nassau County Legislator Patrick Williams (D-Uniondale) joined in unanimously approving a 15-year lease agreement with Nassau Heritage to manage the Cradle of Aviation Museum at Mitchel Field during the Legislative Meeting held on Monday, June 11. Legislator Williams termed the agreement a "milestone" for Nassau County, as he lauded its merits and its dramatic break from past contracts negotiated by the county. The County Legislature had voted against an earlier version of the lease on April 23, as they voiced concerns that the county would be assuming a disproportionate burden under the provisions of the lease. These concerns were conveyed to the negotiating parties in subsequent meetings. According to the recently approved lease, the County will receive one-half of one percent of the gross revenues from 2005 - 2011, and beginning in 2012 the County will receive three percent of these gross revenues for the remaining years of the license and any options to it. The first version of the lease had no such licensing fee. Under the terms of the approved lease, Nassau Heritage will reimburse the County for 60 percent of any building utility costs over the base of $200,000. The first version of the lease would have required the County to supply Nassau Heritage with all utilities free of charge. According to the first version of the lease, the County would have also been responsible for paying for all insurance and telephone services. The approved version of the lease has the County and Nassau Heritage sharing these costs. Legislators had also expressed concerns about the length of the initial lease, which was 25 years. The approved version of the lease was scaled back to 15 years, with a five-year renewal option for the County. The approved version of the lease also lays out an absolute repayment schedule for the $2.5 million loan the County made to Nassau Heritage. It additionally increases the percentage of funds that can be transferred from the Capital Improvements Fund in order to pay for debt service on the bonds issued by the County for the loan. According to Legislator Williams, the language in the approved contract is also more clear and concise than its earlier version, and should eliminate any potential disagreements in the future regarding repair costs, the museum's inventory, the scope of the agreement, and the County's right to terminate the contract. "This agreement is not perfect, as it does not include everything that we were looking for, but it certainly is a groundbreaking document that will raise the level of future negotiations," said Legislator Williams in a joint statement by the Democratic delegation. "I am confident that Nassau Heritage will now be able to proceed with its final preparations to open the museum." The Cradle of Aviation Museum, which is the result of a 20-year effort, is scheduled to open in early 2002. The 65 aircraft and spacecraft exhibit will feature an original Apollo Lunar Module, a Bleriot, the fourth oldest plane in the U.S., and an 1918 Curtis JN-4 Jenny that was once owned by Charles Lindbergh. The museum will also feature an IMAX Dome Theater. |