Mineola, NY - Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs (D-Woodbury) and members of the Democratic majority of the Nassau County Legislature led the way to agreement on a 10-year contract between Nassau Community College and the Adjunct Faculty Association (AFA) which represents part-time faculty members.

The contract, six years in the making, was approved unanimously during the February 25 meeting of the Legislature. Approval of the pact, which goes from October 1995, through September 2005, was temporarily stalled after it was sent to the Legislature by the County Executive as an emergency item at the legislature's February 11 meeting. An emergency item requires 13 votes and Republicans refused to address the contract as an emergency. The measure was passed 18-0 at the February 25 meeting.

The contract, while retroactive to 1995, includes no increase for the AFA until 2001. The increases from 2001 through 2005 equate to 34.15% total and 39.03% compounded.

In addition, legislators unanimously approved a bond ordinance in the amount of $6 million for the improvement of various parks in the County, specifically Milburn Pond in Baldwin; Lofts and Silver Lake in Baldwin; Roosevelt Pond; and Mill Pond in Bellmore/Wantagh. This is designed to improve the visual appearance of pond areas, remove and replace bulkheading, which is worn and rotted beyond repair and make other improvements. The ordinance needed to be approved by March in order to receive $2 million in federal funding.

In the Rules Committee meeting, members approved a contract with Public Financial Management (PFM), the budget consultants originally hired by former County Executive Thomas Gulotta. The contract calls for PFM to support the County in three areas: cash management, the formulation of a multi-year plan, and the Capital Plan.

Terms of the agreement also state that they will bill the County at a 20% discounted rate and will not bill for travel related expenses; the first $65,000 of work will not be billed; and PFM will bill at the discounted rate, up to $250,000. PFM is also obligated to turn over to the County all non-proprietary data sets, reports and models.

The Rules Committee also authorized the County Executive to execute a contract between the County, acting on behalf of the Police Department, with MedbillLTD.com to provide billing related services in connection with the ambulance service fees. The County, which had been without a firm to bill for emergency ambulance services since last July, lost more than $1 million in uncollected revenues.

Other items approved during the meeting were:

• A bond ordinance totaling $128,500.00 to finance the payment of certain judgments or compromised or settled claims against the County.
• A bond ordinance totaling $121,882.29 in settlement of four personal injury cases against the County.
• An ordinance appropriating $74,782.00 for Local Government Records Management Improvement (Sara Grant Microfilming). The funds are a grant that is 100% reimbursable by New York State.
• An ordinance appropriating $173,992.00 for the Liberty Partnership aimed at approximately 320 students from the Westbury and Roosevelt School System. The program's goals are to identify, counsel, and tutor academically capable "at risk" students and prepare them for college. The funds are 100% reimbursable by the Nassau Community College Foundation.
• An ordinance for $22,770.00 for a TB Control Program that is 100% reimbursable by the State Health Department. This is a five-year grant project that allows staff to make 1,400 visit per year to Nassau County patients.
• An ordinance appropriating $434,300.00 for the Mitchell Park Maintenance account. The funds are anticipated fees at the rifle range, track and field programs and fees paid by MCI for the use of a parking field.
• Confirmation of appointments to Board of Assessors: Gerard Terry, Dennis L. Brown, Jeffrey Gold, and James Maccrate.
• A resolution appointing David Gugerty and James Demos to the Civil Service Commission. Gugerty's appointment until 5/31/06; and James Demos to 5/31/02.
• A resolution confirming the appointment of Karen Murphy as Records Management Officer.
• A resolution confirming Howard Fensterman, Gary Weiss, Jed Morey, Lewis Yevoli, Barbara Ross-Lee, Rhonda Brown as appointments to the Industrial Development Agency.