Residents Frustrated With Lack of Notification about Redistricting

Many of the approximately one dozen people who attended Monday night's redistricting meeting expressed their frustration at the lackluster attendance due to what they called lack of proper notification.

They're frustration comes as the town looks to redraw council districts based on the 2012 Census data. The population in the Second district is slightly below the criteria, while the population in the Fourth is slightly above. Check back with Patch for more on the district data.

Meanwhile, on Monday, North Hempstead resident Tess Fiorentino decried that more of the town's councilpeople should have been at the meeting, noting that the only councilmembers present were Lee Seeman, Dina DiGeorgio and Angelo Ferrara.

"Councilpeople don't need an advertisement," Fiorentino said, responding to what residents considered poor advertising of the meeting. "They're on the board."

Edward Scott, who ran for town council and is the president of Albertson civic association, asked why the town did not send fliers to each resident's home since they did that for the town's EcoFest and the building department seminar.

However, town reps said the legal requirements were met, and that there was a piece in Newsday, a posting in Patch and the other local papers and on the town's website. In addition, the meeting was posted on DeGiorgio’s Portal 2 Port, an informational website. 

The chairman of the redistricting board, John Riordan, said that he would consider additional notification in the future. At the end of the meeting, the idea of mailing something to each home was discussed and a potential price tag of $20,000 was thrown out. The redistricting board and town government aims to talk about how the group's next meeting is advertised.

In the Monday night meeting at Town Hall, there were also complaints that because of the perceived lack of notice and poor attendance that the redistricting plan would be pushed through without much public input. Redistricting board member David Fox explained to the audience that the board he sits on does not have any legislative power and they are only making recommendations to the Town board; therefore the redistricting board cannot make any final decisions.

The next meeting of the redistricting board is slated for May 21.