Village board to seek public comment on tougher road‑opening rules for utilities

The Village Board of Trustees agreed to schedule a public hearing this summer to consider amending Chapter 78‑10 to expand utility-company responsibilities when opening village streets. Joseph, Superintendent of Building/Representative, told the board the draft would require wider repairs—often curb‑to‑curb or from section to intersection—rather than piecemeal trench repairs.

The proposed change would trigger a public hearing in August (to be announced at the July open board meeting), village counsel will review the final language, and the board will accept public comment before any local law is adopted. Joseph said the proposal largely mirrors rules already used in neighboring jurisdictions such as Hempstead, Atlantic Beach, Cedarhurst and Garden City.

Why it matters: The amendment is aimed at reducing the patchwork "checkerboard" appearance that results when utility companies make small, isolated trench repairs. If enacted, it would increase the scope of restoration required after excavation and could raise contractors' costs and the extent of street reconstruction following utility work.

Board discussion and next steps: Joseph said he had revised the draft to refer to the Superintendent of Building/Representative rather than explicitly naming the engineering department. At the meeting, legal counsel (Nick) and staff agreed counsel would review the draft before the notice of public hearing is posted. The trustees discussed the required legal process: announcing and posting the local law change, a public hearing at an open board meeting, and formal board action after the hearing. The board indicated it intends to post the hearing and publicly announce it at the July open meeting and hold the hearing in August. No formal vote to adopt the local law occurred at the meeting; the board instead approved moving forward with the public‑hearing process and obtaining final counsel review.

Public process and timeline: Trustees were reminded that a change to a local law requires formal public‑notice procedures and a public hearing. Joseph and counsel will finalize language and the board will post the hearing notice and accept public comment at the scheduled meeting. The board did not adopt the local law at this session.

The board did not resolve funding, enforcement detail, or effective dates during the discussion; those matters will be addressed in the draft local law and at the public hearing.