Last Park Lament of 2008

It appears that Nassau County is in violation of the County Charter! In its rush to disassemble its park system the administration has removed much of the duties and powers of the Nassau Department of Parks in contravention of Article XXIC of the County Charter.

This article mandates that the Parks Department Operate, Maintain and Repair all parks, playgrounds, museums, athletic fields, pools, rinks, golf courses, and maintain all grounds of passive and active parks, preserves, etc. etc.

This is required by a department already forced to give up its trade shops to DPW, specifically: the electrical, plumbing, carpentry and sign shops. After the first of the year, County parks will transfer the remaining 90 maintenance workers to DPW and the Parks Department will be a supplicant for all the necessary services to keep up the park system. They are and will remain one of the lowest in priority.

Further, County Parks is mandated to provide security personnel to provide security for all county park facilities. Instead the administration transferred all the Park Rangers a couple of years ago to the Police Department and designated them Public Safety. They no longer provide the necessary security to our park system.

Now one must wonder, why a county administration would gut and abandon its park system on one hand and request a million dollars to acquire new parkland and preserves on the other? In essence the county is saying give us more land that we will either give away or not maintain. Not only a disgrace but apparently a violation of law as well.

There is only one real solution to this mess. Transfer all Maintenance shops and remaining personnel, as well as all park rangers back to the parks system so its can meet its obligation not only to the county charter but to the park using public as well. Everyone should let their county legislator know how they feel in this matter.