Proposed Massapequa Park Cell Tower Still in Negotiations

Continued talks regarding a possible local cell repeater tower, the hiring of outside Human Resources consultants, and a deal to provide maintenance for Village defibrillators were the main items discussed at Monday's Massapequa Park Board meeting.

Mayor James Altadonna confirmed that no further developments have occurred since that may or may not be installed in the Massapequa Park train station parking lot.

"All we've been told is that Verizon is still in negotiations," he said.

The Board also authorized the Village Administrator to enter into an agreement with Public Sector HR Consultants LLC. According to mayor Altadonna, the firm is being engaged by the Village to provide consulting services regarding employee pratices.

"The Village has policies dealing with personnel," he said. "Workman comp issues, insurance issues...what we're looking to do is get some opinions with the Family Leave Act to make sure we're in compliance with everything that we're supposed to be in compliance with."

According to the Board, the rate Public Sector HR Consultants LLC is charging the Village for their services is $150 per hour.

In addition, the Board authorized the Village Administrator to sign the AED (Automated External Defibrillator) Medical Direction Agreement with Dr. Mark Safford, who will handling the regular maintenance of the AED's owned and installed by the Village.

A medical doctor must sign off on the AED's to ensure they are working properly. Village administrator Peggy Caltabiano said that the units are currently installed in many Village properties, in addition to being carried by several Public Safety vehicles.

"A number of years ago, we got a couple of different grants for AED's," she said. "What we did is that we bought one to put in each park, so Brady Park has one, Mansfield Park has one, the Senior Center has one, there's one upstairs and downstairs here in Village Hall, and one in the garage."

Caltabiano said that all local coaches have the codes of the locks on the units that house the AED's in the Village's parks, in case the worst happens during a sporting event.

"We took the extra money from the AED grants and we offered training to the coaches," she said. "We probably have 60 or 70 coaches trained in how to handle the AED."

The next regularly-scheduled meeting of the Massapequa Park Village Board is on Monday, August 8, at 8 p.m.