Election Letter from Frank Wolf

Dear Saltairian,

The electoral arrangements this year will make it far easier for those wishing to vote in Saltaire. Thanks to an initiative of Trustee John Zaccaro, there will be two registration days at the Village Hall, the first on SUNDAY, MAY 12, 12 noon-5pm, and the second on TUESDAY, MAY 14, 12 noon-5pm. Those who register in Saltaire will not as a result be registered to vote in Suffolk County, something that can only be accomplished directly with the County Board of Elections. Thus, registration in Saltaire will enable you to vote in the Saltaire election without jeopardizing your permanent registration to vote in mainland elections elsewhere.

I write in hopes of persuading you to register in Saltaire, if you are not already registered, and to seek your vote for my re-election to the Board for a second two-year term. Voting will take place in Saltaire on Friday, May 24, 2002. Those who cannot be in Saltaire that day may vote by absentee ballot, as long as they apply for an absentee ballot on or before May 17, 2002.

My primary purpose in seeking re-election as a Trustee is to do everything I can to preserve Saltaire as a weekend and holiday community as free as possible of traffic, commercial activity, noise, and the other features of urban and suburban life from which Saltaire should remain as a refuge for ourselves and those who follow us.

Clearly, Saltaire is facing a serious financial challenge in the upcoming years: the rebuilding of the beach, the rebuilding of the dock and the marina, the purchase of a new pumper for the Fire Department, the need to rebuild the Bay Shore dock, and the repair of the Village Hall. You should know that I voted for the significant tax increase which will be necessary to enable the Village to service the $4 million debt which we will have to incur to finance these major capital projects.

In the two years I've been on the Board I've taken on a good deal of responsibility, serving as the "commissioner" of Security, Fire, Insurance, and Flood Mitigation. Let me report what progress I believe we have made in those four areas in the last two years.

Security/Traffic
I initiated the Board's request that the Planning Commission undertake a study of how the growth of traffic in Saltaire might be reversed, and became the spokesperson for the Commission's recommendations to the Board and to the community. While the resulting changes in Saltaire's regulations and mechanisms for enforcement are not yet in place, the Board was persuaded that most of the recommendations of the Planning Commission would have imposed disproportionate hardships on Saltaire residents and contractors working in Saltaire without substantially effecting a reduction in traffic on Lighthouse. There will be improvement - the use of a barrier on Lighthouse Prom to assist our security staff in stopping vehicles illegally passing through the Village; the addition of security personnel to increase the Village's capacity to enforce its rules on the walks, on the beach, and at the marina; the use of a radar gun to monitor vehicle speeds; changes in the procedure and timing of building permits in an effort to concentrate the traffic associated with construction to periods in which Saltaire is least inhabited; an upgrading of the communications equipment used by the security staff; improvements in the signage required on business vehicles so that security can more easily identify vehicles which fail to comply with our regulations; more flexible regulations with respect to business permits which will encourage a greater use of smaller utility vehicles in place of full-sized trucks; etc.

Fire Department
I have supported the Fire Department's argument that it is time to plan to replace the 1986 pumper; I voted to increase the Village's annual stipend to the Fire Department after a five-year period when it remained unchanged; and I supported the implementation of a number of the recommendations of the Fire Safety Committee.

Insurance
With the assistance of the Village Administrator I have reviewed the various policies of the Village in an effort both to assure that the Village's insurance coverage is adequate, and to assure that the premiums being paid are competitive. The Village may well as a result incur some savings with respect to its unemployment insurance by self-financing a fund to cover unemployment payments to employees who may be terminated rather than to continue to pay annual premiums in excess of the unemployment payments being made.

Flood Mitigation
I led the process of reviewing the height limits in the Saltaire code with a view to bringing our regulations into line with the current FEMA guidelines. That process has resulted in a set of regulations which over time will induce homeowners to bring their homes into compliance with new FEMA guidelines at the same time that homeowners' right to modify their houses was not compromised.

******************

I believe that I have played a constructive role in shaping the agenda of the Village. While there are many in Saltaire who would be very effective Trustees, I hope I have earned your confidence. If re-elected, I will, after listening attentively to what others have to say, continue to vote for what I believe to be the long-run interests of the Village. I would very much appreciate your vote.

For those who don't know my background, I attach a brief resume.