Village of Great Neck residents will get the opportunity to spend one-on-one time with their mayor, Pedram Bral.
On Oct. 7, Bral will be at the French Kosher Bakery at 579 Middle Neck Road from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. for a “coffee with the mayor” event for residents.
“It’s an opportunity for residents to come up and talk about issues that concern them,” Village of Great Neck Clerk Joe Gill said. “Together with promoting a local business, it is a dual purpose thing.”
At Monday’s Village of Great Neck meeting, trustees discussed holding a monthly event for residents to speak with Bral about issues that concern the village, while also helping businesses in the village.
“The village is trying to give people an opportunity to meet the new mayor and personally talk to him,” Village of Great Neck Deputy Clerk Katie Dugan said. “If they have an idea or a question or anything like that to bring to his attention, they will have the opportunity to.”
Dugan said Bral is hoping to continue the event on a monthly basis as he looks to strengthen his relationship with the village’s residents.
She added that the village will choose a different business each month and is considering holding early evening events so those who work in the morning can have the opportunity to speak with Bral.
Also at the meeting, the board unanimously voted to pass a bill stating that residents living in any building that is the subject of an application at board meetings be notified by the village.
Gill said the board was made aware of the issue at a previous meeting.
“It was proposed by a resident in the public comments of a private meeting sensitive to Academy Gardens, where tenants did not always know there would be a hearing or an agenda meeting in front of the board,” he said.
Kings Point Gate Associates, a management company based out of Manhattan, proposed in 2013 to demolish the Academy Gardens apartment complex and replace them with market-rate units.
Gill said the passing of the bill was “common sense.”
“Tenants don’t have standing in what happens as far as property is concerned, but they do have the right to know what’s going on,” he added.
