Our speaker this morning at LIMBA was Patchogue mayor Paul Pontieri. Mr. Pontieri began his account of becoming mayor by saying when he was elected the village was in need of a general clean-up. He told us that the development efforts in the village created greater density and that good design makes higher density acceptable. His words were “density doesn’t matter”.  From his perspective a village needs many elements to make it more livable.

He noted that through cooperation with Cablevision, for example wi-fi was made available in a children’s playground. In the same playground a small putting green was installed. These amenities create activities for parents watching the children while still being nearby.  In his view a village must feel like a family friendly community, and with that end in sight Paul has pursued his efforts.

In keeping with that message he pointed out the Patchogue Theater. It has served an anchor to the village because of its cultural contribution to for residents and visitors. During the Q&A period he was asked if the theater was profitable. The answer was that on balance it was enough of a draw to support other taxpaying entities.

Mayor Pontieri cited a small Grucci fireworks display on New Year’s Eve that took place in the middle of town that was a big hit. He admitted that there was still work to be done and problems to be solved. Another question that came up during Q&A was the lack of quality office space in the village and the mayor agreed that is where the village must do better.

He then explained that a four year elected term allowed him to concentrate of the things that need to be done instead of planning for the next election. That rule should be more universal according to Pontieri.