The ordinance, he said, is a way to handle all other requests to fly flags on the poles in front of village hall. Hayes acknowledged the new written flag policy - that codifies unwritten village practice - was precipitated by recent discussions in neighboring towns about whether to fly the flags in support of the LGBTQ community on municipal flagpoles.
Trustee Tom Schwingbeck, who was first to propose the village board's Pride Month proclamation in May, was absent from the meeting Tuesday night. Those against it, while also supporting the amendment, were Grasse, Mary Beth Canty and Robin LaBedz. Supporting the new flag policy with Baldino was Mayor Tom Hayes and Trustees Jim Tinaglia, John Scaletta and Jim Bertucci. 'I came in here being sympathetic to the ordinance and still am.' 'This has not been an easy decision for me,' Baldino said. Trustee Rich Baldino supported the amendment, but when it failed, voted the other way on the main ordinance. It would have allowed the village board to vote to fly any other flags that have been recognized and flown by the federal and state governments, including the Pride flag. That vote came after an amendment to the ordinance offered by Trustee Nicolle Grasse failed by a 4-4 vote.
