The Village of Mineola’s Board of Trustees Wednesday night updated annual parking permit fees to include a different rate for residents who buy a permit after Sept. 1, 2023.

In other actions, the board also authorized spending $197,237.80 for the installation of three new playground surfaces at Memorial Park and the Little League Ball Field Complex.

Starting on Sept. 1, special parking permits will cost $175 for the rest of the year instead of paying the full-year price. Buying special permits between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, 2024, will now cost $250 for the full calendar year. 

Starting on Sept. 1, commuter permits will cost $75 for the rest of 2023. Commuter parking permits between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, 2024, will cost $95 for the full calendar year. 

Mayor Paul Pereira said that essentially prorating the permits provides some relief and is a fairer assessment of the permit fees.  

“What we’ve done is cut it up into two parts: Let’s say you start a job and start commuting on Sept. 1, you’re not paying for the entire year but for that time,” Pereira said. 

Pereira said the playground surfaces getting replaced are the original ones from over 20 years ago and that previous attempts to mitigate the wear and tear could not be seen as long-term solutions. 

The mayor said if the new surfaces last as long as the old ones, it will be money well spent alongside the recently renovated Memorial Park and complex, which unveiled new turf fields earlier this year. 

“We’re looking to do a complete facelift, our Memorial Park looks great, the Little League fields look great and this will be the cherry on top,” Pereira said.

In unrelated village news, Pereira said most of the storefronts in the business districts have fixed the quality-of-life concerns after being given a notice of violation. 

“At the end of the day, we’re not here to collect the money. We would rather have the compliance and people keep their properties clean,” Pereira said.  

On Sept. 23, the village’s last summer concert at the Memorial Park amphitheater will take place at 7:30 p.m. with the Billy Joel tribute band The Cold Spring Harbor Band. Immediately after the concert, the village’s fireworks show will begin.