Update – Cleanup From Hurricane Sandy
The Incorporated Village Public Works and Recreation and Parks employees continue the cleanup effort that began the day after Hurricane Sandy ravaged our community. Unfortunately, the effort has delayed the regular fall cleanup of parks and village greenspace, but we are catching up and should have the fall cleanup completed in the near future.
By way of a general status report, all of the timber and brush have been removed, including the massive pile of material that were temporarily stored at the village yard and at 550 Stewart Ave. All of the stumps left from the village trees have been removed and the cavities filled and leveled in preparation for spring. Concrete from broken sidewalks and curbs is currently being removed and the voids filled and leveled. The sidewalk flags and curbing that were destroyed by fallen village-owned trees will be replaced by an Incorporated Village of Garden City contractor at the Incorporated Village’s expense. The Department of Public Works is currently scheduling the work with our contractor. Residents should be aware that this is weather and temperature sensitive work that may delay progress until the spring.
A group of graduate and undergraduate students from the department of landscape architecture at Cornell University have offered to work with Messrs. Ocker and Didyk to develop a course of action toward restoring the natural beauty of Garden City following the loss of 600+ mature street trees.
Residents seeking advice regarding the replacement of private trees may contact village arborist Michael Didyk at 516-465-4028.
Budget Work Sessions
I would like to advise you that the board of trustees will be conducting work sessions to review the proposed 2013-14 operating/capital budgets on: Saturday, Jan. 26 8:30 a.m. Tour of Facilities and Capital Plan Presentation; Wednesday, Feb. 6 7:30 – 10 p.m. Budget Study- Work Session 1; Thursday, Feb. 14 7:30 – 10 p.m. Budget Study – Work Session 2; Thursday, Feb. 28 7:30 – 10 p.m. Budget Study – Work Session 3; Thursday, March 14 7:30 – 10 p.m. Budget Study – Work Session – Final
These sessions are currently scheduled to be held in the boardroom at village hall, 351 Stewart Ave. All residents are welcome and encouraged to attend.
Well Check Program
While the winter weather has been a bit mild so far, it is inevitable that colder weather will be on the way and I am reminding residents to check on any neighbor who is alone, disabled or otherwise in need of assistance.
The Garden City Police Department has a Well Check program that provides a service for the residents. The Police Department’s Well Check program is available to any senior citizen, a person with a disability, or to any person suffering a hardship. Police Commissioner Kenneth O. Jackson has advised me that residents can contact the police department and be placed on its Well Check log. Each morning, a person who is placed on the police department’s log can call to check in and let us know if they are okay or in need of assistance. If a person who is on the list does not contact the police department, an attempt will be made to contact that person either by phone and/or in person. Any person who wishes to be placed on the Garden City Police Department’s Well Check log may contact the desk officer at -516-465-4101.
Collection Of Christmas Trees And Wreaths For Recycling
A reminder to residents who have a natural Christmas tree or wreath to dispose of, please leave them at the curb on your regularly scheduled recycling collection day. They will be collected by the department of public works and offered to other agencies for beach erosion control or rendered at the village yard for use around trees and shrubs as mulch.
Please assist the village by removing tree stands, strands of electric lights and plastic bags from the discarded trees and cooperate with your neighbors by disposing of them only on the scheduled recycling collection days.
If you have an artificial Christmas tree for disposal, please call the sanitation department for a special pickup at 516-465-4031 or 516-465-4032.
Board Of Trustees’ Meeting Schedule
The next regularly scheduled board of trustees meetings will be on Thursday, Feb. 7 and on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 8 p.m. I encourage all residents to attend board of trustees meetings so as to be thoroughly informed of village issues from a firsthand perspective.
