Snow Storms—Help Us Help You
With another snow storm behind us, I would like to take this opportunity to thank village residents and merchants for their cooperation by shoveling walks within 24 hours following the snow fall. Looking ahead, the following suggestions are offered in an effort to reduce inconvenience to residents and to assist the village in serving your needs.
• If possible, wait until the village plows the street to clear the snow from your driveway entrance. If you can’t wait, shovel to the right onto your curbside, since most snow plows push to the right. Do not shovel snow back into the cleared street. This will reduce the accumulation of snow which will be pushed back into your driveway. This is a chronic problem. Plow operators have been reminded to reduce the speed of their vehicles in order to lessen the amount of snow that is pushed back into driveways. Please be aware that the Department of Public Works cannot shovel out driveway entrances nor can it plow any private property.
• When you hear that a storm is expected, move your car off the street into your driveway. This will speed up the plowing operation.
• Park your car, or cars, as close to the end of the driveway as is safely possible. This eliminates the need for shoveling the entire driveway to free your car when the storm has ended and the roads are safe to travel.
• If you are unable to shovel snow or are going to be away, make arrangements to have the snow cleared from your sidewalk. Please remember that you are responsible to shovel your walk within 24 hours after the storm. This will be enforced by the police department. This is also applicable to the business community.
• When using power equipment to blow snow please do not blow the snow in the street.
• Please clear snow away from all hydrants so that the fire department can reach them without delay. Also, make sure that the snow is not blocking the address to your house.
• To facilitate safe garbage collections, a walk should be made from the sidewalk to where the garbage is kept. If this is not possible, it is suggested that the garbage be carried to the curb for pickup.
Winter Water Facts And Tips
I would like to take this opportunity to share with you some winter water facts and tips that were recently sent to me, which I know first hand about:
• Outside water faucets have a valve inside which can be shut off during winter months. Purchasing an insulated hose faucet cover will also help protect the valve from freezing.
• Frozen pipes can result in damage to your home, and repairs can be costly. If you have experienced freeze-up problems in the past, it is suggested that a faucet be allowed to flow with a steady drip which will help prevent the recurrence of a freeze-up.
• To prevent pipes from freezing, you can insulate them and keep your thermostat set at no less than 60 degrees.
Board Of Trustees Meetings
The next regularly scheduled board of trustees meeting will be on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 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 first-hand perspective.
I do hope to see some more residents at the board meetings in the coming year.
Shop And Dine In Garden City And Enjoy The Experience
There are many things which make Garden City such an appealing place to live and work. One of these is our viable and welcoming business districts with their fine restaurants, unique shops and regional stores.
Many residents consider shopping and dining in our business districts as experience shopping because they meet friends and neighbors along the way and have an opportunity to interact with them. This is in stark contrast to frantically dashing through the crowds in the mall or the big box retailers.
I encourage residents to make a conscious effort to choose Garden City as the place to shop and dine. It would be extremely helpful to our business community if you could make one purchase daily in the Village stores. Customer service, selection and quality are outstanding. While shopping or dining let the merchant know that you appreciate them and all that they offer. I look forward to seeing everyone in town.
Budget Work Sessions
I would like to advise you that the board of trustees will be conducting work sessions to review the proposed 2014-15 operating/capital budgets on:
Thursday, Feb. 13 7:30 p.m. (Budget Study/Work Session 1)
Thursday, Feb. 27 7:30 p.m. (Budget Study/Work Session 2)
Thursday, March 13 7:30 p.m. (Budget Study/Work Session 3, if necessary)
These sessions are currently scheduled to be held in the boardroom at village hall, 351 Stewart Ave. in Garden City. All residents are welcome and encouraged to attend.
