Police and fire departments give reports
A board of trustees job is never done, and that holds true here in Garden City. Mayor John Watras and company held their regular meeting on May 1 at village hall. Here’s a sampling of what went down:
The village gave the go ahead to the law firm Jones Day to proceed with the appeal of the judge’s decision in the Mutual Housing Association of New York (MHANY) management anti-discrimination housing lawsuit. The judge had issued his final judgment late last month that the village had violated the federal Fair Housing Act via their zoning ordinance for the Social Services site a decade ago.
FEMA is entertaining the village’s appeal for payment for fringe benefits for the major cleanup after Hurricane Sandy. Payment should arrive sometime during the summer, and this should not affect next year’s budget.
The village will soon be taking bids on the new senior center, and new trees should be planted around the village as soon as the contract has been approved.
Board members reported a productive meeting with the citizen’s budget review committee. The committee is finalizing a draft featuring suggestions as to what they feel should be in the next budget proposal.
Police commissioner Kenneth Jackson spoke about a recent disabled tour bus on Wetherill Road. This turned out to be more than a routine break down. Plates on the bus did not match the VIN number, and it was discovered that it was a federal out-of-state vehicle that had previously been shut down. It was being operated under different plates. The feds and state DOT officials were notified, and the vehicle has been impounded. 12 violations have been issued so far.
There were nine hard arrests from April 16-28th, most notably, a 19-year-old student was arrested for selling controlled substances, ranging from marijuana to cocaine. The investigation was a joint effort of village detectives and Adelphi Public Safety officers.
Fire Chief William Castoro spoke about the new county law requiring carbon monoxide detectors for all commercial and public buildings. The chief did say they would expect an increase in call volume when the law goes into effect in January.
The village requested an increased police presence on Edgemere Road and Clinch Ave, as commercial vehicles continue to travel there. That is no longer allowed, but Jackson said it could be another six months before GPS systems reflect that change.
New trustee Theresa Trouvé was sworn in. Her term runs through April 2016.
The next board of trustees meeting will be Thurs. May 15 at village hall at 8 p.m.
