Village of Garden City’s Mayor Report

THE MAYOR’S UPDATE

Village Hall and the administrative offices are open for in-person inquiries and business, and all full-time staff has returned to the on-site workplace. Office hours are between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Visitors are required to wear a face covering, maintain social distancing of six feet and sign in to a Visitor’s Log outside of the office they are visiting. Furthermore, while multiple people can enter Village Hall, only one person will be admitted into each office space at a time and are asked to abide by employee instructions. Please don’t forget to wear a mask when you are out and about in society and follow social distancing too.

POOL POLICY UPDATES EFFECTIVE AUGUST 1

Due to CDC regulations we are limited as to how many individuals are allowed in the Pool facility during a session. We would first like to thank our Pool members for your patience and cooperation during this difficult time. Many of you have made suggestions on the registration process that our administration has taken into consideration. As a reminder, reservations for the AM sessions begin at 8:30 a.m. and reservations for the PM sessions begin at 10:30 a.m. Members can still make reservations via online or by phone at the Pool Office at 465-4074.

We recently implemented a cancellation/wait list policy. As registration closes we will keep a waitlist for each session and call those members as spots become available. If you are unable to attend a session you already signed up for or would like to see if there is availability on the wait list please call the Pool Office at 465-4074.

Based on member usage, we introduced a same day walk up policy for those members having difficulties reserving a session swim time. Members have the opportunity to come to the Pool office to check availability of the sessions as follows: For the morning session, walk-ins are allowed beginning at 11 a.m. effective August 1. For the afternoon session, walk-ins are allowed beginning at 5 p.m. effective August 1. Admission for walk-ins will be dependent upon how many people are in the Pool at the start of the walk-in time. We cannot exceed our allowed capacity, so walk-ins will be on an “as available” basis.

This process begins at 11 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday during the AM session and 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday during the PM session effective August 1. On Mondays, this process begins at 2 p.m. for the AM Session and 6 p.m. for the PM session effective August 1. Remember, walk-in admission is ONLY based on availability; entrance is NOT guaranteed.

CURB, SIDEWALK AND ROAD IMPROVEMENTS SCHEDULE UPDATES

The following is the curb, sidewalk and road improvements paving schedule for 2019/20:

Eleventh Street – Completed
Repairs to Merillon Avenue and Kensington Road – Completed
Rainbow Memorial – Completed
“Little” Seventh Street – Sidewalk replacement – Completed
Clinton Parking Field – Completed
Pine Street – Completed
Parking Field 9E – Area south of Ninth Street – Completed
Parking Field 8 – Completed
Meadow Street, Grove Street, Commander Avenue, Lindbergh Street – These roads are contingent on the completion of the water main replacement project scheduled for Meadow Street
Stewart Avenue – Sidewalk on the south side from Clinton Road east to the Village line. This work is contingent on the PSEG transmission line project.
Nassau Boulevard RR Parking Lot – In Progress
Concrete work at the DPW Yard – Concrete the dump area (In Progress), plow storage area (Completed) and reconstruct Employee Parking Lot (Completed) (2019-20 Capital Project)

GARDEN CITY LIBRARY EXPANDED HOURS

On Monday, July 27, the Garden City Public Library expanded its hours of service to 11 A.M. to 5 P.M. Monday through Friday for browsing inside the Library. Contactless EXPRESS Pickup also expanded to 10 A.M. to 6 P.M. Monday through Thursday and 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. Friday, with additional evening hours being planned in the future. Please call the Library or check the Library’s website www.gardencitypl.org for current information.

For EXPRESS Pickup, patrons with a valid library card may reserve materials by phone, in the online catalog or through a form on the website at https://www.gardencitypl.org/express-pickup/. There may be limits on the number of some types of items to be borrowed. All regular loan rules will apply to items borrowed through EXPRESS service. When the materials are ready, patrons will be notified to arrange pickup at the Library.

The Library building is open from 11 A.M. to 5 P.M. Monday through Friday, providing in-library browsing for materials and reference services, as well as resuming interlibrary loan and accepting returned items. Returns may be made in front of the Library via the front book drop (all Library materials accepted) or carts marked “RETURN ITEMS; NO DONATIONS.” Following safety procedures for materials handling, returned materials will be checked-in following a 96-hour quarantine period, but will be backdated to the date the item was returned so that fines do not accrue during that time.

Library occupancy is limited. All visitors must sign in upon entering and are limited to 60 minutes in the Library. A face covering must be worn, covering nose and mouth, to enter the building and at all times during the Library visit. Please stay six feet apart, if you don’t live together. Please request staff assistance only where desk partitions are installed, and observe all floor markings. When approaching staff in an office, please knock and stand behind the floor markings until someone can assist you. Patrons who wish a consultation (Reference, Readers Advisory) with staff must sign in the log book. Congregating in groups is not allowed. Rearranging of Library furniture is not allowed. Occupancy limits for social distancing will be enforced.

Sections of the building are closed at this time. The Lower Level is closed entirely, including restrooms, Computer Lab, Media Room and Step Down Café. For media items (CDs/DVDs), please ask a Librarian for assistance. On the Main Level, the study rooms and computer areas are unavailable.

The Library reserves the right to require visitors to leave who are not following these rules. The Library Board and Administration will review these procedures as needed for safety.

Friends of the Library is not accepting book donations at this time. All programs in the Library building are cancelled until further notice. Check the Library’s Facebook pages or the Library’s Calendar of Events on the website www.gardencitypl.org for updates on reopening services and for information on the Library’s online resources, services and virtual programs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Library’s most important priority is to prevent the spread of the virus and protect the health and safety of Library users and Library employees. Services will be phased in to mitigate the risks.

BUSINESS DISTRICTS PAVING PROJECT WILL BE RE-BID

The project to rehabilitate paving stones on Seventh Street, Franklin Avenue and New Hyde Park Road will be re-bid. The first and second lowest bidders withdrew their bids, citing financial hardship attributed to the pandemic and lock-down. The decision to re-bid was made in order to ensure the village receives the best possible rates for this very large project, according to Public Works Superintendent Joseph DiFrancisco.

WESTERN NASSAU TRANSMISSION PROJECT

The Western Nassau Transmission Project consists of the construction, operation and maintenance of a proposed new 138 kilovolt underground transmission line primarily within the public roadway rights-of-way for a total distance of approximately seven miles between the East Garden City substation (located in Uniondale) and the Valley Stream substation (located in Lynbrook). The project is expected to reinforce LIPA’s electric transmission system in the southwest Nassau area and ensure continued reliable service. The underground transmission line will be located wholly within the Town of Hempstead and will traverse the Villages of Garden City, Malverne and Lynbrook, and will be constructed primarily underground. The project is on schedule for a December 2020 completion. The two-week construction schedule in Garden City entails:

Monday, July 27, crews began to muster equipment and materials at the corner of Ninth Street and Cherry Valley Avenue to complete Horizontal Directional Drill No. 4, the final HDD for the Project. Drilling is continuous in order to minimize overall impacts to the residents of the area. Travelers should be advised of lane reductions on Cherry Valley Avenue, south of the intersection with Stewart and Cathedral avenues, as well as the right-hand turn lane onto Ninth Street.
On Wednesday, July 29, crews were expected to swab the conduits between Splice Vault No. 16, located on Rockaway Avenue just north of Third Street, and Splice Vault No. 17, located on Cherry Valley Avenue near Sixth Street. Crews are cleaning the conduits in preparation for pulling, and are working in and around the splice vaults. Pulling of cable began on Thursday, July 30, 2020. Pulling includes the use of large cable reels to spool the electric cable through the Splice Vault manhole covers into the new conduits. Pulling equipment is located on the opposite end. Single lane closures in the immediate area, as well as traffic controls.
On Thursday, July 30, 2020, crews began performing test pitting on Stewart Avenue at the trenching locations between Clinton Road and the substation in Uniondale. Work is during nighttime hours.
On Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020, crews are anticipated to begin splicing at Splice Vault No. 16, located on Rockaway Avenue near the intersection with Third Street. Splicing includes continuous operations for up to six days. Splicing occurs within the splice vault, with a mobile trailer parked on top of the vault to provide a climate-controlled facility. The work is generally quiet and non-obtrusive.
On Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, crews will be performing test pitting on Stewart Avenue in the area of the horizontal directional drills in preparation for trenching and vault placement. The work is planned for daytime hours. Single lane closures and traffic controls are expected with this activity.

2020 SUMMER CONCERT SERIES ANNOUNCED

Garden City Recreation and Parks invites residents to the “2020 Summer Music on the Village Green” concert series, held Thursdays beginning at 7:15 p.m. Bring lawn chairs and blankets. Social distancing must be maintained while attending concerts.

Here’s the line up: