Friday, April 2, 2021 The Garden City News
20
THE MAYOR’S UPDATE Mayor@gardencityny.net Village Hall is open. Office hours are 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 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.
Covid Relief Funding
The Village will receive COVID relief funding through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, a $1.9 trillion relief bill signed into law this month. The stimulus package provides $360 billion in direct financial relief for state and local governments, including $65 billion for America’s cities, villages and towns, as well as $65 billion for counties. The Village is expected to receive an estimated $110 per capita. With about 22,000 residents, funding would total approximately $2.4 million, Village Treasurer Irene Woo announced during Wednesday’s budget session. The funding will be delivered in tranches; the first half is expected to be received within the next three months, and the second half 12 months after the first payment is received. Unlike FEMA funding, the relief will arrive before the Village reports how the funding is being used. Use of funds has recently been expanded to now include any COVID-related revenue losses as well as water, sewer and broadband infrastructure improvements. “The Village can really take advantage of this, since the Village has experienced COVID-related revenue losses at the Pool and in the Recreation Department. The Village is also incurring water infrastructure improvement costs,” Ms. Woo said. “Once funding is received, the Board of Trustees will direct those funds as they see fit within the guidelines.” The U.S. Department of the Treasury is currently working on the regulations that will provide more detail and guidance.
Stained Glass Window
LoDuca Associates, Inc., the lowest bidder, will remove, protect and preserve the stained glass windows in the St. Paul’s Main Building at a cost of $64,656. According to Village Administrator Ralph Suozzi, the company will crate and store the windows until a future use is determined.
Fourth Street Crosswalk
At the March 25 Traffic Commission meeting, members re-evaluated the 2019 decision regarding a crosswalk at Fourth Street and Franklin Avenue. By way of background, the Commission, at its November 21,
2019 meeting, voted to approve installation of a crosswalk east of the exit to St. Joseph’s School, as well as installations of blinking Stop signs at the crosswalk on Fourth Street. At the time, the school agreed to install a Stop sign and a “No Left Turn” sign at the exit of the parking lot. In 2020, at the January 9 meeting, it was revealed that an investigation by Village Engineers and Public Works Staff determined there was no safe location to install a crosswalk where requested and other alternatives needed to be explored. Police Commissioner Kenneth Jackson, former Public Works Superintendent Joseph DiFrancisco, and Garden City Youth Detective Steve Roumeliotis met with St. Joseph’s School personnel to discuss alternatives. One alternative, accepted by the School, was to have the buses enter the campus and drop off the students next to the school instead of having them walk from the street. Per Trustee Louis Minuto’s request at the January 14, 2021 Traffic Commission Meeting, GCPD Detective Roumeliotis went back to St. Joseph’s School to discuss the crosswalk request with the School. “At this time the Principal is not requesting the crosswalk, however, he is requesting a change in signage in front and west of the School to allow parents to drop off and pick-up their children,” Commissioner Jackson said. “This is due to the fact that per our recommendations, school buses are already discharging students on the campus.” Several “School Bus Parking Only” signs will be replaced with “No Parking, Pick-Up and Drop-Off Only” signs along Fourth Street. “We believe this is a much safer environment,” Commissioner Jackson said. This would allow more parents to drop off students on the north side of 4th Street, therefore lessening the number of children crossing the street. Letters will be sent to 4th Street residents this week, giving them a two-week window to share their concerns. If there are no objections, the new signs will be erected. Traffic issues during religious education services were also addressed. “When the religious education classes resume in-person, we can then review if the new signage improves the situation,” Commissioner Jackson added.
ed an installation to allow for robotic inspections of the natural gas line on South and Stewart Avenues. After the installation last year, National Grid can now send a robotic PIG through to monitor the health of the existing infrastructure, rather than continually excavating and impacting roads. This process will begin in April 2021 and is expected to be complete by the end of May 2021. Construction will take place on the Stewart Avenue median Monday – Friday. Infrequent weekend work may be necessary at times* In order for the PIG to travel through the infrastructure, it will need to be charged at various locations. National Grid will work to mitigate sound as much as possible and try to limit charging to during daytime hours, though this process may require charging into the early AM hours. All Stewart Avenue work will be done in the median: • S t e w a r t Avenue and Franklin Avenue • Stewart Avenue and Butler Place • Stewart Avenue and Emmet Place • Stewart Avenue near US Marine Corps. HQ Work will be intermittent between each location. Traffic will remain open near work zones. Once work is completed for the day, work zones will be plated and allow for regular vehic-
Mayor Theresa Trouvé
National Grid Work
Last year National Grid complet-
ular traffic and pedestrian traffic to resume. This work schedule is subject to change due to weather. Additional information is available on the Village website, www.gardencityny.net, under the National Grid tab.
Chamber of Commerce Events
The Board of Trustees approved the following events, dependent upon the Governor’s orders with regard to COVID-19: The Garden City Chamber of Commerce has requested to close Seventh Street to vehicular traffic beginning Thursday, May 27, through Saturday, September 11, 2021, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. Dennis Donnelly, chairperson, Garden City Belmont Festival Committee, requested authorization to hold the Belmont Festival on Seventh Street on Friday, June 4, 2021 (Rain date June 11) from 5:00 to 11:00 p.m. and to close Seventh Street prior to 5:00 p.m. to allow time for the set up. Dennis Donnelly, executive director, Garden City Chamber of Commerce, requested that the Promenades begin on Friday, June 11, 2021 and end on Friday, September 10, 2021. Seventh Street will close between Franklin and Hilton Avenues from 5:45 to 10:45 p.m.
Village Board Meeting
The next regular Board of Trustees meeting will be held Monday, April 5, 2021 at 8:00 p.m. via Zoom. The incoming Mayor and newly elected Board of Trustees will be sworn in.
The Office Cat From page 17 which was reported stolen in Virginia. He was charged with criminal possession of a loaded firearm and possession of stolen property. The 18-year-old-male driver was charged with possession of marijuana and two traffic offenses. Another passenger, an 18-year-old male, was arrested for possession of four stolen credit cards. More graffiti Graffiti was found on a tree on Washington Ave. on March 30th. Similar graffiti was found on a 7th Street building. Bridge strike
Upon investigation of a work van striking the Chestnut Street bridge, the 48-year-old driver was charged with disregarding height clearance signs. There were no injuries reported. Smoke condition GCFD and GCPD responded to a Huntington Road residence on March 30th for a report of a fire. Upon investigation, it was determined to be a boiler-related smoke condition. Unemployment fraud Between March 24 to 30th Garden City Police investigated four reports of victims’ identities being stolen and used to file false unemployment claims.
Are you a professional?
Our Professional Guide is sure to bring results. Call 294-8900 for rates and information.