Issuu

Friday, June 7, 2024

Vol. 101, No. 23

FOUNDED 1923 n LOCALLY OWNED AND EDITED

Making drea m a reality, one s home at a tim e.

Rania Jelani

Licensed Real

Estate Sa

lesperson O 516.307.940 6 | M 516.428.7 836 rania.jelani@e lliman.com

Garden City Office | 130 7th Street 516.307.9406 | elliman.com

EPOA scholarship PAGE 19 n Challenge of Champs PAGE 53

Village to receive FEMA funds for 2021 hurricane

COUNTY CHAMPIONS

BY RIKKI MASSAND

On Thursday, May 23, at Village Hall, Village Treasurer Irene Woo shared good news during her biweekly Board of Trustees report about federal reimbursement to Garden City from FEMA for losses and damages resulting from Hurricane Isaias, which impacted Long Island in early August 2021. The village filed a request following the opening of Federal Disaster Recovery funding submissions, and Woo said that request has been approved. In total, the Village of Garden City incurred $1,855,000 in damages. The usual reimbursement from

The Garden City Girls Varsity Lacrosse team won the Nassau County Championship, beating Long Beach with a score of 9-2. This was the fourth straight county championship for the team.

EAB hosts Water Superintendent BY RIKKI MASSAND The Garden City Environmental Advisory Board met on Wednesday, May 22, at Village Hall and received a timely update on the municipal water supply from Superintendent of the Water & Sewer Department, Stanley Carey. He presented slides and information about the Village of Garden City drinking water supply, treatments for emerging contami-

nants, new regulations, and grant funds for well equipment and operations. In April, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, after reviewing over 120,000 comments, released its federal regulations for six additional PFOS compounds. Carey explained that the EPA campaign notes the regulations as “protecting approximately 100 million people, preventing thousands of deaths, and reducing

tens of thousands of serious PFOS-attributable illnesses.” After reviewing health effects data, the EPA sets a Maximum Contaminant Level Goal (MCLG)—defined as the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. For PFOA and PFOS, the MCLG is set at zero, and Carey notes that the enforceSee page 12

FEMA is about 75% of the total costs, but because the damage from Isaias was extensive, coverage was increased to 90%. The village also received reimbursement of the final 10% of its storm-related expenses from New York State. “In total the village received full reimbursement of the damages caused by this storm. The Finance Department worked very diligently with FEMA to provide all the documentation that was needed, there were various meetings, and as a result they also allowed us to submit the hours worked by village staff for reimbursement relatSee page 35

Board prepares to start St. Paul’s abatement work BY RIKKI MASSAND After much discussion at the May 23 meeting, the Village Board of Trustees voted to transfer $115,025 from the contingency account and create a new capital project for the current fiscal year, which began on June 1. This move advances a project for removal of asbestos and other harmful materials inside the historic St. Paul’s main building. The village has engaged Woodbury-based D & B Engineers and Architects for inspections, assessments, and to complete the abatement project design and bid specification development.

The decision comes as the Village of Garden City seeks input from all residents regarding future potential uses for St. Paul’s as a community and recreational activity center, aiming for widespread community support. Regardless of the ultimate use, Garden City must remediate the building’s interior conditions. After 30 years of neglect and weather impacts, some areas have become unsalvageable, while other parts of the elaborate interior remain intact.

Funding Abatement Design

At the Board’s last meeting, Village Administrator Ralph See page 36

Strong turnout at BCI kickoff meeting PAGE 22 Cathedral assists after school program PAGE 26