Five-Year Capital Plan Discussed
By Stephanie Mariel Petrellese

The Village's capital needs were presented to the public by department heads during the 26th annual capital budget plan meeting on February 14th. The meeting gives residents an opportunity to learn and ask questions about projects tentatively scheduled for the next five years.

"I think we've done a very good job with capital planning and have avoided many, many pitfalls along the way," said Village Administrator Robert Schoelle, Jr. "Likewise, in terms of maintenance, unlike many communities throughout the nation, we have avoided deferring maintaining our infrastructure with the knowledge that you really can't put it off to any large extent."

Capital plans have ranged over the past few years from 10.43 percent to 20.61 percent of the total Village budget, according to Village Auditor Jim Olivo. This year the plan represents 20.61 percent. Olivo gave three reasons why the percentage is on the higher end this year: everything is more expensive, more things need to be done and $1.9 million worth of debt service in the budget cannot be deferred. The debt service is for projects completed in previous years.

"This plan is trying to meet the desires of the community, which we think are out there given the input that we are getting, and also trying to minimize the effect on today's taxpayer, while also thinking about what next year's taxpayer is going to have to deal with," said Olivo.

Future capital projects the Village is considering include Village Hall building modifications, improvements to the roller hockey rinks at Community Park, water works building modifications, parking and road reconstruction, Business District improvements and an indoor sports center.

Unlike the past 10 years when the amount hovered around $140,000, the capital plan for 2008-09 in the area of technology includes an increase from last year of $45,000 to total $183,000. Olivo said this is due to a major investment by the Village in mobile computers, hand-held devices and GPS location technologies.

Captain Gil Frank, commanding officer, Headquarters Company, presented the Garden City Fire Dept.'s capital plan, which totals $332,500. It includes $250,000 for new apparatus, including a new pumper; $65,000 for replacement of the peaked roof with a slate-like material at Station 3 on St. James Street North; and $17,500 for the replacement of apparatus doors at Station 2, which is located at 148 Stewart Avenue.

The Garden City Police Dept.'s capital plan for 2008-09 calls for vehicle replacement and renovation of police headquarters in Village Hall. The current police fleet consists of 25 vehicles. Police Commissioner Ernest Cipullo is requesting $147,000 to replace six vehicles. Polcie vehicles that have reached 70,000 to 80,000 miles are routinely recycled to other Village departments.

Cipullo has also included a request for $197,000 to renovate police headquarters. The area has not had any substantial infrastructure enhancements in more than 15 years. Additional security measures would include ballistic enclosures often seen in banks and an entry security system.

Cipullo also explained that $45,000 will be needed for the fingerprint and photograph system known as Live Scan. Nassau County will no longer provide those services to Garden City. If the Village does not purchase the Live Scan equipment, arrested subjects will have to be taken to the Third Precinct in Mineola for fingerprinting and photographs. The county is expected to reimburse the Village for covering these services.

Garden City Public Library Director Alan Roeckel's capital plan for next year includes: $45,000 for improvements to the local network; $30,000 for conversion of two bathrooms into one large family-size bathroom in the children's section of the library; and $15,000 for replacement of the concealed spline ceiling with a simple drop ceiling.

The Dept. of Public Works is responsible for more than 100 pieces of equipment, and this year are requesting a total of $437,000 to replace a small dump truck ($40,000); two larger dump trucks with a cab for crew members ($35,000 and $40,000 each); a $26,000 asphalt heater box; a sanitation truck at a cost of $110,000; two pick-up trucks at $33,000 each; a Ford tractor at a cost of $32,000; a $30,000 wood chipper; a $35,000 leaf picker; and a $24,000 fork lift.

Other DPW projects include sidewalk repairs, curb replacement, road repairs and resurfacing, sewer repairs and relining and tree planting. Next year's capital plan will also include $1,230,400 for improvements in the Business District along Franklin Avenue between Eleventh Street and Old Country Road, including pavers, bus station awnings and benches. The Village Hall elevator, which is slated to be installed in the southeast corner of the building to allow access to the second floor, is also included in next year's capital plan at a cost of $1.7 million.

The Recreation Department's capital plan includes $122,500 for equipment including a 1997 cargo van ($24,000), a 1999 4x4 pick-up with plow ($28,000), a winged rotary mower ($35,000), an athletic field line marking machine ($15,000), a utility trailer ($15,000) and a V-plow attachment for the front end of a rotary mower ($5,500). The capital plan also includes $50,000 for rehabilitation of paths, parking lots and roadways in parks including Community Park and Grove Street. Courts and fences in various parks are due to be replaced.

Kevin Ocker, chairman of the Board of Commissioners of Cultural and Recreational Affairs, has included $240,000 in the budget so his department can hire a consultant to prepare the specifications and construction documents for a 50,000-square-foot indoor sports center. The center, which would contain playing fields and perhaps other recreational facilities and courts, would operate as an enterprise fund and therefore pose no tax burden. Ocker estimated that it will cost five to six million dollars to construct.

Ocker projected revenue potential of $1.5 million, if the complex operates 75 hours per week for 50 weeks a year charging users the current commonly accepted rental rate of $400/hour. Since operating expenses are expected to total $760,000 a year, Ocker estimated annual net revenue to total approximately $740,000.

"Although we interviewed four perspective consulting firms, we have yet to award the first phase of this project, which would include a conceptual design, site plan, preliminary cost estimate, survey and elevations of the proposed building," Ocker told The Garden City News in an e-mail after the meeting. "This information is needed in order to make an informed decision on the overall project. As we proceed through the budget process, I will be suggesting that the $240,000 be deferred to 2009/10 so that we can continue to discuss the merits of this center and possibly develop a master plan for space utilization of areas adjacent to the Cherry Valley fields."

The budget also includes $90,000 for a fence along the St. Paul's property on Stewart Avenue. The Board of Trustees is expected to decide whether a fence should be installed after all property owners' associations formally respond with their recommendation. The cost may be covered by a grant from Senator Kemp Hannon as part of the Community Capital Assistance Program.

Some items in the Village capital plan are deferred for years, but eventually are included in the budget, according to Finance Commissioner Gerard Lundquist. "Ultimately they do come to fruition, and ultimately it makes Garden City a great place to live," he said.

This year marked the second time that a Citizen Budget Review Committee is involved in the budget process. The committee includes chairman Roy Ryniker, Gary Kahn, Thomas Paisley, Donald Pfail, Robert Sundius, Andrew Thaler, John Traxler and Thomas Trypuc.

In 2006, this capital budget meeting, which was traditionally held on a Saturday morning in Village Hall, was moved to a weeknight at the Garden City Public Library in the hopes of attracting more residents. This year attendance was especially poor, most likely because it was Valentine's Day.

Schoelle encouraged residents to attend the next budget session, scheduled to be held on Thursday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Village Hall board room. "There's a lot of work to be done, a lot of paring down, a lot of deferring of items in order to maximize the efficiency of this upcoming budget," he said.