The Mayor’s Update


Mayor Cosmo Veneziale

Mayor Cosmo Veneziale

Election Results

The Garden City Village Election was held Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at the St. Paul’s Field House. Congratulations to all the winners. Here are the official, certified Election results. This tally includes absentee ballots:

Mayor:

• Two-Year Term: Mary Carter Flanagan 1,351 (including 152 absentee ballots)

• Two-Year Term: Judy Courtney 1,226 (including 85 absentee ballots)

Trustees:

• Two-Year Term: Edward Finneran 1,514 (including 110 absentee ballots)

• Two-Year Term: Michele Harrington 1,312 (including 93 absentee ballots)

• Two-Year Term: Bruce J. Chester 1,215 (including 137 absentee ballots)

• Two-Year Term: Cosmo Veneziale 984 (including 67 absentee ballots)

• Two-Year Term: Richard A. Williams 986 (including 119 absentee ballots)

• Two-Year Term: Michael J. Sullivan 1,097 (including 137 absentee ballots)

Middle School Bomb Threats

On March 16, Officers responded to Garden City Middle School where staff received phone threats from a person who stated he was in the parking lot and threatened to shoot up and bomb the school. Due to the threat being outside the building, the school was placed in lockout, as officers and school staff carefully and systematically searched the interior and exterior of the building. Upon completion, the call was deemed unfounded. NCPD Homeland Security and Canine were on scene to assist. The following day, March 17, Officers again responded to Garden City Middle School where telephoned threats of an imminent bombing were received. Due to exigent and mitigating circumstances, the school was evacuated, and school buses arriving at the school were redirected to a secure site. Garden City Officers, along with NCPD Emergency Service, Bomb Squad, Canine Officers, and school staff conducted a thorough search of the premises. Upon completion, the call was deemed unfounded. The incident appears top be related to the March 16th incident, according to Commissioner Kenneth Jackson. Both incidents are an excellent example of the cooperation and coordination between the Garden City Police Department and the School District in working together to providing security and safety to both students and staff during emergency situations.

Village Budget Sessions Continue

Work sessions to discuss the proposed $69.194 million Operating Budget kicked off March 9. Four budget work sessions are scheduled this month, followed by a budget hearing on April 3. Work sessions take place in person in the Village Hall Board Room and via Zoom, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. Remaining sessions include:

Work Session III
Thursday, March 23, 2023

Police Department

Recreation, Pool and Tennis Funds

Work Session IV
Thursday, March 30, 2023

Presentation of Changes/Final Budget

Budget Hearing
Monday,  April 3, 2023

Budget Hearing and Adoption

Public Hearing on
Proposed Village Budget

The Board of Trustees will hold a budget hearing on the proposed 2023-24 Operating and Capital Budgets on Monday evening, April 3, 2023 during the annual Organizational meeting in person at Village Hall and via Zoom beginning at 7:30 p.m. To view the Tentative Budget as well as the work session presentations, visit the Village website, www.gardencityny.net and click on “Departments” and then “Finance.”

Body Cameras

Upon application, the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) has awarded the Garden City Police Department funding of $100,000 to assist the Department in the purchase of body worn cameras and related software. The Department has been in contact with a New York State Contract vendor who is offering a five year program for an approximate cost of $325,000. The DCJS funding will assist in the initial purchase of the equipment and the Department is proposing an allocations in future Capital Budgets to cover the remaining cost of $225,000.

Mini Golf Course Renovations

The Community Park Miniature Golf Course is currently undergoing renovations to prepare it for the 2023 summer season. Work has been ongoing throughout the winter to prepare the course to reopen. In late fall, the last remnants of the old course were removed by Village DPW. Many of the landscaping rocks, which were part of the old course, have been repurposed and used in other landscaped areas within the Village. In early spring, DPW crews were again on site, performing grading and leveling of the area, to prepare it for the installation of the new course. Electric conduits were run to accommodate the new powered obstacles which will be part of the course. Village Engineers have put together the list of obstacles, greens, and fairways we want to purchase, and the bid specifications will be released for bidding Friday, March 24. Once these items are received, DPW and Recreation Maintenance crews will install them, and the Parks Division will landscape the course. We are hopeful of having the new course ready for enjoyment by our residents by mid-June of this year.

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