The Floral Park Board of Trustees made multiple steps towards improving and replacing the village’s facilities and resources including the authorization to renovate the roller hockey and multi-purpose court, purchasing two police patrol cars and a fire truck and beginning the bidding process to make the library’s entrance ADA compliant.
The maximums costs for each project stand at $525,000 for the court, $120,000 for both patrol cars and $850,000 for the fire truck.
Village Mayor Kevin Fitzgerald said the court is in “dire shape” and has not been renovated on this level in nearly 25 years and the same goes for the fire apparatus.
“These projects are long-term investments and the cost per year is going to decrease the longer our village uses them,” Fitzgerald said after Tuesday night’s meeting.
Fitzgerald also said the fire engine will be for Reliance Engine Company No. 2 of the Floral Park Fire Department, located just off Jericho Turnpike on Holland Avenue.
Trustee Michael Longobardi said during his report the bidding process will begging shortly to make the front entrance of the Floral Park Library ADA compliant.
“This will include a new ramp for the entry doors making the library entrance fully ABA compliant and accessible,” Longobardi said. “Construction is targeted to stop by the beginning of October.”
Resident Nadia Holubnyczyj spoke out against the village’s resources for disabled citizens in the village and spoke about a recent experience she had where a mechanical lift to get into one of the village’s buildings malfunctioned and was inoperable.
“When will disabled residents be able to participate in our community unconditionally,” Holubnyczyj questioned over Zoom. “For nearly 20 years now I have been speaking on behalf of the disabled community in Floral Park, imploring our village government to create a more consistent environment. I will remind you that disabled residents are considered second-class citizens in the Village of Floral Park.”
Fitzgerald apologized for the machine breaking recently, saying the village could have done a better job of relocating the meeting that Holubnyczyj missed due to the malfunctioning.
“I’ve said many times we can always do better in certain places,” Fitzgerald responded. “And in that case, we could have done something different or better and I apologize.”
Fitzgerald went on to say the library construction Longobardi mentioned is expected to be completed in the fall and when the village renovates its streets they install handicap-accessible curb cuts that provide seamless access from the curb to the street.
Fitzgerald finished by saying there are ideas to improve the lift at village hall following a recent conference attended by a village superintendent that touched on the matter.
The next meeting for the Floral Park Board of Trustees will be held on July 19.
