Minutes of the Property Owners’ Association of Garden City Estates
Held on Wednesday, April 13, 2011 at Stratford School at 8:00 p.m.  

The monthly meeting of the Property Owners’ Association of Garden City Estates was held on Wednesday evening, April 13, 2011 at the Stratford School Auditorium commencing at 8:00 p.m.  Vice President Kathy Auro led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.     

President’s Comments  

Kathy Auro noted that John DeMaro was now a Trustee and there will an election of new Officers by the Directors of Property Owners’ Association at the next scheduled meeting on May 11, 2011.  Vice President Auro also reminded all residents to vote on the St. Paul’s issue on April 27, 2011 at the St. Paul’s Field House between 12:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.  The Directors who were nominated by the Nominating Committee for the upcoming year are Courtney Rosenblatt and Christina Russo (new Directors) and John Skramko, Vince Fusco and Sue Eigl, who will be starting new terms.

Dr. Robert Scott  

Dr. Robert Scott, the President of Adelphi University, addressed the audience.  He stressed that Adelphi and Garden City were neighbors and urged residents to take advantage of the cultural and athletic facilities offered by Adelphi University.  Dr. Scott mentioned that over $200 million in renovations had been done to Adelphi over the last decade, that the University received 8,000 applications for 900 spaces this year, that Adelphi had only 3.4% debt and it held tuition to a 2% increase this year.  There are over 97,000 alums of Adelphi and at the current time and some 30% of the students can live on campus.  Dr. Scott mentioned some of the programs that Adelphi has including a MBA program for doctors employed by the Catholic Health System.  Bloomberg Financial has done a program focusing on Duke, Xavier and Adelphi University.  

Committee Reports  

Library  

The library budget has been reduced by 7.9% principally through achieving savings with reduction of part time workers by some 25%.  While other budgets have increased, and budgets of libraries in other towns have increased, Garden City is going in the opposite direction.  Circulation has increased and the rental of videos have increased by 100%.  Randy Colahan also discussed innovations such as doing away with computers and having people simply hook up their computers to printers and screens located at the library.  The library is going to begin charging for use of its meeting rooms.  

Recreation and Cultural Events  

Greg Senken and Cathy Wood talked about the pool and the efforts to increase membership.  One of the issues discussed was an alcohol license for the pool.  The pool is now approximately on a breakeven basis and Trustee Daughney expressed the view that a strong marketing effort was required in order to make the pool more marketable.   

Traffic Department  

A Mr. John Gallagher from Wellington Road requested that parking be barred along Weyford Terrance.  This matter is apparently being brought up before the Traffic Commission.  

Long Island Rail Road  

Additional garbage trains are being brought to Covanta along the mail line.  

Trustees Report  

Trustee Brian Daughney reported on the possible development of 555 Stewart Avenue, near Roosevelt Field.  A developer has permits to build some condominiums at this site and permits expire at the end of September in this year.  It is possible that some that property may thus come back on the tax rolls of Garden City.  Trustee Daughney said that the parking lot between 5^th and 6^th Street is going to be repaved, that islands will be removed and that some sixty additional parking spaces will be added.  The Stutzmann property remains unused and there no way that the Village can force the owner to develop the property.  

The meeting was adjourned at 9:45 p.m.    

                                                            Respectfully submitted,    

                                                            Michael J. Holland
                                                            Secretary