The Mineola Board of Trustees approved an application at last Wednesday night’s village board meeting for $335,000 in community development funding for 2015.
Former Mineola Mayor Bob Hinck, who currently serves as community development coordinator, said in a presentation to the board that the money would be used to aid the village and village homeowners with construction work.
He said $60,000 would be sought to update and revamp the existing public bathrooms in Memorial Park to make them compliant with standards for use by the handicapped under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
“The park serves residents of all ages with various abilities for accessibility,” Hinck said.
He said $125,000 of the funds would be used for rehabilitation of residences, including replacement of roofs, boilers, siding and windows. Families with limited financial resources can apply for grants up to $15,000, he said, adding that six residential applications for grants are pending.
Hinck said the remaining $150,000 in the village’s community development funding application would be used for renovations of commercial business facades along Jericho Turnpike between Mineola Boulevard and Willis Avenue. Applications for facade renovations will be accepted for up to $15,000 apiece, he said.
Mineola Mayor Scott Strauss said the planned renovation of the Memorial Park bathrooms was well timed with other improvements planned for the park.
“With the amphitheater and the other plans we have for the park, it’s a great fit,” Strauss said.
The village is planning to erect a permanent theater for concerts, build a new decorative gazebo, refurbish four tennis courts, pave existing pathways and install new lighting.
The applications for 2015 are the 40th year of the community development fund program, according to Hinck, who said 106 applications for $1.5 million in residential and other improvements have been processed.
“It’s amazing that we have seniors who are able to stay in their homes,” said Mineola Deputy Mayor Paul Pereira, commenting on the program’s homeowner benefits.
Strauss said the village administration seeks to maximize the use of all funds received from the program.
“We implement what we say we implement and we do what we say we’re going to do,” he said.
Last year the village received $610,000 in community block grants, including $350,000 grant for an emergency energy generator for Mineola Village Hall.
