By ANTHONY BOTTAN
Seventy-five percent of the $200,000 the village is asking the county for would be used for streetscape renovations on Broadway, while the rest would be spent helping seniors with low incomes make necessary improvements to their homes.
According to Village Administrator John Giordano, officials will know by August if the village will receive the $200,000. Last year, the village received $65,000 from the county for Broadway renovations.
Department of Public Works Superintendent Phil Healey said the streetscape renovations for Broadway are still in the preliminary planning stages, but the architectural design he presented in January would include brick pavers for the sidewalks and better lighting along the street and benches. Brick pavers are cobblestone-like walkways made of shale and clay, which are kiln-fired and manufactured in molds.
Though Healey would prefer using brick pavers because it would save money on labor - brick pavers are laid down in sheets, rather than brick by brick - the design is ultimately determined by the budget. "Hopefully, it's ample to reach our goal," he said.
Giordano said the village would start receiving bids for the street scape project in July and hopes that construction will begin soon afterward. "Broadway is the one of the last commercial areas in the village that is awaiting streetscape improvement," he said.
The other 25 percent of the money the village hopes to get from the county - $50,000 - would be used to help seniors who have low incomes make improvements to their homes. Necessary improvements include building ramps for handicapped accessibility or fixing structural damage to a home that needs to be brought up to code.
Giordano said the county would determine what a low to moderate income is, and the maximum and minimum amount of money that could be given to one residence. In the past, the county has allotted a maximum of $20,000 per residence that qualified for the assistance, but Giordano said that if the village is selected to receive the $200,000, officials will ask the county to make the maximum $5,000.
Trustee David Penso, who voted to file for the $200,000, said he agreed with the idea of spending the money to renovate the Broadway area, but thought it would be more wisely spent on residents. "I would much rather see the money spent on the residents than brick sidewalks," he said.
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