A Word From Garden City Mayor Don Brudie

The following is a weekly column provided by Mayor Don Brudie.

Safety: Everyone is aware with the coming of Fall that it gets darker earlier in the evening and stays darker in the early morning. Please, for your own safety, reset your outdoor lights to accommodate these lighting changes.

Backflow Tests Mandatory for Lawn Irrigation Systems: I would like to remind everyone that has an automatic lawn sprinkler system that your backflow prevention assembly unit must be tested annually, as mandated by the Nassau County Health Department.

Notifications have been sent throughout the year to reach out and alert residents of this agreement. If you have still not done so, please have your backflow prevention assembly tested as soon as possible. The Nassau County Health Department has mandated all devices must be tested annually and has designated the water purveyor (Village of Garden City) responsible for enforcement.

The Health Department considers all untested devices a hazardous threat to the water supply. As such, they have given the authority to the village to shut off water services to residences that do not conform. In addition, the village risks incurring a fine by the Nassau County Health Department, which would be passed on to the residences.

If you have any questions or need a list of certified backflow testers, please do not hesitate to call Mr. Steven A. Bayard, Cross Connection Program Manager. His phone number is 465 4024.

Fire Prevention Week: All residents and friends are invited to attend the annual inspection and open house on Sunday, Oct. 14, at 12:30 p.m. The program will be conducted at Fire Headquarters and in the employee parking field, located on the west side of Village Hall on Stewart Avenue. This year’s theme is “Have 2 Ways Out!” There will be fire safety demonstrations, an appearance by Sparky the Fire Dog, a poster contest, refreshments and more.

Your fire department does an outstanding job to protect our lives and homes.  Please stop by to show your support for them. I'm sure that your entire family will enjoy the program.

Safely Yield to Volunteer Firefighters Responding to Emergencies: A chronic problem involving motorists in the village is the failure to safely yield the right of way to volunteer firefighters who are responding to a fire alarm.

Under state law, volunteer firefighters are permitted to display a flashing blue light in their vehicles as they are responding to fire emergencies. While this flashing blue light does not entitle the driver to violate any of the speed limits, traffic controls, etc., it does signify that the driver is responding to an emergency. All motorists seeing an approaching vehicle displaying this flashing light are encouraged to safely yield the right of way as they would were it an emergency vehicle displaying red flashing lights.

Please Do Your Part to Keep Garden City Pedestrian Friendly: Residents are reminded that it is their responsibility to maintain the shrubs and trees on their property to assure that branches do not overhang and obstruct the Incorporated village’s sidewalks and walkways, by doing your part to keep Garden City a pedestrian friendly community.

Board of Trustees Meeting Schedule: The next board of trustees meetings will be held on Thursday, Oct. 4, and Thursday, Oct. 18. The meetings will be held in the board room at Village Hall and will begin at 8 p.m. I encourage all residents to attend board of trustees meetings so as to be thoroughly informed of village issues from a first-hand perspective.