Mineola Requests $524,000 in Community Funding

Every year a pool of Federal money known as Community Development Block Grant funds are made available to villages like Mineola in order to improve the lives of residents in both public and private spaces.

This year the Village of Mineola is applying for $524,000 total in block grant funding: $125,000 for residential rehabilitation throughout the village, $75,000 for code enforcement to enforce illegal housing, $300,000 for downtown parking improvements and $24,000 to improve handicapped accessibility throughout the village. The village must apply for the amount each year and does not necessarily receive the amount for which they apply. Last year the village .

As part of the application, the village is required to hold an annual hearing to discuss how they would use Community Development Block Grant funds for the next calendar year, which the did during a work session on March 14.

Described as “Federal passthroughs,” the moneys are federal funds which are then distributed through the county government to the local municipalities. The Federal funds are distributed to the Department of Housing and Governmental Affairs of Nassau County and are administered to municipalities on a need basis.

The $125,000 requested for residential rehabilitation throughout the village will be used to maintain the stock of “safe and affordable housing” according to Mineola’s Community Development Block Grant Coordinator Bob Hinck. Grants will be up to $15,000 for low and moderate income family residential homeowners to repair, secure and improve energy efficiency. Some of the items which have been done in the past include roofs, windows and boilers.

The village also is requesting $75,000 for code enforcement to monitor illegal housing. New computer hardware and software would be purchased with any funding received.

“To continue to maintain an active, sustainable code enforcement program in the Village of Mineola, this activity has been and will continue to monitor unsafe residential housing conditions in the village,” Hinck said.

The largest requested amount – $300,000 – is proposed to upgrade handicapped accessibility at the bathrooms and refreshment area. The village would modify and upgrade the existing public bathroom, concession area and adjacent public areas to conform with the current Americans for Disabilities Act requirements. The bathroom will be renovated to include new handicapped-accessible features, handrails, grab-bars and automatic flush controls for toilets, sinks and toilet enclosures and be reconfigured to include modifications for entrances and corridors. A new concrete access ramp with handrails will also be installed.

The concession area would be modified to meet all ADA requirements including a new concrete ramp with handrails in front of the concession service window and to the seating area with fixed tables ad chairs and umbrellas. The area would also be enlarged and modified for all plumbing and electrical outfits to ensure fire protection and suppression. Last summer a fire causing a significant amount of damage.

The village is also seeking $24,000 to convert existing bathroom to handicapped accessibility at the , making it ADA-compliant with grab-bars, flush controls and handicapped fixtures installed.

“We recently completed the conversion of the bathroom at the very satisfactory,” Hinck said.

If approved, funds will not be available until January 2013.