Renovations to the Glendale Public Library and repairing the area’s sewer lines are among the top priorities for Community Board 5’s capital and expense budget for the 2013 fiscal year, District Manager Gary Giordano said at the board’s meeting last week at Christ the King High School.
The budget has $1.5 million available for the rehabilitation of the library, which currently is not handicap accessible.
“That’s the only library in Community Board 5 area that is not handicap accessible,” Giordano said.
The Queens Public Library wants to secure $4 million for renovations for all the libraries in the system, he said.
“Well, if that can’t be obtained in tight budget times, then the least they should do is make it handicap accessible,” he said.
Giordano said several of the other budget priorities are sewer-related, which became an issue during a severe flood in August 2007.
The board currently has commitments from the Department of Transportation for new sewers under Penelope Avenue and 69th Street, north of Grand Avenue.
In addition, the board wants to increase the number of officers assigned to the 104th Precinct to 170.
“We haven’t been at that number for quite some time,” Giordano said.
Keeping the area’s local firehouses open is also a concern.