1) Contractor chosen, budgeted, now awaiting sign offs by four City departments before it can be legally awarded:
Dept. of Investigation — checking history of credit, qualifications, performance, etc.,
Dept. of Finance — to approve budget assigned for all 5-boros overall,
Office of Budget & Management — to corroborate overall budget,
Office of Controller — triple-checking previous 2 reports.
Used to take 2-3 weeks for investigation, but policy/personnel changed six months ago, no way to predict how soon investigation completed. Once signed off by all four, it would take approximately 3 weeks to get up and running. We’re second on list of priorities — will be done in conjunction with another garden/park on W.135th St.
2) Parks/Contractor can give some help in transplanting — dig trenches for placing plants — but would appreciate/expect help from gardeners to know what plants to move.
3) Contractor would have to replace damaged or removed property: replace fence. Normally part of individual contract per site.
4) Parks has generic list of plants from which it might be able to replace some damaged shrubs, plants. They’ve done so in past.
5) Concrete/mortar can be worked at temps above 20 degrees, so not a problem to do this in wintertime. Waiting till Spring would lose us whole planting season. They have method(s) to warm the earth when required.
6) Depending on kind of equipment Contractor has/uses, might be able to bring machinery in through western half of garden, across lawn, then to east fence/retaining wall site. Can’t know at moment. I have requested they take a hard look at using manual labor, with the possibility of our subsidizing part of any additional cost.
7) Some beds will have to be redone, especially if manual labor is minimal: the four starting with the Memorial Bed thru to Cassie Wright’s bed definitely; communal beds along that section of East fence, probably the one at end of BBQ patio and on either side of steps down behind 12 W. bldg. Don’t/won’t know of others until Contract is legally awarded and a Meeting held with the possible solutions presented.
8) New temporary home for cats, away from work area at rear of garden , probably good idea.
If I have further information, before tomorrow’s Meeting, I will send it along.
There was no additional information.
// LM
