By Hank Russell
North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena was joined by Nassau County Comptroller Elaine Phillips and Long Island Business Institute (LIBI) CEO Michael Florio on March 3 to announce the latest progress on the town’s Building Department. DeSena’s latest reforms were, in part, shaped by a report filed by Phillips, who performed an independent audit in 2024 at DeSena’s request.
Amongst other things, those findings outlined issues with flawed computer software implementation, the lack of digital records, and an overall need to improve communication between the department and town residents.
As previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics, DeSena and members of the Town Board announced a new town initiative last September that they say addresses longstanding, systemic problems in the town’s Department of Building, Inspection, Safety and Enforcement. DeSena laid out a series of reforms including having the 311 call center field all calls for the building department, reevaluation of its communication software that was purchased by the previous administration, rethinking the expedited review process, which DeSena said was overly politicized, and the establishment of a Legacy Issue Resolution Committee, which will specifically address the longstanding issues of properties in the Country Club section of Roslyn. In addition, the town hired Steven Haramis as its deputy building commissioner.
In that light, DeSena announced the town’s recent decision to switch department software to OpenGov, a cloud-based software program specifically designed to enhance government efficiency. The town will be abandoning CitizenServe, which had been purchased in 2020 by the previous administration during the coronavirus pandemic. According to DeSena, the previous administration purchased only part of the software’s programming and opted to install and customize the software in-house as opposed to using the vendor. This resulted in numerous setbacks and nearly five years of costly delays.
“After a year-long evaluation of the current software versus potential alternatives, it’s clear we need to move forward with a change,” DeSena said. “Open.Gov is used nationwide and highly regarded, particularly for its interface and ease of use by residents and professionals alike. It will give our inspectors full remote access and is undoubtedly the best option for our taxpayers’ needs.” The OpenGov software is also used by most local and New York State municipalities, which will improve collaborations.
“My office was struck by the obvious digital barrier that existed between the buildings department and residents,” Phillips added. “In an age of such powerful technology, there’s simply no good reason for residents not to expect a faster and more user-friendly process.”
To further address accessibility needs, DeSena announced the town is embarking on a mass digitization process with New York Industries for the Disabled (NYSID), an organization that advances employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and qualified veterans.
The objective is to convert all building department records to digital files giving building inspectors access to those documents while in the field, avoiding time-consuming return trips to Town Hall to conduct paper searches. DeSena noted that town staff is already engaged in carefully reviewing documents and eliminating duplicates to avoid any unnecessary fees. She stressed that a copy of all original documents will still be physically stored by the town.
Additionally, the North Hempstead Building Department will also be launching community “Meet and Greets” throughout North Hempstead in the near future. These free sessions will be hosted by the town’s building inspectors for residents who need information or advice on their building projects. The in-person workshops will address common residential needs, such as buying and selling homes, permit inquiries and acquisitions, and town code changes and interpretations.
“If we want people to follow our Code, we have to make it accessible and understandable,” DeSena added, “these face-to-face forums will go a long way towards demystifying the permitting processes.”
The Open.Gov software and digitization efforts will be introduced by resolution and voted on at the Town Board meeting on March 4. “We’ve already added a help desk, redesigned their work rotations, and started cross-training staff to perform multiple functions,” DeSena said. “But these latest technology initiatives will be critical to establishing real and lasting improvement.”