Auditing the Town of North Hempstead Building Department and More!

Dear Neighbor,

Among the first audit requests I received when I became Nassau County Comptroller came from Town of North Hempstead (ToNH) Supervisor Jennifer DeSena. Also newly elected to her role, she was concerned about widespread complaints about the Town’s Building Department and how long it was taking homeowners and local businesses to get building permits.

My office commenced an audit, reviewed countless records, and interviewed residents, members of the Town Administration, commissioners and staff members of the Department, as well as architects and design professionals who dealt with the Building Department between 2020 and 2023. Last month, we published the report of our findings, which describes a variety of operational and efficiency issues. 

The most important take-away from the audit is that while the Town’s decision in 2019 to implement an online portal for Building Department permit applications was laudable, the implementation process was fraught with significant problems, including:

• The Town failed to utilize key features of the software, CitizenServe Online Solutions, which resulted in frustration and dissatisfaction among both constituents and employees of the Building Department;
• Operational inefficiencies exist within the Department, largely due to lack of standardized procedures and operational oversight;
• Insufficient communication between the Building Department and permit applicants and a lack of transparency have undermined constituent satisfaction with the Department and the Town’s portal; and
• The bifurcation of the Town’s government during the audit period had a negative impact on the implementation of the portal.

The audit report culminates with recommendations from the Comptroller’s office that can serve as a roadmap for Town officials to improve operations and more fully utilize its comprehensive digital toolkit for modernizing the building permit process both internally, for the benefit of staff and the Department, and externally, to create a smoother process for permit applicants.

You can read the full Review of the Town of North Hempstead Building Department Permitting Process here.

The Nassau County Women's Center for Business & Leadership is now open! During Women’s History Month, I had the honor of joining Deputy County Executive for Health and Human Service, Anissa Moore, Office of Minority Affairs Executive Director Lionel Chitty, and their teams of extraordinary women, for the opening of the new Nassau County Women’s Center for Business & Leadership. The center, located at the Nassau Community College Annex in Garden City, will support women in all stages of their careers and serve as a resource for female entrepreneurs and business professionals to grow, follow their passions and ultimately increase the economic stability of our communities. The center will offer a variety of different workshops ranging from resume building and financial strategies to business networking, public speaking, and time management. You can read more about the programs and services offered at the Women's Center for Business & Leadership here.

Nassau Community College has also launched a  Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Center for Excellence in Entrepreneurship. Under the leadership of Rhonda Maco, Director of Equity, Inclusion and Affirmative Action at the College, the Center will offer guidance, education and opportunities to minorities, women and service-disabled veterans.

Joining us at the grand opening was Matthew Aracich, president of the Building & Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties and dozens of others who are passionate about supporting the success of a diverse business community. 

Did You Know: Nassau County has increased its discretionary spending limit from $499.99 to $4,999.99 and instituted a system that prioritizes doing business with Nassau County based Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWBEs), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses (SDVOBs) and other Nassau County-based business. Through this initiative, when a Nassau County department or agency needs to purchase goods or services that will cost less than $5,000.00, the department will search a County database to see if a qualified MWBE or SDVOB is in our system. If not, they will search for other businesses located within the County to support Nassau businesses and keep more dollars local. 

If you own a Nassau County business and would like to register to be considered for discretionary spending purchases – as an MWBE, SDVOB or simply because you’re local – please contact Nassau County Purchasing Department and/or the Office of Minority Affairs for more information.

In case you missed it: I’m proud to have launched a Nassau County Senior Discount Program in conjunction with the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce to connect seniors with Nassau County businesses that offer senior discounts.

• If you have a business in Nassau County and offer a senior discount, you can register your business here.
• If you are interested in locating businesses that offer a senior discount, click here.

Printed copies of the directory are also available at community events and senior centers across Nassau County.