The North Hempstead Town Board approved multiple resolutions on Tuesday, March 4, including the kickoff of the Westbury Avenue improvement project in Carle Place through an agreement with an engineering design firm.
“This has been asked for by the Carle Place community for a long time,” Town Supervisor Jennifer DeSena said. “…So I’m very happy that we’re able to finally get this project started for the Carle Place community and the store owners there.”
The Westbury Avenue improvement project is focused on redoing the sidewalks along the street.
DeSena said the town will also partner with Nassau County on the project to repave the road as well in tandem with the sidewalk reconstruction.
The $241,810 agreement with NV5 New York will provide engineering design specifications for the Westbury Avenue improvement project.
DeSena said the project is funded through American Rescue Plan Act funds, otherwise referred to as ARPA money. These funds were distributed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The engineering design contract was approved unanimously.
The board also approved the return of a triathlon to the town and the purchase of OpenGov, government management software tied to the town’s recently announced building department reforms.
The triathlon will be held through a partnership with Race Awesome, which was unanimously granted the event license by the town board. The town will be a co-sponsor of the event.
“So this is very good news,” DeSena said. “The Town of North Hempstead triathlon is coming back.”
Race Awesome has conducted races locally before, including the recent Nassau County Iron Man.
The race, which features swimming, cycling, and running, will be held at North Hempstead Beach Park.
A specific high school heat will be included in the race after the main event, which DeSena said is expected to draw tri-state participation due to its unique local offering.
The triathlon’s return after a several-year hiatus will be in the fashion of the roaring 20s, with the theme of “The Great Gatsby.” It will be held on June 22.
While the board unanimously approved the triathlon and Westbury Avenue project, the same was not true for the OpenGov contract approval.
All three town Democrats—Council Members Robert Troiano, Christine Liu, and Mariann Dalimonte—voted against the contract. Dalimonte said it was because of its high cost.
The purchase of the software costs the town $260,246.
The contract was approved, though, by town Republicans, who hold a 4-3 majority on the board.
The OpenGov software was announced the day prior as one of the next steps taken to reform the town’s Building Department after a county comptroller audit reported multiple inefficiencies in February 2024.
DeSena requested the audit in July 2022 after winning the November 2021 election and campaigning on the need for building department changes. In September, in response to the report, the town outlined eight reforms that would be rolled out over time.
The OpenGov software is part of a second wave of building department reforms following the first few implemented in September. Other reforms announced include digitizing all town department records through a partnership with New York State Industries for the Disabled and holding new community meet-and-greets with the Building Department.
DeSena said the building department had a “digital barrier,” and the new software aims to combat that.
“After many attempts over many years to implement our previous software, following a flawed acquisition from a prior administration, we’ve decided to start fresh and work fast with OpenGov,” DeSena said at the press conference on Monday, March 3.
