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Town Board adopts package of housekeeping local-law amendments and sets hearing dates
Summary
The Town of North Hempstead board unanimously adopted a series of routine local‑law amendments — covering ethics, FOIL alignment for rental forms, conference approval limits, explosives definition and notice methods — and scheduled or continued several hearings, according to roll calls at the meeting.
The Town of North Hempstead board voted unanimously to adopt a batch of local‑law amendments the meeting described as housekeeping updates to the town code.
What the board adopted and scheduled: the measures approved or advanced in the session include a new definition for the code of ethics' “policy‑making” category (chapter 16A); clarification that rental registration forms and portions of rental‑occupancy permits are subject to the Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) with appropriate redactions; an update to a 1972 spending limit on employee attendance at conferences (employees will now seek supervisor approval for conference expenses rather than be bound to a $50 limit); incorporation of the Penal Law §270 definition for "explosives" into chapter 19; and uniforming notice methods across multiple chapters to allow registered or certified mail where appropriate. The board also removed obsolete permissive‑referendum language from town‑court code and acted on several location‑specific ordinances and hearings.
Votes at a glance: each item below was moved to close the public hearing and put for adoption; roll calls recorded 'Aye' votes from the council members present and the supervisor for the adopted items.
- Item 2 (ethics code definition): adopted — recorded 'Aye' votes by Councilman Chanel, Councilman Scott, Councilman Walsh, Councilman Liu, Councilman Dalimonte and Supervisor DeSenna. - Item 3 (FOIL alignment for rental forms): adopted — unanimous 'Aye' roll call; deputy town attorney Mike Kelly credited for drafting assistance. - Item 5 (employee attendance at outside meetings / conference expense update): adopted — unanimous 'Aye'. - Item 7 (explosives definition tied to Penal Law §270): adopted — unanimous 'Aye'. - Item 8 (housekeeping notice-method amendments across chapters): adopted — unanimous 'Aye'. - Item 9 (remove outdated permissive‑referendum text for town court operations): adopted — unanimous 'Aye'. - Item 10 (ordinance affecting urban/new investment program): adopted — unanimous 'Aye'. - Item 11 (Elm Street, Roslyn Heights parking/notice amendment): adopted after resident input and staff clarification — unanimous 'Aye'. - Item 12 (resolution setting a date for a public hearing on Sheridan Street, Westbury): adopted — unanimous 'Aye'.
At several points board members thanked the prior town attorney and staff for groundwork on the code cleanups. The deputy chief deputy town attorney (identified in the meeting as Mike Kelly) was singled out for extensive drafting work on multiple items.
Why it matters: Most measures are administrative clarifications intended to align town code with current practice (for example, FOIL and mailing methods) or to modernize antiquated dollar limits. The explosives definition and FOIL clarification have operational implications for permitting and public records access; updates to conference approval procedures affect internal expense oversight.
What happens next: several items were continued to future public‑hearing dates where noted (Item 1 set for May 13 at 10 a.m.; Item 6 continued to April 8 at 10 a.m.). The board adjourned at the end of the session.
