North Hempstead's town leader shares her 2023 agenda 

North Hempstead Supervisor Jennifer DeSena set forth her objectives for the town Friday, including park improvements and the addition of a 311 call center team for building department-related issues, while also announcing a task force appointment.

DeSena delivered her second annual state of the town address before a crowd at Harbor Links Clubhouse in Port Washington during a luncheon the League of Women Voters of Port Washington-Manhasset hosted.

“My goals for my administration have not changed since my inauguration,” DeSena said. “I believe that we should streamline town government wherever possible, work through the governmental logjam and increase accountability to our taxpayers, operate in a fiscally responsible manner and lead our town in an open, honest and transparent way.”

DeSena, who caucuses with Republican Party, remains a registered Democrat. She won a two-year term in 2021 running on the Republican and Conservative Party lines.

During her address, the supervisor pointed out that in her first year in office she'd made good on her promise to begin broadcasting town board meetings on a North Hempstead TV channel.

DeSena also spoke of two park projects, one at Michael J. Tully Park in New Hyde Park and another at Charles J. Fuschillo Park in Carle Place, where refurbishments will begin this year. 

 The playground at Fuschillo Park will be renovated and a water spray area for children will replace a decrepit hockey rink. The town will rehabilitate the tennis courts at Tully Park and renovate its track and turf field. 

The supervisor noted during her approximately 45-minute speech that a long-awaited project to replace sidewalks in Carle Place will happen this year, in conjunction with Nassau County's repaving along Westbury Avenue.

DeSena also announced Drew Scott, NewsdayTV reporter and former longtime News 12 Long Island anchor, will join the substance misuse advisory council the town created last year.

Scott suffered a personal tragedy when he lost his granddaughter Hallie in 2017 to an overdose of fentanyl-laced heroin, the supervisor said.

 “Drew has been instrumental in not only educating the public, but he has also set up a foundation in Hallie’s memory and has helped establish opioid addiction task forces in the towns of Southampton and Islip,” DeSena said. 

Since her 2022 inauguration, the North Hempstead leader has vowed to tackle delays in the town's building department. Last July she asked the county comptroller’s office to audit the department to “identify and address any mismanagement of departmental operations and any potential misconduct or irregularities that may exist.”

The town’s 311 call center, where residents can report concerns or ask questions, now will have a dedicated group of staffers who answer building department-related calls, DeSena said Friday. In 2022, the call center answered 153,512 calls in all, according to the supervisor.

DeSena also announced Friday that the town soon will send out a request for proposals for the services of a planner to update North Hempstead’s nearly 35-year-old master plan.

Councilwoman Veronica Lurvey, a Democrat, said in a statement reacting to DeSena's address that the supervisor repeated many of the issues she mentioned last year. 

Lurvey said the town's focus should be on infrastructure, environmental issues and maintaining services and programming.

"My colleagues on the town board and I will keep working for our residents, every day, to ensure continued progress in the year ahead," Lurvey added.