Building departments in North Hempstead and Oyster Bay embrace online permit systems
North Hempstead Town Council members during a board meeting Feb. 4. Credit: Newsday / Thomas A. Ferrara
The towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay approved new technology for filing building department permits online, moves that would expedite a time-consuming process.
North Hempstead’s building department has long been a target of criticism, and in 2024, a Nassau County Comptroller’s Office audit found it had “significant operational deficiencies.”
The town board on Tuesday approved a contract to acquire OpenGov, a cloud-based software. OpenGov will be used to file and track permit applications, Stephen Haramis, the town's deputy building department commissioner, said in an interview. Also this week, the Town of Oyster Bay announced technology to allow residents and contractors to file 20-plus types of permits online. The Town of Hempstead adopted OpenGov in 2020.
North Hempstead's three Democratic council members — Mariann Dalimonte, Robert Troiano and Christine Liu — voted against the contract. Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and the three Republican board members she caucuses with voted in favor.
Permits currently can be filed through Citizenserve, and OpenGov would replace that software. Haramis said the current software is not user-friendly, and many homeowners and business owners opt to file permits in person.
Haramis said the department has a permit backlog of a “couple weeks out, at most.” OpenGov will be operational in six to eight months, he said.
“You can file anything from a building permit, a commercial permit, a solar panel, a fence, plumbing permits, mechanical permits, everything can be filed online,” Haramis said.
Dalimonte said during the meeting that she objected to the cost of the software contract, $260,246. She said the figure “threw me for a loop.”
The Town of Oyster Bay on Tuesday announced a new online building department permit portal that officials say will quicken a process marked by slowdowns.
The online system covers a list of residential and commercial projects, including permits for fences between 4 feet and 6 feet, solar panels, sewer hookups and generators.
“For so long, municipalities here on Long Island have been mired in the past, in a labor-intensive, paper-heavy process that often grinds business and development to a halt," Mike Florio, CEO of the Long Island Builders Institute in Islandia, said during a news conference in Massapequa on Tuesday.
Previously, residents, business owners and contractors needed to go to one of Oyster Bay’s town halls to fill out permit paperwork. For the new system, homeowners need to make an account while contractors can request their profile to be activated online.
Town officials said new types of permits will be added in the future.
Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said at the news conference that the system will grant “fast-track permits” with “same-day” approvals.
Saladino said permit applicants will be able to “track progress, schedule inspections, receive updates and print documents, all online.”
Town spokeswoman Marta Kane said Oyster Bay’s building department typically processes 6,000 permits a year, including permits that the online system wouldn't cover. The town used existing software to build the portal, which cost $11,200, Kane said.
North Hempstead also approved an agreement with New York State Industries for the Disabled, an Albany nonprofit, to digitize archived records across the town, including the building department.
Digitizing the records will save inspectors the time of sifting through thousands of pages to handle permit requests.
Haramis said the department has about 2,500 boxes of files that need to be digitized.
DeSena said in a statement that "this agreement allows North Hempstead to offer meaningful and fulfilling work to people with disabilities. There should be a seat for everyone when it comes to Town government.”
With Ted Phillips
The towns of North Hempstead and Oyster Bay approved new technology for filing building department permits online, moves that would expedite a time-consuming process.
North Hempstead’s building department has long been a target of criticism, and in 2024, a Nassau County Comptroller’s Office audit found it had “significant operational deficiencies.”
The town board on Tuesday approved a contract to acquire OpenGov, a cloud-based software. OpenGov will be used to file and track permit applications, Stephen Haramis, the town's deputy building department commissioner, said in an interview. Also this week, the Town of Oyster Bay announced technology to allow residents and contractors to file 20-plus types of permits online. The Town of Hempstead adopted OpenGov in 2020.
North Hempstead's three Democratic council members — Mariann Dalimonte, Robert Troiano and Christine Liu — voted against the contract. Supervisor Jennifer DeSena and the three Republican board members she caucuses with voted in favor.
Permits currently can be filed through Citizenserve, and OpenGov would replace that software. Haramis said the current software is not user-friendly, and many homeowners and business owners opt to file permits in person.
Haramis said the department has a permit backlog of a “couple weeks out, at most.” OpenGov will be operational in six to eight months, he said.
“You can file anything from a building permit, a commercial permit, a solar panel, a fence, plumbing permits, mechanical permits, everything can be filed online,” Haramis said.
Dalimonte said during the meeting that she objected to the cost of the software contract, $260,246. She said the figure “threw me for a loop.”
Oyster Bay adds online service
The Town of Oyster Bay on Tuesday announced a new online building department permit portal that officials say will quicken a process marked by slowdowns.
The online system covers a list of residential and commercial projects, including permits for fences between 4 feet and 6 feet, solar panels, sewer hookups and generators.
“For so long, municipalities here on Long Island have been mired in the past, in a labor-intensive, paper-heavy process that often grinds business and development to a halt," Mike Florio, CEO of the Long Island Builders Institute in Islandia, said during a news conference in Massapequa on Tuesday.
Previously, residents, business owners and contractors needed to go to one of Oyster Bay’s town halls to fill out permit paperwork. For the new system, homeowners need to make an account while contractors can request their profile to be activated online.
Town officials said new types of permits will be added in the future.
Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said at the news conference that the system will grant “fast-track permits” with “same-day” approvals.
Saladino said permit applicants will be able to “track progress, schedule inspections, receive updates and print documents, all online.”
Town spokeswoman Marta Kane said Oyster Bay’s building department typically processes 6,000 permits a year, including permits that the online system wouldn't cover. The town used existing software to build the portal, which cost $11,200, Kane said.
Digitizing archives
North Hempstead also approved an agreement with New York State Industries for the Disabled, an Albany nonprofit, to digitize archived records across the town, including the building department.
Digitizing the records will save inspectors the time of sifting through thousands of pages to handle permit requests.
Haramis said the department has about 2,500 boxes of files that need to be digitized.
DeSena said in a statement that "this agreement allows North Hempstead to offer meaningful and fulfilling work to people with disabilities. There should be a seat for everyone when it comes to Town government.”
With Ted Phillips
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