During the Glen Cove City Council meeting of April 25, Mayor Thomas Suozzi announced that the city plans to reassess property in Glen Cove by June 1, 2001. And next week, the city council will decide which firm will conduct the reassessment. Mayor Suozzi said, "The current system is simply unfair. By reassessing, Glen Cove is leading the way toward fairness and equity in the assessment system. The current system is costing Glen Cove taxpayers $3 million in tax refunds this year alone; that's $1 million for the city and $2 million for the school district."

The resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract with two firms to reassess property for a fixed amount of $475,000 was not offered during the meeting. It will be the focus of next week's pre-council meeting to afford the absent city council members, (Dr. Al Granger and Michael Norman), the opportunity to interview representatives from one of the firms which offered their services at a reduced price from that stated in their bid proposal.

Last year, the city received bids for the reassessment of property which were later determined to be too high. The city requested bids again a couple of months ago and, according to the mayor, three firms responded. The field was narrowed down to two firms-- one with a fee of $475,000; the other with a fee of $1 million. Prior to the April 25 city council meeting, the $1 million proposal was lowered to $600,000 by the company.

The city council set a public hearing for Tuesday, May 9, 7:30 p.m. to discuss an ordinance concerning the advertising and promotion of tobacco products.

The city council passed two resolutions concerning the issuing of "notices of violation" to the Glen Cove housing code. The resolution established a uniform policy for the issuing of notices of violation to the various chapters of the city code related to, among others, housing, zoning, building and fire safety. It clarified the authority of the Glen Cove building department administrator to waive the notice of violation and immediately prosecute, under certain circumstances, the following: residential habitation violations, (such as illegal occupancy in, for example, an attic, cellar, or basement); any time there is a perceived risk to life, health or public safety, (such as having proof of mosquito infestation); instances when a violator has been previously prosecuted and knows of the violations on his/her property. The resolution adopted by the city council also makes it easier to serve notices of violation because they will be served in the same manner that process servers can serve a civil summons under New York law. "The streamlining of notices of violation and the uniform waiving of such notices under proper circumstances is one more weapon in the arsenal of code enforcement to ensure the quality of life in Glen Cove," said building department administrator Anthony Maurino. The new ordinance was the result of a collaboration between City Councilman Joseph Gioino and Mr. Maurino.