Things are looking up regarding the Village of Roslyn's relationship with its two volunteer fire companies.

According to Trustee Marshall Bernstein, the fire department budget for the 2000-2001 fiscal year may only include a three percent increase in spending. This is the result, Trustee Bernstein said, of Board of Trustee pressure to put a "reasonable restraint on the budget." Trustee Bernstein said the fire companies were reacting favorably to village suggestions of a tighter budget. A contract between the village and the fire companies was recently approved by the BOT.

When the village released its preliminary budget two months ago, it called for only a slight increase from $331,257 in 1999-2000 to $336,202 for this fiscal year. In the 1998-1999 budget, the fire budget increased by 10 percent, only to fall to a five percent increase last year.

At the May 16 village meeting, Trustee Bernstein also noted the idea of a combination of the two companies, Roslyn Highlands and Roslyn Rescue into one unit. There is no guarantee that this will happen anytime in the near future. If it ever came to pass, the consolidation would result in "some, [but] not significant savings" to the village, Trustee Bernstein added.

In other fire department news, Trustee Bernstein said that both companies are "constantly losing members" mainly because young people cannot afford the real estate prices and general living expenses in the Roslyn area. The companies, he added, may have to hire a "cadre of permanent staff" to deal with any personnel problems.

Roslyn Rescue still wants to close its building on Old Northern Boulevard. Roslyn Rescue officials claim that the building is not needed for them to adequately cover the entire Roslyn area. The fire company also claims it could sell the building for $1.3 million, a sum that could go a long way in retiring any debts that company has incurred.

The Village of Roslyn is part of a nine-municipality group that negotiates contracts and budgets with volunteer fire companies. That group includes the villages of East Hills, Roslyn Estates and Roslyn Harbor. Trustee Bernstein said he was "concerned" that Roslyn Harbor may leave the group over a dispute over the same firehouse on Old Northern Boulevard. In the past, Roslyn Harbor officials have stated their desire for Roslyn Rescue to take the Old Northern Boulevard building off the market.

Last fall, Roslyn Harbor officials briefly considered making the Glenwood volunteers its new fire company, citing costs and response time from the Roslyn fire stations. That conflict has been resolved for now, but Trustee Bernstein admitted that the other eight villages need the revenues Roslyn Harbor contributes to the group. The other villages, Trustee Bernstein, need to convince Roslyn Harbor officials that the Old Northern Boulevard firehouse is not necessary to ensure that village's safety.

Earlier in the year, it was revealed that Roslyn Rescue had purchased a new building, one located on 155 Mineola Avenue for the cost of $925,000.