The Village of Roslyn board of trustees has approved a tax exemption for volunteer firefighters living in the village.

The purpose of the legislation, BOT members said, is to encourage greater membership in the local volunteer fire companies among Roslyn residents.

Specifically, the new law mandates that real property owned by an enrolled member of any volunteer fire company serving Roslyn will receive a 10 percent property tax cut. Both Roslyn Rescue and Roslyn Highlands, two longtime fire companies, serve the Village of Roslyn.

To be eligible for the tax cut, the firefighter must have Roslyn as his primary resident, with the property used exclusively for residential purposes. Furthermore, the resident must have at least five years service in his fire company.

In addition, those Roslyn residents who have had twenty years of active service in a volunteer fire company, but who are not active today, may also apply for the exemption.

Applications for the tax exemption must be filed annually with the Village Assessor on or before Jan. 1 of any given year on a form prescribed by the New York State Office of Real Property Services.

Finally, any applicant who is already receiving another tax benefit under the Real Property Tax Law will not have that exemption altered because of the existence of the new tax law.

In other news, the BOT approved the annual Holiday Meter Covering, which began on Friday, Nov. 22 and will last until Jan. 3, 2003. Meters will be covered all day long, seven days a week. The BOT also authorized Mayor John Durkin to sign a Grant Disbursement Agreement with the New York State Urban Development. The village renewed its contract with Lighting Maintenance Inc. for continued street lighting maintenance on village streets.

The BOT also renewed the contract of George Soos, with Mayor Durkin praising Soos for doing a "splendid job," and as someone who has been "very, very helpful" to the mayor. Finally, bus stop designs for local shelters will be a major topic at upcoming BOT meetings.

Len Shaw, a Roslyn resident who is the village's liaison to the Hempstead Harbor Protection Committee, gave an update on that body's latest meeting. He said the village would have to file a permit next spring in order to comply with current state regulations on stormwater runoff. The committee, Shaw said, continues its shoreline enhancement planning, plus various land uses studies on what would be the most viable development in the Hempstead Harbor area. Roslyn is one of the nine local municipalities that are members of the protection committee.