Penalties increased for village code violators

The village of Monroe approved an amendment to its property maintenance law that gives the code enforcement officer the authority to issue an appearance ticket for a violation at their discretion. Under the previous law, tickets could only be issued at the third violation, within a 12-month period. The new law still mandates a ticket to be issued at the third notice of violation, regardless of whether tickets were issued for previous violations. Other changes to the law, which was approved by the Monroe Village Board at the October 1 meeting, include increases to the penalties for violations. The first offense will remain at $250, while the second offense will increase to $500 and any additional offenses will result in a penalty of $1,000. The law also clarifies language around criminal penalty, stating that violators can be subjected to no more than 15 days in jail and gives the village board the ability to bring cases before the Supreme Court if needed.

During the meeting, the board appointed the law firm of Rametta & Rametta to take on the task of building code enforcement. The firm already serves as the village’s special prosecutor for vehicle and traffic cases.

Water fee increase

Citing cost increases for potable water services and related equipment, the village board agreed to raise water meter fees for village properties and those located outside the village via agreements with the town of Monroe. Depending on the size of the meter, the fees will now range from $700 to $2,000. The board also noted that usage service and equipment fees were last increased in 2010.

Islamic Center property

The board approved a $779,209 bond and accompanying inspection fee of about $39,000 for the Monroe-Woodbury Islamic Center. At the meeting, Mayor Neil Dwyer addressed the representatives for the center and asked if the village could acquire one of the houses on the property. Dwyer clarified that the village does not want to keep the house, which was built in the mid-1700s, on-site, but rather remove it and place it elsewhere. The representative for the center was amicable to the idea and said his team would need to do a site evaluation to ensure it was possible to remove the home. Dwyer noted that the board would need to approve the operation.

Infrastructure

The village accepted a proposal from engineering firm Barton & Loguidice for the replacement of the existing land bridge at North Pond with a bridge or culvert structure in the amount of $2,500. Dwyer explained that the current land bridge, which runs from mainland of North Pond to the gazebo, was never approved and has impacted the quality of water on the opposite side of the land bridge. The proposed project would enable water to flow under the bridge and aid with storm water management.

Barton & Loguidice will also oversee the design and construction of a traffic signal at the intersection of Orange Turnpike, Pine Tree Road, Still Road, and Stage Road. The total cost of the approved project is not to exceed $40,400.

Park access

A concern raised by Trustee John Karl over the Monroe-Woodbury football team using light towers to illuminate Crane Park during practices that go on after dusk led to a discussion over why the team couldn’t use Smith Clove Park, which has better lighting. Dwyer explained that the bylaws that govern the usage of that park permit only one league of any kind to use the fields during a specific time. Karl questioned the fairness of the law and its ability to shut out teams from using the field. Trustee Debbie Behringer pointed out the difference between practicing and games, noting that fields can only be used so much. This led Karl to comment on the overall conditions of the fields and the need for better maintenance. Dwyer agreed and suggested the town and village come together to discuss parks issues.

Senior housing

During the public comment period of the meeting, a resident of Monroe Common senior housing pointed out the parking limitations at the residence, which provides 15 parking spaces for 35 units. She explained that those spaces are given to those with health issues and how other residents are left without adequate, safe, and legal parking options. Dwyer responded by saying he was reviewing the prospectus from when the property was first built to better understand how the decision regarding the number of spaces was determined.

Odors

Concerns about the odor at Airplane Park were raised via a written statement by BJ Mendelson, which was shared by Dwyer. Mendelson commended Dwyer and Trustee Karl for their efforts to mitigate the situation since 2021 and even earlier, while admonishing Monroe Town Supervisor Anthony Cardone and Town Councilwoman Dorey Houle for allegedly “passing the buck.” Mendelson claimed that the county confirmed that the source of the smell was untreated sewage from the village of South Blooming Grove. Citing a 2022 pilot program to test new hardware to treat the raw sewage, Mendelson questioned why South Blooming Grove, under the leadership of Mayor Joel Stern, did not continue to utilize the hardware. He also claimed Stern has allowed for unapproved construction in South Blooming Grove, further contributing to the odor in the village of Monroe. Mendelson closed his letter by calling on the village of Monroe to take legal action against the village of South Blooming Grove and against Mayor Stern directly.