Board discusses revisions to village code

The Village of Woodbury discussed multiple modifications to the village code at its Thursday, April 23 meeting.

During the meeting, the board continued its discussion to amend its taxation code by adding a new section under Chapter 277-12 titled “Payment of Taxes and Fees Prior to Board Approval.”

Village Attorney Lino Sciarretta said the local law would prohibit applicants from applying to or being heard from all three municipal boards if they have unpaid taxes or unsettled violations. He added that the provision has worked effectively in collecting overdue property tax funds for other municipalities that have implemented the legislation.

“[The local law] basically treats appearing before the boards as a privilege and in order to do so, you have to make sure your taxes are paid and your violations are taken care of,” Sciarretta said.

Mayor Andrew Giacomazza said the board was unable to adopt the local law because the village had not heard back from the county about its 239 referral.

Site planning enforcement

The board also reviewed a local law to revise Chapter 310-45(F) of its zoning code with the addition of an enforcement clause.

The proposed section states that the planning board may revoke a site plan approval “if the permittee violates the conditions of the site plan approval or engages in any construction or alteration not authorized by the site plan approval.” The section adds that violation of the provision may result in a fine of up to $1,000 per day, imprisonment of up to five days, or both.

Building Inspector and Code Enforcement Officer John Hand said the provision, replicated from the Village of Goshen, would also allow him to properly cite from the local code in order to enforce site planning violations. He explained that if the village fines someone under state code, the state would receive the fines.

“I need a code section from our local code in order to cite a violation,” Hand said. “I can’t just say, ‘you’re not complying.’ I have to say, ‘you’re not complying with A, B, and C.’ I have to have an actual code section to write on.”

Sciarretta requested to table the local law for additional review by the board. The board voted to continue the public hearing of the local law to its May 28 meeting.

OCCD Grant Program

In addition, the board held a discussion on the Orange County Community Development Grant Program, a federally-funded initiative that provides grants to improve public infrastructure and facilities for communities. Giacomazza requested residents to suggest projects that the village should consider applying for, ranging in costs from $75,000 up to $275,000.

Treasurer Desiree Potvin said that in order to apply for a project, a public hearing must be held and published within seven days before the hearing is scheduled. She added that any projects that involve water and sewage must be accompanied with an income survey. The village will then decide which projects to submit for funding.

Potvin suggested submitting an application to renovate the Village Hall and the highway garage to make it more ADA compliant. She said the $129,000 project would include renovation of the ramp and the addition of handicap push switches.