Local refuse enforcement law discussed again

Discussion on a proposed local law to enhance refuse enforcement in the Town of Woodbury continued at the Dec. 4 Town Board meeting.

At the prior meeting, Supervisor Kathryn Luciani said the purpose of the law was to address residents - particularly renters - who are leaving bulk garbage out for an extended time and not calling it in for bulk pickup. Under the current code, the building department was limited in its ability to issue violations, she said, and that the police department should be involved in enforcement.

Clara Rivera, Account Clerk for the town’s refuse department, said that in response to comments made at the previous meeting, the law was revised to give 72 hours’ notice for bulk removal from the original 24 hours. In addition, the law now states that complaints must be submitted to the refuse department via email or phone. The refuse department will then contact the police.

During the continued public hearing for the proposed law, resident Maria Hunter questioned who is designated as the town’s code enforcement officer, and shared her concern about adding a new position to the town payroll. She also mentioned fine distribution, adding that first offenses should be given a notice and not be issued a $50 fine right away.

Rey Hernandez, a resident of Highland Mills, said he felt the fines were not high enough to impact the large LLCs, which were named as the major violators of not removing bulk garbage at the prior meeting.

Town attorney Rory Brady said he would review what the maximum fine could be and would research what other municipalities have done. On Brady’s recommendation, the board agreed to keep the public hearing open until the next meeting.

Later in the meeting, the town voted to establish a capital improvement fund for the John P. Burke Memorial Pool. According to the resolution read, the Department of Parks and Recreation advised the town that the pool will need repairs and renovations in about seven to 10 years, at a cost projected to exceed $100,000. The town had already allocated $35,000 in the 2026 budget to establish the fund and intends to spread the fiscal impact across multiple years.

Questioning why her submission for mileage reimbursement wasn’t approved, Hunter initiated a debate with the board over whether town volunteers should be compensated for travel expenses related to their duties. Noting the frequent use of her truck and the rise in gas prices, Hunter shared her disappointment in not receiving proper communication about the matter.

Deputy Supervisor Teresa Luongo, who led the meeting in Luciani’s absence, said the town wants to avoid setting a precedent for volunteers to be reimbursed for mileage as that would be a burden on taxpayers.

Hunter countered that she was not using taxpayer money as the funds came out of a separate line item. She also argued that volunteer reimbursement was addressed in the past, in response to Councilwoman Sandra Capriglione’s comment that the town’s employee handbook only addresses mileage reimbursement for town employees.