(Photo by Marketing Masters NY)
In an effort to maintain a tidy village and put pressure on scofflaws, the Farmingdale Board of Trustees voted at the Jan. 3 meeting to increase penalties for what it called “quality of life” issues.
Violations of specific subsections of Village Code Article 419 (Property Maintenance) will now result in higher fines, escalating with time and ranging up to $1,000. These include such items as surface water, landscaping maintenance, graffiti, fences and exterior surfaces, as well as confirming with the general property maintenance clause.
“We’re trying to compact this into a very simple ticket because right now, we’re writing up very elaborate accusatory instruments that take a long time [to be resolved]…and then you get bogged down in the paperwork,” said Building Inspector Steve Fellman. “[Under the new law], it becomes a very simple ticket…you can check off [the violations] and hand it to someone and say, ‘There’s the ticket, I’ll see you in court.’ ”
He added that the current procedure—giving notice of violations, waiting 40 days for remediation, and keeping an eye on the progress or lack thereof—“is a night and day process that you would have to keep track of. On a week-by-week basis, that’s impossible to do. We’d rather tell them, ‘If you don’t do it, we’ll be back next week with a summons.’ ”
Mayor Ralph Ekstrand noted that warnings will be given, and the amended law will help out with the 10-odd “zombie houses” remaining in the village. Those are houses essentially abandoned by homeowners and left to decay, and can became eyesores and worse. It’s also designed to deal with problems with dumpsters, especially those behind the stores on Main Street.
“We have to do something,” said trustee Dr. Walter Priestley, who is known for taking pictures of violations.
“It’s these repeat offenders, and we all know who they are,” Ekstrand said. “We beat them over the head and they just don’t care. Well, you know what? You’re going to care now, because you’ll [stand in front of] Judge Sal[vatore] Nicosia and he’ll say, ‘Pay the fine,’ ” Ekstrand emphasized as he slammed the gavel, sitting where the village justice presides.
“It’s common courtesy,” added Ekstrand. “You’re running a business on Main Street, and you keep the front of your store very well and you keep the back like ‘caca’—that’s Norwegian. This [new law] is now a tool to make that happen, and it’s going to happen.”
The board also moved to designate $50,000 to several area charities, moneys donated by the PGA for the village having hosted The Barclays at the Bethpage State Park Golf Course last August.
“One of the perks for putting up with the professional golfers who come here approximately every three or four years is that the PGA is a legitimate charity organization, and after they dole out all their funds, the leftover money is given to charity,” Ekstrand said, adding that after the 2012 Barclays the village received $48,000.
“They let the village designate the charities, and historically, we give it to the needy in Farmingdale,” Ekstrand said.
Village leaders decided $25,000 would go to the disadvantaged children of the Farmingdale School District. The remaining funds were split evenly ($6,250 each) among the United Methodist Church Soup Kitchen, Farmingdale Community Summit Council, St. Kilian RC Church Outreach and the Society of St. Vincent DePaul.
In addition, the PGA compensated the village for its expenses associated with hosting the tournaments, such as overtime for public work and traffic code enforcement employees.
