Brockport Village Board members will likely vote at their next regular meeting June 2 on amendments to Village Code Chapter 36 – Minimum Housing and Buildings Code.
The board held its second public hearing on code changes during their regular meeting Monday, May 19.
“We listened to everyone who spoke the last time,” Mayor Margaret Blackman said when opening the public hearing.
She explained that comments made by community members and input from the village’s new code enforcement officer resulted in changing the Certificate of Occupancy back from expiring annually to every three years, and that following the sale of rental property, new owners will have 10 days to apply for a new certificate of occupancy as opposed to having to apply immediately.
“The two changes in no way diminish the village board’s commitment regarding doing something about the quality of code enforcement,” Blackman said.
She noted the village has more than 1,650 rental units, making annual inspections very difficult to accomplish.
The Village Board held the first public hearing on the changes April 7. At that time, many who spoke raised concerns over annual inspections and annual expiration of certificates of occupancy.
The Code Review Committee has been working on and off for about three years on the proposed changes which also include making rental registration fees law and adds definitions for property manager and tenant.
Steve Zisovski was one of a handful of residents who spoke during the second public hearing May 19.
“I would like to commend the board for listening to the people,” Zisovski told trustees. “I congratulate you. I’m glad you are taking the public’s opinion into consideration.”
Three other residents who spoke requested clarification regarding issues such as improvements made to historic landmark buildings and minimum state requirements for the frequency of fire inspections for multi-family dwellings.
At the close of the public hearing, Blackman said Monroe County must now sign off on the changes before the village board can vote. She said that should happen before the next regular village board meeting June 2 and the board will likely vote at that time.
The mayor also mentioned the village’s annual rental registration forms will now begin September 15, which lines up better with the college school year. She said current rental registrations will remain in effect until then. The new forms will be sent out in August, Blackman said.
Also at the May 19 regular meeting, Trustee Valerie Ciciotti reported on the establishment of a Housing Task Force in the village. She and Trustee Carol Hannan worked to compile the report.
Ciciotti said the task force would not function as a housing authority nor as a neighborhood association, but as an ad hoc committee which would address quality of life issues in the village as well as community safety and health issues and make recommendations.
She described the housing task force as “local government partnering with the community.”
The task force would address issues such as fee and fine schedules, a three strikes policy, property “de-conversions” (from rental homes to single family homes) and tax incentives for homeowners who improve the safety of their property, Trustee Ciciotti explained.
She said the housing task force would also work with community groups like the Greater Brockport Development Corporation (GBDC) to help stimulate economic activity.
Blackman said the report contained many good ideas including the “three strikes policy” which she says is utilized by the Village of Geneseo and has worked well there in dealing with repeat code offenders.
The mayor said she would like to see some involvement by the College at Brockport – perhaps a grassroots involvement by students – and also advised that the housing task force committee should be large enough to enable the formation of various sub-committees to focus on large-scale issues like de-conversion, tax incentives and the three strikes policy.
Trustees will now study the report and respond in writing with suggestions, Blackman said.
Creation of the housing task force will likely be on the next village board meeting agenda, Mayor Blackman said. “It could really be an important committee,” she said.
