Tempers were flaring Monday night in Greenport as tensions heated up between residents and members of the village board over code enforcement.
Resident John Saladino said he’d attended a recent planning board meeting and found many who an “disappointed” with code enforcement efforts in the village.
Saladino said, in his opinion, there are two scenarios. “Either the person in charge has an agenda different from the code and applies their own rules or they are being directed by the mayor and the village board. It’s hard to believe that any department head or person that works in the village doesn’t take their cues from the village board or the mayor.”
Next, Saladino asked the board about a “perception” in the village of “selective enforcement. Not even perception — it’s obvious,” he said, asking again whether the village’s code enforcement officer had an “agenda” or was taking direction from the board.
“Neither,” Greenport Village Mayor David Nyce said. “There are issues with code enforcement. There have been, for a long period of time,” Nyce said. “The culture in the village for years was it’s better to ask forgiveness than permission. I know you’ve heard it before, because you’ve said it,” he said.
“Are you suggesting I violated the code?” Saladino asked.
Nyce said Saladino was interrupting and asked that he not interrupt; Saladino asked for the same courtesy.
Nyce continued and said after years of the culture that existed in the village, “It takes a good deal of time, effort and energy to change people. This persists because the only thing that ever gets talked about is oversight, not the successes.”
The mayor added, “I will not sit here and tell you that code enforcement in this village is 100 percent perfect or 90 percent perfect. Nobody on this board is happy with code enforcement in general which is why we hired another code enforcement officer, so the building department can focus on building issues and code enforcement can focus on code enforcement.”
As for Saladino’s questions, Nyce said, “The board and I are not directing anyone to overlook the code.”
“You are the chief executive officer. The buck stops with you,” Saladino said. “If you can’t say, ‘It’s hard, it’s a tough thing'” to address.
Saladino asked Trustees George Hubbard and David Murray to address the issue; Nyce said he could address the entire board.
“The village board does not direct code enforcement. They are supposed to be an independent party. Am I happy? No. Are trying to change it? Yes.”
Saladino said he could “name five instances” of businesses that are in violation of the code, but the situation is was “overlooked” or addressed “after the fact.”
Resident Doug Roberts asked if code enforcement issued reports; Nyce said they are given at work sessions.
John Winkler said he believed the planning board should have some enforcement power.
Resident Joanne McEntee said she was happy to see that the board was trying to “rectify” the situation at 126 South Street, a building that was her grandmother’s house.
At Monday’s meeting, the board voted unanimously to authorize the commencement of a Supreme Court acton to obtain a court order removing an “unsafe and hazardous” condition existing at the address.
But McEntee said more needs to be done. “When you keep forgiving and forgiving and forgiving, if you don’t do anything about it, this will just continue.”
After the meeting, residents said they were unhappy with Nyce’s response to Saladino. “This was an angry display, embarrassing to watch,” said Maritza Winkler, who said the village should be more responsive to residents who have come to be heard. Nyce, she said, “doesn’t listen through the emotions. People who come to these meetings are the village’s best assets. Why are they afraid of conflict? That’s how you have resolution.”
Saladino added, “The mayor was condescending, and not responsive.”
