Village of Potsdam Code Enforcement Officer Greg Thompson has highlighted some of the code provisions that people living in the village should know. It was aimed particularly at students who are new to village, but it applies to all village residents.

The text of his message follows:

By now most of our college students have settled into their new school year and are rapidly developing new life patterns for the 2015/2016 school year.

The Village of Potsdam Code Office would like to take this opportunity to say welcome back and remind students, especially those living off campus, that there exist local laws which the village expects all students to be aware of.

Although to some these laws may seem to be a bother, we at the village take them seriously as we try to protect and provide a high quality of living for all residents.

• Parking is prohibited after 2 a.m. on village streets throughout the year, as is front yard parking. You must be observant of fire lanes, handicapped and other prohibited and restricted zones. The Village of Potsdam also considers it a violation to be parked across a sidewalk. Students are reminded that visiting a friend's house or apartment does not give an operator permission to disregard these parking stipulations. Violations of these laws may result in tickets, fines or towing of the vehicle. Overnight parking is available free of charge in several of the village's municipal lots.

• The village code prohibits noises which degrade the quality of life or that annoy or disturb others. This includes yelling, squealing tires, loud music and TVs, and loud parties. Penalties for this can involve legal action taken on behalf of the village. Friendly gatherings are encouraged, however it is important to remember to stay in control of yourself and all guests at all times.

• The Village of Potsdam also reminds all students that laws are in place which prohibit vandalism and littering. Damaging property of others or property of the village is a crime. Such vandalism includes damaging private and publicly owned trees, flowers, park benches, etc.

• We also encourage students to not discard rubbish on private or public properties. This includes interior furniture being placed outside, appliances, TVs, etc. If you do choose to have a gathering we strongly urge you to clean up your properties immediately following your party. Should students choose not to clean up properly, a warning will be issued once per year and after that the village will hire a local contractor to clean up the debris at the expense of the landowner and tenants.

• Trash day in the Village of Potsdam is Tuesday. All trash must be placed in the orange trash bags required by the village. These bags may be picked up at the Civic Center or at a nearby Kinney Drugs Store. Casella, our local trash company, has a schedule in place for picking up recyclables. It is the responsibility of each renter to make him or herself aware of which days recyclables may be picked up.

• Also of note is the local zoning law which states that garbage containers may only be place curbside between 7 p.m. the night before pickup and 7 p.m. the day of pickup.

The safety of each and every student living in our local apartments is a matter taken very seriously by Potsdam's Code Enforcement Office. We follow a strict fire and safety schedule for inspecting all rentals within our village. We strongly encourage all students to make us aware of any situation within their rental which they may see as hazardous.

We can be reached at 315-265-7678 between of 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

As a rule of thumb treat your neighbors and those you encounter in Potsdam as you would like your family treated in your hometown.

Keeping this in mind will help to ensure a happy and safe school year.