BY ANDY GARDNER
North Country This Week

MASSENA -- The village board has voted to allow residents who were charged late fees due to COVID-19 hardships a chance to apply to have them waived.

The board ratified the measure at a Wednesday, July 1 special meeting held online via Zoom.

Ratepayers will have to fill out a form in writing explaining their specific COVID-related troubles that led to late payments, sign it and turn it into the village offices.

Only those who are in good standing are eligible, which is defined as having paid on time for the last three billing cycles. Only late fees incurred for April through July of this year are eligible, the resolution said.

“What if they were having hardships already, and then COVID hit?” said Trustee Christine Winston, who voted in favor of the relief option.

“I get what you’re getting at. The problem is we’re not authorized to make those types of exemptions,” Mayor Tim Currier said. “It has to be sort of a specific thing and it has to be kind of broad.”

At the village board’s regular June meeting, the mayor said state law governing the matter does not allow them to do a blanket waiver, or make individual choices about who pays the late fees and who doesn’t, he said.

At the July 1 meeting, Currier said the idea for relief applications came from discussions among the village administrator, village treasurer and members of the Water Department.

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