BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA -- Jeda Environmental Services, Massena, has been awarded the contract to remove a dilapidated property located at 17 King Street in the village of Massena. 

The contract, which was announced at the Aug. 11 meeting of the Village Board of Trustees, came in at a cost of $43,430 to taxpayers. 

Bids were solicited for roughly two months, with bid openings taking place Aug. 6. 

Mayor Greg Paquin said the board hoped the property would be cleaned up by December at the latest as issues continue to mount at the location. 

It's not the first property to require a cleanup solicited by the village but the King Street property has seen some of the most vocal criticism in recent months. 

Neighbor Kevin Trippany, who lives next door at 19 King St., attended two village board meetings to raise concerns as conditions continued to deteriorate at the location. 

A large hole in the roof, coupled with broken windows and wildlife living in the former home have exacerbated conditions. 

Trippany said the holes in the structure allow birds to nest in the attic space, leading them to defecate on his property. 

"I've been forced to pressure wash my house multiple times because of the birds. We can sit on the deck because they crap so much," he said earlier this year. 

Trippany said the property has had a larger wildlife issue beyond just the birds, with squirrels, raccoons and skunks around the area as well. 

The property cleanup will also include all outbuildings and waste as well, Paquin said. 

Trippany said the owner, Wilfred Morris, was on the property to remove some things from the outbuildings but said "there's a lot left." 

But any items left behind could lead to further enforcement action, according to Code Enforcement Officer Walter Bean. 

Bean told Trippany and the board that anything left behind following the cleanup could lead to citations due to violations of village code. 

Citing the owner has been an ongoing process for many years. 

Though Morris has not been at any recent meetings, Village Administrator Monique Chatland said Morris had come to a board meeting previously after being cited multiple times. 

“He was here a year ago. A year ago we gave him a month,” she said. 

Code Enforcement first began citing the property in 2024, with former Code Officer Mikel Kelso and current Code Officer Tyler Mulvenna both addressing the situation with board members over the last year. 

In the case of Mulvenna, he subsequently requested the village send the property demolition out for bid in June, saying he was concerned the structure was growing even more unsafe and was concerned about the possibility of squatters potentially inhabiting the building. 

Getting to the finish line has been a long process, one that began in December 2024 when trustees held a public hearing about the unsafe structure posing a risk to the public. 

Trustees at the time opted to give Morris 30 days to rectify the situation and secure the property, with plans to bring the property up to code by the end of spring or sell the property. 

Neither happened, forcing the village to take further action. 

Paquin said the village would reach out to Morris again since bids were opened and a contract was awarded. 

Village officials said environmental testing is being conducted, after which time Jeda will begin the demolition process.

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