BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA -- Village of Massena officials have modified the village code in an effort to curb camping on public property following multiple reports of homeless individuals camping on village property. 

Trustees approved multiple resolutions following public comment periods that did not yield any comments during the May 20 board meeting. 

Mayor Greg Paquin addressed the issue, noting that there had been multiple cases of individuals camping on public property in recent weeks. 

"This is a brand new section, basically. It's been pulled from multiple states. WE're kind of picking different parts from them for it. The goal is to try to clear that up and, if possible, if we have to, there's grounds to be able to remove them," Code Enforcement Officer Aaron Hardy said. 

Under the new code, provisions are now in place that would allow multiple agencies to remove any individuals who are camping on public property. 

"We always, and I know the police department as well, our goal is to try to help people seek assistance. However, there are times that there are folks that don't want assistance. So, yes, whose responsibility is it to enforce it? Is it code enforcement or the police department?" Trustee Ken McGowan asked. 

Hardy clarified that code enforcement, Massena Police, State Police and the Sheriff's Office all have authority to remove individuals in violation of the code. 

Code related to tree removal was also updated, as emerald ash borer insects continue to destroy thousands of ash trees throughout the region. 

Hardy said the code specifically allows the village to remove trees in a village right-of-way if it is deemed to be a threat to the public. 

He said that the code does not mean the village can just walk onto someone's property and remove a tree deemed to be a hazard. 

"The only change with this, instead of going all over everybody's property, we will be focusing on private property within the village right-of-way. I think we've had conversations about this in the past. We are not tree specialists," Hardy said. 

He said due to the limitations of the village staff in removing trees the village will only focus on the right-of-way, suggesting an arborist should be brought in for more complicated situations and those on private property. 

In other action, trustees also modified village code related to unsafe structures, brush, grass and dumping regulations. 

Hardy said the unsafe structure code changes relate to language already in state fire code, allowing the village to "pull it all together" when addressing such situations. 

In recent months numerous unsafe structures have been secured by code enforcement, including 18 Park Ave. and 40-42 Woodlawn Ave., which is slated for demolition unless the property owner secures the structure and takes steps to bring the property up to code, officials said. 

The modified language in the code will now allow the code office or police department to take immediate action if a structure poses a threat to the public, as opposed to waiting for the village board to sign off on securing a structure. 

The changes come after a committee was established with local stakeholders and village officials taking part to reassess and update village code. 

Mayor Greg Paquin previously called numerous parts of the code “insufficient and outdated” as violations continued to pile up with little to no recourse available to the village. 

Paquin said the committee was established to look closer at rental properties, in particular multi-unit dwellings, along with repeat offenders who use village resources for things such as lawn mowing and excess trash removal. 

Trustees were critical of absentee landlords in establishing the committee, saying it was their hope to bring more of them to the table for discussions about how to maintain properties. 

“It’s about being a good neighbor, more than anything,” Paquin previously said. 

As for lawns, brush and trash removal, Hardy said the changes to the village code include a fine structure that should deter residents from "using the village as a lawn mowing service." 

"It's gotten to the point where people are utilizing us as their mowing company. That's not acceptable for the village to be doing that. So, what we've done is added a scale to the fee side of things. So, basically in the mowing part, a first offense is going to be a $50 fee, the second and third is a $150 fee, fourth is a $250 fee and the fifth time for the year will be a $500 fee," Hardy said. 

For trash removal, the fee structure will be $100 for a first offense, $250 for a second offense, followed by a $500 fee and $750 fee, Hardy said. 

In the event the property owner does not pay the fees, those fines will be rolled into their property tax bill, village officials said. 

Hardy said despite some paying the fees, there are a number who end up seeing the fees rolled into their tax bills. 

"I'm hoping that, if this gets out to people, that at least it might get them to take care of their properties," Hardy said. 

Help St. Lawrence County Stay Connected!

We’re glad you read this article reported by the staff of NorthCountryNow.com.

If you haven’t done so already, please consider subscribing to ensure you have full access to all the news and info about St. Lawrence County.

Your subscriptions make it possible for us to provide trustworthy local news, promote our many community events, and encourage community dialogue.

Please click here to subscribe today!