FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 7, 2019
Contact: John Lyon 845-638-5645

County Executive Day Welcomes NYS Senate Code Enforcement Report

Thanks Senator Skoufis for Attention to Rockland

New City, NY, - The NYS Senate Committee on Investigations and Government Operations Chaired by Senator James Skoufis released their Final Investigative Report on Code Enforcement in New York State earlier this week.

Rockland County Executive Ed Day and the Center for Rockland Codes Investigations within the Rockland County Department of Health welcomed the in-depth evaluation of the code enforcement process in the Town of Ramapo and three other municipalities focused on in the report.

"Rockland County has been pushing back against lackadaisical or outright corrupt code enforcement for years; launching the Rockland Codes Initiative (RCI) in 2015 to correct dangerous and disgusting conditions that were often found all across our County," said Day. "The program itself is simple. Residents can make complaints through our confidential website or call them in. Once a complaint is made, inspectors from the Department of Health visit the location. They look for conditions that violate the Sanitary Code; conditions like unsafe and overcrowded housing."

RCI By the Numbers since May 2015:

• 5,305 complaints made.
• 22,225 inspections performed.
• 28,279 violations issued.
• $1,701,033 worth of fines issued.

"We are sending a message. We are getting compliance and we are seeing success. And while the fight is not over, we will not stop," said Day. "I cannot thank the employees of our Department of Health enough for their hard work and dedication. Because of their efforts everyone in Rockland is safer. I hope to see this success replicated across New York State and thank Senator Skoufis for his advocacy."

The Code Enforcement Report urged other New York Counties to use Rockland as a model writing, "those counties who wish to become more involved in the protection of their residents and first responders [should] follow the lead of Rockland County, which established the Rockland Codes Initiative (RCI) to protect the health, property, and quality of life for all county residents through the enforcement of health and sanitary codes."

Other recommendations in the report focused solely on the Town of Ramapo, "over the course of the investigation, the Town of Ramapo's failure to properly administer and enforce the Uniform Code was evident. Despite the placement of a state oversight official to monitor the Town's code related activities, the Committees believe Ramapo is not meeting its responsibility of protecting residents and first responders from the dangers imposed by improper construction and open violations. Thus, given the history of corruption and the culture of noncompliance that plagues the Town of Ramapo, the Committees recommend that the Rockland County District Attorney retain the authority to prosecute code violations. The Committees further encourage the Department of State and the Town of Ramapo to enter into another agreement enabling an oversight officer to assist the Town with its code enforcement activities."

The Report also encouraged Ramapo to follow the lead of Rockland's four other Towns and embrace a partnership with the Rockland Codes Initiative writing, "the Town of Ramapo has been disinclined to collaborate with the Rockland Codes Initiative on open violations. The Committees strongly encourage the Town of Ramapo to fully cooperate and embrace the successful efforts of the Rockland Codes Initiative."

Deputy Commissioner of Health Catherine Johnson Southren, who has overseen RCI since its inception, extended an invitation from the Center for Rockland Codes Investigations to Michael Specht, the Supervisor of the Town of Ramapo, and the Ramapo Building Department saying, "we welcome the Town to join with us and begin to focus on the future safety of their residents through the development of a successful code enforcement partnership."

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