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BROCTON -- Before some Brocton residents even knew that Ed Ballando would fill the open seat on the Village Board, he was already receiving plenty of feedback on the village's updated on-street parking restrictions.
"I didn't even know people knew I was on the board yet, and I was approached 31 times in 21 days over this parking on the street," Bellando said.
The village previously enacted a local law that states, "All-night Parking will be prohibited within the Village of Brocton between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m. during the period beginning Nov. 1, and ending March 31, of each year on all highways within the Village of Brocton and also no vehicle shall stop, stand, or park between the sidewalk and the curb line or if there is no sidewalk within 8 feet of the paved street and further no vehicle shall stop, stand, or park on any sidewalk."
Over the past month, the village has been issuing violation notices on vehicles that do not abide by the restrictions. The village reserves the right to tow a vehicle in violation if it is deemed necessary after persistent or drastic violations.
Bellando explained that since the notices have been issued, residents have been asking what will be done to violators, considering all the time and effort the village has already spent on the matter. Many residents expressed concerns about enforcement, which was the main concern voiced by Trustee Drew Ransom in his initial opposition to the law.
"One of the comments was, 'If you went to all that effort, with rules on there, why aren't you doing anything about it?'" Bellando said.
Highway Superintendent Ken Becker stated that by having a law in place with violation notices issued after a warning, many of the frequent offenders have corrected the issue. However, there are still others who have not changed their behavior, with Lake Avenue and Central Avenue among the most challenging areas.
The issue first gained traction because Becker pushed for a resolution to protect the Highway Department from having to frequently navigate through the streets with cars parked in the way of snow plows throughout the winter.
"The notices have helped, but we've got to take it a step further," Trustee Bryan Woleben said.
Woleben obtained a sample ticket that the village will evaluate whether to issue violators. If implemented, the fines would be paid to the Portland Town Court, which would then disperse the revenue to the village. The village received assurances from the Town Court that fines for violations would be levied if the village desires.
The village will evaluate the need to strengthen the law and its enforcement in the coming weeks.
"If the board wants to expand it or do something, I'll revise the law for it," Village Attorney Peter Clark said.
Also at the recent meeting, the Village Board approved repairs at the water and sewer plant, pertaining to the doors and the roof of the building, through Bender's Home Improvements in the amount of $7,000 for the doors and $16,500 for the roof. Bender's Home Improvements submitted the only bids for the project, which will be covered by the Water and Sewer Department budget.