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LISBON -- If Mayor Joe Morenz wants a more effective zoning department he should start by getting the zoning inspector more involved.
Zoning board member Alisa Hall, who also serves as the mayor's secretary and board clerk, told him the zoning inspector needs to take a more active role in enforcing village zoning code.
"That main thing that needs corrected is our zoning inspector needs to do his job," she said during a meeting convened last week by Morenz to review the zoning code with an eye on updating those rules that will fit in with his efforts to crack down on owners of abandoned and neglected buildings in the downtown business district.
At Morenz's urging, village council and the local chamber of commerce hired the consulting firm of Town Center Associates, which specializes in reviving small town business districts. As part of TCA's efforts, it will recommend what laws need to be passed to make this happen, including one that will fine landlords with vacant business buildings if they fail to either seek a tenant or buyer within a reasonable time. This was after TCA discovered that of the 21 vacant storefronts in town, none were being advertised for lease or sale.
The meeting of the zoning board was attended by only Hall and Stosh Marshalek, whose term has expired but has asked to be reappointed by council. Morenz has asked the other three members if they were interested in being reappointed to a new term but only Richard Henthorne has responded positively.
Morenz called the meeting to review the zoning code and procedures, which Hall said are simple and self explanatory. She said the problem is not the rules and procedures but enforcement. When asked after the meeting to clarify what she meant, Hall said they do not enforce all of the rules they have on the books now, and the mayor is sending warning letters to property owners in violation of village code instead of the zoning inspector.
"There's more to being zoning officer than just signing off on the zoning permits," she said.
Also attending the meeting was zoning critic Herb Chesney, who said they were not following their own rules to the letter of the law, which was disputed by Hall. Chesney also pointed out much of what they want to do falls under the auspices of a building inspector, and the zoning inspector does not have the authority to perform those duties as the position is currently constituted.
Morenz lamented about the fact he has called a half dozen or so of these meetings and the only one who has showed up with any regularity is Marshalek, which is why he asked those whose terms expired to reapply if interested instead of automatically being considered for reappointment.
"The idea is before I can start handing out fines we need to have a code" in place that allows them to do that, he said.
tgiambroni@mojonews.com