After months of deliberation, multiple trustees resigning, and a moratorium period that has been extended multiple times, a local law to regulate short-term rental properties in the village has been officially introduced. A public hearing on the local law is set for July 26 at 6:30 p.m. at the Cassadaga Fire Hall, located at 22 Mill Street in the village.

The law itself has been tabled until after the public hearing. A copy of the local law is available on the village website, cassadaganewyork.org

The regular Village Board meeting will follow the public hearing, at which point the Village Board may choose to adopt the local law. It will become effective upon filing with the State of New York.

Since the short-term rental moratorium was passed, two new Village Trustees have become members of the board, Cathy Cruver and Danna Dubois. In the months following the moratorium passing, Village Board meetings have been relatively calm, without much objection from the few members of the public to attend.

Kim Collins, a short-term rental property owner in Cassadaga, said at a previous meeting that such dramatic community engagement on the short-term rental property debate is “an awesome opportunity” for the Village Board to work with the residents of the village.

However, at the meetings leading up to the moratorium’s passing, many members of the public voiced their concerns, at times with personal attacks against the members of the Board.

The public hearing on the matter last August featured an hour and 24 minutes of public comments. At a second meeting in August which featured a lengthy portion of public comments, Kim Collins, a part-time Cassadaga resident and short-term rental property owner said, “We’re two months now into this fight. … This has been really hard for everybody involved. It’s horrible. … But at the same time, it’s an awesome opportunity. … You’ve got people here that really want to work with you. … Maybe this needed to happen so that all of a sudden, the community wakes up a bit and says we do have a voice, we need to have a voice. I just hope this opportunity doesn’t get lost in this anger that’s been happening on all sides.”

In response to public comments at a meeting in August, Mayor Bill Dorman said, “We’re just trying to get it right.”