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PORTLAND -- As Portland Supervisor Rich Lewis said at a recent Brocton Village Board meeting, "Code Enforcement is going through some changes."
Moving forward, the town of Portland and the village of Brocton will rely on Roger Britz Jr. as a part-time Code Enforcement Officer. Britz, of Fredonia, will work up to 20 hours per week over the course of the year. His hours will fluctuate depending on need.
There will also be a full-time Code Clerk dedicated to the clerical duties of the Code Enforcement Office. That position is open and will be filled in the near future. In the meantime, the town of Portland is relying on part-time clerical support.
"We are looking to have someone hired as soon as possible for that," Lewis said.
Britz fills a void left by Joshua Dobbs, who is no longer employed by the town of Portland. Dobbs was initially hired in March as a town-wide provisional Inspection Officer to serve both the town of Portland and the village of Brocton. Dobbs was recently out on medical leave, with former Code Enforcement Officer Wendy Spinuzza helping the two municipalities with code-related matters in the interim on an hourly basis.
The changes were made "after careful assessment and talk with Mayor (Craig) Miller", Lewis said. The shift will make the Code Enforcement Office more accessible for residents, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each week. Britz was appointed to the role on Oct. 14, and since then, Lewis said "he has made major strides." Britz has worked closely with Spinuzza as he gets up to speed in the new role.
"I think it's going to work out much better than what we've had in recent times," Lewis said.
One of the most notable properties in the village of Brocton that does not comply with the village code is 98 Old Mill Road, where a home was destroyed in a fatal fire on Christmas morning of 2024. The property has yet to be cleaned up.
Village Attorney Peter Clark said an appraiser is set to evaluate the property for potential worth once it is cleaned up. Highway Superintendent Ken Becker and the Brocton-Portland Highway crew will handle cleaning up the property, assuming there is no asbestos. The Highway Department is not certified to handle asbestos. The Village will make a claim against the estate that holds the property once it is cleaned up.
Clark also said that Spinuzza visited a property on East Main Street that has been the center of complaints in the past. Spinuzza said the property is complying with the zoning ordinance. "If they move the truck closer to the line, they would not be in compliance, but I think they want to be," Clark said.
Just in the village of Brocton, six building permits were issued during the month of September. The Village Board also enacted a local law pertaining to the new Village Code. The Village held a public hearing on the local law in September.