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Peekskill Democrats Release Plan To Upgrade On Code Enforcement

PEEKSKILL, N.Y. -- Peekskill Democratic candidates have outlined their plan to beef up code enforcement in the city. 

The Peekskill Democratic ticket is , from left, Andre Rainey, Kathleen Talbot, Ken Martin and Vivian McKenzie.

The Peekskill Democratic ticket is , from left, Andre Rainey, Kathleen Talbot, Ken Martin and Vivian McKenzie.

Photo Credit: Contributed

Mayoral candidate Ken Martin, along with Common Council candidates Kathleen Talbot, Vivian McKenzie and Andre Rainey say that, if elected, they will require the Code Enforcement Department to provide public reports monthly at Common Council meetings, identifying citations, infractions and complaints neighborhood by neighborhood. 

They are also calling for mandatory annual re-registration of landlords and new fines for landlords who fail to re-register. 

The plan would also require the Code Enforcement Department to hold quarterly public meetings in neighborhoods throughout the city. 

The program is designed not to layer new laws on top of the code that already exists, the candidates say, but instead to ensure a system is in place holding the city accountable for using the enforcement tools it already has at its disposal. 

“The fact is Peekskill has numerous laws on the books that allow the city to go after negligent landlords and address code violations that destabilize neighborhoods,” said Martin. “Instead of creating new laws that would make backyard barbecues a crime, we need to publicly hold the city accountable for ensuring that its code is enforced aggressively. Our plan holds the city accountable and will instill confidence in its residents that we are doing our jobs.” 

Martin and running mates proposed the following: 

  • Require the city to publicly report, at Common Council meetings, the numbers of citations that have been issued and infractions or complaints that have been reported to the city, neighborhood by neighborhood. 
  • Require mandatory annual re-registration for landlords and income producing properties to ensure that the Code Enforcement Department and first responders know how to reach a landlord at a moment’s notice. 
  • Require the Code Enforcement Department to develop a pro-active plan providing site visits, annually, to every neighborhood in the city. 
  • Require that the number for the code enforcement hotline be published on all city communications with residents and businesses, on the government channel and on the city’s website. 

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