TIMELINES 12/21/17

State to Regulate Code Enforcement Officers

New York State Senator David Carlucci (D-Rockland/Westchester) and Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski (D-Rockland) thanked New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday Dec. 19 for signing their code integrity bill which allows the NY Secretary of State to revoke or suspend the certificates of code enforcement officers on grounds of misconduct following a hearing. This law enables the State Department to investigate misconduct claims and “is all about safety and accountability,” according to Zebrowski. “Proper code enforcement is vital to our community and this law will establish a new level of oversight for code enforcement officials.”

Mahwah Withdraws Bid to Ban Eruv

Mahwah Township rescinded a proposal to prevent the construction of an eruv, which helps observant Jews follow rules on the Sabbath and holy days. The proposal would have prohibited posting “other matter,” including white PVC pipe, on utility poles. The council also repealed an ordinance banning non-residents from using the township’s parks. The council introduced an ordinance to allow residents and non-residents to use the parks.

The State of New Jersey sued Mahwah over these ordinances, which it claimed illegally targeted Orthodox Jews. Mahwah residents have expressed concerns over the eruv, believing it could be a forerunner to overdevelopment common in religious enclaves of the neighboring Town of Ramapo.

New TZ Bridge Construction Continues

Construction on the second span of the new TZ Bridge continues well before the holidays. Tappan Zee Constructors (TZC) is responsible for concrete pier construction near the Westchester shoreline following the removal of the old bridge’s roadway network, including pouring concrete, placing pier caps and installing bearings. TZC was scheduled to continue girder installation and use mobile cranes to raise and place girder assemblies at the Rockland and Westchester approaches. Several lane closures on and near the bridge last week helped TZC perform barrier, drainage and abutment work.

New Casino Resort in the Catskills Needs Employees

Sullivan County’s new casino will open two weeks sooner than planned. Empire Resorts, the parent company for the Resorts World Catskills’ $920 million, 1.6-million-square-foot, five-star casino and entertainment complex, announced the resort will open in mid-February. The early opening lines up with the Lunar New Year, an important holiday across countries in the East. Executives estimated about 1,000 people attended a job fair to find new roles at the resort, which will ultimately need 2,200 employees. More employees are needed and the resort will continue to hire online.

Kayak Killer to be Released Thursday

The “Kayak Killer,” Angelika Graswald, is set to be released from the Bedford Hills Correctional facility on Thursday Dec. 22. After pleading guilty to criminally negligent homicide in the drowning death of her fiancé, Graswald was sentenced to four years of prison time last month. She will be on parole for 16 months and could face deportation back to Latvia.