Village Addresses Codes

The Village of Waterville’s new Codes Enforcement Officer said he wants to make sure people understand when and why they need building permits for renovations.

Ben Bialek said the requirements for permits are to ensure safety when changes are made to a building.

“All these codes come from a tragedy,’’ he said.

Bialek, of Clinton, brings 20 years plus in the building industry to the job.

He replaces Whitey Brown, who retired from the position for the second time.

Bialek advises people to talk to him before beginning something on their property.

He plans to have evening hours on Tuesdays at Waterville Village Hall.

He can also be reached at 315-982-7767 or Codes@villageofwaterville.org.

Codes regulations often change, he said, and especially on do-it-yourself projects, are not known by the homeowner.

People often replace a hot water tank or open a wall without realizing they need a building permit for those, he said.

Bialek attended his first Village Board meeting last week.

He said he issued a stop work order for the property on Stafford Avenue that has accumulated thousands of rocks.

Because the work has not stopped, the tenant was issued an appearance ticket

for Village Court.

He also contacted the owner of the former church on the corner of White and Babbott streets about material falling off the roof.

DPW Superintendent Jamie Bechy said the Village was denied in its second appeal to FEMA for funding to decommission the old reservoir on Upper White

Street.

FEMA stated the flooding did not cause the ...