Brookhaven staff proposes tougher penalties for drainage damage, clarifies kennel and dog-daycare rules

Staff presented two proposed code amendments intended to tighten town rules on drainage infrastructure and to clarify definitions for pet care businesses.

The first amendment would change Chapter 38 (the town’s highway code) to make it explicit that damaging drainage structures, recharge basins and other drainage features in town right-of-ways is prohibited. Staff noted repeated complaints about residents discharging hoses into roadways and into recharge basins, which they said can freeze and create hazardous road conditions in winter. "So we wanna clarify the code, so we cannot do that," the staff member said. The amendment would also raise the maximum fine for serious offenses: "So we wanna increase it from $2.50, to 10,000. 10,000 would only be for the very serious ones," the staff member said.

The second amendment would revise definitions in Chapter 85 to draw a clearer line between kennels, dog day care (pet day care) and personal service uses such as grooming. Staff said the changes would remove breeding and overnight boarding from the dog-day-care definition so kennels that offer overnight stays would remain restricted to the higher-intensity zoning category where they were intended. Staff said the daycare definition would explicitly treat animals at those facilities as patrons — not animals owned by the facility — to emphasize the service model.

Town board scheduling: the staff member said the Chapter 38 amendment would be set for May 1 and the Chapter 85 amendment for May 22 for further consideration and public review.