Residents accuse board of allowing houseboat operations in village right-of-way; trustees appoint interim enforcement officer

Several residents used the public-comment period to protest what they described as longstanding unpermitted activity at the end of Union Street, including a houseboat used for living and commercial repair activity in what commenters said is village right-of-way.

Candy, a resident, said the activity has disrupted neighborhood life and raised questions about permits, utilities and taxes. "You just voted that the house boat is allowed to stay in the repairing area ... this is not right," she said, urging the board to enforce code and review utility hookups to the public street. Other commenters alleged a trustee or prior administration had permitted or profited from the arrangement and asked for a formal review.

Trustees responded that some matters predate the current board and that the village had been working to clarify property boundaries and identify corrective actions. Board members outlined immediate steps they had agreed with a local property owner (moving vehicles, removing equipment, relocating a cleat attached to the bulkhead) and said future changes to the right‑of‑way should be routed through DPW supervisor Terry Jones.

To address time‑sensitive permits and ongoing applications, the board moved and passed a resolution to authorize an interim enforcement officer to sign permits so projects in progress would not be delayed. The resolution names Thomas Gardner; the transcript records motion, second and a roll-call sequence in which several trustees abstained and others voted yes. The transcript excerpt does not include a full, explicit numeric tally.

The board then moved into executive session to discuss personnel and related matters. Trustees said they will follow up on enforcement, permitting records and any necessary civil-code remedies; residents requested clearer communication and stronger enforcement of village codes.