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Residents urge tougher code enforcement and question Fusco Engineering contract
Summary
Several residents and a public commenter told the board the town has decades‑old open violations and accused the code enforcement arrangement with Fusco Engineering of underperformance; the board and its attorney discussed legal remedies, enforcement costs and constraints.
Public commenters at the July 9 Highland meeting sharply criticized the town’s code‑enforcement process and the performance of the contracted firm Fusco Engineering, saying many violations remain open from 2020–2022 and that enforcement has been slow.
A public commenter reading a prepared statement said the supervisor and board have failed to ensure enforcement and that Fusco Engineering had months with few or no violations recorded against dozens of properties. The commenter alleged the supervisor’s business interests could present a conflict and urged the council to act independently. The speaker requested the board pursue more active remedies to protect public safety and property values.
Residents in the audience gave specific examples: contracts or permits not posted at new builds, claimed lack of timely stop‑work orders, and concerns that long delays impose costs on taxpayers. One resident said some enforcement cases should be in court now and called for the board to pursue litigation or injunctions in egregious cases.
Town counsel and the board explained legal and practical limits: standard enforcement starts with notices to remedy and attempts at voluntary compliance; escalation to justice court can be slow, and injunctions or litigation are expensive remedies that require affidavits and legal filings. Counsel noted that some individuals present safety risks that complicate enforcement, requiring sheriff accompaniment and civil search warrants when necessary.
Code office staff said they supplied the board with an updated, multi‑page permits report and a 21‑page list of open violations and are working to close out older files. The board asked staff to continue prioritizing cases that present safety risks and to provide an updated violations report at the next meeting.
The town did not adopt new enforcement legislation at the meeting. Several residents asked the board to bring a fuller review of the Fusco contract and enforcement outcomes to a future agenda.
