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Town of Union board adopts code changes to expand snow-enforcement authority
Summary
The Town of Union Board on Jan. 7 adopted amendments to Chapter 178 (Streets and Sidewalks) and Chapter 5 (Appearance Tickets) to broaden enforcement authority for snow-emergency parking and snow/ice removal violations and to authorize Code Enforcement Officers, building inspectors and DPW/highway staff to issue appearance tickets; motions passed unanimously.
The Town of Union Board unanimously adopted amendments on Wednesday that broaden who can enforce the town’s snow-related parking and snow-and-ice removal rules and expanded the town’s appearance-ticket authority.
Joseph P. Nirchi, Sr., chairman of the board’s Environmental/Laws & Legislation/Intergovernmental Committee, presented prepared resolutions to amend Chapter 178 (Sections 178-26 and 178-27) and Chapter 5, Section 5-2. The changes, adopted by voice vote (Res. by Nirchi, seconded by Thomas R. Augostini; Vote: All yes), clarify enforcement authority to include Code Enforcement Officers, building inspectors, building officials and their authorized designees, and specifically authorize those officials and designated Highway/Department of Public Works personnel to issue and serve appearance tickets for snow-emergency parking violations and snow-and-ice removal violations under the town code.
The amendments aim to give the town additional options for handling winter- related violations, including authorizing non-police town officials to issue appearance tickets under Chapters 178 and 191. The board also adopted a related resolution, moved by Nirchi and seconded by Augostini, to call a public hearing on proposed amendments to the notice provisions of Chapter 178 (notably Sections 178-17 and 178-18) on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026 at 7:00 P.M.
Separately, motions were made (moved by Augostini, seconded by Bertoni) to refer a Broome County court summons against the Town and two notices of claim — one arising from a snowplow incident and one related to a punctured sewer line allegedly involving NYSEG — to the Town Attorney, the Commissioner of Public Works and the Town’s insurance carrier. Those referrals were recorded in the meeting minutes as actions taken by the board.
During the hearing-of-visitors portion, Planning Board member Dan Losielle asked whether Mark Jaros had been approved as Planning Board chairman and whether a vice chairman was in place; Supervisor Robert Mack said Jaros was approved that evening as chairman and that the planning board would discuss any vice-chair appointment internally. Rob Brady of Kensington Road raised a street-light problem on Hooper Road; Councilman Joseph P. Nirchi, Sr. said someone had cut the conduit and stolen the copper.
The board recorded committee assignments for the coming year and received routine communications including updated Local Development Corporation membership and a notice from the Town of Maine regarding a zoning amendment and environmental assessment for self-storage facilities. Supervisor Robert Mack and Councilman Nirchi offered brief recognitions for community members who had died: Dick Testa and former Endicott Police Detective Joseph Sculley. The meeting adjourned at 7:20 P.M.
The board will hold the Jan. 21 public hearing at 7:00 P.M. in the Town Board Room to solicit public comment on notice provisions of Chapter 178; the Jan. 7 resolutions take effect according to normal local law timelines unless the adopted language specifies otherwise.
