With three board members missing, the Walden Village Board chose to table two proposed local laws last week rather than take a vote. In both cases, public hearings were held over to the next meeting.

The first proposed local law, titled “Rental Property, Registration of” would require the filing of the Landlord Registry Form on a biennial basis and require payment of a fee that would be established in the Village Fee Schedule. The fee proposed is $25 to be paid every two years.

At a public hearing last week, several residents complained about requiring landlords to fill out forms and pay a fee every other year.
“The way it’s been handled is completely ridiculous,” said Michelle Bray, owner of a multi-family home. She noted that a change in ownership would require the new landlord to contact the village and fill out a form. Why, then, she asked, is it necessary to repeat the process every other year?

“I hope you find a more cost-effective way to do this,” said Former Trustee Mary Ellen Matise.

The other promised local law regulates the height of fences. The maximum permitted fence or wall height would be four feet in the R-2, R-3 and R-4 zoning districts. It would be six feet in other districts.

Walden ZBA Chair Brenda Adams opposes raising the maximum height of fences.

“Most people are going for the 6-foot ugly stockade fences,” Adams said. “It reduces community.

With Deputy Mayor Willie Carley and Trustees Patricia Maher and John Elliott absent from the meeting, it was pointed out that any vote would have to be unanimous among the four remaining candidates to be passed into law. With that in mind, the trustees agreed to delay the vote until the next meeting, scheduled for September 6.