Residents Urged to Sign Dog Complaints

By David Avitabile

MIDDLEBURGH - Middleburgh town residents are making complaints about problem dogs in the town but do not follow up by signing a complaint, Middleburgh town board members were told in March.

Middleburgh town dog control officer Joe Durma told town board members last month that he receives several complaints a month but cannot act on them because the complainant declines to sign the paperwork.

Councilman Wes Laraway urged residents to sign complaints so the DCO can act upon them.

Mr. Durma also noted that he receives several complaints about dogs in apartment buildings in the village. He said he wants to send the complaints to the property owners but many are absentee landlords.

Mr. Durma was told that the town dog control laws apply to the village.

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In other action, board members:

* Heard town board clerk Renee Schmidt say that the town sent the county $1.5 million in uncollected taxes for 2024.

* Heard in the assessor's report that there were nine new applications for enhanced STAR.

* Heard that $750 was spent to set up a panic button in the community center for town employees.

* Gave permission to a farmer to clear a field by the former Valley Bible Church. The land is owned by the town through a FEMA buyout after the 1996 flood. Town officials said it made sense to have the property cleared.

* Heard codes enforcement officer Tom Loucks say that permits was taken out for a new home on Ecker Hollow Road, storage units on Route 30, a new home on Huntersland Road to replace a home that was lost to fire, and a new modular home on Ecker Hollow Road.

* Heard Fred Risse, the chairman of the planning board, say that property owner Jason Roe contacted him about a possible subdivision, but he noted that Mr. Roe is in litigation with the town. The lot is question, it was said, may be separate and it may not be s subdivision after all, officials said.