Lack Of A Codes Court Has Caused Blight And Eyesores In The City Of Fulton

by Contributor | May 7, 2023 11:44 am

*All submissions posted in their original format

To the editor: Spencer J. Ludington

Since its incorporation, the City of Fulton’s greatest asset has been its industrious people and our small-town charm.  We are fortunate to have a number of community service groups, such as Kiwanis, Lions Club and Rotary, that voluntarily work on various projects which enhance our community.  More recently, the Fulton Block Builders has been extremely successful in improving our neighborhoods.  However, our city government has failed us all by not continuing the long standing tradition of a monthly Codes Court to address housing code violations that exist in Fulton.

I have been reliably informed that not a single housing code violation has been brought in City Court by the City against a home owner or landlord in over two years.  My Councilor Audrey Avery has filed over 500 complaints with the Codes Department.  None of her complaints have resulted in a court case.  The inactivity on the part of the City to enforce code violations in City Court is unacceptable.

For as long as I can remember, the City had a monthly “Codes Court” to address code violations.  As a former Corporation Counsel for the City of Fulton, I represented the city in monthly code violation cases.  I also presided over the monthly Codes Court as your City Court Judge in Fulton for 16 years.

It was considered a “compliance court.”  Its primary goal was to bring properties which were in violation of various codes into compliance in a collaborative effort.  The Court was not designed to punish violators with fines, as it was felt that those funds were better spent on remedying violations.  Homeowners were always given the opportunity to resolve any code violations long before they ended up in court.  Many cases were dismissed without individuals having to appear, as their violations were corrected before their court date.  Expensive “clean-outs” currently conducted at taxpayer expense were not necessary.  A vast majority of cases resulted in the violations being resolved.  If there was no resolution, a trial occurred and fines were imposed if the defendant was found guilty.

We all spend a lot of money improving our homes and paying our taxes.  I want to live in a city that I can be proud of.  A city that enforces code violations avoids the downward spiral of decreased property values and increased crime.

In your local travels, both in Fulton and in other towns and villages, look around.  If the properties look good, code enforcement is being implemented.  In Fulton, Code Enforcement is failing us.

Please call your Council person or the Mayor.  Demand that the Code Enforcement officers get out and get busy. Demand that Codes Court be re-established.  We deserve a better Fulton and it can be done.

Respectfully submitted by:  Spencer J. Ludington

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/lack-of-a-codes-court-has-caused-blight-and-eyesores-in-the-city-of-fulton/

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