After weeks of confusion and delay, the legislature last night approved the budget necessary to create an office of Building and Codes to take over that function for the village of Spring Valley. The county is state-authorized to do that come Monday. Justin Schwartz heads up the Rockland Illegal Housing Task Force and co-hosts the “Who Wants to Be a Volunteer” program here on WRCR, and says the budget was approved unanimously and without comment…
The legislature also approved the appointment of former Suffern mayor Ed Markunas to head up the new office. The state-authorized move to take over the village building department comes in the wake of last year’s fatal fire at the Evergreen Adult Home in which Spring Valley firefighter Jared Lloyd and a resident were both killed. Two former Spring Valley building department employees and four others have been charged in connection with the blaze.