Rockland Office of Buildings and Codes Celebrates Third Anniversary

February 14th marks the third anniversary of the Rockland County Office of Buildings and Codes. This effort began when the New York State Department of State (NYSDOS) ordered the County to assume control of the Village of Spring Valley's Building Department on February 14, 2022.

“What we inherited was nothing short of a crisis—a village plagued by illegal housing and decades of mismanagement,” said County Executive Ed Day. “We’ve made incredible progress, but the reality is fixing systemic neglect is not something that happens overnight and frankly we are still fighting to correct.”

Since launching, OBC has conducted 4,000 inspections, issuing more than 16,000 violations. These violations have resulted in half a million dollars in fines against property owners who fail to comply with the New York State Uniform Code.

On average, municipalities typically find one or two violations per property, while OBC is discovering an average of ten in the Village of Spring Valley.

Key challenges and accomplishments detailed by Director Markunas include:

• Establishing an administrative court for hearings.
• Implementing a record-keeping system to track violations and inspections.
• Developing streamlined processes for issuing and enforcing violation notices.
• Rebuilding a comprehensive property master list from scratch.
• Recruiting and training new building and fire inspectors after removing noncompliant personnel from the former Spring Valley department.

“Despite facing major obstacles, we have remained focused on our mission,” said Director Markunas. “We were originally tasked with completing three years’ worth of inspections in two years, and we met that goal while continuing to address new violations every day.”

The County Executive urges residents to take an active role in their local government. Rockland County has approximately 200,000 registered voters. While 75% turn out for the presidential election, only 25% vote to local elections for town supervisors, mayors, and trustees.

“National elections are important, but the decisions that impact your homes, families, and taxes are made at the local level,” concluded County Executive Day. “If you want real change, then make your voice heard at the ballot box.”

OBC continues to enforce building and fire codes exclusively in the Village of Spring Valley, as granted by New York State. Residents can submit complaints by calling 845-364-3700 or emailing [email protected].