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“ It was nasty ,” said landlord and single-family homeowner Christine Bello , referring specifically to part of the letter which read , “ if you fail to register this rental property within 10 days of receipt , you will be subject to an action in Newburgh City Court seeking civil penalties ...”

“ All the information is on the assessment roll ,” Bello complained , suggested the city cull the information that way .

The mass mailing occurred , essentially , due to a computer glitch , said city acting Fire Chief Terry Ahlers on Friday . “ Due to limitations on computer software , there was no way to filter out single-family , owneroccupied homes ,” Ahlers said . “ That ’ s why everybody is getting a letter .”

“ Don ’ t panic ,” Newburgh Mayor Judy Kennedy told residents last week . “ We need to know who ’ s doing what .”

Homeowners living in single-family homes may fill out a simple form available at City Hall or the city Code Compliance Department on Grand Street to certify there are no rented units in their building , the mayor explained .

City Building Inspector William Horton said the goal is “ systemic change ” to improve the quality of housing in the city . “ We ’ re holding these landlords to a standard . They ’ re going to meet the code and , if not , we ’ re bringing them to court ,” he told residents , who broke out into applause at City Hall on Thursday .

Some landlords use buildings as “ cash cows ” without putting much back into their properties , Horton said , and some claim tax credits for owner-occupied homes while renting buildings out to tenants .

Some of the city ’ s commercial buildings have been reconstructed into dwelling units ; others , approved for two , three and four families , have been changed into single-room occupancy buildings , Horton said .

Mid Hudson Times , Wednesday , October 11 , 2017

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One fine example turned up earlier this year , when one building owner was renting a dozen or more single rooms in her single-family home on Grand Street . The building was condemned after police and fire crews responded to an emergency with one of the tenants , who was found living in a state of extreme squalor .

Last month , a commercial building on Broadway was found to have multiple rental units , including four individual rooms in the basement . “ There was no way out except a long hallway at the back of the building that led to a stairwell ,” Horton said , posing a serious safety hazard .

Jesus Cruz was later charged with first-degree arson , accused of setting fire to the building after it was condemned due to a number of building-code violations . Fire officials reported that Cruz , the owner of a deli located on the ground floor , was illegally renting the building out .

The registry ’ s main goal is safety , Horton insisted . Renters deserve the same level of safety as anyone in the city , he added . “ Substandard housing has plagued the city for 40-plus years ,” he said . “ We cannot accept the risk of having people living in substandard buildings that are unsafe anymore .”

The city ’ s code enforcement initiative was recently supported by two grants : a Cities RISE grant from the New York State Office of the Attorney General and a Local Initiatives Support Corporation grant , which enabled the city to hire a part-time , vacant-building specialist and a full-time , occupied-building specialist this year .

Certification forms are available at Newburgh City Hall , located at 87 Broadway , and the city Code Compliance Department , located at 123 Grand Street . Forms can also be found online on the city ’ s Facebook page and on the city ’ s website at Cityofnewburgh-ny . gov .

For more information , contact city Code Compliance at 845-569-7400 .

The New York State Public Service Commission will hold public hearings on Central Hudson Gas and Electric Corp .’ s planned rate hike , expected to take effect in July next year . The hearings will take place at Newburgh Town Hall on Monday , Oct . 16 .

The utility company proposes to increase its annual electric delivery revenues by 7.9 percent and its annual natural gas delivery revenues by 12 percent . The company says the increase is needed for systems and infrastructure upgrades , as well as expansion of programs for low-income families .

The rate plan must first be approved by the commission before it goes into effect . The commission is accepting comments until Oct . 20 .

Two information sessions will take place on Monday , Oct . 16 ; one at 2 p . m . and another at 6 p . m . These sessions will be followed by public hearings at 3 p . m . and 7 p . m . Newburgh Town Hall is located at 1496 Route 300 .

Comments may be submitted through the home page on the Public Service Commission website at www . dps . ny . gov – click on “ Search ” and enter case # 17-E-0459 ( electric ) or 17-G-0460 ( gas ) then click on “ Post Comments .”

Comments may be emailed to Hon . Kathleen H . Burgess , Secretary , at secretary @ dps . ny . gov or sent by mail to Secretary Burgess at the New York State Public Service Commission , Three Empire State Plaza , Albany , New York 12223-1350 .

Also submit comments by calling the commission ’ s Opinion Line at 1-800-335-2120 . All comments are due by Oct . 20 .

Andrew Zarutskie , Town Clerk of the Town of Newburgh , wants everyone to know his office will be open for business this coming Saturday ( October 14 ) from 9 a . m . until 12 noon .

All of the normal business of the Town Clerk ’ s office will be conducted at that time , including the issuance of marriage licenses , and the issuance of hunting and fishing licenses . These services will be available to everyone .

The Town Clerk ’ s office is located in Town Hall , 1496 Route 300 . Mondays through Fridays , the office is open from 8:30 a . m . until 4:30 p . m .

The Town of Newburgh will hold a public hearing on the preliminary 2018 town budget at 7:00 p . m . on Monday , Oct . 23 .

Copies of the preliminary budget are available at the Newburgh town clerk ’ s office . Newburgh Town Hall is located at 1496 Route 300 .