38°
YONKERS, N.Y City officials have been given the governors blessing to create a special tribunal that supporters say likely will speed up the processing of quality-of-life issues by bypassing the overburdened Yonkers City Courts.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill recently allowing the city to create the Yonkers Bureau of Administrative Adjudication. Staffed by a panel of administrative law judges, the panel will hear routine civil complaints that involve violations of the city code and ordinances like garbage and noise complaints. It would not include building code cases.
Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer (D-Yonkers), who sponsored the bill along with state Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers), said the panel will save time and money as enforcement is streamlined.
Mayer added the bill represents a modest but important change for Yonkers.
"This bill is a victory for tenants in Yonkers who will receive decisions regarding housing and code violations more efficiently and effectively, which will allow them to resolve housing conflicts with less time and cost, and which will provide the City with penalties and fees if they are warranted, Mayer said.
Mayor Mike Spano long has been a proponent of the plan, pushing for the bill during his time in the New York state assembly. He said it will provide a more efficient process for creating safer, cleaner neighborhoods.
This is an opportunity to build upon our continued efforts to improve the quality of life that Yonkers residents deserve and are entitled to, he said.
The panel is based on a similar model in Buffalo that Mayer said has had much success.
This is a faster and better way to resolve minor disputes, she said.
Officials said they still are working out the details of the plan, including how much the tribunal will cost the city and how much the panel of judges will be paid.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Yonkers and receive free news updates.
