Foil: Your right to Know.
“A Poughkeepsie engineering company is suing the village over claims it did not pay thousands of dollars for inspection-related services on multiple housing developments and a house of worship.
The Chazen Companies claim the village owes $44,995 for building code reviews on eight projects authorized by the village and Wayne Ballard, the one-time public works director and head of the village’s Building Department. Ballard had been demoted and released from his duties. The Rockland County government in March took over inspections and enforcement of fire and safety codes on orders from the state.
Chazen’s legal action covers work done for the village from November 2019 until April 2020. The company reviewed architectural, structural, general life safety, electrical systems, mechanical systems, plumbing systems, energy code compliance, and fire protection, according to the January lawsuit filed in New York State Supreme Court in New City.
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“Despite numerous demands therefor, which demand is also hereby made, defendants Wayne Ballard and village of Spring Valley have failed and refused, and continue to fail and refuse, to pay plaintiff monies due and owing under the agreements,” the lawsuit states.
Mayor Alan Simon and village attorneys Thomas Mascola and Alvin Spitzer didn’t respond to requests for comment.
The village has declined to provide Ballard with legal representation in the lawsuit despite repeated requests, Roberts said. In 2019, the Spring Valley Board of Trustees hired Ballard, the former Clarkstown highways superintendent, at a $170,000 annual salary to run the just combined public works and building departments.”
Read the complete Journal News story here.
