By John Nugent
The Village of Mineola Board of Trustees has adopted a resolution to offer a temporary period of amnesty to residential property owners who do not have permits for prior installations or construction on their properties.
Building Department Superintendent Liam O’Keefe presented the resolution to the board at its meeting on June 7th. The amnesty period will run from June 15 to December 31.
O’Keefe said that during the amnesty period, the current triple permit fee will be reduced to the regular permit fee for residents who apply for the legalization of previous installations or construction work. He added that the program will only apply to residential property owners.
Mayor Paul Pereira stressed that the amnesty program “is not about revenue” but “about compliance for safety and protection” against inferior work performed by hired contractors.
“This is an opportunity to legalize any changes at the normal cost,” said the mayor.
Pereira expressed concern that future owners who have inherited a property might encounter problems selling it if improvements were made without proper approvals by the village.
He encouraged homeowners to inspect their property files at Village Hall if they are unsure about any part of their property that might not be in compliance with the village code.
