Tuesday, October 05, 2021
Airmont revising village laws relieves Orthodox and Hasidic residents, angers others
The Board of Trustees amended or repealed six village laws that members of the Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish communities felt were discriminatory, following a series of contentious hearings.
The mayor and trustees received push-back from secular residents who demanded to know the rationale and details for the changes. The board members also were praised by Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish speakers for taking action against the laws, created by the prior administration.
The board, during its virtual meeting Monday, also declined to remove Deputy Mayor Brian Downey, involving the possession of unregistered rifles, shotguns, weapons parts like silencers, and fake law enforcement badges.
The changes included revising weekend times for property maintenance, such as mowing lawns; limiting the use of power tools; revising rules for non-car uses for garages; setting new standards for tree clearing, and ending a ban on overnight parking during the summer and autumn months.
Another change lifts a provision in which residents and political candidates were warned about illegal contributions made under the names of other people. Previous law already mandated candidates report their donations to the village clerk's office. The mayor and his team didn't report their donations.
During the nearly four hours of hearings, speakers argued the board held the meeting on zoom for fear of being confronted. Some speakers spoke multiple times during the six hearings.
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