BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA — Village trustees signed off on contracts with Northrop’s Hilltop Nursery and Landscaping to mow lawns that violate village code, along with a contract to clear debris from properties of debris. 

This will be the first year Northrop’s will remove debris from such properties violating village code after Department of Public Works Superintendent Marty Miller previously suggested the task be outsourced in an effort to save money. 

DPW crews were previously responsible for removing debris from such properties. 

Village officials awarded the contracts at a recent board meeting, with Code Enforcement Officer Aaron Hardy telling trustees two companies bid for the services, however Northrop’s experience with the village, coupled with their price per property, made them the best candidate in his opinion. 

The contracts stipulate that Northrop’s will received $50 per property for mowing services, while they will be paid $65 per property for removing trash and debris. 

Village Administrator Monique Chatland touched on the bids, saying Northrop had no upper their rates for the year, complimenting the company for the quality of work they have completed in the past for the village. 

“They do a lot. They’re constantly in contact with our office,” Hardy added. 

Hardy said Northrop has a history of being able to quickly and effectively resolve the various code violations that have popped up in years prior. 

The contracts will run from May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025, though officials did note this is the first ear that a contract was put out to bid for cleanup services. 

Hardy said that he has confidence Northrop will be able to handle the new service but did caution trustees that hiccups are to be expected from time to time. 

“This will be our first time doing this, so let’s anticipate some hiccups. There always are the first couple of years,” Hardy said. 

Mayor Greg Paquin said the move to contract the service will save time for DPW crews, many of whom spent around a week cleaning up properties on Sycamore Street last year. Those properties were in violation of village code due to trash and debris buildup that was not disposed of by the property owners. 

Officials say Northrop’s may be very busy this year if the code enforcement office fields a similar number of complaints. 

In total, Hardy said the office handled over 100 complaints last year, roughly one-third of which were referred for cleanup to DPW. 

Hardy said as properties are identified as being non-compliant by the code office, Northrop’s will be contacted to take action and address the violations immediately. 

“They’ll be a huge help to us, I’m sure of that,” Hardy said.