By ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- The village is looking at keeping a running registry of vacant properties.

Justin Niles, a firefighter and code enforcement officer, said there are as many as 200 vacant buildings in both the town and village.

“Seventy-five percent of my day in code enforcement is tracking vacant properties,” Niles said.

He said most of them are maintained and at a glance, look like they are being used. A list of what buildings are empty could help prevent issues with the recently passed blight law.

“The thing with our blight law is it’s very reactive,” Niles said. “It can really cut back on the issues we’re facing with blight … we can prevent it.”

He said it would also help the fire department know any potential dangers in case of a fire and could assist police in monitoring for criminal activity.

“Instead of losing 10 guys falling through the floor, we can do a defensive attack from the outside,” Niles said, adding that methamphetamine manufacturing can take place in vacant structures.

Village board members and residents speaking during public comment said when the board’s Code Committee comes back with a proposed law, they need to clearly define what is considered vacant.

Niles said that some municipalities who have similar registries assess annual fees, but he didn’t recommend the village go that route.

“Would it be just buildings or are you talking about parcels? I think assessing a fine is not going to get you the desired results,” Kathleen Hyde told the board. She owns several properties in Massena.

“I think it’s a great idea … I heard a lot of arbitraryness. I know it’s in the working phase, keep on doing it,” Massena resident Joel Grigg said.

There are several properties Niles cited as problems, including 204 East Orvis St., 31 Spruce St. and the Sunrise Mall on Main and Andrews streets.

The Sunrise Mall, which Niles said will eventually collapse, is county-owned.

“Essentially the county said we’re not going to pay, it’s not your (village’s) responsibility. We can’t get the county to do something by any ways, means or fees … it’s going to take political clout. It’s simple as that,” Niles said.

Mayor Tim Currier said although the village’s hands are tied, but so are the county’s.

“In fairness to the county, when they take possession of a property, they’ve made us whole with back taxes,” he said. “We have enough vacant and blighted properties, I can’t imagine how many they have.”

Currier said he thinks the village should take a softer approach to the registry, in light of the depressed housing market where many sellers have their properties on the market for months or years without finding a buyer.

“We want to be careful not to hurt the housing market that’s already struggling,” he said.