POTSDAM -- Village Administrator Gregory Thompson, who now has officially occupied that position and left the Code Enforcement Office to his replacement, had praise for college sororities and fraternities in his last code enforcement report to the village board Jan. 9.

Meanwhile in 2016 the code office issued 190 building permits on projects valued at $8.96 million, generating $64,874 in permit fees.

“I am proud of the young ladies and gentleman who occupy our local fraternities and sororities,” Thompson said in his report to trustees. “For the first time in my tenure with the village we had several Greek organizations pass inspection on the first run through. These young men and women have made an obvious effort to become an active and accepted part of our community. It is truly my hope that they will continue to take pride in and upgrade their individual properties.”

Thompson said there was a bit of a downturn in building starts in 2016.

“This was especially true in the commercial arena,” he said. “However, as history would show construction ‘booms’ are cyclical.”

He said he was confident the cycle would turn toward more starts in the future.

Two larger projects were completed in 2017, construction of Collegiate Village apartments on Main Street behind SUNY Potsdam, and extensive improvements at Barstow Chevrolet on Market Street.

The office made 686 site visits in 2016; made 671 rental inspections, 25 business inspections, 13 group dwelling inspections, and 42 assembly inspections.

They received 45 solid waste complaints, conveyed 33 zoning warnings, 38 lawn notices, and 22 courtesy notices.