ANDY GARDNER

MASSENA -- Following an incident where a man dumped his garbage on the Department of Public Works clerk’s desk, the village will spend $7,640 to upgrade security at the DPW building.

DPW Superintendent Hassan Fayad said the expenditure isn’t budgeted, but feels its necessary to ensure workers’ safety.

“I think things have changed, and they’ve changed a lot in the last two years. Citizens are getting more and more violent all the time. For $7,000 to protect the employees, it’s the right thing to do,” Fayad said. “It’s unfortunate we’ve come to that point in our lives, in our time and in the world.”

The new measures include putting in a FOB entry for employees. Members of the public will talk to a clerk through glass and be buzzed in, if necessary, similar to the village police station.

On Aug. 10, Gary McKeeman, 58, brought two bags of garbage into the DPW office and threw them on clerk Josie Hardy’s desk. He was upset because garbage collectors had tagged and left them at the curbside because recyclables were mixed with refuse. He left the office and didn’t pick up the bags after hearing Fayad’s voice. He later pleaded to unlawful dumping and paid a small fine.

Mayor Tim Currier said he thinks the board, who voted unanimously in favor of the changes, made the right call.

“It would be terribly inappropriate to not take action,” Currier said.

He said the village’s workplace violence prevention committee, which includes village employees, management and board members, had previously identified the DPW building as in need of more security measures.

He said that body makes annual reviews of all village facilities and makes recommendations.

“This is not a new problem, the openness of the public works. It’s been noted before,” Currier said. “As you find these security problems, you try to correct them.”

He said similar changes could be made on other village buildings, if recommended.

“When we take action, or must take action, I strongly suspect we’ll consider doing that,” he said.