BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

MASSENA -- Code enforcement officers are busy in Massena, something new part-time officer Patrick O'Brien is well aware of.

In a recent address to town board members, O'Brien said he is learning quickly on the job and has been beating the pavement to respond to complaints.

In total, 62 complaints were filed since March 1.

But O'Brien said of those 62, only 12 were filed with someone's information on it. The rest were filed anonymously, something the code enforcement office will no longer accept, he said.

"The Department of State does not recommend that you accept anonymous complaints. So, we're going to stick with that and we're not going to accept anonymous complaints," he said.

O'Brien also touched on the reporting system, which does not accept complaints without contact information, something that will likely cut down on some neighbor disputes.

As part of the process, those filing complaints will have to verify information by text or email before they are able to formally file a complaint.

O'Brien said that fact will likely cut down on the number of complaints because he will be able to contact the complainant by phone to confirm details. He said previously no contact information was necessary.

With the 12 remaining complaints, O'Brien said he's investigating each. He said of the six he completed as of the meeting, no violations were found. The other six were still under review as of the April town board meeting.

O'Brien said if a violation is found, an investigation could take anywhere from two to six hours. That process means more man hours potentially, he said.

As for his other work, O'Brien said four permits were issued, with three for buildings and one for a fence.

That work can now be tracked in the new system, with both residential and commercial properties included in the database.

“We’ll be able to see the progression in the process. When it comes time for them to do their inspection, we’ll be able to do that right online. We’ll be able to schedule dates with them online,” he said.

Residents will also be able to access any necessary forms online, with just the public portal remaining to be set up, O'Brien said.

As for the inspections themselves, O'Brien said he has an iPad as he performs them in order to cut out paperwork.

“As soon as I do the inspection, while I’m right there I can email them instantly their certificate of occupancy and print their invoice,” he said.

O'Brien said doing so has sped up the process on the many calls he has already handled.

"There's a learning curve but we're getting there. I think we will see some big improvements," he said.