Babylon Town Creates LI's First Rental Permit Review Board

TOWN OF BABYLON, NY — Long Island's first rental permit review board was recently launched in the Town of Babylon. The board members agreed to the creation of the 7-person board during a meeting last month.

The members, who were appointed by Town Board will hear and review all rental permit applications for apartments in houses and buildings to make the final decision as to whether the applicant should be granted any such permit.

The board will not handle applications for accessory apartments where the landlord is on site, which will continue to be reviewed by the accessory apartment review board. The new board was created with the hopes to decrease the amount of dilapidated properties in the town due to "terrible landlords."

"I have already received inquiries from other towns as to their interest in creating a new code and having a monitor over their rental permits, because a lot of towns are experiencing the same thing that we are," Supervisor Rich Schaffer said during the meeting. "We have great landlords and we have terrible landlords. We're looking forward to seeing some positive results."

According to a Newsday report, the members of the new board include:

• Sal Mangano (chairman), owner of a local a flower shop and vice president of a funeral home chain. Previously served on the town's accessory apartment review board.
• Vernon Shelton, Amityville pastor. Previously was an alternate on the planning board.
• Marco Parodi, town public works employee. Previously served as a second alternate on the zoning board.
• Kelly Medwig, town purchasing department employee.
• Mike Murray, town commercial garbage department employee.
• Mark Smith, aide to Suffolk County Legislator Sam Gonzalez
• Marie Iodice, real estate paralegal.
• Katie Reilly (secretary), town planning department employee. Previously was an alternate secretary on the planning board.
• Karla Bryant (alternate member), special-education aide.