Rockland Puts Spring Valley Inspectors Through Hours Of Training

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — The building and safety code inspectors working in the new Office of Buildings and Codes have completed more than 50 hours of extensive training since the effort launched Feb. 14, officials said.

That's because while state officials made the problems in the Spring Valley Building Department abundantly clear when they directed the County of Rockland to take over its functions, they also said that control would eventually be restored to the village.

To prepare for that restoration, in addition to catching up on overdue inspections and handling new complaints and permits, the Office of Buildings and Codes is working to train Spring Valley inspectors and put the proper procedures in place to enforce Building and Fire Codes.

“Let me be clear, the true bad apples of the Village Building Department which are under indictment, have not and will not be part of this process. Yes, we want to fix the issues of the past and will do so, but we must prepare for the future as well,” said County Executive Ed Day. “We need to have properly trained inspectors to eventually return the department back to Spring Valley.”

The state order, the first of its kind in New York, came a day after the head of Spring Valley's building department and one of its inspectors were indicted in the investigation into the 2021 fatal fire at the Evergreen Court Home for Adults. The converted 1903 hotel in Spring Valley was destroyed in a massive blaze last March that killed firefighter Jared Lloyd and 79-year-old resident Oliver Hueston and injured about a dozen people. More than 100 people had to be saved. Lloyd, 35, was rescuing residents. He sent out a Mayday call from an upper floor before it collapsed, but he could not be reached.

Six people have been charged, including Rabbi Aaron Sommer and his father, Rabbi Nathaniel Sommer, who had conducted a pre-Passover kitchen cleaning hours before the conflagration which included using special blowtorches for which they did not have a permit to remove all traces of leavening from the facility's industrial ovens. Wayne Ballard and Raymond Canario, who worked for the village's building department at the time, are accused of filing false reports to the state about inspections at Evergreen Court.

The village had been known for its lack of oversight and enforcement of building and safety codes long before the Evergreen Court fire. A state monitor was actually in place at the time and the village had been required to file reports on code inspections and compliance actions.

Office of Buildings and Codes Director Ed Markunas said the training of inspectors includes weekly legal coaching by Principal Assistant County Attorney Kimberly Von Ronn on writing violation notices and orders to remedy; case management and record-keeping; investigation tools; compiling discovery; and writing up notices of hearing to enforce unremedied violations.

Classes on the village's record-keeping software are also being conducted to ensure inspectors maximize the capabilities of the Municity program, which Markunas said was not done under the building department's former management. Markunas brought in staff from Municity to lead those training sessions.

“These trainings are crucial to us building a solid foundation of quality control and operational oversight which will ensure inspections are done right and by the book,” he said.

The Office requests that the public submit complaints regarding Building and Code violations within the Village of Spring Valley to 845-364-3700 or by email to BuildingsAndCodes@co.rockland.ny.us.

SEE ALSO:

• Site Of Apartment Fire Full Of Safety Violations: County
• Enforcement Office Finds 19 Violations At 2 Rockland Businesses
• Rockland Reports 24 Living In Squalid, Hazardous House
• Building Inspector Accused Of Lying On County Job Applications
• Rockland's New Codes Office Targets Illegal, Unsafe Nightclub
• Rockland: 30-Day Moratorium On Spring Valley Building Permits
• Lawmakers Finalize Rockland Takeover Of Village Code Enforcement
• Village Hall Raided In Investigation Of Fatal Fire