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Statement from Village of Port Leyden Regarding
Dispute with Fire Department Over Field Day Buildings
Published: June 08, 2023 at
02:00 p.m.
By: Statement from Village of Port Leyden
PUBLIC NOTICE
On behalf of the
Village Board of Trustees for the Village of Port Leyden, the information
and facts surrounding the issues with the Fire Company have unfolded as
follows:
On March 20, 2023 a resolution was passed by the Village Board of
Trustees regarding the field day buildings. It was agreed upon that the
southern end of the buildings would be demolished. The remaining portion of
the building would be rented by the J.S. Koster
Hose Company Inc. conditioned on Village insurance waivers.
The Village’s
insurance adjuster was asked to visit the property to reevaluate the
buildings to ensure proper coverage. During this visit, water damage and
constant water seepage were noted making the
buildings uninsurable. Furthermore, the Village’s Public Health Officer
noted the presence of mold.
Converse Laboratories Inc. conducted a site visit and obtained
surface samples and a full assessment of the buildings. Lab results
indicate that there are two types of pathogenic molds present in the buildings known to cause respiratory
infections, pneumonia, asthma, and other serious diseases. Due to the circumstances surrounding these findings, the Village is
unable to maintain liability insurance on the buildings against accidents
or toxic tort injuries sustained by members of the public.
The Village Board
notified J.S. Koster Hose Company Inc.
In response, J.S.
Koster Hose Company Inc. presented Mayor Smith
with a letter signed by the President and Chief claiming possession of the
property which threatened Village Officials and Employees of arrested if
they were to enter the buildings.
The Village
contacted the Village Attorney who conducted a thorough search of the
property, producing all deeds and necessary documents proving the Village’s
ownership along with a Cease-and-Desist Notice for no one to enter the
field day buildings.
Upon receipt of
the notice, several fire department members staged a sit-in in the
buildings and have since harassed Village DPW workers. It is our believe
that these individuals were acting on their own volition and not at the
direction of J. S. Koster Hose Company’s
President or attorney. It is our hope and belief that the actions of a few
rogue individuals is not indicative of an official
position by the Fire Company, and armed with these new facts regarding the
property, we are confident that the parties can still negotiate long-term
solutions to the ongoing disputes.
Nevertheless, due
to the nature of events, all activities conducted by J.S. Koster Hose Company Inc. have ceased with
the exception of fire and ambulance protection services
until matters can be resolved. J.S. Koster Hose
Company Inc. members have in NO WAY been instructed to not answer fire and
ambulance calls.
Inquiries
regarding the status of the buildings and grounds and the public rights to
access them should be referred to the Village Clerk. The public is
encouraged to rely on official communications from the Village office, not
secondhand rumors and conjecture spread on social media.
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