WPCNR Battle Hill Patriot. By John F. Bailey. October 10, 2003:  Councilman Robert Greer called Republican Candidates Tim Sheehan and Jeff Binder on the challengers' charge that the Common Council has had nine years to enact the Poughkeepsie Zoning defining a family and that they have not raised fines for running illegal rooming houses since 1989 last night at the Candidates' Forum.

Quoting from Common Council minutes of May 1, 1995, Greer said the Binder-Sheehan assertion was inaccurate, pointing out that the Council set minimum fines for repeat offenses by landlords, not less than $250 a day, nor in excess of $500 or imprisonment not exceeding 15 days, or both.

For violations after the second violation, occuring within 5 years of the first conviction, they raised the stakes from a fine up to $350 to a  fine not less than $500 a day nor in excesss of $1,000 a day or imprisonment not exceeding 15 days or both.

Greer said the council moved because judges at the time were not fining the landlords very large amounts.

Greer, though said he supported the Poughkeepsie ordinance promoted by Messrs Sheehan and Binder placing the burden of proof they are living as a family on groups of persons of 4 or more living in a home who are not related, should be enacted.

We talked to George.

Greer  accused the Republicans of stealing the idea, telling this reporter that Democratic Councilmen Tom Roach and Benjamin Boykin had gone to George Gretsas privately "about two months ago" and suggested the Poughkeepsie "Family Definition" ordinance to Gretsas, and Gretsas had passed the suggestion on to the Safe Housing Task Force.

Greer said he has not heard any report back since that time from the Safe Housing Task Force on the fate of folding the Poughkeepsie ordinance into the White Plains anti illegal housing arsenal.

Benjamin Boykin, Common Council President, said the city had to be "very careful" here enacting the Poughkeepsie statute because  there were human issues involved, and that the city could not rush such legislation for fear of its being unconstitutional.

Sheehan said that was a totally wrong approach that the legislation was needed now. The audience agreed with him. He said the Poughkeepsie ordinance was tested in Appellate Court in 1994, and upheld and has not been appealed since.

"It's been proven constitutional," Sheehan said. Sheehan said since unscrupulous landlords are purchasing homes specifically for the purpose of converting their purchases into illegal rooming houses, that the legislation was needed now "to cut off the head" of illegal housing, and discourage landlords from purchasing homes just for that purpose. He cited the recent Building Department discoveries of just these kind of purchases on Holland Avenue and North Broadway as why the Common Council should enact a Poughkeepsie ordinance clone as soon as possible.