Guilderland officials at their Tuesday, Sept. 1 meeting set a public hearing to discuss options for a town resident who is not in compliance with waste management regulations.
Robert Ciembroniewicz, of 2680 Curry Bush Road, violated state and local regulations regarding trash removal and is said to have unhealthy, toxic fluids running into bodies of water surrounding his residence, officials said.
Roger Stone, the town’s zoning code enforcer, said Ciembroniewicz has been in non-compliance for years and has even appeared in Guilderland Town Court.
He’s burying rubbish on the property, Stone said. `It’s a mess.`
Stone said there are tin cans, gas and an accumulation of trash on his property.
Town officials were unable to give out contact information for Ciembroniewicz or his attorney, stating his attorney’s identity is not public information. Ciembroniewicz did not attend the meeting.
Stone said he spoke with Ciembroniewicz’s attorney, but he could not determine if the two would attend the public hearing.
If the town decides to take action and clean the property after hiring a contractor, Town Supervisor Ken Runion said, the price could be hefty for Ciembroniewicz.
The price of the cleanup will be added to Ciembroniewicz’s tax bill at the `prevailing wage rate,` which would be substantially more money for Ciembroniewicz than if he cleaned the property himself, Runion said.
`It’s to the benefit of the landowner to do the work and mitigation themselves,` Runion said.
Stone said Ciembroniewicz has already received violations, orders and tickets. He has appeared in court, but the court has now put the matter in the hands of the Town Board.
Stone said that, in the past, when Ciembroniewicz is instructed to clean his property he simply becomes a `yes man` and claims he will comply with regulations.
Based on the town’s storm water management regulations, the property owner is required to clean his property.
`Storm drainage issues are always a problem,` Runion said.
Oils and gas could get into local streams, and the Watervliet Reservoir watershed could become contaminated. Stone said the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation also mandates that property owners are responsible to keep their property clean, if it jeopardizes the local environment.
The town’s public hearing is set for Tuesday, Oct. 20, he said.
`It’s not a situation we can allow to go on,` Runion said.“