VILLAGE OF BALDWINSVILLE – Two people who helped shape the renaissance of the village of Baldwinsville are leaving their positions with the village.
Earlier this month, the village board of trustees accepted the resignation of codes enforcement officer Gregg Humphrey and the retirement of planning board member Mike Mazoway.
“What I wanted to do is to thank all of you for the things you brought into the village,” said Cindy Clarke, the content coordinator for PAC-B, at the Feb. 2 trustees meeting. “I hope the people that come in to replace them are as helpful and professional as the ones that are leaving.”
Humphrey has been the codes enforcement officer for nearly 12 years, a period in which the village’s business district has experienced a revival.
Police Chief Michael Lefancheck told board members that he recently was visited by a friend who used to patrol the village as a sheriff’s deputy but moved to Georgia and hasn’t been in the village for the past 15 years or so.
“He said he almost didn’t recognize the village because of the all the improvements [to the businesses and facades],” Lefancheck said. “This was someone who was in the village on a regular basis working on patrol.”
“I’ve been very pleased to work hand in hand with Gregg, watching him grow on the job,” Mayor Richard Clarke said, echoing the statements of several trustees. “We had as good a code officer as anyone in the county. We’re going to miss him.”
Humphrey said he is proud of the way he is leaving the village, with so many renewal projects having been completed in recent years. He attributed the improvements in part to his office and in part to county programs that help fund many of these improvements but are administered through the codes office.
“I think we’ve made a lot of headway in the village. A lot of old buildings are no longer here. A lot of buildings have been cleaned up,” Humphrey said. “I would like to thank everyone for their support over the past almost 12 years.”
Mazoway, who will retire from his post on the planning board effective Feb. 28, was described as a straight shooter who had the ability to diffuse controversies by clearly explaining planning board decisions.
“He had a big presence on social media and he was very eloquent in explaining some of the stuff the people would start to bicker about,” said Trustee Mike Shephard. “When he would explain it and the logic behind it, that usually went away.”
“Mike was a great asset,” Clarke said of the lifelong Baldwinsville resident. “He stifled a lot of ridiculous controversies on Facebook by speaking the truth and people had no comeback.”
Mazoway will be replaced on the planning board by Johanna Bock, who is currently the alternate planning board member. The village is seeking out a new alternate member and any resident who is interested in the role should reach out to Clarke or the codes office.
The village is going through the civil service lists and advertising for a new codes enforcement officer.
The position will also be advertised statewide through the New York State Building Officials Conference.