MONTICELLO – The Village Board of Monticello moved to standardize the way resident complaints are handled Wednesday night during their regular meeting. The new policy aims to improve accountability, transparency, and response times across all departments.

Approved as an add-on to the meeting agenda, the resolution establishes a formal system in which every complaint—whether received by phone, in writing, or in person—must be documented, assigned, tracked, and monitored through final resolution. According to the official resolution, the policy is designed to prevent complaints from being delayed or overlooked while ensuring residents receive consistent follow-up.

Under the new guidelines, complaints must be entered into the system within one business day when practicable, with departments expected to begin review or response within five business days. If a matter cannot be resolved within 10 business days, departments are required to document the reason for the delay and provide a status update. Complaints that remain unresolved for more than 15 business days may be escalated for supervisory review.

The goal is to make the process more accessible and streamlined for residents, no matter where their concerns are first brought, according to Deputy Mayor John Barbarite.

“If you go to the wrong department with a complaint, they’re not going to tell you, ‘We don’t handle this,’” Barbarite explained during discussion of the add-on. “They’re going to accept the complaint and transfer it internally to the person who handles it.”

Complaint forms will be available both online and in every village department, with trained staff available to assist residents in completing them. A centralized tracking system will allow officials to monitor complaints from intake to resolution and provide updates to residents who want to know the status of their concerns.

The policy also includes safeguards to ensure impartial complaint handling. Barbarite confirmed that individuals named in a complaint will not be responsible for investigating it; such cases will instead be redirected to appropriate supervisory personnel when necessary.

“You can make a complaint about anything going on in the village that you feel is improper,” Trustee Michael Sussman said, noting that complaints can cover a wide range of issues, from code enforcement and public works to police-related concerns and general administrative matters.

The system will also allow department heads to review complaint data over time, helping identify recurring issues, operational gaps, and areas where services can be improved.

The motion to approve the add-on resolution was made by Trustee Janice Davis and seconded by Trustee Theodore Hutchins, with the entire board voting in favor.

Jenkins gets re-sworn in

With the village elections for Sullivan County now concluded, some members left their seats while others retained theirs, including Monticello’s current Trustee Gordon Jenkins, who resumed his seat after being sworn in to open Wednesday’s re-organizational meeting.

Jenkins, who ran alongside Deputy Mayor John Barbarite to retain their seats on the Village Board for a four-year term, secured their seats with 419 and 413 votes, respectively.

After taking the Oath of Office, Jenkins thanked those who voted for him and also expressed appreciation to those who didn’t, acknowledging everyone who participated and made their voices heard.