Berns to speak at KVIS meeting

KENMORE - It’s a chance for the public to get a better idea of how things work.

Village of Kenmore Head Building Inspector Mike Berns will be the special guest speaker at the next Kenmore Village Improvement Society meeting at 7 p.m.Monday, June 11, which will be held at the Kenmore Community Center on Wilber.

Berns smiled and said he knows people aren’t there to hear his life story or what it’s like to be the building inspector.

They’re coming to get answers to important questions and he’s going to do his best to answer them.

“I think most of the concerns of the (KVIS) members will be what direction is the village taking towards property maintenance issues in general, and with the residents and the properties in the village,” Berns told me as we sat in his office prior to the June 5 village board of trustees meeting.

With Kenmore residents now, perhaps more than ever before, voicing concerns to local Government about absentee landlords or various properties that have fallen into disrepair, this seems like the perfect time to give Berns, who has been head building inspector for three years,

the chance to speak with the public about the process of serving and following up on the various complaints that come across his desk.

“KVIS receives numerous inquiries regarding issues that fall under Mike Berns essential job functions,” KVIS president Melissa Foster said.

“We want to give the public the opportunity to hear from Mike directly regarding these important topics.”

The format has not officially been released, but it is expected that to keep things in an orderly and organized fashion questions will be submitted in advance the day of the meeting and fielded by Berns one at a time.

As oppose to a free-for-all with Berns randomly taking question from all points of the room.

Berns is eager to meet with residents and get an even better pulse of what concerns them the most.

His goal will be to not only answers questions as best he can, but to also do his best to explain to the residents the proper steps that need to be taken when addressing all complaints.

“I think, probably, the best thing to get out of it is their understanding of the process of it,” Berns said.

“Because, in general people just think you can make someone do the corrections immediately.”