SARANAC LAKE — The village’s old code enforcement officer is its new part-time code enforcement officer.

Ed Randig, currently full-time code officer for the town of Harrietstown, was hired Monday by the village Board of Trustees. The decision, which came in a 3-1 vote, ended months of debate and discussion among the board about filling and paying for the part-time position.

“We’ve had multiple advertisements of the position,” village Manager John Sweeney said Monday. “Ed Randig, our local, has offered to put in the 10 to 15 hours per week, which was part of our discussions that we had previously. I would recommend approving that hire.”

Randig supplements the village’s full-time code enforcement officer, Patrick Giblin, who was hired in March 2015.

The board’s resolution approving the hiring of Randig said the part-time position was created to focus on inspections of apartment buildings, areas of assembly and zombie housing, or foreclosed on homes that have been abandoned.

Randig was hired after an “extensive search for qualified applicants” and will be paid $25 an hour. The position will be funded by general fund appropriations and part of a $75,000 grant the village was awarded in October through the state’s zombie property initiative.

“The position shall continue until the grant funding is depleted and will be reevaluated for potential funding at that time,” the resolution says.

Trustee Paul Van Cott was the lone trustee to vote against the move. While he said he believes the village would be “very fortunate” to have Randig, he said he had a different understanding of the hours and responsibilities Randig would have.

“My concern is that we were looking for a position that’s between 10 and 20 hours per week,” Van Cott said. “We were also looking for a position that would be more flexible than the resolution indicates, that would essentially supplement our code enforcement resources and would be more flexible in terms of the hours. I know Ed has a full-time job. I want to make sure the person we’re hiring will be able to go to court when we need to, do inspections when we need to and will in every way be an employee of the village.”

Mayor Clyde Rabideau said Randig’s was the only application the village received for the position. Van Cott asked where it was advertised.

Sweeney said the position was posted locally and through the North Country Code Enforcement Officials group. It was also advertised with the New York State Building Officials Conference.

“We’ve covered New York state,” Sweeney said. “The discussion Ed, Jeremy (Evans) and I had is there is some flexibility with Ed, including the weekends. He can work during the days, Monday through Friday, target those items we’ve talked about, and provide additional (help) on weekends.”

As the discussion continued, Van Cott said his “strongest preference” would be to combine code enforcement efforts with the town.

“So if we can’t find the position the way we laid it out, maybe we should step back and look at it,” Van Cott said.

The village and town had shared Randig as a code enforcement officer beginning in 1999. Randig left the village in 2007 to work exclusively for the town.

Trustee Allie Pelletieri said the way the position has been set up “is the right way.

“We’ve been laying this out for way too long,” he said. “This gentleman here is fully qualified, has been the code enforcement officer for the village of Saranac Lake. He’s a village resident. He works in the same building where the village offices are. That’s pretty convenient. I’m fully in support of filling the position with Mr. Randig or just giving up on this. We’re wasting too much time.”

Van Cott said he was surprised to see the resolution when he looked at the agenda Saturday, but Trustee Rich Shapiro said the village has been talking about hiring Randig for a month-and-a-half.

“I can’t support it,” Van Cott said. “I’m just putting out my concerns. I don’t think we’re doing our best to provide the most effective and efficient code enforcement for the village.”

“You can disagree. That’s fine,” Rabideau said. “We have one choice. Either go with none, or go with Eddie, and Eddie’s a great inspector.”

Van Cott stressed that none of his concerns should be seen as a slight against Randig or his abilities.