From left Busti Town Board Members Doug Brown, Jim Andrews, Town Supervisor Jessie Robbins, Todd Hanson, Paul Gustafson and Town Attorney Joel Seachrist. P-J photo by Christopher Blakeslee

LAKEWOOD – Fishing on Vukote Road in Busti is prompting residents to ask the Busti Town Board to take action.

For several months, residents and property owners in the Vukote area of Busti have been lamenting about people trespassing on their property and fishing in their backyards, in an area called the Spoils Zone.

“My husband and I purchased a cottage on Vukote Road in 1989. In 2007, we moved here full time and purchased property. We’ve never had the term right of way explained to us,” wrote Vukote Road resident Barbara Ray in a document submitted to the town board in March. “Strangers not from this community camp out and fish from before daylight and after sunset.”

Many of Ray’s neighbors are only present during the weekends and a few are present in the winter, she said. Also, many of her neighbors have also put up no trespassing and private property signs to no avail.

According to Busti Town Code Section 392-11, when the Vukote Allotment was first established in the 1920s, the developer retained title to property running generally between the designated building lots and the Vukote Canal, which the allotment plans called the “Spoils Area.” The purpose of the Spoils Area was to provide access to the canal for maintenance, including dredging. Title to the Spoils Area remained with the developer’s heirs until 1998, when it was purchased by the Town of Busti on behalf of the Vukote Canal Drainage District to facilitate a dredging project.

In response, the Town Board has started the process of implementing legislation to address the fishing and trespassing issues raised by some of the residents.

“I’ve drafted legislation for posting no fishing signs along the spoils area,” said Joel Seachrist, village attorney. “However, I think maybe no trespassing legislation is the way to go.”

“Draft it and we can look at it during the next meeting,” replied Jesse Robbins, town supervisor.