Shandaken's embattled building inspector resigns

Shandaken's zoning enforcement officer, Richard Stokes, is in the hot seat after his arrest last week on charges that he groped several waitresses at Rocco's Speakeasy in April. Amid the controversy, Stokes has stepped down from his job.

In an emergency meeting held this morning, the Shandaken town board voted unanimously to accept a request from Stokes to take a leave of absence without pay.

The board has appointed former town ZEO Art Christie to fill the slot temporarily, while they look for a permanent replacement for Stokes.