Lackawanna news

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Council offers to alter budget from mayorBy Jay Tokasz

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:
June 3, 2011, 12:00 AM


Updated: June 3, 2011, 6:54 AM


A $23.2 million operating budget that Lackawanna Mayor Norman L. Polanski Jr. proposed appears unlikely to face major changes as it heads for a City Council vote next week.

Council President Charles Jaworski proposed eliminating a $68,579 line item for a second captain in the Police Department, and a handful of speakers discussed the possibility of adding funds for new playground equipment during a 60-minute public hearing Thursday morning in Council Chambers.

Polanski’s budget would raise taxes by 3.9 percent for homeowners and by less than 1 percent for nonhomestead property owners.

It sets aside $4.1 million for the Police Department, including $137,158 for two captains — second in rank to the police chief.

But Jaworski said one of the captain’s posts was vacant for most of last year and is no longer necessary.

“We’ll put a patrolman in if we have to, but not a captain at $70,000,” he said.

Jaworski said he would try to line up enough votes from other Council members to change the line.

But Second Ward Council Member Geoffrey M. Szymanski said he preferred to see a second captain in place after discussing the issue with the police chief and the current lone captain.

“They both said that they need that second captain position,” Szymanski said.

The only other objections to the mayor’s budget centered around allocations for playground equipment.

The mayor set aside a total of $10,000 — or $2,500 for each of the city’s four wards.

First Ward Council Member Abdul Noman said $2,500 was hardly enough money to buy even a new swing, when many of the playgrounds are badly in need of updating.

“Our playgrounds look like garbage compared to Blasdell and other towns,” Noman said, adding that he would vote against the proposed budget unless it included $10,000 for new playground equipment in the First Ward.

The Council has a regular meeting Monday but is unlikely to vote on the budget then, Jaworski said.

jtokasz@buffnews.comnull

[andreahaxton]

TRUTH!

ALL double talk, when you know the true In's and Outs of their pass the buck game played off the backs of the innocent taxpayers you would be sadder than you already are about our decayed City. Some BIG paychecks and Cadillac bennes coming out of the orange crate if you step in line!

Some businesses stay because they play with their assessments and make it lucrative for them to remain here. We are ALL supposed to be at 100% evaluation of our properties worth--ie., during the 2007 total City re-val we should all be at fair market value. If something currently sells for $100,000 it should be assessed at $100,000 so they pay their fair share of property taxes.
If they like you ---you get a "deal" or a break with them for a lower assessment ( maybe they will take you to $ 75,000 or so---$$$ really adds up and cheats the City out of Real Property Tax Money that is passed on to the average Joe or Jane), if they don't like you or care--you are at the 100% price. Makes a huge difference if a business stays, goes, or attempts to locate in Lackawanna.
The Businessmen and women tried to revolt in the early 90's but fizzled out due to--- "Let's make a deal" tactics. Pretty sad for honest people to have to deal with dishonest people.
I heard Polanski tell the Assessor in 2006, "remember who hires you Frank". And guess who's Father was a City Assessor in the 60's?

They feed off each other and hide the truths-- False Assessments, OVERTIME, and Judgements and Claims are three of the biggest money pits.

I am NOT against anyone getting their fair share of FAIR earnings, BUT lots and lots and LOTS of hidden favors paid out with YOUR hard-earned money to keep the " family and friends " tree watered. Or should I say greased.......

[andreahaxton]

"" The only other objections to the mayor’s budget centered around allocations for playground equipment.

The mayor set aside a total of $10,000 — or $2,500 for each of the city’s four wards.""
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++++++
Working on the 2006/07 City Budget my first year on the Council, I lobbied for budget line items for the playgrounds in all four wards of the City.
There had been no money set aside specifically for playground equipment in any of the prior year budgets before I got there----go ahead and look it up.
I wanted more money but got them to agree on the $10,000 which equalled $40,000 City-wide.
Then Polanski in his following year budget, took away $5000 (which left only $20,000 City-wide) from each playground to pay for the "Centennial" which the boys went along with---I fought for more playground money but they were all against me.
Then all the following years, including 2010 when I was gone it was only $2500/per Ward for a total of $10,000 City-wide.

A decrease of $30,000 has been taken away from revitalizing our sorry playgrounds in the past four now five years---what did they do with the money intended for OUR children and their families recreation?
It is and always has been a Council call and why didn't anyone help me fight for more playground money since the 2007 cuts?

P.S. 1 Mayoral Ford SUV= appr. $17,000 + gas , insurance, repairs, etc.
1 Love Com of DPW Chevy Truck = $ 17,000 + gas to Hamburg and back,
insurance, repairs
$15,000x appr. 7, City Retirement Bonuses on top of last years NYS retirement bonuses, to employees who were going to retire
anyway =

Take away from OUR kids...... and.....

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Council quickly passes amended 2011 budgetBy Jay Tokasz

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:
June 8, 2011, 12:00 AM


Updated: June 8, 2011, 8:55 AM


The Lackawanna City Council wasted no time Tuesday morning in approving a slightly amended $23.2 million city budget for the 2011-12 fiscal year.

The meeting started promptly at 10 a. m. A pledge of allegiance, roll call and a quick 3-1 vote later, it was over.

First Ward Council Member Abdul Noman, who had made it known at an earlier meeting that he would raise an issue about allocations for parks repairs, showed up a short time later, after the meeting was adjourned.

Some witnesses said Noman was not happy the vote occurred without him and confronted Council President Chuck Jaworski. A heated discussion ensued on the second floor of City Hall.

Second Ward Council Member Geoffrey M. Szymanski, who voted against the budget, said Jaworski could have held off on the vote until Noman, who was taking an early lunch break from his job, arrived seconds later.

“He didn’t even wait two minutes,” Szymanski said. “The bells from OLV Basilica were still ringing when we adjourned.”

Neither Noman nor Jaworski could be reached Tuesday to comment.

But Third Ward Council Member Francis J. Kulczyk said he didn’t have a problem with Jaworski’s decision to move quickly.

“We all had to make the effort to be there on time. There was nothing underhanded. Everything was above board. We just did business,” said Kulczyk. “For some reason, Abdul got delayed. I don’t know what it was. I didn’t ask him.”

The budget moved ahead untouched, except for the elimination of a $68,579 expense line item for a captain’s position in the police department.

Mayor Norman L. Polanski Jr. said he would not veto the removal of the second captain’s post — a change he had proposed himself in the 2010-11 budget — and plans to sign the budget for implementation.

jtokasz@buffnews.com

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Festival location could be a liabilityBy Jay Tokasz

NEWS STAFF REPORTER

Published:
June 15, 2011, 12:00 AM

Updated: June 15, 2011, 6:52 AM


In Lackawanna, even a friendly neighborhood festival can be the source of political contention.

A Hispanic Heritage Family Days festival set for this weekend on the surrounding property of a condemned building is going ahead as planned, even though the city’s Law Department has cautioned that the event “creates serious liability issues” for the city.

The City Council in March gave organizer Ceferino Lopez the go-ahead to use the grounds of the former Friendship House at 264 Ridge Road as the site of the two-day festival, which will feature Latino music, various food vendors and a beer truck.

The city’s Law Department raised objections both to Ceferino and to Council President Chuck Jaworski that festival organizers did not have enough insurance coverage to properly protect the city against future lawsuits in the event of an accident.

The former Friendship House has been condemned since 2007, and the city’s insurance carrier won’t provide insurance for use of the property, Assistant City Attorney Antonio Savaglio wrote in a May 16 letter to Jaworski.

Fairview Avenue, a dead-end street off Ridge Road, will be blocked to traffic for vendors and the music stage, and a beer truck will be parked near tennis courts, far away from the condemned building, according to Lopez, who expects a couple thousand people to show up.

“The building’s got to be 200 to 300 feet from where they’re setting up,” said Jaworski, who called the location “an ideal spot” because many members of the Hispanic community live in the First Ward.

The festival is scheduled to run from noon to 9:30 p. m. Saturday and Sunday.

Mayor Norman L. Polanski Jr. said Council members were fishing for votes in an election year by approving the festival at the Friendship House location. The council voted, 5-0, to approve the festival.

“The grounds have not been prepared properly for use by a festival,” Polanski said.

But Jaworski and festival organizers aren’t concerned and are looking forward to a lively event that will bring people together.

“It’s probably one of the best things that can happen for the city because of the diverse cultures here,” said David Hardy, who was assisting Lopez with preparations for the event. “The First Ward, I would say, is in dire need of some type of entertainment, involvement, uplift.”

Lopez pegged the cost of putting on the festival at about $5,000 — including $1,000 of his own money.

“My wife is mad at me because I’m pulling from my own pocket,” he said.

Still, Lopez and others said they hope this weekend’s festival becomes an annual event.

jtokasz@buffnews.com

[mnb811]

So why don't the Mayor fix the grounds? LOL Always an excuse with this guy and the others. Let the place go to sh#t then try to sell it afterwards. Only in Lackawanna!

[andreahaxton]

Twelve years is a very long time for Team Polanski to have got us moving toward being the modern, vibrant City due Lackawanna!

If the powers to be real priority post-election focus was truly on taking care of the City/People/and plans for solvency to keep future generations then.... People would be happy with the progress they made/underway, and the growth toward Lackawanna being/becoming a fine up-standing community in WNY.
Instead.....
The " family and friends " club grew leaps and bounds and promises/alliances are being made as I type this!
City Hall is crumbling, playgrounds are worse than ever, and Firemen/DPW Workers have to come begging for safe buildings because bricks are falling!

Who is going to pay the bills when more of OUR kids/grand-kids move out because they want/deserve to live in a clean and with-it place? I have said it for years---we need a COMPLETE Forensic Financial Audit undertaken by a non-LA Citizen CONTROL Board! Yes folks, it is that BAD!

$5.1 million bond and....and....and....!
Food for Thought: What was the $6,000,000 Fund Balance ( hidden City extra money that they spend any way they want to) spent on from spring 2009 to the present----how much is presently in it?

[sunflower]

On June 6, 2011 at the City Council meeting, there was a 3-2 vote to sell city-owned property to the Yeminite Community. Councilman Noman argued that the land had lay vacant for 30 years and was quoted in the Buffalo News as saying that the Yeminite Community would be willing to invest millions of dollars to expand the building and parking lot.

On June 20, 2011 at the City Council meeting, Rev. Blue and representatives from his church (2nd Baptist) showed up with John Ingram (Chairman of Citizens of Lackawanna's Future) to protest the sale, stating that they had wanted to purchase the property.

Mr. Lucarelli (Lucarelli's Banquet Center) stood up and basically said that city-owned property for sale should be made available to everyone in the city, including businesses. His argument was that churches and other non-profits don't pay taxes...businesses do. He also told the council that the city wasn't in the real estate business.

Ahhhh, says Mr. Dicenzo as he holds up proof otherwise...MARTIN ROAD SUBDIVISION!!!!

Another resident stood up to voice her disgust with the condition of our city playgrounds. And yet another resident stood up to voice her anger and frustration over the property being lost each year as it erodes into Smokes Creek foot-by-foot.

Sooooooo, there will be some sort of meeting between the 1st Baptist congregation and the Yemen community to "work out a compromise" with regards to the property in question. STAY TUNED....

[andreahaxton]

Why were ALL the other Councilmen silent last night? I know the Charter states we must address the Council President, but, they always chime in with their take or diversion of some irrelevant rhetoric to rescue Chuck.
But NOT last night......silence. Was it pre-planned to diffuse the obvious chaos/dispute they created? I am sure it was.

Chuck was on the Council in 02', when the same land was sold to Second Baptist Church and taken back from them for their same lame reasons. So why didn't they all do their homework and seek an equitable deal when the same sale proposal came up 2 weeks ago?
(The Council did it to First Baptist church late last year too when they had tried to purchase City land years back and were told no. )

This is nothing about either groups' attempt to buy City property---it is about Councilmen abusing their governmental powers, by trying to buy blocks of votes when they make deals to appease special interest groups requests.

Geoff was silent because he wants the Arabic voting block, Noman was already sold the land, and the 3rd and 4th Councilmen were.....somewhere in la-la land.

Chuck took the heat because he had no other choice and I feel Lucarelli was planted to take the pressure off Chuck with his attempt of saying no non-for-profit group should get prime City "Business Zoned" land. I told him to buy 264 Ridge Road, 5 acres, Friendship House site---bring in jobs!

This is another election year fiasco that they created and I hope ALL Lackawanna Citizens see this for what it is. A self-serving deal that back-fired on them because Second Baptist stood up for what is right and fair! I hope all parties come to a peaceful compromise in the near future for the betterment of ALL of us in Lackawanna!

[sunflower]

Thanks for clearing that up, Andrea. How can the council sell and then reverse the sale on property, sell it again, and now are back-peddling to reverse the most recent sale? No wait, this time they want to "come up with a compromise"?!!? OMG!!!

[andreahaxton]

January 20, 2009
Lackawanna City Council Meeting Archive:

• Council Member Haxton

To Council:

To make purchases of all city lots fair, I Andrea Haxton, 1 st Ward Councilwoman, ask your honorable body to direct the law department to draw up a local law on the sale of city property. In 2006 we had a meeting with Frank Krakowski and all agreed that the sale of a build able lot 60 feet wide is to be sold for 55 2/3% of the accessed amount. An un-build able lot is to be sold for 33 1/3% of the assessed amount of the lot. In order to take the politics out of property purchases I feel a local law would be a benefit to all parties. Thank you in advance for your anticipated support and cooperation.

Moved by Haxton to direct law department to prepare the local law. No second. Motion moot.

Moved by Jaworski, seconded by Szymanski, to receive and file.

Yeas: Szymanski, Kulczyk, Schiavi, Jaworski

Nays: Haxton Carried 4 – 1


A sitting Council member told me, " Receive and File means to -- Throw It In the Garbage ".....

And that is what they did in 2009, so you all can read between the lines about what they think of making things fair for all in "Lack"awanna!

(Typo in minutes,---should read 66 2/3% NOT 55 2/3%)

[andreahaxton]

City of Lackawanna NY:
The Code (Laws)
Part 1--Administrative Legislation
Chapter 12

CITY-OWNED REAL ESTATE, DISPOSITION OF
Basic View[HISTORY: Adopted by the City Council of the City of Lackawanna 11-8-1993 by L.L. No. 6-1993 (Ch. 107 of the 1987 Code). Amendments noted where applicable.]§ 12-1 Definitions.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

CITY-OWNED REAL ESTATE
Encompasses all property acquired and held by the City of Lackawanna for use of the City as an entity and that acquired and held for public use and benefit of its citizens.
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Etc., Continued on City Web Page.

[Caz5]

Came across an article dated November 9, 2010 in the Buffal News titled:
"Ethnic Friction Marks Session on Field, Land" It seems that the Yemen Community and the 1st Baptist Church have gone toe-to-toe prior to the most recent battle over city-owned property.

ALTHOUGH THE MAIN DISCUSSION AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING WAS WITH REGARDS TO THE NAME OF THE CITY-OWNED SOCCER FIELD, THERE WAS ALSO DISCUSSION ABOUT "SOUTH STREET" PROPERTY THAT THE CHURCH AND MOSQUE BOTH WANTED:

"...Meanwhile, other Yemeni-Americans called on city lawmakers to approve the sale of a vacant city-owned South Street property to the Lackawanna Islamic Mosque, at 154 Wilkesbarre St. The property also is being pursued by First Baptist Church on Ingham Avenue." (P.S. WITH SUCH A "HISTORY" BETWEEN THE YEMENITE COMMUNITY AND THE 1ST BAPTIST CHURCH, YOU WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THE CITY COUNCIL WOULD HAVE DONE A MORE THOROUGH RESEARCH OF THE LAND IN QUESTION IN THE JUNE 2011 DEBATE).

P.S.S.

THE SOCCER FIELD WAS NAMED "YEMEN SOCCER FIELD" 35 YEARS AGO AND AT THIS MEETING, JOHN INGRAM STATED THAT HE FELT THAT CITY-OWNED PROPERTY SHOULD NOT BE NAMED IN HONOR OF ONE ETHNIC GROUP. ANGELO IAFFALO (CITY REC. DIRECTOR) SAID THAT THE FIELD HAD BEEN NAMED 35 YEARS AGO BECAUSE THE PROPERTY HAD BEEN CONVERTED INTO A SOCCER FIELD TO ACCOMMODATE THE YEMENITE COMMUNITY WHO'S NATIONAL PASTTIME WAS SOCCER.

[andreahaxton]

Lackawanna Churches, Directory of churches in Lackawanna, NY ...Find a Lackawanna NY Church in our directory of Lackawanna churches with ... FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH. 716-826-0646. 320 INGHAM AVENUE LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 US ... SECOND BAPTIST CHURCH. 716-826-4940. 18 CHURCH STREET LACKAWANNA, NY 14218 US ...

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A sitting Council member told me, " Receive and File means to -- Throw It In the Garbage ".....

Yes, whether it is city or school agenda item, a "receive and file" means it is a DEAD file.