Who is missing from Town Hall?

[CantKeepaSecret]

Who got fired just in time for Christmas? There is a vacant desk in the Code enforcement office. Anyone hear anything?

[Psycho1]

Police escorted West Seneca's head of buildings and inspections from town hall Wednesday, after he was placed on unpaid suspension, according to Town Supervisor Wallace Piotrowski.

William Czuprynski has worked for the town of West Seneca for more than 30 years. He did not respond to Two On Your Side's request for an interview.

It is important to note, the town says there is no criminal investigation into Czuprynski, and that it is customary for police to escort workers out of town hall who are suspended or fired.

Lawyers hired by the town will now conduct an investigation.

The supervisor would not say why he suspended Czuprynski, calling it "an administrative matter," but a source told Two On Your Side, they are looking into whether any favoritism was show during the inspection and permit process.

On Friday, Two On Your Side's Aaron Saykin spoke with the town supervisor.

Saykin: As far as you know, were any businesses or residences in town given permits who may not have qualified for them?

Supervisor Wallace Piotrowski: Not that I'm aware of at this time.

Saykin: Were inspections done improperly, as far as you know?

Piotrowski: Again, we don't know all of the nitty griity of all of those facts. It's just a general theory and we're proceeding with the investigation and we'll see if anything like that is uncovered.

The investigation could take several months to complete.

[Pumpkinhead]

I am liking Wally more and more every day.

[dtwarren]

While I am no fan of Mr. Czuprynski's I believe that if you do not do things correctly it comes back and bites you in the ass.

It should be noted that a public employer may not suspend an employee, even where it has the power to terminate his employment permanently. The power to suspend is not an inherent lesser power included within the power to terminate public employment (see, Emmitt v Mayor of City of N. Y., 128 NY 117; Gregory v Mayor of City of N. Y., 113 NY 416; Sinicropi v Bennett, 92 AD2d 309, affd 60 NY2d 918; Matter of Bramer v Board of Parole, 247 App Div 414; People ex rel. Curren v Cook, 117 App Div 788). In this case the only statutory provision I could find at the moment is subdivision 3 of section 75 of the Civil Service Law, which provides in relevant part: "Pending the hearing and determination of charges of incompetency or misconduct, the officer or employee against whom such charges have been preferred may be suspended without pay for a period not exceeding thirty days. If such officer or employee is found guilty of the charges, the penalty or punishment may consist of a reprimand, a fine not to exceed one hundred dollars to be deducted from the salary or wages of such officer or employee, suspension without pay for a period not exceeding two months, demotion in grade and title, or dismissal from the service; provided, however, that the time during which an officer or employee is suspended without pay may be considered as part of the penalty. If he is acquitted, he shall be restored to his position with full pay for the period of suspension".

I do not believe that the supervisor has the authority to take the action described in the article because the Town Board not the Supervisor is the appointing authority in personnel matters. Based on the town board's apparent failure to properly call a special session to consider this under the Open Meetings Law that if there was TB approval it is subject to attack.

[Psycho1]

While I am no fan of Mr. Czuprynski's I believe that if you do not do things correctly it comes back and bites you in the ass.

It should be noted that a public employer may not suspend an employee, even where it has the power to terminate his employment permanently. The power to suspend is not an inherent lesser power included within the power to terminate public employment (see, Emmitt v Mayor of City of N. Y., 128 NY 117; Gregory v Mayor of City of N. Y., 113 NY 416; Sinicropi v Bennett, 92 AD2d 309, affd 60 NY2d 918; Matter of Bramer v Board of Parole, 247 App Div 414; People ex rel. Curren v Cook, 117 App Div 788). In this case the only statutory provision I could find at the moment is subdivision 3 of section 75 of the Civil Service Law, which provides in relevant part: "Pending the hearing and determination of charges of incompetency or misconduct, the officer or employee against whom such charges have been preferred may be suspended without pay for a period not exceeding thirty days. If such officer or employee is found guilty of the charges, the penalty or punishment may consist of a reprimand, a fine not to exceed one hundred dollars to be deducted from the salary or wages of such officer or employee, suspension without pay for a period not exceeding two months, demotion in grade and title, or dismissal from the service; provided, however, that the time during which an officer or employee is suspended without pay may be considered as part of the penalty. If he is acquitted, he shall be restored to his position with full pay for the period of suspension".

I do not believe that the supervisor has the authority to take the action described in the article because the Town Board not the Supervisor is the appointing authority in personnel matters. Based on the town board's apparent failure to properly call a special session to consider this under the Open Meetings Law that if there was TB approval it is subject to attack.

Dan, why can't you let us enjoyy the moment.

I would guess there is more to the story than has been released, and the TB will have to make it offical at the next meeting.

[dtwarren]

http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregio...ry/888058.html

Code enforcement chief suspended without pay by W. Seneca board
By Mary B. Pasciak
NEWS STAFF REPORTER
December 09, 2009, 7:00 AM /

West Seneca’s code enforcement officer has been suspended without pay.

William P. Czuprynski’s suspension comes as the result of an investigation by the town’s labor attorneys, Jaeckle Fleischmann & Mugel, town officials said.

“They came into some information and were concerned about it, and conveyed that to the Town Board,” Town Supervisor Wallace C. Piotrowski said.

The Town Board decided to suspend him. Piotrowski said he served the legal papers on Czuprynski last week. No criminal charges are pending, the town supervisor said.

Czuprynski, 63, has been a town employee for more than 30 years, at least 20 of them as the code enforcement officer. He is eligible to retire through the public pension system but has not filed retirement papers, Piotrowski said.