What am I missing here?
Why would board members add so much drama to this situation?Trojanowski declared that once he realized that town vehicles could not be used to pick up toys stored at a Cheektowaga storage facility, the Youth Bureau had to make other arrangements to pick up the toys at the Walden Avenue depot in Cheektowaga. They had many groups that offered help. “The Police Benevolent Association, members of the Bowmansville Volunteer Fire Department and members of the public went to the Cheektowaga facility to pick up the toys. U-Haul donated the truck. The community did rise to the occasion.”
U-Haul donated a truck and volunteers picked up the toys. Right? There really is no reason to use a town owned truck for this or to use paid town employees for this. Correct?
U-Haul can donate a truck each year if they want and volunteers can do the rest if they want. Right? Even town employees can volunteer on their own time. Correct? If one year U-Haul says they can not donate a truck I'm pretty sure a few business people in Lancaster can chip in and rent a truck. Correct?
Provide what? A dose of common sense?Councilman John Abraham: I just want to ask the Supervisor … this program is very important to the community and I know as a member of the Youth Bureau, and as teacher, the effort that was put in on that aspect to make this community drive a success for the needy families of the community; including the Christmas trees that are donated by the students and where they stay after school to make cookies to make money to buy canned goods. This is a great community effort on the part of the town and the school district to make this a great, great success. One question to you Dino is the not allowing of a town vehicle to pick up the toys. You said it was a legal opinion. Would you be willing to provide that to the rest of the board?
What is wrong with John? Seriously.. It seems like common sense that town equipment shouldn't be used for "non-town" purposes. Is John a card carrying member of the Erie County Democratic Party? Simple yes or no is all we need.
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Why make an issue of it? Why open up the property/business owners to any liability issues when you can have a truck donated in some form and have volunteers do the task?Abraham: This is a sanctioned program that is run by the town. How is this different than when one of our police officers is using a town vehicle to transport a prisoner to another municipality?
What is Donna's issue? Is she also a card carrying member of the Erie County Democratic Party?Fudoli: Because it was brought to my attention this year when I received a memo from Mark Lubera (interim Parks & Recreation Crew Chief). In the past, former Parks & Rec. Crew Chief McCracken handled it. It was never brought to the attention of my office. That is why we contacted legal counsel Jeff Swiatek. In the past we drove all over in town vehicles; including the City. Mark Lubera being a new crew chief did not know what his responsibility is in the matter, whether it was allowable or not, brought it to my attention, so ultimately this is the only thing that has changed. I thought we had a lot of time to resolve the change issue, not realizing the event was this week, not next week. Like John said, there was lot of miscommunication and the timing was off.
Stempniak: And his specification was that it was not extension time?
Fudoli: Wait a minute, Jeff (Swiatek) just said, “I advise you not to allow them to go out and pick up stuff outside the borders of our town unless you have a reciprocating agreement in place with another community, an inter-municipal agreement to share services. For liability purposes I advise you not to do that. Get volunteers.” That was his advice.
Stempniak: You’re going to get that to us.
Fudoli: I will send it to everyone that wants it; as soon as I get it.
I guess two doses of common sense are needed.
Wouldn't it just be easier for Dino to tell Donna and John to call Jeff's office and to repeat to them "I advise you not to allow them to go out and pick up stuff outside the borders of our town unless you have a reciprocating agreement in place with another community, an inter-municipal agreement to share services. [B][I][COLOR="#008000"]For liability purposes I advise you not to do that. Get volunteers."
Fudoli: I will send it to everyone that wants it; as soon as I get it.
Dino is the Superivisor. Why waste his time?
I'm pretty sure Jeff is part of the Democratic Party social club of Erie County. Donna and John can ask Jeff next time they see him at a fund raiser.
I thought that U-Haul donated a truck and that volunteers gave their time and accomplished the mission? Correct? If so why is Marie saddened?Resident Marie MacKay: Mr. Fudoli, I was very saddened when I woke up Saturday morning and saw the news on TV that you were not going to allow town vehicles to go and retrieve the gifts from Cheektowaga and bring them back to town. This town is known as a giving town. As a person I have worked at the Youth Bureau for many Christmas’ and gave out gifts to needy families. There are many needy families in this community.
Was Marie told that Jeff said "I advise you not to allow them to go out and pick up stuff outside the borders of our town unless you have a reciprocating agreement in place with another community, an inter-municipal agreement to share services. [B][I][COLOR="#008000"]For liability purposes I advise you not to do that. Get volunteers."?I know you say it’s a liability. My question to you is whether the trucks/vehicles in Lancaster never go outside of Lancaster; when they need parts for their vehicles or otherwise.
I'm an not being disrepectful but does Marie's boss know she is wasting the Town of Lancaster Supervisor's time?MacKay: What bothers me is that you have been supervisor for the last three years and you don’t know what your employees do every minute of the day.
Fudoli: Really?
MacKay: Well my boss knows what I’m doing, so I think you should have known that every year your town employees were using town vehicles to go to Cheektowaga to pick up the donations and bring them back.
Marie isn't making a point. Marie is wasting the Town of Lancaster Supervisor's time while pushing to open up a possible liability issue for the property/business owners.McKay: I am not chastising you, I am making a point. What are we doing to these families? These families come with nothing. They stand there, they cry and they thank us. The community comes together.
Looking the other way would be irresponsible. It would not be in the best interest of the property/business owners to look the other way.MacKay: You could have looked the other way, Mr. Fudoli. You could have looked the other way for once.
Fudoli: You want me to look the other way when the legal advisor gives me advice? Really? If I was your employer I would seriously question your judgment.
Good job Dino.Fudoli: You want me to look the other way when the legal advisor gives me advice? Really? If I was your employer I would seriously question your judgment.
I wonder if Sam's Club sells an econo size box of common sense.Graber: Yes you are. Whether it’s authorized or official, it’s a town program. It was authorized and it is official. I agree with you if it were never authorized you can’t do it. But Mr. Swiatek was given the wrong information and of course he is going to tell you shouldn’t do this. You are the one making the statement. Thank you.