Reply With QuoteIsn't she the Can't Understand Normal Thinking person who made disparaging remarks about Fudoli right after he was elected but before he took office?Originally Posted by Lee Chowaniec
Thin skinned people shouldn't serve in elected positions.
I went to a Lancaster Town Board meeting and a fight broke out. Not really, but as spirited, contentious and rowdy a meeting I have attended in the fifteen years I have been attending town board meetings – at least not in the past ten years when a former supervisor told a lady to sit down and shut up, that she didn’t know what she was talking about.
It was so spirited and transparent that it needs to be told in its entirety to give fairness to all parties – and you aren’t going to find this in the ‘professional’ media.
The evening started out pleasant enough when the writer was first to address the board on pre-file resolutions #’s 17 and 18.
Chowaniec: Supervisor Fudoli, resolution #17’s intent is to amend your proposed tentative budget and has nothing to do with Councilman’s Mark Aquino resolution #18 to adopt the amended 2015 final budget, is that correct?
Fudoli: Correct.
Chowaniec: And would you explain what those changes entail and reason for? And I am only referring to what you spoke on in the work session.
Fudoli: The preliminary budget was filed on September 26th. An error was made by Dave Brown (Director of Administration & Finance) and myself when a few meetings ago we changed two laborer aids to laborer positions. That upgraded their pay by $20,000 and we did not budget for that. The one addition came from Community Blue in October where the premium was up 52%; 20 some days after the preliminary budget was put out.
Chowaniec: So there is a budget increase of $107,000 and that will be offset by taking money out of the fund balance?
Fudoli: Right.
Supervisor Fudoli, did you have any input, and/or any involvement with the amended budget changes to your proposed tentative budget; as stated in resolution #18?
Fudoli: None whatsoever.
Chowaniec: In that case, I will request that the sponsor of resolution #18, Councilman Mark Aquino, clarify some questions I have on the reorganization of the Parks & Recreation Department. When one looks at the line item amended changes they are not definitive and there is lot of confusion and rumor as to intent.
Mr. Aquino, the position of crew chief is eliminated and $73,571 is cut from the budget, correct?
Aquino: Correct.
Chowaniec; In place of the eliminated crew chief position, an individual will be hired part time at $20,000 to oversee the Recreation Department, correct? (A7110.100)
Aquino: Correct.
Chowaniec: Will the individual selected for this part time position be eligible for any benefits?
Aquino: As it is a part time position, no.
Chowaniec: Will this be a competitive position; open to posting, applications, interviews and hiring based on qualification, or an appointed position made by and approved by the town board?
Aquino: We plan on interviewing for the position. I don’t know if it’s competitive.
Councilman John Abraham: As it is a Parks position it is a competitive position.
Aquino: I don’t know for sure, but we are definitely going to interview and they made be hired and subject to an examine; provisional. Yes.
Chowaniec; So the rumor going around that someone has already been selected for the position is just that, a rumor?
Aquino: No one has been selected. We haven’t even talked about that, but on how the department will be structured.
Chowaniec: What is the $5,000 wage oversight stipend for in the Recreation Department – line item A7020.100?
Aquino: This is for…we spoke about this, and Dino (Fudoli) said he wasn’t involved, a little bit about Highway Superintendent Dan Amatura overseeing the Recreation Department as… $5,000. There is also a $12,000 stipend…I’ll call it a foreman position, which what was in the budget last year…because there has never been a foreman in that department. When Terry (McCracken) was here it was him and a bunch of laborer grades.
So the idea is that we are going to have Amatura oversee for $5,000; we are not trying to line his pockets. That’s what the $5,000 is for. There will be a foreman who will be paid $1,000 a month. That’s what the $12,000 is for. He will be kind of a field person. He will be a Recreation Director part time and oversee the programs in the Recreation Department.
Amatura has already indicated that he would like to take over the maintenance of the parks. I have had some complaint on the maintenance of the parks and we want to make sure those are well maintained. He doesn’t know what he is going to do with the parks department but he is willing to do that. We are going to try this and get the right people. Where in essence we had one person running everything, we will have three eyes which I think is better for the town. It results in more savings for the town taxpayers and gets more eyes out there.
Chowaniec: So, you are saying Amatura is going to get a stipend of $5,000 for recreation department overseer. So is he going to get $12,000 for taking over the maintenance of the parks?
Aquino: No, no. The parks…
Chowaniec: But it says on the amended Parks list $12,000 goes for wages, Supervisory stipend.
Aquino: When I say Parks & Recreation I mean overseeing the entire department – which means taking over the parks, maintaining the grounds…
Chowaniec: When you talking Parks & Recreation, you are using them interchangeably?
Aquino: Right.
Chowaniec; Okay, but when I look at the list of amended changes, the $5,000 comes under the Recreation Department. That is confusing.
Aquino: I didn’t pick those titles out. I gave Dave Brown direction…kinda estimates.
Chowaniec; So once again, who will the $12,000 be going to?
Aquino: I call it a working foreman; a person out in the field. Right now I would say that interim crew chief Mark Lubera is running that. We are looking for someone like that but we don’t know as yet who that person will be. We want to get a little more structure in that department.
Chowaniec: So it could be someone that is currently employed in that department?
Aquino: Yes. Unless someone in the department doesn’t want the job, then we will outside and get someone who is willing to work for that $12,000. I think we will be able to attract some people in our employ that will be willing to take on the position. If not, we will go in a different direction.
Chowaniec: In attending work sessions I have heard Supervisor Fudoli speak on the model you are proposing – even thinking it was his brainchild. So he has been involved indirectly. I too believe it’s a good thing. In my opinion Mr. McCracken took a lot of heat and abuse on things that were unmanageable. That department was ill organized. I am looking forward to the good Mr. Amatura will bring in taking over park maintenance, but t the same time not getting $17,000 in stipends to do so. I am happy that has been explained away.
Regarding Buildings and Forestry, when McCracken was crew chief weren’t their management his responsibility? Who will oversee those departments now?
Aquino: I think that will be a collaborative effort; some of that through Amatura. Listen, management of properties is a function of… it’s in the Recreation Department now. If it’s something that can be handled in house, it will probably be directed by Amatura. That hasn’t been worked out yet. It will be determined by who we interview and what their qualifications are. That’s kinda the way I see it. Lot was thrown over Terry (McCracken) over the years and now we are trying to get a little more separation and more eyes on the stuff that’s important.
Chowaniec: It’s good you bring this up because a lot of people did not realize what was being put on the shoulders on one individual.
I ask these questions for clarification because a lot of people were confused. I don’t want to hear rumor and innuendo; somebody taking the heat for no reason.
That said, when examining the list of amendments, some 23 line items, the last thing I have to say is that under the guise of amending the tentative budget and coming up with net neutral budget inraising taxation, the manner it was done leads me to be believe it was done with deception and creative tinkering; my opinion.
Increase in appropriations, use an additional $120,000 in fund balance revenue, and an attempt at cost cutting to offset spending by haphazardly reorganizing the Parks/Recreation Department give reasons for my opinion.
What is really troubling is that Fudoli’s tentative budget is amended and brings a spending increase of $107,000 that will be offset by use of more fund balance revenue. That’s taxpayer money. Thenwe hear another $120,000 will be coming out of fund balance revenue to cover the amended budget. Later on I will be addressing the board on the $430,000 added costs to construct the Highway storage building. Us taxpayers will be taking another shot in the ass for $650,000+ when but a few weeks ago none of this was made known to the public.
Resident Mike Fronczak
Now it starts getting ugly.
Fronczak: Amended resolution #18. Now that the board has had time to study the budget, and where I didn’t get any answers to my questions at the budget public hearing, I’m wondering how all these council members who campaign on fiscal responsibility can consider it fiscally responsible to allow Building Inspector Jeff Simme to receive a $7,000 stipend with no revenue coming in from the Village of Lancaster anymore for inspection services provided?
Basically, he is getting a raise and no other town employee is. How do justify him getting $7,000 more in annual wage?
Council member Mark Aquino: I will address that. It is misquoted by you Mike. He is not receiving a raise. Number 1, I looked at the numbers for the last five years and the revenues the town generates from the Village of Lancaster… we get $23,000 a year for permits…the last two years we generated $50,000 in fees from being the code enforcement officer in the Building Department for the Village. We spend $7,000 on Mr. Simme’s salary to do that. That’s all we do. He has not gotten a raise, it’s the same stipend.
What happened is, the Village unilaterally said years ago that they were not going to spend money for their own code enforcement officer. They don’t do all of that; we do some of that. They can’t handle it all. I am not going to throw the Village under the bus…Mr. Simme still does some code enforcement work for the Village. But to get $50,000 a year for a $7,000 a year stipend, I’ll take that any day. That’s a good deal for the Village taxpayers and for the town.
Supervisor Fudoli: You are being dishonest here.
Aquino: No I'm not!
Fudoli: Hold on a second. Did you read the contract?
Aquino: $23,000.
Fudoli: The contract says $23,000 for administrative services and $7,000 for code enforcement.
Aquino: Don’t call me dishonest.
Fudoli: Hold on, you had your say. You’re not being honest with the public.
Aquino: Don’t say that.
Fudoli: You’re not telling the full story. When the town attorney told me the Village stopped paying the $7,000 stipend that was going to Simme, I sat down with Mr. Simme and asked him. “Really what is a realistic number; for that money that the Village is not paying us?” The Village cut off that stipend in 2011 or 2010 and we no longer get$7,000. The board decided they were going to continue paying Mr. Simme. I thought that was wrong and contacted Mr. Simme and asked for a real number.
Aquino: I wasn’t present at that.
Fudoli: Yes you were. Mr. Simme and I agreed that he did some services and deserved some stipend. That is why every year I put $3,500 in the budget for that and every year the board has pumped that number back to $7,000. We have not collected a penny from the Village on that $7,000 for the lst five or six years come January. So the town is out the $35,000 or $42,000 we have paid Mr. Simme and at the same time we are not getting reimbursed for that. That $23,000 pays for office administration. We are not getting $23,000 plus $7,000.
The $7,000 is for code enforcement work. When the Village didn’t want Jeff to do the work anymore George Pease did the job for two years; just before he retired. That stipend continued to go and I think that’s wrong for the board to keep handing out that money. If you plan on suing the Village, let’s sue the Village.
Aquino: You sue the Village. Why don’t you negotiate with them?
Fudoli: I have sat down with them.
Aquino: You sat down with them, why didn’t you negotiate with them?
Fudoli: You sat down with us too. You want a lie detector…
Aquino: Lie detector, you’re lying!
Fudoli: The $23,000 is for administration, not for code enforcement services.
Aquino: You’ve been the supervisor for three years, do something.
Fudoli: I’ve tried.
Aquino: Okay, so you tried. We are still getting a good deal.
Fudoli: You are giving away taxpayer money; the $7,000.
Fronczak: So you would be fiscally responsible by willing to sue the Village?
Aquino: Absolutely, but we should first try to negotiate. I am not saying we are going to sue the Village. I will look at the contract…
Fronczak: But you would be willing to?
Aquino: I would look at the contract and see if they are in violation. I think we should if they are in violation of the contract.
Fronczak: Councilman Abraham, how about you? Would you be willing to sue?
Abraham: I would prefer negotiations.
Fronczak: Ms. Stempniak? Would you be in favor of suing the Village?
Council member Stempniak: Mike, I don’t want to answer you considering the comment you made to me last week. I was highly offended by that and I have no desire to answer you.
Fronczak: Supervisor Fudoli, would you?
Fudoli: What I would like to do is negotiate, but I would not take suing off the table. It’s responsible; we owe it to the taxpayers of Lancaster. If there is money due to us, we have an obligation to doeverything we can. If we can negotiate, that would be my preference.
Fronczak: As a taxpayer I don’t have a problem if Mr. Simme is doing the job. Mr. Simme is getting something that I personally believe he does not deserve.
As for adding the $2,000 back in the budget for the Hull House (eliminated in Supervisor Fudoli’s tentative budget), the Hull House foundation can turn around and purchase property around it for $750,000 and you want to give them $2,000. $2,000 is not lot of money to people in this room, but it is a lot of money to a lot of people today. So how do you explain giving something to a cultural agency that’s well established and can spent $750,000 to purchase property, and that as a taxpayer I have to keep supporting? Anyone?
Aquino: I think it is a minimal amount to spend on an organization that is going to generate tax dollars and visitors to this town. I think it’s a reasonable thing. I looked at the tax revenue, actually. They have four parcels in the town and paid $275,000 in 2007. There is some tax obligation. But I plan to talk to the Hull House, just s I did with the Lancaster Rural Cemetery, and if is it not justified I will take it off next year; but not this year.
Fronczak: Do we support every cultural in the town?
Aquino: No.
Fronczak: Either we do, or maybe we don’t.
Aquino: $2,000 in a $20 million budget is not a lot.
Fronczak: Like I said, it my not be to you, but it is to a lot of people.
Aquino: It is not going to affect the tax rate.
Next: Part II: It only gets uglier
Isn't she the Can't Understand Normal Thinking person who made disparaging remarks about Fudoli right after he was elected but before he took office?
Thin skinned people shouldn't serve in elected positions.
Why don't they just pull Simme out of the village? No pay; no play
Georgia L Schlager
Its that moon color again. I agree with dog breath...
The above is opinion & commentary, I am exercising my 1st Amendment rights as a US citizen. Posts are NOT made with any malicious intent.
Tonight's agenda resolution -Originally posted by Lee Chowaniec:
Mr. Aquino, the position of crew chief is eliminated and $73,571 is cut from the budget, correct?
Aquino: Correct.
Chowaniec; In place of the eliminated crew chief position, an individual will be hired part time at $20,000 to oversee the Recreation Department, correct? (A7110.100)
Aquino: Correct.
Chowaniec: Will the individual selected for this part time position be eligible for any benefits?
Aquino: As it is a part time position, no.
At $31.76 per hour, will the crew chief be working a little over 12 hours per week to maintain the $20,000 salary for the part time position?BE IT FURTHER,
RESOLVED, that Mr. Lubera is hereby appointed to the title of Park Crew
Chief, effective April 25, 2015, at an hourly rate of $31.76, subject to the further terms of the
Town’s policies relating to non-union supervisory personnel,
Georgia L Schlager
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
