Zoning Board of Appeals job posting (Lancaster website)

[Lee Chowaniec]

Job Posting 2017

MEMBER – ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS

The Town of Lancaster is accepting letters of interest for the position of Member – Zoning Board of Appeals, part-time to fill a vacancy from July 18, 2017 to December 31, 2020. For complete job description and duties, please contact the Supervisor’s Office at 716-683-1610 or the Town Clerk’s Office at 716-683-9028.

Council member John Abraham pulled a resolution that he was sponsoring Monday evening to appoint Jeanne Kreavy to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) to fill the void of a member who had recently passed away:

WHEREAS, a vacancy exists on the Town of Lancaster Zoning Board of Appeals due to the recent passing of Zoning Board Member James Perry, and

WHEREAS, Council Member Abraham recommended to the Town Board the appointment of Jeanne Kreavy as a member of the Town of Lancaster Zoning Board of Appeals.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED, that Jeanne Kreavy of Schwartz Road, Lancaster, New York be and is hereby appointed a member of the Town of Lancaster Zoning Board of Appeals for the term of July 3, 2017 to December 31, 2020.

BE IT FURTHER,
RESOLVED, that the Supervisor of the Town of Lancaster take the necessary action with the Personnel Officer of the County of Erie to accomplish the foregoing.


It appears Mrs. Kreavy’s resume was the only one submitted for consideration since the opening occurred several weeks ago. Considering the ZBA position was never posted, that is not surprising.

What is surprising (and suspicious) is that this hiring got to the point of resolution with only Council Member Ron Ruffino aware that the job was not posted and making it know to the other town board members so this resolution could be pulled at the 11th hour.

What is disturbing is that this process was repeated despite the fact that the town board had been admonished by the public several times in the past for the same transgression and should have known better.

[gorja]

Originally posted by Lee Chowaniec:
What is surprising (and suspicious) is that this hiring got to the point of resolution with only Council Member Ron Ruffino aware that the job was not posted and making it know to the other town board members so this resolution could be pulled at the 11th hour.

When Abraham was speaking about pulling his resolution, Ruffino did state to him, "I guess you got tipped off, huh"
Loved it!!!!!!

[gorja]

Here's Jeanne Kreavy's Letter of Interest

[gorja]

I wonder if she was on a Community Development Citizens Advisory committee in Hamburg
under one of her former surnames. If she was, I wonder why she didn't mention that as part
of her experience

[mark blazejewski]

Here's Jeanne Kreavy's Letter of Interest

Together with the absence of a posting, that letter appears to be so awkwardly written, that, to me, it may suggest a inarticulate, but cautious, exercise in collaborative, coded language.

I note that the author is "aware of an opening," but is only "interested in applying for the position." Why the shyness? As I see it, you either apply or you don't apply. The June 15, 2017 letter, as I understand it, in a paraphrase, appears to say: "I heard there is an opening, and I'm interested in applying. Is it okay to apply? If so, what do I do next?" "Please help me with this."

Council Member Ruffino's comments suggest that the process seemingly lacked transparency.

One may be inclined to view these combined circumstances to be a single exercise in "inarticulate, shady, opaqueness."

Just the observations a low-information spectator.

[grump]

The zoning board is not a civil service position and Erie County has nothing to do with it. It's a community board and the members are not "employees".

[mark blazejewski]

The zoning board is not a civil service position and Erie County has nothing to do with it. It's a community board and the members are not "employees".

I do not see any post suggesting that it was a civil service position and Erie County's involvement. I do not quite understand what point you are trying to make Grump.

[gorja]

I do not see any post suggesting that it was a civil service position and Erie County's involvement. I do not quite understand what point you are trying to make Grump.

Ditto

[Lee Chowaniec]

When a Zoning Board of Appeals vacancy appears, either through term expiration, resignation or death, a public notice is to be issued announcing such opening to allow for individuals to submit a letter of intent to apply for said position and a resume for review submitted as well.

This appears once again to be an example where the individual who was ready to be appointed by resolution was given inside information of the opening and where no posting occurred to apprise others of the position opening. This is not the first time this has happened and where the town has been admonished for following such practice.

Sadly, it has the possibility of adversely impacting the favored individual’s qualifications and casts suspicion that the town board did not act in an open and transparent manner.

Council member Ruffino was going to bring the matter up at the board meeting but made the mistake of telling another council member about the faux pas who then must have tipped off council member Abraham (the resolution’s sponsor) who pulled the resolution and advocated for the posting of the position. They know better!

[mark blazejewski]

When a Zoning Board of Appeals vacancy appears, either through term expiration, resignation or death, a public notice is to be issued announcing such opening to allow for individuals to submit a letter of intent to apply for said position and a resume for review submitted as well.

The letter seemingly fuses two separate requirements into one, all-encompassing hybrid procedure. Not that such an innovative creation matters. My observation can correctly be viewed as petty and nit-picky, IF a very flexible standard is applied to all required form, and prescribed procedure.

I never realized just how informal and casual our community has become. Me thinks I have got the warm and fuzzies.

Flexible semantics seems to be rather trendy in Lancaster during the last few years, especially this summer.

[gorja]

Originally posted by Lee Chowaniec:
This appears once again to be an example where the individual who was ready to be appointed by resolution was given inside information of the opening

I can't assume that the applicant was tipped off about the opening. Mr Perry's obit was in the paper. Mrs Kreavy has gone before the ZBA in the past as an opponent to the family that wanted to raise pigs on Schwartz Rd. She may have recognized the name as a ZBA member.

She may have been at the June 5th town board meeting
ON MOTION OF COUNCIL MEMBER ABRAHAM AND SECONDED BY
COUNCIL MEMBER WALTER AND CARRIED, the meeting was adjourned in memory
of James Perry, Jeffrey Simme and Walter Ferry at 9:08 P.M.

[gorja]

Originally posted by Lee Chowaniec:
no posting occurred to apprise others of the position opening.

That is a fact which should NEVER have occurred in this day and age

[grump]

I do not see any post suggesting that it was a civil service position and Erie County's involvement. I do not quite understand what point you are trying to make Grump.

Well, I read the resolution that suggested a name to fill the vacancy that said the town should work with Erie County "to make it so" as Captain Picard used to say. Posts are acting as if this is some type of job; it's not, it's just a community service position.

[mark blazejewski]

Well, I read the resolution that suggested a name to fill the vacancy that said the town should work with Erie County "to make it so" as Captain Picard used to say. Posts are acting as if this is some type of job; it's not, it's just a community service position.

I can't speak for others Grumpster, but my concern is that all eligible candidates have an equal opportunity to be informed of such a position opening, consider their desire to hold such an office, and then declare to the Council their availability and willingness to serve.

It is a question of "the man properly seeking the office;" this may be a case of "the powerful office-holders searching for only the VERY WELL CONNECTED." That would be a pollution of what should be a set standard and process, fairly applied to all candidates.

That is my low-information humble concern.

[gorja]

Well, I read the resolution that suggested a name to fill the vacancy that said the town should work with Erie County "to make it so" as Captain Picard used to say. Posts are acting as if this is some type of job; it's not, it's just a community service position.

They do receive a $1,668 per year stipend according to the budget