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Thread: Lancaster Industrial Development Agency (LIDA) resignations

  1. #76
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    Notice of SPECIAL LIDA Meeting

    The Lancaster Industrial Development Agency will hold a Special Meeting on Thursday, February 17, 2022, at 2:00 P.M.

    Posted on LIDA website.

    The meeting will be livestreamed.

  2. #77
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    Posted without comment:

    LIDA: former, new board dispute clear transfer of documents

    By Bee Group Newspapers | on February 17, 2022

    by JAMES SINNER Editor

    The transfer of Lancaster Industrial Development Agency positions, occurring with the start of a new year, has been a complex affair, with some members of the current board, and appointees, strongly alleging a lack of cooperation in the transfer of documents and information from the former.

    At their February meeting, during a discussion on paying Leza Braun, who acts in two roles within the LIDA as administration and records management officer and a PILOT billing administrator, the board became disoriented over what the salary and stipend price should be for the latter position. According to Braun, the two separate figures were reflected in the payments of the 2021 appointee holding these same positions, but without any clear documentation, board member Lynne Ruda felt apprehensive on committing.

    She remarked, “So we just raised the [administration and records management officer’s] salary from $5,000 to $7,500 for the extra work she [Braun] is taking on, and now you want to raise another salary and add a stipend on top of that?”

    “I don’t think we have enough information to make a decision right now,” Ruda added.

    “I think we do,” Braun remarked. “I did a lot of work this last month.” She added that this was equal to the proposed payment for the position last year.

    According to LIDA Assistant Secretary Jennifer Strong, who is also an attorney, the former breakdown of payments for 2021 should be filed on the board’s website by the former members. Frank Todaro, Erie County Legislator and LIDA treasurer, says the website doesn’t offer a clear view of what those payments were. “We just have a big number, that’s it,” he said.

    According to Braun, LIDA employees were also paid through a town resolution, which Strong says is not how things are supposed to be done. “The staff for the IDA should be paid directly from the IDA, not from the town, they’re separate entities,” Strong said.

    Until the information can be clearly sorted, the board deferred to create a resolution addressing the matter at their next regular meeting.

    Board member David Rinow, speaking on the gaps in their current understanding of LIDA’s past financials, expressed concern over communications with the former board. “They left us with no financial information. I suggest we do something about that,” he said.

    However, according to LIDA Board Chair Dino Fudoli, the status of what is known and unknown is in the air. “We don’t know if we don’t have it yet,” he said, then requested that Braun check the boxes and see if any of the financial reports could be found. Braun also said she had a jump drive of spreadsheets which still needed to be checked. She maintained that the former records management officer had only started really sending documents after a February town board meeting, where the matter was addressed.

    Fudoli also requested Braun to draft a letter if the information wasn’t found, to be sent to members and appointees of the former board, as an official request for any missing documents.

    Rinow, while still expressing concerns over how the current documentation was delivered, assured Braun she will be compensated for her work, once last year’s stipend and salary information is found.

    “It was literally a box of files just thrown in there,” said Fudoli, regarding one box of documents in question they were looking at before the meeting.

    Cyndi Maciejewski, formerly in Braun’s position, reached out to discuss her thoughts after watching the meeting. From her vantage point, these claims are false. “Back on Jan. 5, the town attorney, Thomas Fowler, had come into the supervisor’s office and he requested files for Leza [Braun]. Immediately, that day, I started distributing materials to her,” she said. “There was no hesitation. There is no reason for me to hold documents.”

    When asked if the new LIDA board has everything possible that could be sent from Maciejewski’s end, as a former appointee in the two positions now held by Braun, Maciejewski responded: “Absolutely.” This includes, through email, large amounts of information pertaining to initial documents, instructions on how to do minutes, letterheads, envelopes and information on using the website.

    Regarding the box in question, hopefully containing billing information for last year’s LIDA employees, which cannot be located by the new board on their website, and is alleged to be assembled inappropriately, Maciejewski isn’t sure of the contents, but also isn’t sure of the complaint. “That I’m not really clear on either,” she said, adding that these boxes were packed by a few members of the former LIDA, but to her knowledge, were delivered exactly as they were being stored, neatly.

    Maciejewski also wanted to firmly establish that cooperation with the new LIDA board has been in play since the turnover took place. “We did not only start sending over letters and documentation after a town board action; it started Jan. 5. Anything I had as secretary was turned over to the incoming secretary,” she said.

    Ruda, establishing a different viewpoint from some of the other current LIDA members, confirming Wednesday morning that Maciejewski has been sending any and all pertinent information from her end; even providing records of correspondonce for Ruda to verify.

    On the turnover of documents, Lancaster Town Supervisor and former LIDA Chair Ron Ruffino was clear in his outlook: “Pam and Cyndi turned over everything. They were then threatened, basically, by a [town] resolution, which they went ahead and sent emails to the board members showing that they turned everything over.”

    According to Ruffino, it’s simply a matter of the new board doing the work of going through the information they already have. “Everything was already given to them,” he reasserted.

    Pam Cuviello, the former LIDA CFO, returned a request for comment on Wednesday morning. “They have all of the billing information: the checkbook, the statement – everything that they need. Everything I used on a regular basis.” Cuviello said that this information is both readily available in the correspondence sent through email and a flash drive delivered to Braun. “I think they need to look inward,” Cuviello added, saying again that all information, including billing and rates of pay for employees, has been in the new
    LIDA board’s possession since mid-January.
    Reference: https://www.lancasterbee.com/article...-of-documents/
    LIDA Member Rinow to Member Ruda: You were a sitting Trustee on the Board. Did you help support Mr. Sweeney getting a seat on the CDC Board?"

  3. #78
    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mark blazejewski View Post
    It was nice to see that the Bee shared the real story.

    Georgia L Schlager

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    "Originally posted by Lee Chowaniec:
    The meeting will be livestreamed"

    I've watched and listened to it 3 times. It seems that the first 2 resolutions weren't livestreamed. Or is my hearing getting worse?

    How transparent is that?

  5. #80
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    Quote Originally Posted by gorja View Post
    It was nice to see that the Bee shared the real story.
    Yeah, and this knucklehead Rinow should read the words from his own pal, "Braun also said she had a jump drive of spreadsheets which still needed to be checked," before he shoots his dumb mouth off. Gee, maybe put the damn jump drive in and check out the contents, clown. Rinow: "They left us with no financial information. I suggest we do something about that." Let's hope this hothead doesn't do what Greg Sojka did when he got upset a while back in one of his heated exchanges.



    Isn't this what they do, Readers ??? You could roll the damn red carpet out for them, provide them with a mountain of information in the transition, walk them through it all, and they then act like lowdown bums.

    Mark me down as believing Cindy, Ron and Pam!

    Then there's Dino Fudoli, "It was literally a box of files just thrown in there." They always use the dramatic "just thrown" when trying to be drama queens. Like someone stood there, with a sour pouty puss, stood there, and purposely threw the paperwork into the box. Please. Gee, Dino, did you see them throw the papers in the box ???? Frank Lee Blunt says he is "everywhere" so maybe he can chime in. As if the papers are all messed up and not in order. Maybe Dino is mistaking those papers with his own fiscal mess, personally; as you may recall, Readers, Dino's property and school tax craziness. Yeah, let's put a tax deadbeat in charge of the development agenda ??? Of course, the arbiters of conscience on this page (Lee Chowaniec and Mark Blazejewski) always give Dino a pass on those property taxes, it is a business decision and all.



    Cyndi Maciejewski has it together, no doubt, and I'm glad she was included to stick up for her colleagues on the former board. I hope she runs for office, and soon.


  6. #81
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    Quote Originally Posted by gorja View Post
    It was nice to see that the Bee shared the real story.
    So, what do you gather from the Lancaster Bee report is the real story? What is true in the report that in your mind was not true and needed to be publicly presented?

    I have known Cyndi Maciejewski for 20 years and in her time in town employment I have come to know her as credible, honest individual and would not question her Bee narrative.

    So, taking Maciejewski out of the equation, who is vindicated in this report and what truth came out?

  7. #82
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    Quote Originally Posted by gorja View Post
    "Originally posted by Lee Chowaniec:
    The meeting will be livestreamed"

    I've watched and listened to it 3 times. It seems that the first 2 resolutions weren't livestreamed. Or is my hearing getting worse?

    How transparent is that?
    I suggest you relisten to the LIDA livestreamed meeting which is presented in two segments – one prior to the Executive Session, the second after the Executive Session.

    All scheduled agenda items were presented, reviewed, and voted on.

    Lack of transparency? Don’t see it!

  8. #83
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    Quote Originally Posted by Breezy View Post
    Yeah, and this knucklehead Rinow should read the words from his own pal, "Braun also said she had a jump drive of spreadsheets which still needed to be checked," before he shoots his dumb mouth off. Gee, maybe put the damn jump drive in and check out the contents, clown. Rinow: "They left us with no financial information. I suggest we do something about that." Let's hope this hothead doesn't do what Greg Sojka did when he got upset a while back in one of his heated exchanges.



    Isn't this what they do, Readers ??? You could roll the damn red carpet out for them, provide them with a mountain of information in the transition, walk them through it all, and they then act like lowdown bums.

    Mark me down as believing Cindy, Ron and Pam!

    Then there's Dino Fudoli, "It was literally a box of files just thrown in there." They always use the dramatic "just thrown" when trying to be drama queens. Like someone stood there, with a sour pouty puss, stood there, and purposely threw the paperwork into the box. Please. Gee, Dino, did you see them throw the papers in the box ???? Frank Lee Blunt says he is "everywhere" so maybe he can chime in. As if the papers are all messed up and not in order. Maybe Dino is mistaking those papers with his own fiscal mess, personally; as you may recall, Readers, Dino's property and school tax craziness. Yeah, let's put a tax deadbeat in charge of the development agenda ??? Of course, the arbiters of conscience on this page (Lee Chowaniec and Mark Blazejewski) always give Dino a pass on those property taxes, it is a business decision and all.



    Cyndi Maciejewski has it together, no doubt, and I'm glad she was included to stick up for her colleagues on the former board. I hope she runs for office, and soon.

    OMG, haven’t you embarrassed yourself enough rehashing old history, disparaging individuals in the process, and more recently supporting deceitful candidates in last year’s town primary and election. Here again you are all over the place making but two thread related opinions.

    Mark me down as believing Cindy, Ron and Pam!
    Cyndi Maciejewski has it together, no doubt, and I'm glad she was included to stick up for her colleagues on the former board.
    Spot on regarding Cyndi Maciejewski. Ron and Pam? The quitters? Seriously? Then again, you congratulated Ruffino in an earlier post for quitting.

    'Knucklehead Rinow' and Fudoli’s financial mess? Was that in the Bee report? Have anything to do with LIDA’s governance?

    From the Bee report:

    Pam Cuviello, the former LIDA CFO, returned a request for comment on Wednesday morning. “They have all of the billing information: the checkbook, the statement – everything that they need. Everything I used on a regular basis.” Cuviello said that this information is both readily available in the correspondence sent through email and a flash drive delivered to Braun. “I think they need to look inward,” Cuviello added, saying again that all information, including billing and rates of pay for employees, has been in the new LIDA board’s possession since mid-January.

    All records and flash drive in the hands of LIDA since mid-January? Weren’t those records and computer flash drive requested at a town board work session held on February 7th and not delivered until after that date? Left in a box outside Braun’s office, by Cuviello?

    Hope this gets straightened out soon as former LIDA CFO Dave Brown had to be contracted and paid to straighten things out.

    So Breezy, you are of the mind the new LIDA Board is inept and disparaging the old board for not handing over transition documents in a timely manner. I am going by from what I see and hear and the fact that outside counsel had to be brought in and that billing errors and other discrepancies exist. Time will tell.

    How can one not believe that none of this shade would have taken place had the two quitters remained on the LIDA Board. However, their egos and self-interest agendas apparently outweigh the best interest of the community. Ruffino's earlier post in the Lancaster caused the ****storm. His self-aggrandizing posture while throwing the new LIDA Board under the bus was irresponsible, juvenile, and boorish - unbecoming of a Town Supervisor.

    Love that livestreaming! Thank you, Town Clerk Terranova and Councilmember Leary!

  9. #84
    Member gorja's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Lee Chowaniec:
    I suggest you relisten to the LIDA livestreamed meeting which is presented in two segments – one prior to the Executive Session, the second after the Executive Session.

    All scheduled agenda items were presented, reviewed, and voted on.

    Lack of transparency? Don’t see it!
    Thanks Lee for straightening me out. Mea culpa. I didn't realize that when there is an executive session that they start over on the youtube video.

    Georgia L Schlager

  10. #85
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    Originally posted by Breezy:
    Yeah, and this knucklehead Rinow should read the words from his own pal, "Braun also said she had a jump drive of spreadsheets which still needed to be checked," before he shoots his dumb mouth off. Gee, maybe put the damn jump drive in and check out the contents, clown. Rinow: "They left us with no financial information. I suggest we do something about that." Let's hope this hothead doesn't do what Greg Sojka did when he got upset a while back in one of his heated exchanges.
    Absolutely, Ms Braun, instead looking at what was on the thumb drive and the contents of the box, she complained to get more $$$$$$$.
    I sure hope that she's not doing all this LIDA work that she says she's doing on town time.

    Again, it was Mayor Ruda that did her homework.
    Last edited by gorja; February 18th, 2022 at 03:23 AM.

    Georgia L Schlager

  11. #86
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Chowaniec View Post
    Fudoli’s financial mess? Was that in the Bee report? Have anything to do with LIDA’s governance?
    Woooo Hoooo!

    Dino makes the News Again!

    Celebrating a decade of muckraking
    2-21-2022

    Investigative Post launched 10 years ago today. In the succeeding years, our nonprofit newsroom has built a reputation for fact-based, high-impact reporting. Celebrating a decade of muckraking - Investigative Post

    Start at 2:22:




    Gee, Lee, it has EVERYTHING to do with controlling the LIDA!


  12. #87
    Member mark blazejewski's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Breezy View Post
    Woooo Hoooo!


    This, once again, is a tiresome resurrection of a tempest in a teapot; a desperate twisting of a fact-based business decision, from a anonymous actor, who historically thinks that not getting caught in a lie is synonymous with telling the truth.

    I understand that Dino fought the designation in court to try to reclassify the property, but the DEC prevailed.

    With that court ruling, the property was worthless from a business point of view, and as such, Dino chose to let the property go into tax foreclosure.

    If I am wrong, straighten me out.

    In any event, look on the bright side Breezy. The government now owns that property, so you should be thrilled, eh?

    Or better yet, maybe you can buy it and make sure that all those taxes are paid in the future?
    Last edited by mark blazejewski; February 23rd, 2022 at 09:48 PM.
    LIDA Member Rinow to Member Ruda: You were a sitting Trustee on the Board. Did you help support Mr. Sweeney getting a seat on the CDC Board?"

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    Quote Originally Posted by Breezy View Post
    Woooo Hoooo!

    Dino makes the News Again!

    Celebrating a decade of muckraking
    2-21-2022

    Investigative Post launched 10 years ago today. In the succeeding years, our nonprofit newsroom has built a reputation for fact-based, high-impact reporting. Celebrating a decade of muckraking - Investigative Post

    Start at 2:22:




    Gee, Lee, it has EVERYTHING to do with controlling the LIDA!


    Nah, don’t see it. It was a personal business event and cost the Town of Lancaster taxpayer nada. If you want to continue to personally attack and discredit one’s integrity (especially Republicans) with nonsense like this, I will walk done memory lane with you and call out the Democrats serving on Democrat controlled boards who cost this town millions of dollars because of inept, disgraceful governance.

    Events like Colecraft Building debacle, the bogus 2002 Lancaster Comprehensive Plan, the 10-year Walmart project development project (with rezones and bogus wetland delineations), the failed North-South corridor project, fire contract irregularities, all the way to the current dog shelter project screwup that is costing taxpayers near $150,000 over initial project estimate.

    And guess who was there for the ride since 2002? You well know, don’t you. I love living in Lancaster and say that all the time – and add like Fudoli said when campaigning for Supervisor, ‘because of the people, not the politics’!

    BTW – wasn’t it Fudoli who recaptured most of the money blown on purchasing the Colecraft Building in 2003 for a police building site?

    Unfortunately, in their one term in office, the Republicans fared no better (1992-96). Unlike you, I play no political party favorites.

  14. #89
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    Breezless, BIG suprises coming for the village. I STILL WALK AMOUG THEM

    Did you enjoy the Conservatives picking the next judge in the TOL? You keep missing the target you silly goose
    Frank Lee Speaking....

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    More Chowaniec BS - Blah Blah Blah, But Lee ALWAYS Makes Room for Kissing Dino's BUTT

    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Chowaniec View Post
    Nah, don’t see it. It was a personal business event and cost the Town of Lancaster taxpayer nada.
    "Nah," Lee Chowaniec states. Hmmmmmmmm.

    Are we to assume that Lee Chowaniec condones not paying your property taxes, yet, everyone else has to pay their property taxes??? I guess so.



    But, you see Readers, in Lee Chowaniec's mind it's OK to not pay your property taxes if he supports your political movement. It's as clear as day, folks. Sad, too, because everyone else has to make up for your non-payment.

    But Conservative Party Chairwoman Deb Lemaster, Frank Lee Blunt, Mark Blazejewski, Greg Sojka, Dimwit Rinow (can you say "Political Hack"), 4248, and sad to see even shortstuff, sadly are all LAPDOGS for the duplicitous Lancaster Industrial Development Agency Chairman Dino Fudoli. You may recall the property tax deadbeat listed on this thread. Heck, why do I have to pay my property taxes in full and on-time when Dino does not have to ????? And then the totally dimwitted Lancaster Town Board GOP majority that has the absolute temerity to vote to install this clown to an important Town of Lancaster leadership position. This shows the soul of these corrupt GOP politicians.



    Readers, it's a witches brew. Dino expects Lancaster residents to believe that he can serve as a Town leader and at the same time thumb his nose at paying his property taxes.

    And, Lee Chowaniec supports that approach 100%.

    What a scumbag, Readers!

    And you though Frank Lee Blunt was certifiably INSANE. Or that Adam Dickman had a MORAL COMPASS.

    Lee, dude, you support putting a tax deadbeat - with the most flimsy excuse you possibly could have people believe, that somehow because he can't make money on the real property that somehow he is allowed to disavow his responsibility and not pay his fair share ??????? So, everyone else has to make up the different ????? Are you INSANE, Lee Chowaniec ?????

    And this tax deadbeat NOW runs the Lancaster Industrial Development Agency ????

    Lee, you like everyone to think that you, Lee Chowaniec, have the best interests of the Town of Lancaster in your work, yet, you give Chairman Fudoli a pass on something you would absolutely PUMMEL someone who you do not support politically.

    That says it all, Readers, you can see the Lee Chowaniec duplicity clearly right here in this thread.

    YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE VIDEO IN JIM HEANEY'S BODY LANGUAGE. THE HONEST REPORTER CONFRONTING THE CORRUPT POLITICIAN. YET, THE CURRENT GOP RUNNING LANCASTER, AND LEE CHOWANIEC, DISPLAY TO THE WORLD THEIR DECREPIT MINDSET.




    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Chowaniec View Post
    If you want to continue to personally attack and discredit one’s integrity (especially Republicans) with nonsense like this, I will walk done memory lane with you and call out the Democrats serving on Democrat controlled boards who cost this town millions of dollars because of inept, disgraceful governance.
    Bring it on!!!!!

    How can you possibly call not paying your fair share "nonsense" ????? Your threats are ridiculous. Your incessant grievance-driven posts display an anger that grows with each day. Sad to see in someone's golden years.



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