Last evening (8/17/16), the East Greenbush Town Board was to consider (I am writing in advance, thus, the outcome is not known):
155-2016 the
Commissioner of Public Works May Reside in the Counties of Rensselaer, Albany,
Washington or Columbia which I opposed in
last week’s Advertiser saying “at
least three former DPW Commissioners and two former Deputy DPW Commissioners
live here.”
156-2016 Appointing Commissioner of Public Works “effective August 23, 2016 – August 22, 2018 at an annual salary of $85,000.” Far more than previous EG DPW Commissioners were paid.
This appointment is problematic on two counts.
First, Section 8
of EG Local Law 3 of 1971, establishing a Department of Public Works states “The
salary of the Commissioner of Public Works shall be fixed annually”. The
salary was set by this Town Board at $60,000
at the January 4, 2016 Organizational Meeting.
Second, NYS Town
Law §53-c. Terms of office states “The head of a department and a deputy
department head shall hold office until the
first day of January next succeeding the first bi-annual town election held
after his appointment, and thereafter, shall hold office for the term of
two years and until his successor shall have qualified, provided, however, that
the appointees to such offices shall be removable at the pleasure of the town
board unless otherwise provided by local law.”
There is no provision for
an “August 23, 2016 – August 22, 2018” term.
I have absolutely nothing against the individual that the
Board wishes to appoint and wouldn’t know him from Adam, but I do believe in
and respect the law and process and doing things properly. There’s a right way and a wrong way!
Pete Stenson
East Greenbush
Now they are giving our jobs away? " VERY DISAPPOINTING " Why is this Town Board stripping our town of our sovereignty?
ReplyDeletebecause they can
DeleteAre our Police Dispatchers going to be the next casualty of "East Greenbush Job Outsourcing" by this current Town Board? We have qualified residents for every town position. Outsourcing our jobs is just plain wrong and an insult to the taxpayers of our town. Thank you to Mr. Stenson for bringing this issue to light.
ReplyDeletewow $85000 for a person who has no engineering degree,no experience in municipal infrastructure, nor what I am told municipal government. Why? Surely their must be a person in East Greenbush that has better quals. I hope I am missing something. Why not promote from within from employees who have on the job experience. As to municipal law I supported these individuals to do what is right, as they insinuated during their campaign. Apparently, if what you said is true, I made a big mistake. I am tired of pols who say one thing, then when elected, do whatever, whenever, and whoever they want. If nothing else please obey the law. Hire, fire, whom ever you want, but please, keep the interest of the people of East Greenbush in mind when you do so. Keep the public trust which has been lacking in our town for quite a while.
ReplyDeletewhat do you expect, small minds small reults
ReplyDeleteWhat you don't seem to understand Pete - is that THIS Commissioner will be responsible for the sewage treatment plant - a responsibility no other Commissioner has had to face. It is a complex supervisory responsibility - regardless what the population of East Greenbush is - there is no guarantee that any person is qualified or capable of managing that piece of the job. And what you continue to call Gold Standard qualifications are merely the minimum qualifications to attract the most qualified candidate. And what makes you think any of the past Commissioners are capable of handling the job in its current form today? We are not just talking about plowing and filling pot holes.
ReplyDeleteExcellent points, August 19, 2016 9:58 PM.
DeleteFirst, let me say that I congratulated Mr. Gallarie immediately after Wednesday’s Town Board meeting adjourned, telling him it my opposition was nothing personal and not about him.
This is a replacement Waste Water Treatment Plant, EG has had for many years and the previous DPW Commissioners had the same responsibility.
Mr. Gallerie was the Superintendent of Highways for both the Town of Nassau and Rensselaer County. (Please note this, August 19, 2016 6:59 PM). Absolutely no experience in sewage treatment.
EG is currently recruiting a Chief Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator – Type A Plant. You can see the posting at http://eastgreenbush.org/news/962-employment-opportunities
Pete Stenson
What you don't understand is that defending a wrong decision only makes you look foolish. This Commissioner does NOT hold an operators license required to be responsible for a 14 million dollar Waste Water Treatment Plant. So the logic behind outsourcing this job to a nonresident for an outrageous rate of pay can only be viewed as suspect.
DeleteCould this appointment be a seed that has been planted to perhaps outsource the entire WWTP to the county?
You are wrong. The Commissioner has always been responsible for the Sewage treatment plant, in additon to the Sewer, Water, parks and buildings. As County highway Superintendent, Mr. Gallerie was responsilbe for county roads only, none of the Depts he will have in EG. Yes, we are talking about plowing and filling pot holes as his experience. I have to say, i think the town made a big mistake here, passing over VanWormer, who has the experience with all the Departments, for an outsider with not nearly the experience....at $20,000 more per year!! Word on the street is that they wanted to keep the politics out of the Commissioners job. I would argue, Not hiring VanWormer because of his political affiliation is politics at his best. Not good EG 1st...not Good.
Deletethey just hired a highway super duh
ReplyDelete6:59, no experience? He was the commissioner of Rensselaer County....
ReplyDeleteThe salary you mentioned that was fixed at the Organizational meeting can always be amended by resolution I would think. I see no provision in the Local Law for handling the resignation of the Commissioner prior to the completion of her term. Maybe the Local Laws should be amended?
ReplyDeleteAs they are written now they do not seem to provide leeway for extenuating circumstances.
The section says “The salary of the Commissioner of Public Works shall be fixed annually”, not just "fixed" as you say. Annually means once a year.
ReplyDeleteThe Town Board believes, on advice of the Town Attorney, that it can amend the salary by resolution, as it did just that at the Board Meeting.
Not being an attorney, I can't really argue the point, but I have my personal doubts.
Pete Stenson
Tom Grant and his wife were seen with Andrea Smyth and Pete Stenson at the East Greenbush Democrat booth at yesterday's festival. They even had a photo taken with Pete Stenson. Can anyone explain this?
ReplyDeleteTom Grant and his wife couldn't hang at the East Greenbush Republican booth because there wasn't one.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dems for supporting the festival!
Seriously 859? It's called they are grown adults not a child like you. Because they're not democrats they shouldn't talk with them? You have issues and should be embarrassed by your comment. Gilberts back!
ReplyDeleteI can because I was there. The East Greenbush Community Library booth was next to the Democrats' booth. Everyone was just visiting both booths and Andrea took the opportunity to snap a few photos. Nothing more than that.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne
There's a great pic on Facebook of the Grants, Phil Danaher, Leon Fiacco and Stenson at the East Greenbush Democrat's booth.
ReplyDelete6:59... Rensselaer County does not have a public works commissioner. Mr. Gallerie was Highway Superintedent..he took care of the roads. Now water, no sewer, just potholes and plowing. Now we got him for $85,000, the most we have ever paid a Commissioner, but we can't get a contract for the workers at DPW. What a farce.
ReplyDeleteFunny that there were no Town Repub honchos to see seen at the park. Oh, that's right, there are no EG Repubs period.
ReplyDeleteIt,s amazing how some go off message on the subject. Who cares what pictures were taken, did it cost you anything? What matters is the money that we as taxpayers are paying for the incompetence of the existing town board. Maybe the new commissioner is not qualified, its not his fault that the town board choose him. Apparently they are not qualified to vet anyone who they select to deal with our every day quality of life in EG. For example, would you select an xray tech to perform major surgery on a family member. kind of a wild comparison, no disrespect to the tech, they do a vital job for public health, but because they work in the medical field doesn't qualify them as a doctor. I think you get the point. Our infrastructure is a mess, what we need are town board members that ere cognizant of the fact,and act in a way to mitigate the problem. We will pay the new commish $85,000, and who knows how much more to hire engineers to resolve problems. The onus lies with the town board, who in my opinion seem incapable of foresight and just don't understand we are rated as a class A town. (FOR NOW) So please TB get your head out of your butt and act accordingly.
ReplyDeleteCould it be that "the infrastructure is a mess" because the DPW function was "patronage politicized" for so many years? I think I heard somebody I know say that "the new normal" is to get the politics out of Town operations and decisions. I think we'll be seeing that in planning and zoning too.
DeleteLet's ask the town board to hire a used car salesman as DPW Commissioner. That worked out really well before, didn't it?
ReplyDeleteI see Donnie and his poop boys are blaming Toni and libeling her again for a decision made by the board can that group of scumbags get any lower
ReplyDeleteI disagree that they're "scumbags", mostly because I graduated high school more than a decade ago so stopped being involved in name calling since then. I do find it comical that people on the gadfly ripped apart the last administration for not posting minutes, now they go after the secretary.
DeleteI agree about the name calling - accomplishes nothing.
DeleteThose on Gadfly don't realize the Supervisor forced Toni to cut office hours.
Maybe to help pay the $85,000 DPW Commissioner's salary?!?!
And stonewall DPW contract talks as well!
Stonewall the DPW contract? It was the union that asked Supervisor Conway for a five week postponement in the negotiations. There's no stonewalling on the Town's part at all. This isn't a slam at the Union, the members are simply doing their job in researching their options. That's how responsible people do things.
DeleteI wonder how you would feel if one of the past Commissioners or any resident of East Greenbush was hired at 85,000 to do the job? Would you still be whining about it? Is it the money or just the fact that it wasn't you or yours?
ReplyDeleteFrom the 1/4/16 Organizational Meeting:
ReplyDeleteHOURS OF TOWN HALL
Motion by Councilor Matters that the Town Hall shall be open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.
Seconded by: Councilor Grant
ROLL CALL:
Councilor Matters VOTED: YES
Councilor Grant VOTED: YES
Councilor Tierney VOTED: YES
Supervisor Conway VOTED: YES
Councilor DiMartino VOTED: YES
So how can they shorten the Receiver of Taxes Office Hours?
Councilperson Grant probably doesn't recall supporting the elimination of the residency requirement for the DPW Commissioner either.
DeleteI give CP Grant credit for having the courage to explain why the Taxes hours were reduced even though I disagree with him.
DeleteI think this means the building is open on those hours - it does not apply to the employees who may work all kinds of different schedules.
ReplyDeleteIf the building is open, shouldn't the offices also be open?
DeleteNot necessarily
ReplyDeleteWell I tend to agree with 12:03 - that at least one person should be in every department at least until the end of the day. If there is not enough work - then that is another issue altogether.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the new admin is just targeting Toni Murphy. Why single her office out for early closure?
DeleteAsk Keith Langley 5:01.
DeleteI believe part of the issue was that the Town was having to pay a part-timer in the Receiver's office to keep it open for the full day.
DeleteThey didn't have any problem finding $$$ for the new DPW Commissioner ... why not the same respect for an ELECTED OFFICIAL?
ReplyDelete1:04pm- Would two persons be too much?
ReplyDelete