Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Demo/code enforcement report: too little too soon?

The City Council, or at least five of its nine members, has released a sweeping report on a couple of controversial demolition projects that also are being investigated by two federal agencies.

What is numbingly labeled the "Report of the City Council Regarding Hearings Conducted in 2014 Concerning Demolitions and Code Enforcement Actions" now is available to all, after parts of it were parceled out to the media several days beforehand.

What does the 19-page report accomplish? Not a lot. Thousands of your tax dollars were spent on clerical fees, numerous hours were spent on individual work during six public hearings and resultant discussions, and, perhaps most annoying, it told us the same thing we already had been told by the Department of Labor and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That is: proper procedures were not followed.

The report boldly echoes the public outcry heard for years in every segment of the City: Get the politics out of City operation. Them's easy pickin's, safe to make because all reasonable people would agree with that stance and the council members presumably think it makes them statesmanlike.

And, the Council quintet makes a list of recommendations going forward -- the essence of which is, please play nice and follow the rules.

The report is backed by Council President Rodney Wiltshire and members Robert Doherty, Ken Zalewski, Anastasia Robertson and Dean Bodnar after looking into the actions of numerous people connected with the demolition of 4-10 King Street next to Bomber's Burrito Bar in August 2013, the demolition work at the former King Fuels riverside site in 2013 and 2014 and the closing of 51 Third Street by code enforcement last year.

Council members Lynn Kopka, Erin Sullivan-Teta and Gary Galuski created their own report. It called for -- brace yourself -- following the law on demolitions and meeting with the state to clarify command at an emergency demolition.

Council member Jim Gordon did not back either report. As he told me today, "After reading the draft [of the report released Monday] I didn't fully agree with some language and conclusions because there was no factual proof to substantiate them; they are ... allegations. Professionals are currently investigating these avenues. ... In the end, a lot of time, effort, energy, and public funds were spent coming to a conclusion that we already knew -- this administration chooses to routinely disregard proper policy and procedure. The Department of Labor and EPA had previously cited this."

Considering that both the FBI and the EPA have not concluded their investigations into what went on, why did the Council feel the need to become an investigative body, thereby duplicating efforts and expending tax dollars when it should have waited to see the outcome of the Feds' work for which we also are paying?

Once again, ready, fire, aim prevails in the City of Troy.

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