Quoted Text

ROTTERDAM
New board clears out IDA panel
Leadership also repeals plaza transfer
BY STEVEN COOK Gazette Reporter

    The new Town Board wasted
little time Friday putting its stamp
on the town, sacking the entire
board of the town Industrial Development Agency and appointing
replacements.
    The move prompted opposition from the agency’s attorney, q u e s t i o n i n g the legality of the move amid indications that the old board members would ask a judge to sort the situation out through an Article 78 proceeding.
    The resolutions passed by votes of 4 to 1, with the Town Board’s now-lone Republican member Gerard Parisi voting against.
    Parisi echoed a call from agency attorney Robert Ryan to table the motions until legal issues could be sorted out.
    “The IDA board has been there for several years, through multiple administrations,” Parisi said. “They are a very nonpartisan board and they have done a lot of hard work, in my opinion.”
    Parisi noted that there was no indication a change would be made until the meeting agenda came out Thursday.
    “I don’t find that to be transparent and open in the least,” Parisi said.
    New board member Nicola DiLeva, one of the four voting for the measure, responded quickly, referring to a contentious meeting last month between the incoming board members and the town IDA.
    She blamed the IDA for failing to give them information, something an IDA official responded later was information on negotiations.
    “If there’s no transparency, it’s because they did not work with us. They did not give us the information,” DiLeva said. “We’ve been fighting for information to move Rotterdam forward and that’s what we intend to do.”
    DiLeva’s comments were followed by loud claps and cheers from a gallery filled with friends and supporters there to watch the new board sworn in. One woman in the audience twice shouted “You go girl!” in response to DiLeva’s statement.
    Supervisor Frank Del Gallo and board members Robert Godlewski, Matthew Martin and DiLeva were all sworn in Friday. DiLeva won an unexpired term of a board member who had resigned earlier.
BREWING BATTLE
    Friday’s IDA vote was the latest salvo in a battle brewing since the campaign. Defeated Republican Supervisor Steve Tommasone said after the election that he feared the new board would push the town IDA under the control of the county Metroplex Development Authority.
    Republicans controlled Rotterdam for the past several years and so, while working with Metroplex on economic development projects, they remained reluctant to embrace consolidation efforts.
    The Rotterdam IDA maintains its own operating officers and has an agenda different from Metroplex’s.
    After Friday’s meeting, DiLeva said she expected the town to continue with its own IDA but one that will work with Metroplex.
    “It will remain separate, but we will work in conjunction with them,” DiLeva said. “I can’t talk about the past because I wasn’t here, but in the future, I will tell you we’re going to open our arms to the county and hope for all the help we can possibly get from them to move Rotterdam forward. It’s going to be exciting.”
    Off the IDA board as a result of the vote are Angelo Santabarbera, Robert St. John, Alex Stramenga, Paula Marshman, Rick Poltorak, Joseph Sicilia and William LaRoe.
    Appointed to fill the fresh vacancies were Robert Mallozzi, Brian McGarry, Delores Dargussi, Joseph Mastrianni Jr., Richard Leet, John Kochem Jr. and Frank Natalie.
    Parisi argued that the move replaces a nonpartisan IDA board with a partisan one.
    The board also repealed a resolution passed just last week by the old board transferring the Curry Road plaza from the town to the IDA. .......................>>>>....................>>>>.................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00901&AppName=1

First....BRIAN MCGARRY??????? WTH?

Second.....is this legal? I believe that some of these member's terms aren't up yet.

Quoted from bumblethru

First....BRIAN MCGARRY??????? WTH?
Second.....is this legal? I believe that some of these member's terms aren't up yet.

I'm sure the two Conservatives on the board pushed for him. Andy Brick is a good attorney. I'm sure he wouldn't have advised wrongly here but we should know soon enough.

The IDA serves at the pleasure of the Town Board.  What they did is very legal.  I checked it out myself with two other lawyers yesterday in Albany.  Andy Brick is an excellent municipal attorney.  Don't think he does well with everyday types of legal things but municipal issues he is excellent.  It ws Andy's response which made Gerard look just plain stupid.  Gerard is the one who engineered that little fracas,

Bumble--why not BM?  I am sure FDG wanted to do something for him since he had the good thinking to stay home the night of the debate in support of FDG.  Also cGarry adds diversity to that committee.

Quoted from 539

The IDA serves at the pleasure of the Town Board.  What they did is very legal.  I checked it out myself with two other lawyers yesterday in Albany.  Andy Brick is an excellent municipal attorney.  Don't think he does well with everyday types of legal things but municipal issues he is excellent.  It ws Andy's response which made Gerard look just plain stupid.  Gerard is the one who engineered that little fracas,

Checked it out yesterday? On New Years Day?

/me smells a lawyer ... or a new town board member.

Easy to do.  I was at the McNulty wake after I left Town Hall.  Lots of lawyers.

It will be interesting to see how mcgarry fairs on this IDA board. When mcgarry was campaigning, he came to my door and really sounded like a true conservative. If I remember correctly, he was not in support of an entity like the metroplex and the use of taxpayer's money to support it.

I'd have to guess that the plex is looking to b.malloz to invite them into rotterdam. We'll have to see how this plays out.

Gee...FDG appointed B McGarry to his IDA board, had McGarry take the town hall annual photo.....no...ur all right, they arent working together!   LOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Quoted from greenlantern

Gee...FDG appointed B McGarry to his IDA board, had McGarry take the town hall annual photo.....no...ur all right, they arent working together!   LOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

McGarry was a joke on the IDA board -- in over his head --- and now the GOP wants him to run the whole town. The GOP is a joke.

He also claims to be a big conservative yet he belongs to the teachers union and makes a living off of taxpayer monies....ya...real conservative.

Quoted from greenlantern

He also claims to be a big conservative yet he belongs to the teachers union and makes a living off of taxpayer monies....ya...real conservative.

Sometimes you can help the MANDATES in a position that you take, such as funds siphoned out of your paycheck thst do nothing for you.  Is it optional for him to be part of the union?  I would bet not.  

Kevin March the absolutist idealist except when it comes to his friends...........

Quoted from greenlantern

He also claims to be a big conservative yet he belongs to the teachers union and makes a living off of taxpayer monies....ya...real conservative.

One can be a member of a union at work --- and still be a conservative.
I have belonged to 3 unions in my life time  and in all 3 cases joining the union was REQUIRED.  In general, I have mixed emotions about unions ..I know from family history that the unions did a lot of good in the auto industry in Detroit and at GE during the 1940's and 1950's.    On the other hand, I was a bit miffed that when I was making $2.90 an hour working at Caldor's back in the late 1970's  ---- the head of the union that I was required to be a member of was getting a 7 figure compensation package.

Yeah, BS, because I change my views depending on who I'm talking about.  No, wait, that's you.  Never mind.