Popolizio, who was cited for code violations at 902 McClellan St., was in City Court on Monday with his attorney. The case was adjourned for 45 days, said Schenectady Corporation Counsel L. John Van Norden, who said Popolizio is not a "chronic problem landlord."
The man has HABITUALLY paid taxes late - or not at all (even the city's tax collection company refuses to try and collect taxes from this guy) ... and has a REPEATED code violations in numerous buildings - but Van Norden doesn't consider him a "chronic problem" ???
Put a fork in Schenectady. With a corporation counsel like this, it's done.
The more facts that come out the worse this pathetic Mayor/Commis look. They told the Sheehan family at the SPD to "call the Red Cross". Where's the humanity? A family member who resided at 902 McClellan was missing for weeks and these idiots kept saying "everyone is accounted for". No one has ever heard of massive incompetence at this level. The Commissioner and Mayor both need to resign today.
Still wanting for some outrage from clergy, City Council or the City REPS. Can someone get hot under the collar? Maybe there's one clergy member {not from SICM} that can give voice to the masses. The City REP chair should be on the milk cartons. As usual, Mayor SOS and his stooges say nuthin. They really think they can ride this one out?
The matter is being investigated - as it should be. Since none of us know the actual facts, it is really inappropriate to speculate and point fingers. Yes, it was a tragedy .. and the tragedy was compounded by the delay in finding the body .. but we don't know most or all of the facts yet. Let the investigation take its course. Bring in a third-party investigator - if you don't trust the city to investigate itself. Gather the facts .. make a report with recommendations to improve procedures so that this doesn't happen again.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
The facts are plain. The family went to the SPD to report their missing relative and were told to go to the Red Cross. City officials repeatedly stated that all residents were accounted for. The landlord gave a list of residents to City officials. No other family should go through this horrible ordeal.
Obviously, something went terribly wrong here. The demolition crew should not be recovering a body from an active crime scene. Yes, there should be a total investigation but can someone at City Hall finally admit a mistake was made? It is all over the media and another black eye for the City which has been reeling from one scandal after another. No one ever admits to making an error. Someone needs to take charge-if they can't RESIGN.
The matter is being investigated - as it should be. Since none of us know the actual facts, it is really inappropriate to speculate and point fingers. Yes, it was a tragedy .. and the tragedy was compounded by the delay in finding the body .. but we don't know most or all of the facts yet. Let the investigation take its course. Bring in a third-party investigator - if you don't trust the city to investigate itself. Gather the facts .. make a report with recommendations to improve procedures so that this doesn't happen again.
I agree.
There's often a rush to judgment by even those with the best intentions.
The problem is that to truly get the truth, a fully independent third party would definitely need to investigate.
Too many shady things going on in this city right now to trust anyone.
(At the same time I have to give Chief Chaires credit for what he did the other day...)
When have DEMS ever investigated themselves? Bring in the new Attorney General-plenty in this City/County to keep him busy. BTW love the defense of the illegal pension padding fiasco-Happy Thanksgiving. Or the defense for having two attorneys at full pay doing the job of one-Merry Christmas.
The DEMS have proven incapable of getting to the bottom of anything. Time for openness not the usual shuck and jive. Where does the buck stop?
Having the A-G investigate would only be necessary if a law was broken. I don't believe that any evidence has emerged to suggest that the Fire Department or any one in the city broke any laws. So far, It appears that it was a tragic mistake but NOT an illegal action.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
The matter is being investigated - as it should be. Since none of us know the actual facts, it is really inappropriate to speculate and point fingers. Yes, it was a tragedy .. and the tragedy was compounded by the delay in finding the body .. but we don't know most or all of the facts yet. Let the investigation take its course. Bring in a third-party investigator - if you don't trust the city to investigate itself. Gather the facts .. make a report with recommendations to improve procedures so that this doesn't happen again.
I might be able to understand not finding the body immediately. But DV, but when a family member finds that there was a fire, the family member contacts friends, the family member has had received no calls in a couple weeks, the car is still in the parking lot across from the apartment, uh, are YOU going to to tell me that is was proper for the police to fail to investigate at that point?
DV, what a dingbat. IF the deceased had survived, but lost stuff in the fire and went to the Red Cross or a homeless shelter, come on, do YOU hve a brain????????" He has a relationship with his children!!!!!!! Do YOU think for a minute that after a fire he would SUDDENLY cut off ALL contact with his children, parents, siblings???????
EACH AND EVERY piece of information that the brother told the police on Christmas day was a POSITIVE CLUE that VERY POSSIBLY the guy died in the fire, that the guy could NOT POSSIBLY have been at the Red Cross, a shelter, etc. And DV,. IF he survived and went ot the Red Cross and told them "my apartment burned" then the Red Cross would have had contact with the fire dept at least.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Having the A-G investigate would only be necessary if a law was broken. I don't believe that any evidence has emerged to suggest that the Fire Department or any one in the city broke any laws. So far, It appears that it was a tragic mistake but NOT an illegal action.
Ok, so in your warped mind, since there apparently is no law that mandates that police begin an investigation of a person missing since their apartment was burned, then you are saying YOUR DEM CITY CRONIES are totally off the hook of any responsibility
God, you talk as if the city dems are the best thing to ever happen in Schenectady----tax peole out of their homes, don't go after persistent tax delinquents, reward tax delinquents with a quarter of a million dollars (and NEVER make them pay their taxes, i.e., the ex owners of the Foster Bldg, make secret dead to pad pensions of fire chief who is prohibited by law from getting paid OT, exempt all city department heads from paying property taxes by allowing them to avoid the troubles of living in the city---that is, exempt the department heads from the pains experienced by their constituents, cut necessary services, spend money on wasteful things, at a time of a HUGE fiscal crisis in the city give the firefighters a whopping 12% raise when most people are losing jobs and the seniors on fixed incomes arent' getting raises, cause crime to run rampant, cause property values to drop big time, etc....all these things YOU claim are wonderful actions of your dems.....and you say only to look at the positive. Yep, ok, we have a nice theater in Proctors so let's keep giving them milions of tax dollars, and make sure you avoid looking at and addressing the negative things....it's fine if the city has a record high crime rate but let's act as if there's no crime, don't do anything about the crime rate, don't take money away from the millinoaires and instead give it to the neighborhoods, let's pretend that the neighborhoods are thriving - just don't look at the negative things in the city, pretend they don't exist, and then don't talk about them, and ignore them....and YOU think that's a great way to improve the city's neighborhooos. Sweep all the bad under the rug, don't do anything about it and it will go away.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
SCHENECTADY City to provide answers about discovery of body Corpse was found 3 weeks after McClellan Street blaze BY STEVEN COOK Gazette Reporter Reach Gazette reporter Steven Cook at 395-3122 or scook@dailygazette.com
The results of an inquiry into how the body of a resident of a burned out McClellan Street building wasn’t discovered for three weeks are expected to be revealed this afternoon, Public Safety Commissioner Wayne Bennett said. Prior to the press conference, Bennett said he would also direct a city police detective on the case to speak with the family of Patrick Sheehan and share the results of the inquiry directly. “We have the answers and we will be giving them out,” Bennett said. Asked whether those answers include anything that rose to the level of disciplinary action against anyone or policy changes, Bennett said he would address that at the press conference. Bennett, who oversees both the police and fire departments, began gathering information on the case Monday after returning from vacation. The investigation was slowed, he said, because of another fire Monday morning that made some of those he wanted to speak with not immediately available. As to how Sheehan could have been missed, Bennett said Monday that fi refighters were told that everyone had escaped the blaze. They relied on one individual who should have been reliable, he said. More on that process was expected at this afternoon’s press conference. Sheehan’s brother, Frank Sheehan, said Monday he hadn’t gotten an explanation on why it took so long to find his brother. Asked about that, Bennett said he would ensure the family is called prior to today’s press conference. Aside from the questions about how long it took to discover Sheehan, police are focusing on the fi re itself. The fire has been called suspicions and, with Sheehan’s death, the investigation is being treated as a homicide investigation. .........................>>>>..................>>>>...........http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01002&AppName=1
Prior to the press conference, Bennett said he would also direct a city police detective on the case to speak with the family of Patrick Sheehan and share the results of the inquiry directly. “We have the answers and we will be giving them out,” Bennett said.
It is a bit odd that a random police detective is going to brief them, instead of him.
The bigger the issue, typically the more senior the official would be giving such a briefing.
You don't get much more severe then a body being found 3 weeks later, dragged out from a 3rd floor apartment, falling to the city street below.
"We have the answers and we will be giving them out" stated The Commis. 26 days after the fire finally some possible answers. What's the rush? He did not announce if there will be an firings/resignations.
Nobody in charge, nobody gives a hot darn and nobody ever is held responsible. Another so Schenectady.
The City Democrats are the BEST thing that ever happened to the city.
As for the investigation - let it take its course and when more information has been made public then maybe there can be an intelligent conversation on the matter.
although -- quite frankly -- I doubt that certain people who post here could ever have an intelligent conversation on any issue.
George Amedore & Christian Klueg for NYS Senate 2016 Pete Vroman for State Assembly 2016[/size][/color]
"For this is what America is all about. It is the uncrossed desert and the unclimbed ridge. It is the star that is not reached and the harvest that is sleeping in the unplowed ground." Lyndon Baines Johnson
The City Democrats are the BEST thing that ever happened to the city.
You know, I understand someone defending the actions of their party, but to say that Democrats have done anything to help the plight of the homeowners and taxpayers is an absolute lie. We in Schenectady are drowning in our endless sea of taxes. Taxpayers pay triple the amount of property taxes than surrounding counties. Our schools are failing, crime is up and the neighborhoods are crumbling to the ground. Downtown businesses are not contributing to the tax base and are bankrupting the City. There is no job growth and people move to Schenectady only for welfare benefits. The Mayor is padding pensions which, although not technically illegal, is taking away millions of dollars from the budget. City workers don't even want to live in the City...if they lived in Woodlawn during the last snowstorm, maybe the neighborhood would have been plowed (all those free cell phones would have come in handy).
If the DEMS keep running the City, it will be a lot of the same - total dysfunction and corruption. At this moment, Schenectady is a failure. It has failed the taxpayers and is becoming the blackeye of the Northeast. No amount of money can save it.
As for the investigation - let it take its course and when more information has been made public then maybe there can be an intelligent conversation on the matter.
The DEMS never investigate themselves and refuse to fire anyone. Another cover up, another pass, another tax increase-working together!
There is no way to spin this in a positive manner. Those in dereliction of duty need to be held accountable for their callous indifference to this family and common human decency. I don't care who they are related to.
Logged
The more facts that come out the worse this pathetic Mayor/Commis look. They told the Sheehan family at the SPD to "call the Red Cross". Where's the humanity? A family member who resided at 902 McClellan was missing for weeks and these idiots kept saying "everyone is accounted for". No one has ever heard of massive incompetence at this level. The Commissioner and Mayor both need to resign today. 
