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SCHENECTADY
City may add codes worker
Person would do counter duties
BY KATHLEEN MOORE Gazette Reporter

    Although the city faces a deficit, the City Council is poised to add another position to the budget this year by spending some of the additional revenue gathered through code enforcement.
    The code enforcement department, which was reorganized last fall, is now well ahead of its budgeted revenue figures. Fees for vacant houses are $43,000 ahead of projections, Finance Commissioner Ismat Alam said.
    That’s more than enough to cover the cost of a new employee, Building Inspector Eric Shilling told the council during Monday’s council committees meeting.
    He wants to hire someone capable of running the counter at City Hall — handing out permits, answering questions and filing complaints.
    Until last year, code enforcers would take turns running the counter for just two hours a day, and those who wanted permits would have to wait until that time. Now a code enforcer is available all day, but Shilling wants all of his enforcers handling complaints and inspecting buildings.
    There are so many complaints and violations in the city that the department can’t keep up, he said.
    “We are getting behind, to be honest,” he said. “If we had the boots, we could really effectively attack this.”
    He negotiated a potential contract with a woman whom he met at a code enforcement training class, he said. The woman running the class is a contractor for the state, but her contract isn’t being renewed next month. He pitched the Schenectady counter job as the perfect fit for her expertise, and she agreed, he said.
    She would work as a contractor, so the city would not have to pay benefits. She would receive $20 per hour for the next 12 months, and $25 per hour in her second year. The city could end the contract at any time with 30 days notice. For the rest of this year, the contract would cost the city about $22,400.
    Councilwoman Marion Porterfi eld noted that Shilling hadn’t advertised the position or issued a request for proposals from contractors. But Shilling said he was convinced that the woman, who wasn’t named, was offering the city a good deal.
    One enforcer, writing two tickets a day, could cover her daily wages, he said.
    Council members objected to the idea that enforcers would have a quota to meet to pay for other employees, and Councilman Vince Riggi said he wouldn’t support any hiring.
    “I have a problem hiring anyone right now,” he said. “I’d like to see a hiring freeze, and I’m going to stick to my guns.”
    But Councilwoman Leesa Perazzo said the city would benefi t from having more code enforcers on the street.
    “Clearly to me we’re talking about improving quality of life in our neighborhoods,” she said. “And also, to me it’s clearly a self-supporting position.”
    The council approved it in committee, sending it to next week’s council meeting for a formal vote. ...............................>>>>......................>>>>.............................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r01101&AppName=1

Another new hire! Instead of a layoff, instead of cutting spending the DEM morons want to hire another stooge for a make work position. You can't make this stuff up. If they got their house in order maybe every property in the City wouldn't be 140% over assessed. The State must come in and takeover day to day finances from these DEM fiscal incompetents.

The city is in a fiscal hole but they just keep digging.

Have you seen the LINE of code enforcement cars on the Franklin St. side of city hall just SITTING there?

they need to cut not hire  

Quoted from benny salami

Another new hire! Instead of a layoff, instead of cutting spending the DEM morons want to hire another stooge for a make work position. You can't make this stuff up. If they got their house in order maybe every property in the City wouldn't be 140% over assessed. The State must come in and takeover day to day finances from these DEM fiscal incompetents.

When you're $5 million in the hole from last year, what's the use in filling it in .....just keep digging.

Someone has got to stop this insanity...it's so blatantly corrupt.

Why doesn't McCarthy get the designated Galesi ALCO inspector they hired to man a desk. Why is one person simply working for Galesi and not the City?

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The code enforcement department, which was reorganized last fall, is now well ahead of its budgeted revenue figures. Fees for vacant houses are $43,000 ahead of projections, Finance Commissioner Ismat Alam said.
    That’s more than enough to cover the cost of a new employee, Building Inspector Eric Shilling told the council during Monday’s council committees meeting.

This is one of the funniest statements to come out of city hall.

They showed a 'profit' (so to say) and they couldn't wait to spend it!!!!

Is there no shame?????????????