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Divided Rotterdam Town Board rejects police promotions
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
By Ned Campbell (Contact)
Gazette Reporter  


ROTTERDAM — Rotterdam’s Republican Town Board members denied promotions Wednesday night to two members of the Police Department.

The board, which is evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, voted 2-2 on the promotions of Officer Michael Alderdice to investigator and Sgt. Jeffery Collins to lieutenant, so the appointments were not approved. They would have earned $81,470 and $97,777, respectively.

The Town Board has been split since Conservative Mike Viscusi, who often voted with the Democrats, resigned in October.

In justifying their no votes, Joseph Villano and Rick Larmour said they could not support the raises due to budget constraints. They pointed to the town’s plan to borrow $660,000 for pension costs next year through the state’s amortization program.

“If you keep giving all these raises and you don’t start looking at the fact that we are borrowing money to make ends meet, then we’ve got a problem,” Larmour said.

Democratic Deputy Supervisor Wayne Calder argued that the budget for 2015 will lower taxes, “so it doesn’t make sense to use ‘budgetary reasons.’ ”

Democratic Supervisor Harry Buffardi defended making Alderdice one of four investigators by saying the position is the department’s most critical.

“I think arguably we have the best police department in the state of New York,” he said. “I think when we start chopping away at the department, we risk eroding their success.”

Calder said the town’s budget consultant, John Paulino, and Comptroller Jackie Every are working with department heads to “salvage as much as possible” in funding from the 2014 budget in an attempt to avoid borrowing the money for pension costs next year.

“Would it change any of your minds if I were to tell you that we are not going to amortize our pensions?” he asked the board members.

“No,” Villano said.

“So the reason is not money,” Calder said.

“I haven’t seen that happen yet,” Larmour said.

Following the votes, Deputy Police Chief Bill Manikas said the department needs a lieutenant to replace Jason Murphy, the only lieutenant in the patrol division, who is retiring in April. There used to be two patrol lieutenants, but one was cut from the budget after Lt. Thomas Colbert retired in April, he said.

Manikas said the job entails supervising the patrol sergeants, clearing reports and signing off on “virtually every call the police department goes on,” as well as working with the detective unit’s lieutenant. He said that without at least one lieutenant in the patrol division, “quite frankly, the department becomes completely dysfunctional.”

“We’re trying to get somebody in that position so they can at least spend four months being trained for what is necessary,” he said.

Chief James Hamilton said he hoped the board would revisit the promotions in the future.

“These are two very deserving young men,” he said, “two hardworking officers.”

Before voting 2-2 on the promotions, the board unanimously approved the promotions of officers Jeffrey Amoroso and Patrick Keough to sergeant. They will earn annual salaries of $84,588.

The board also voted 2-2 on appointing Maria Dimeo and Pina Melillo to full-time court clerk positions, with Villano and Larmour voting no. Villano said he was “thrilled with their service” but could not justify two appointments that would expand the number of unionized town employees.

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ROTTERDAM – What began as a Facebook group is growing into a full-fledged neighborhood watch, comprised of men and women who want to keep an eye on their own community.

Steve Parks, a town resident of 33 years, founded Rotterdam Watch in response to a series of recent crimes he read about online. He started patrolling the town a few weeks ago.

"A lot of people were reporting crimes in their neighborhoods, and there were car break-ins and such, so I figured it was time to do something, and I started it up," Parks said Saturday.

Every night, a few neighbors meet in the parking lot of the Sunoco station on Hamburg St., next to the Carman Fire Department. They decide who is going where, then they split up.

As they drive, the neighbors keep in touch with two-way radios. They do not confront anyone; if they see a suspicious person, they call police. So far, they have done so once.

"We're not vigilantes," group member Felipe Sostre said. "We're not crime-fighters. We're just an extra set of eyes, aiding the police and helping keep the community safe."

Sean Flatt said he tucks his children into bed each night, then joins the patrol. "I like helping others, and I want to keep the neighborhood and the community safe for my kids," he said.

A tunnel under I-890, connecting Watt St. and Hamburg St. in Schenectady, is a point of focus. In June, police said burglary suspects may have used it as a getaway or hideout.

Twelve people have been on patrol so far, Parks said. He would like to recruit more members at a meeting, Sunday, November 23 at 6:00 p.m. at the Rollarama, 2710 Hamburg St.

"It takes the community to watch each other's backs, and to stand up for each other, and hopefully if we get enough people to do that, we'll have a safe community," Parks said.
http://wnyt.com/article/stories/s3621180.shtml?cat=10114

Quoted from Alva White

Democratic Deputy Supervisor Wayne Calder argued that the budget for 2015 will lower taxes, “so it doesn’t make sense to use ‘budgetary reasons.’ ”

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ROTTERDAM – What began as a Facebook group is growing into a full-fledged neighborhood watch, comprised of men and women who want to keep an eye on their own community.