Long time working foreman in Congress Park, Betty French was ordered out of the park Tuesday and told she would be serving what some would call a retaliatory disciplinary sentence in the tool room of the cities garage after filing her second labor grievance.
French who until late last fall was doing the Casino bookings had those duties removed by Anthony "Skip" Scirocco, Commissioner of Public Works for Saratoga Springs claiming it was a clerical job and French is a "Working" Supervisor.
Since that time bookings have been chaotic and billings misleading. At a recent soirée insiders claim Michelle Riggi was substantially overcharged for her husband's seventieth birthday party. Riggi paid to rent the Casino on Thursday and Friday with more hourly charges for staying after 3:00 pm for the Saturday night party.
While many will say the Riggi’s can afford it others are claiming that first of all, it's wasn't an event Thurs. & Fri, the event was on Sat. Secondly, the City should never have charged Riggi's $2500.00 for Thurs. & Fri. for the vendors to decorate because the Casino was open and available anyway. All they should have been charged was $250/hr. for any hours past 3:00. They were charged a total of $7500.00 for a three day rental instead of $250.00 for the 14.5 hr. overtime, a total of $3,625.00 for a total overpayment of $3875.00.
I know many will say so what, but this single instance of over-billing is just one example of a poorly run facility and one symptom of an acutely mismanaged department . While DPW enjoyed its best winter season in memory and employees had little to do, none were ever dispatched to get a head start on clean up in Congress Park. During the recent heat wave as mobs flooded the Park the beautiful Carousel lay dormant with Scirocco either incapable or unwilling to be flexible, refused to open it.
That brings me back to where this began. Since Betty French had her booking responsibilities taken away Donna Buckley has repeatedly mishandled booking, overcharged renters and violated labor contacts. Buckley who seems to have a very close personal relationship with deputy commissioner of public safety Eileen Finneran, who is said to spend hours in her office, has driven Congress Park into the ground.
While Buckley’s official title is Executive Secretary w/job description below.
50% Secretarial/clerical support to the Comm. of Public Works: Operation of computer, calculator, copy machine, fax machine; answers telephone calls, reviews incoming mail & answers general correspondences; schedules Comm. appointments.
10% Attend various functions as the Comm. representative
5% General public relations & handling of complaints
5% Assist in the preparation of the annual budget & responsible for the maintenance of the budget
5% Assist in developing & implementing dept. policies & procedures
5% Review time sheets; monitor & tabulate employee accrual
5% Advises new employees of DPW policies & procedures
5% Clerical support to Comm. & Deputy Comm.
She is more the official DPW hatchet women protecting Skippers toadies and persecuting his enemies.
I guess French falls into the latter group. As of today Betty French will spend her days far removed from Congress Park that she managed so well. You can find her marooned in the City Garage in a windowless room counting shovels till retirement day supervising no one.
And who is looking after the park? Booking and billing will continued to be mishandled by political appointee Donna Buckley.
And who will be supervising the park grounds crews who have 33 acres that need constant care, raking, mowing, etc? Rob Wheelock, Supervisor of flower crew will be stopping in the park to instruct the laborers when he can find the time, but do you really want to know the kicker in this?
Deep moles in City Hall have informed me that this whole debacle was a ploy once Betty French was out of the way to promote Geraldine Loya to working supervisor of the park, isn’t that just sweet?
You can read more about Loya HERE.
Till next time, wear boots, the shit is pretty thick in this town.
44 comments:
Betty French had... and STILL has... an irreplaceable mix of talents for the challenge of managing the Casino. First and foremost, she was meticulously organized and committed to the smooth adherence to timetables.
Second, her personable and professional manner were always on display to reassure any and all renters... from nervous brides to nit-picking event managers.
More than anything, she LOVES the building and its immediate grounds. She cares for every square inch as if it was her own. Such meticulous ON-SITE attention to set-ups and take-downs is the only way to keep the structure fiscally and physically sound.
I know all of this from DPW experience working with Betty... and from supervising two July 4 celebrations with her as coordinator.
With great sorrow I can assure the citizens that we will forever regret the day that Skip Scirocco caused the inevitable destruction of one of the City's great gems.
The building will suffer... but it is we proud but powerless peons who will feel the pain.
Why haven't we started bidding out the rights to the Casino? Let the private sector handle it. Catering Companies would line up for miles. Make them responsible for hiring a grounds crew as part of their bid, and I bet we STILL would make more off the Casino/Park then we are right now.
We need a strong Dem [not a Val Keene type clown] to take little skippy out.
Someone that will do what's right and bring the DPW back to a functioning group.
Let's keep our eyes open for that person.
That casino hasn't been the same since Dickie Bendon died. He had a knack for squeezing a few bucks out of a potential renters pocket to line his own. Maybe that's why Geri DeMortier Loya will fit right in there. She's going to need her toad Jason to transfer there with her.
Well if you want a good person to take out Skippy you better take out the current Democratic Committee first because there are enough still there who care more about supporting Skippy for taking out McTygye than they care about the city. A great disfunctional group
Isn't this the same Betty who was fired from Ball Metal?
Check out the reason? Knowledge is power.
6:59 No, this is the Betty that worked at Ball Metal for 25 yrs. Who has more friends that you can probably count on your little finger.
This is also the Betty who has increased revnue at the Casino to it's highest.
This is the Betty that worked both inside the Casino & outside on a lawn mower or rake in her hand.
Knowledge is power & you should get some.
OMG, people in their fifties should not be baring their arms, I'm just sayin'
I heard that hat cost $5,000.
it is plain and simple yopu got fu-ked over
Does that mean that Mabee will soon be arriving on the scene ?
Were there charges for closing the park road (not just the casino) all day...including the lawns that were roped off for the fireworks ?
I am not begrudging Riggi -- but there was more areas "rented" than just the casino.
There is a question that needs to be addressed. Since the Casino is booked years in adnace how did the rate changes effect the bookings prior to the change in rates. That was never addressed during the change of rates. of course nothing concerning day to day activites seems to never be addressed. Are we currently billing for ambulance service?? Who knows. What happened to the FF that was suspended in January? Who Knows. Has there been an updated proforma on the ambulance service showing red ink over 5 years. Who knows? How many people have recieved ingrade raises in DPW in the last year? Who Knows. Are we still paying all DPW workers for their 30 minute lunch break? Who knows. Why is there a patrol car in the Racino parking lot from 1-2 every day? Who knows. Is there anyone running these departments anymore or is everything on auto-pilot? Why is sick time costs double in dollars yearly than OT costs? Who knows?? Why has John Franck sold out to the Democratic Party and totally lost his perspective and become part of mob rule. Who knows??
Donna is also in charge of men's zippers,screwroco sat and slept in the dog catchers van for 30yrs.,did you really think he's got the brains to handle the complexites of the DPW dept?? as far as finneran goes,nobody in their right mind listens'to her----and those that do--juan kim and val keehan---one lives in schnectady and the other chases ambulances.
Pretty short sighted to over charge the person who could be your best customer.
One positive result of a Charter Change...we get rid of this Clown Sippy Scirocco and his girl friend and chief letter-opener Donna!!
You don't need charter reform to get rid of Skippy. The public has a chance every 2 years to oust him.
Skippy can,t leave the man cave with out her .
seeing that Gerris daughter boyfriend got busted for drugs and her sons girlfried is in the slammer for dealing drugs that is a good spot for Gerri so she can continue dealing drugs
Kathy Moran and the rest of the girls in skippy office must feel real proud of Skippy and His puppet Donna or should i say Donna and her PUPPET Skippy
Has anyone else noticed that everytime more bullshit comes out of the DPW office the same names appear in the articles,you know Skooby,Donna,Patsy and let's not forget Geri and her missing link,goof troop, Drama Club friends...
Yes it seems it's time to get rid of Skippy and Franck. They have ran unopposed the last two elections. We need a republican in Accounts and a democrat in DPW. As long as we don't bring in a McTygue into DPW or have Franck in the Mayors seat.
The only hope to avoid future tragedy's like this one is to close the Casino two hours earlier.
the casino is running it self now . no supervision.what a shame such a beautiful place
The city bonds approximately $400,000 a year to maintain the faciltity. Add the employee costs, benefits etc. minus the $372,000 it is a lost leader but a substantial part of the landscape and history of the city. It should ne managed by someone who cares and exemplifies the miticulous maintenance it once had. Betty was loyal to her job and was working to accept double duty. His proposal for an marketing representaive was poorly presented because there were several entities involved but if proposed properly would have been better than the ROI of taking over a private business for ambulance service or buying a swamp because of a political promise not fulfilled.They were shoved down the people's throat just as the swamp will. Anyone have $250,000 to develop the swamp. Whe was the last time someone scrubbed the covers of the current trach receptacles and now we want more with advertising on them which will further congest Broadway and be ignored by the user's anyway.To think we needed to bring a full committee togetehr to discuss a ridiculous issue is beyond by comprehension but so is the South Broadway committee which sabotaged the Planning Dept and had to have a private businessman explain to them how to properly look at an investment from the developer's perspective. Total lesson NONE. Now we have the Finance Commissioner, DPW and DPS undermining the Mayor's Dept. and usurping the mandate of the planning dept. You just can't make this stuff up!!!!
Check out the SoundOff column in today's (Sunday, April 8) Saratogian. Someone is inquiring about large poison boxes around the outside of the casino. Skippy's answer--Betty French reported mice inside the casino and "apparently we had asked [the exterminator] for an outside protection program..." thus the boxes outside the casino not inside where Betty had reported the nuisance and oh, yes the boxes were marked poison but they didn't contain poison but actualy mouse traps....Wow "APPARENTLY WE had asked for an outside protection program" to address an inside problem??? Who is WE? And what's this "apparently" stuff? And what kind of exterminator camouflages mouse traps in poison boxes?? And what good are a bunch of mousetraps outside the casino?? What did Skippy do hire a relative of Ed Spychalski to take care of this??! This Commissioner is an embarrassment to say the least.Another screw up gift from the reign of Valerie Keehn who needs to go
12:01 PM
You do not understand skippys mentality he was testing his snitches, with the outside protection plan for an INSIDE Problem to see if they were reliable.
If one of the snitches comes to work tomorrow with a bruised fingernail they get first place.
If this exterminator really wants to catch a rat try Ed Spychalski's housing complex were the little groadie lives or west circular street,,,some big Ratslive there..
PS::: anyone can do this go to trip advisor and look up congress park it has no bad reveiws for the past years and most reveiws are well above 90% with not ONE NEGITIVE AT ALL,, so I guess this Betty French is a complete Moreon {not MORAN}in the way she conducts business,,, what a waste to sign it over to a circus clown and her merry misfits...
Hey tigs. 50% plus 10% plus 6 different groups of 5% (30%) equals 90%. Just saying. And I'm confused. Didn't you guys make a big deal of how the park looks? I believe you just stated the park wasn't ready and didn't look good, that idiot Klye went on and on about how the park's pond looked shabby. How come the park supervisor gets a pass on her duties around the park, or do people who can't add up things, have trouble making the connections. You praise the park supervisor, yet complain about the way it looks.
Tigs, you don't have to print but the Riggis agreed to the extra fees,
What, you didn't like the traps Betty ordered? But she does such a great job, I thought you wouldn't be critical of her, the person that ordered the traps.
Demroc good to have back.I've printed every comment you ever left.Would you like to write a rebuttal? I could call it am opposing view? Just let me know
Demjoke,Betty has proof she didn't order traps,Daddy is lying again(which is normal)he's going to need for than you to pull he's ass out of this one.
What do you have when two liars talk to each other....skippy and demdrunck? Correctamundo,JT.thanks for posting Demdrunck,a good laugh is always needed in the world of the printed word.
Betty French was an incompetent! Anyone close enough to the situation there knows this.
Anon 7;13 your the only one who thinks that,donna you still get be on your knees,is anyone involved with srewroco ever sober?
Like who? Comsttock Geri?
What the fuck does Geri have to do wit this?? Leave her n her family alone and get a fucking life.
Haha u really are a fucking low life..get a clue..
Who's comstock Geri?,is she really screwrocko's new squeeze.who's jason's new boyfriend?
7:13 You are sooooo Fucking Wrong!!! Betty is a Great worker and Great for the city. You must be a Skippy friend or relative.
Its all about Who you Blow,Not what you Know.........
Comstock Geri Good One LOL
My daughter was married at the Casino last April. Not only was Betty French a pleasure to work with, but she was more than patient and helpful to us (out of state), and every vendor we used sang her praises. Losing Betty French is like shooting yourself in the foot. Saratoga should lose whoever fired her.
Skip get back to work.
That would be Dippy sucksroco
Skip, help Donna up off her knees and finally do some fucking work. You dumb son of a bitch.
And a dpw commissioner that isn't smart enough to be a dog catcher.
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