The Buffalo office for HUD has confirmed that our local government along with the State have control of Saratoga Springs Housing Authority.
Correspondence HERE
The letter from HUD emphatically states
“Such state and local governments, through the boards they appoint, accordingly have a primary oversight responsibility with respect to (public housing authorities),”
HUD also told Ed his plan for dealing with the bedbugs was dangerous and inadequate on December 8.
On Dec 20 he lied to the City Council.The letter was in response to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) questions about the running of HUD HERE
It also states you illegally hired family members,
My own opinion Fuck Spychalski
I have been doing extensive research on the board’s termination of former Director Gerry Zabala.
From all the documents I’ve read, the then board members aided by Val Keehn and Lew Benton conspired to remove the ill Zabala to make room for Spychalski and they were ruthlessly efficient. After 17 years of service they offered Zababa two weeks’ pay and no health insurance. This for a man who was suffering a serious mental illness brought on by the undermining of his authority and the various plots against him.
He sued of course and this is part of the public record.
The final discharge of the suit is sealed.So again fuck Ed fire him. Let him sue.
Just remember the dark forces that carried out this palace coup against Zabala are back in power in city hall so remember who you’re dealing with
26 comments:
The question still remains. What is primary oversight. The statement does not contain any specific defintion of what primary means. I sorely wish it did. The HUD director should be invited to A Council Meeting and thoroughly explain this issue as to responsibility of what primary translates to. At this point we're right back to where we started. If the people at the top offer no clarity how can the people on the scene be specific what the scope of their ongoing direction.
Another great job JT.
It always relaxing to sit down at the end of the day and read somthing that makes you think about whats going on in the world,and who is trying to get away with it.....
I'm simply FURIOUS that our Mayor in City Hall doesn't show some balls and demonstrate leadership by taking control of the entire situation. That means FIRING Dirty Eddie, CANNING the entire Board, and declaring Ed's 5-year "contract" to be a worthless piece of garbage. Once the Mayor ACTS, let Ed or The Board challenge the City in Court. Then, and ONLY then, will I be happy to see City Hall hiring some attorneys and shelling out legal fees.
Poor Gerald, he was a gone the minute he hired Ed, he tried the same thing in Watervliet and just moved to another target. Funny, they claim that things happened before he became Executive Director, what are you blind, you can’t see he had control of the authority and the board even before that, why do you think his daughter and other relatives were hired? Blame it on poor Gerald; put the blame where it should be a dysfunctional board and a greedy person.
All kinds of interesting things in those documents. For instance why is Cindy the bookeeper corresponding with HUD about how to deal with the bedbugs. What does Ed get paid the big bucks to do?? And how about HUD telling SSHA on DECEMBER 8 that the video and steamers are not sufficient and untrained elderly people using the steamers could get injured themselves!
Love the headline on the second page of the Saratogian article: "SSHA: Finances sound." HUD "commmissioned" local accounting firm Dickinson and Co....to audit SSHA...." This just happens to be the firm that has doing business with SSHA since Collins was there. I doubt that HUD just happened to "commission" them. Why wouldn't this firm give them a good audit if they want to keep their business. And isn't this the firm that had some shady dealings a while ago. Almost lost their license I believe. Can someone confirm this?
Great stuff. Hopefully the city attorneys, now that the city is firmly in charge, can review this contract and fire Ed for breach of contract.
If this Ed character is found to have violated law in hiring and contract awards, clearly they can fire him and void his contract. The next place ole Ed will surface will undoubtedly be a the Halfmoon Walmart as a greeter.
Mr. York. Your hatred for the Mayor and your lack of thinking things out has created a raving maniac who should get professional help. Simply put until it is legally stated the city has oversight of personnell, salaries etc. and that has not been clearly shown the City still does not have authority. Your action plan is fire everybody and have the tenants manage the daily activites until Obama and a special Hud Action Committee shows up to run the facility. You need more time in dysfunctional planning class. Even you must agree what you are recommending is radical and places several people at risk. Put the hate in the closet and assisit with a practical plan you can present at the next meeting.
I’m appalled that we ‘approved’ the SSHA to go to a vendor outside the city, and even county for services. There are no good service stations in Saratoga? Obvious we know why? Also where are all the other contractors from; my guess is again not Saratoga. If the prices for the vehicle repair services are competitive then why drive down to Watervliet? I think area business should attend the next board meeting and ask why they aren’t considered for SSHA work. Tell the carpetbagger to go home! But wait, they don’t want him either!
Anon 2:26-
Always glad to see more timid souls lining up in the towering shadow of Hizzoner.
What a responsible leader CAN do is--
#1- FIRE the remaining "old" Board members, Ed's cronies, and REPLACE them with citizens in the league with Ken Ivins and Al Calluci.
#2- FIRE Mr. Ed and appoint an Interim Manager while a region-wide ad is posted for the vacant position.
#3- HIRE a Superintendant and give him/her a ONE-YEAR contract at $52,000 per year. WHY 52G? Because it's enough to buy TALENT.
#4- If Mr. Ed wants to respond by SUING the Mayor for his boldness, let him SUE. And for ONCE the City will incur LEGAL FEES that are reasonable and for a good cause.
Our Good Mayor can be Proactive, Strong, and Forward-Looking. Or he can appoint people like ANON here to draft up a thoughtless rush-job of a City Charter because He deems it righteous and Godly.
Zabala was not fired! He walked out one day and left paper work to file for him for a leave of absence. The board after several months of Zabala not contacting anyone had no choice but to terminate him. Any other information on this matter to the contrary is a flat out fabrication.
So if this Dickinson Firm has been there since the other directors such as Collins and Zabala then maybe they are that good. Unless you are saying Collins and Zabala are of the same mold as Eddie. Regardless, if they say there were no deficiencies and the State Comptroller who is presently auditing comes to same conclusion then what?
Call it what you want, Zabala may not have been fired but was pushed out the door and by you know who. Call a spade a spade. Ed wanted to be Number 1 and Gerald was in the way. He had help, to make this happen.
Yup--Ed had help from the Bentons and the mayor from hell, Valerie Keehn who they all helped to elect
Dear, dear Mr. Kyle--I share your frustration with how the mayor has responded--or rather not responded--to the SSHA situation and I admire and share your passion for change. I hope the mayor does not follow your advice however.
First of all the Mayor cannot fire Board members much as we would wish it so. He can only appoint. Secondly he cannot fire or hire an executive director. That is clearly the responsibility of the Board he appoints. Having said that I think there are things the Mayor could actually do.
He could and should use his bully pulpit to call for the current Board to step down. He could also pursue the removal of Board members who sit in violation of the SSHA by-laws. Board minutes, approved by the SSHA members show that Eric Weller was not in attendance nor was he skyped in for enough meetings to put him in violation of Board attendance requirements. He has claimed he was skyped for meetings but when he was skyped the Board minutes reflect this and contradict his version of his attendance. the Mayor could say Sorry, Eric we have to go by the record not your say so. See ya. And then ,sorry Kyle, he could fill Eric's vacancy with someone who wouldn't immediately become another Ed apologist the way Calucci has done. I'll reserve an opinion on Ivins for now but he doesn't seem either like the kind of person it takes to stand up to Ed's bullyling. We'll see.
Secondly Johanna no longer lives in Stonequist (the story of her move with her dogs to secton 8 housing after pets were banned at Stonequist is another story that bears looking into) Nevertheless why is someone not living in Authority housing representing the residents of Authority housing?? So there's another vacancy that should exist if the Mayor in his lawyerly manner cared to pursue this. Johanna would have to be replaced by a vote of tenants not the Mayor but another of Ed's fanclub members (and the receiver of big time favors from him--let's revisit how she and her dogs got to relocate to section 8 housing....) would be gone.
So then we could move on to publically calling on HUD to give the specifics behind their general statement that the city has oversight--ask HUD to state what the city can do if the SSHA refuses to bring salaries for approval--what are the penalties?? Call for a meeting with the Attorney General to see what his office can do. Remember HUD said the state had responsibilities too.
There's plenty the Mayor couldand should actually do to be more assertive in this matter that is not blatantly in violation of what we know are the rules so far as you have suggested. It may all end in a lawsuit no matter what. Ed has a history of suing and Brunnelle and Weller have publically suggested they would sue. But at least the Mayor would not be recklessly putting the city in jeopardy as you are urging him to do.
"Recklessly putting the city in jeopardy" is what the Mayor does best on a daily basis. Why shouldn't he take a shot at a truly despicable bunch of idiots? Nah, you're right-- Far better for Hizzoner to pay Ed another $608 today. And tomorrow.
9:28pm,most of what you said is bs,the mayor can replace board members and director for just cause,the mayor continues to drag this out not because he's careful...but because he doesn't KNOW what to do...members in the community have given him advice(and if he had followed it this shit would be behind us)this all could have been prevented...the city and state have the oversight...if we had strong leader,game over! I wish he would stop embaressing the city residents intelligence.
Sorry but the mayor has done all that he can. He cannot remove board members. The oversite is appointing people to oversee. That's it. The can't make these appointees do what he says. Does the mayor order the ZBA around? No! Does he make the decisions for the planning board? NO! Use your brains. If he could indeed do this then the entire city would be in a world of shit. He appoints these people by trustig their judgements. If they screw up then he has to live with it.
5:36--the Board maybe but not Ed can be replaced by the Mayor for "just cause"--but what is "just cause"? Ed unfortunately answers to the Board
10:29AM,YOUR information is BULLSHIT,you must be part of the "Saratoga Citizens Flying Circus",whaaaaaatt gggggaaaavernment is ggggoood for the cccityyy this year,city manager? Oh great that's the format that "BedBug Eddie" operates under that'll be very efficent...I can see the show now....step right up ladies gentlemen and get your Bottle of "BedBug Eddie's olixior and rid your town of the gov't that brought you a "ZERO" tax increase this year...on sale right now under the big tent.
And, the assistant city attorney said what? His opinion wasn't factual? This assistant city attorney who works 20 hours, collects full benefits and a pretty hefty salary, was wrong? you say he was wrong? How can that be, that a city employee, when given an assignment, screws it up?
12:33 you may very well be mentally retarded. What the hell do you think has been going on in this city? John Franck wants to use taxpayer money to sue the Housing Authority over an issue that does not concern the city. Johnson used taxpayer money to fight a measure that should have been put on the ballot for the taxpayer to vote on be it for or against. Johnson is not dumb. If he makes a bad move here he not only opens up the city to a lawsuit but also each council member personally. Do you really think Skip Scirocco or Chris Mathieson want a lawsuit against them personally? Or Mattisen or Johnson. Franck is too stupid to know better. The Authority board may be sued as well. This issue is dead! Leave it up to Collucci and Ivins to see if there is any problem there. It's a really good chance they will find no wrong doing. So sit back and watch and learn that HUD governs the Housing Authority. City business is being neglected over this and will eventually piss off the taxpayer. One other thing is take a look in the mirror and ask yourself what have you done to help this city since you've been here? Chances are you can't come up with anything.
Retard 5:23PM What have I done to help the city? Well just off the top of my head alot,but right now I'm in the process of making sure garabage like "bedbug Eddie" and his pet "Rat" hawthorne are send down the road and if that includes you..bye-bye cause they're going,your fiends have no grounds for any kind of a law suit against anyone..if I were them I'd be looking for an escape route..Like I said before it's almost over..believe it!!!
York is right on and summarized what needs to be done to put the SSHA's problems to rest. Ask holdover board members to resign,if they refuse follow SSHA's own policy and remove them for cause.Declare Spychalski's contract null and void. Hire a management firm ( SSHA has 3 million in the bank} and clean house by getting rid of all of Spychalski's relatives and friends,including his muscle man Hawthorne who has been hiding under the radar and needs to go. Then take the necessary steps to privatize this entire operation. And yes, its time for the Mayor to stop dancing around the issue and show some leadership. This is only scratching the surface. The so called Workforce housing project on Allen drive is the real Albatross hanging around the neck of the housing authority and its supporters. Is that also being audited or is this going to be just "another city hall whitewash "?
I just keep thinking HUD did NOT look into the hard drives of the SSHA computers to see how the financial philanderings went on over these years. SOMEWHERE there is a paper trail;hard drives people;see how fast more than Board Member Dushelek's hard drive suddenly fried!I heard a LOT of papers were put in the dumpsters at Stonequist on the off-hours! Witnesses saw Johnny boy taking black plastic bags of papers out too!
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