1
1 SCRANTON CITY COUNCIL MEETING
2
3
4
5 HELD:
6
7 Thursday, March 15, 2007
8
9 LOCATION:
10 Council Chambers
11 Scranton City Hall
12 340 North Washington Avenue
13 Scranton, Pennsylvania
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23 CATHENE S. NARDOZZI- COURT REPORTER
24
25
.
2
1
CITY OF SCRANTON COUNCIL:
2
3
4 MS. JUDY GATELLI, PRESIDENT
5
MS. JANET E. EVANS
6
7 MS. SHERRY FANUCCI
8
MR. ROBERT MCGOFF
9
10 MR. WILLIAM COURTRIGHT
11
MS. KAY GARVEY, CITY CLERK
12
13 MR. NEIL COOLICAN, ASSISTANT CITY CLERK
14
MR. AMIL MINORA, SOLICITOR
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
.
3
1 (Pledge of Allegiance recited and moment of
2 silence observed.)
3 MS. GATELLI: Roll call, Neil?
4 MR. COOLICAN: Mrs. Evans.
5 MS. EVANS: Here.
6 MR. COOLICAN: Mrs. Fanucci.
7 MS. FANUCCI: Here.
8 MR. COOLICAN: Mr. McGoff?
9 MR. MCGOFF: Here.
10 MR. COOLICAN: Mr. Courtright.
11 MR. COURTRIGHT: Here.
12 MR. COOLICAN: Mrs. Gatelli.
13 MS. GATELLI: Here. Dispense with
14 the reading of the minutes.
15 MS. GARVEY: There is no third order,
16 nothing to report other than one thing for
17 clerk's notes, our office received a replay
18 regarding 1207 Cedar Avenue, Councilwoman
19 Evans asked when this would be demolished
20 last week. We were told by Mark Dougher
21 that this is an estate and they are in the
22 process of trying to sell it, so it is being
23 worked on, but he did not have a timeframe
24 as to when this process would be completed.
25 That's all I have.
.
4
1 MS. GATELLI: Thank you. I just
2 have a few things. On March 25 at the
3 Keyser Valley Community Center there will be
4 the eight annual Patrick O'Malley Easter
5 party and it's for preschool to fifth grade,
6 and you can call Pat at 346-1828 to make a
7 reservation.
8 St. Lucy's Church in west side at
9 949 Scranton Street is a continuing their
10 Lenten Clam Chowder sale every Friday from
11 four to seven in the church basement.
12 March 25 from noon to 4:00 at St.
13 Francis of Assisi church at 630 Genett
14 Street they are having their spring
15 festival. You can have polenta or rigatoni
16 and meatballs.
17 Minooka Lions Autism fundraiser is
18 Saturday, April 28 at 6:00 at St. Joe's in
19 Minooka. You can call Jack Walsh to make a
20 reservation at 346-2152.
21 Channel 61 is having a fundraiser on
22 Tuesday, this coming Tuesday, March 20 from
23 6 to 8 at the Raddison. The tickets are
24 $10. There will be hors d'oeuvres, a cash
25 bar and entertainment and we can get tickets
.
5
1 this evening if you care to from Barbara
2 O'Malley and this is adults only are allowed
3 at this function.
4 Charlie Spano wanted me to remind
5 you that this Monday, March 17 at 7:00 there
6 will a cable commission meeting Monday at
7 7:00.
8 We would like to congratulate and
9 wish a happy retirement to Mr. Vince
10 Rabichek, I'm sure everyone is aware that he
11 is retiring and his store, fancy dress store
12 in the Hill for at least the last 30 years
13 that I can remember, he made a great
14 contribution to this community and he was
15 active in the Hill Association, so we would
16 like to wish him a happy retirement.
17 Also, we would like to wish everyone
18 a happy St. Patrick's Day, this Saturday
19 they will be having a Friendly Son's dinner
20 and the Irish Women's dinner and we wish
21 everyone a happy St. Patrick's Day and have
22 a very safe one.
23 I just have a few requests for
24 Mrs. Garvey. The potholes in the 100 of
25 Bengar are bad. Also, we have never
.
6
1 received a status of 1101 Cedar Avenue, it
2 used to be called The Little Bistro, they
3 got a variance from the zoning board I think
4 it's over a year ago to put apartments, but
5 nothing has happened and the windows are
6 out, have been broken, and it's really
7 unsightly.
8 And, also to see if we can put a
9 stop sign at the intersection of North
10 Cameron and Price Street, and the gas
11 station and Meadow Avenue has opened and
12 there is still a problem with the cars
13 coming out and turning left so if you could
14 send that maybe to the Public Safety
15 Director Hayes and ask him to please
16 investigate that and it's a very dangerous
17 situation. We have had people complain
18 about it before, but now the gas station is
19 opened and it's really become a problem so
20 see if we can't get something done there
21 before the light comes.
22 Does anyone else on council care to
23 announce anything? No? The first speaker
24 is Giovanni Piccolino, and just for the
25 record, when you get up to speak if you
.
7
1 could please say if you are a resident or a
2 homeowner or a taxpayer because we have
3 received complaints that there are people
4 that come to this podium that don't live in
5 Scranton and don't own property and don't
6 pay taxes in Scranton, so please specify
7 when you get up your status in the city. We
8 use to give addresses, but I think that's
9 improper, so just for the record, thank you,
10 Mr. Piccolino.
11 MR. PICCOLINO: Giovanni Piccolino,
12 resident, and taxpayer and business owner in
13 the City of Scranton, and speaking on the
14 agenda of 5-K about a loan agreement to the
15 Electric City Roasting Company that would be
16 for the Tulllys who have recently purchased
17 the building 516 on Lackawanna Avenue I
18 would hope that you would keep your word and
19 have a unanimous agreement last week not
20 have any loans or anything involving the 500
21 block development project.
22 MS. FANUCCI: This loan is not for
23 that designated area. It has nothing to do
24 with the 500 block. This loan is designated
25 for 918 Marion Street, which is next door to
.
8
1 the cafe which they own right now. That's
2 where the roasting will be taking place. If
3 they do own that it's for a separate
4 project.
5 MR. PICCOLINO: All right. I had
6 heard it was for the property they bought at
7 the 516 building for that.
8 MS. FANUCCI: They may very well may
9 have, but that's not where this loan or this
10 money is designated for. It's designated
11 for 918 Marion Street. They are going to
12 roast next door to the cafe, which they own.
13 This is going to be the only roasting, but
14 that's at 918 and 920. It has nothing to do
15 with Lackawanna County.
16 MR. PICCOLINO: Okay.
17 MS. EVANS: Mr. Piccolino, I might
18 add though, certainly that raised my
19 suspicions as well and so when we arrive at
20 that item on tonight's agenda I'm going to
21 ask for a written guarantee from the
22 property owner that none of the money from
23 either OECD or any other department or
24 agency within the City of Scranton would
25 provide money to them to be used for any
.
9
1 structure owned by them on Lackawanna
2 Avenue.
3 MR. PICCOLINO: Thank you very much.
4 MS. GATELLI: Fay Franas.
5 MS. FRANAS: Fay Franas, Scranton
6 homeowner, taxpayer. I want to address the
7 issue of the subpoenas tonight. It was in
8 the paper today about the subpoenas and,
9 Mrs. Gatelli, you mentioned that you wanted
10 more information, this subpoena, these
11 subpoenas rather, were voted unanimously by
12 council back in January I believe. There
13 was never any opposition back then, it was a
14 go ahead, let's get the information that
15 Mrs. Evans wanted and she is the finance
16 chairman, I would think you would respect
17 her wishes as the chairman.
18 You always seem to be hedging,
19 always seem to be making excuses in my
20 estimation. It's almost like a track record
21 that you are establishing here, Mrs.
22 Gatelli. Every time something comes for a
23 is a vote we always says, yes, and then when
24 it comes time to vote and find excuses as to
25 why not. I just hope that you are going to
.
10
1 vote for these subpoenas. I mean, you have
2 lied about many things before when you ran
3 for office and so this is track record here
4 you are setting.
5 You said you would never allow
6 borrowing from the mayor when you ran. You
7 said you were Gary DiBileo, and you weren't,
8 the translation is you are not for the
9 taxpayers here, you're for what you want,
10 what Mr. Doherty wants, to any end you will
11 go and, Mr. McGoff, you are the same way.
12 Mr. McGoff?
13 MR. MCGOFF: I heard you.
14 MS. FRANAS: With your statement of
15 you want more information, too, don't you
16 trust Mrs. Evans, her wisdom on this
17 finance, I mean, you are another one that
18 also is not for the taxpayers you want what
19 the mayor wants.
20 MR. MCGOFF: Do you want me to
21 respond?
22 MS. FRANAS: Yes, go ahead, please.
23 MR. MCGOFF: At the initial motion
24 it was not unanimous. I voted, no.
25 MS. FRANAS: May I ask why?
.
11
1 MR. MCGOFF: On motions. Maybe you
2 would want to wait until later.
3 MS. FRANAS: All right.
4 MR. MCGOFF: I will explain.
5 MS. FRANAS: Mrs. Fanucci?
6 MS. FANUCCI: I was not here during
7 the initial vote.
8 MS. FRANAS: I know, but you
9 certainly know that Mrs. Evans certainly
10 knows what she wants. I mean, that little
11 stomp in the newspaper with you getting
12 everything those -- anything that you want
13 you can get, Mrs. Evans has gone to the
14 mayor many times and to the city offices to
15 get information and they refuse to give it
16 to her, so you implied that, boy, any time
17 you want something you can get it. That's
18 not the case.
19 MS. FANUCCI: I didn't imply that,
20 that's what I stated.
21 MS. FRANAS: I can guess --
22 MS. FANUCCI: I stated that all I
23 have to do is call and make an
24 appointment --
25 MS. FRANAS: That's you.
.
12
1 MS. FANUCCI: -- and sit down.
2 MS. FRANAS: That's not Mrs. Evans.
3 Why is this?
4 MS. FANUCCI: Why is this?
5 MS. FRANAS: Yes.
6 MS. FANUCCI: I have no idea.
7 That's not my -- you are asking me about me,
8 I have no idea what happens when Mrs.
9 Evans--
10 MS. FRANAS: Well, it is not the
11 right thing to do. It was just like, "See I
12 can get them, you can't."
13 MS. FANUCCI: It had nothing to do
14 with, see, I can get them. They were the
15 records from last time. It wasn't -- that
16 had nothing to do with this time.
17 MS. FRANAS: But, you are still
18 dealing with the subpoenas for now. She
19 asked for the subpoenas, I hope you all back
20 her up in getting --
21 MS. FANUCCI: -- the subpoenas from
22 last time.
23 MS. FRANAS: Pardon me?
24 MS. FANUCCI: My mission was the
25 subpoenas from last time were still sitting
.
13
1 there. It had nothing to do with these
2 subpoenas. It was from last time.
3 MS. FRANAS: Yeah, I know, but
4 these --
5 MS. FANUCCI: Right.
6 MS. FRANAS: But now I hope you back
7 her up on these subpoenas.
8 MS. FANUCCI: I stated in the paper I
9 probably will not be backing her up, I will
10 not be voting for a blanket subpoena --
11 MS. FRANAS: That's what I thought.
12 MS. FANUCCI: Well, you didn't have
13 to think it, I stated it.
14 MS. FRANAS: I noticed. But, I
15 mean, we know way ahead of time what you are
16 going to do. You are going to vote for
17 anything that the mayor wants always.
18 MR. MINORA: That's three minutes.
19 MS. FRANAS: Always.
20 MS. GATELLI: Thank you.
21 MS. FRANAS: Thanks.
22 MS. GATELLI: Andy Sbaraglia.
23 MR. SBARAGLIA: Andy Sbaraglia,
24 citizen of Scranton, fellow taxpayers and
25 Scrantonians, I think I got it all in. We
.
14
1 got a lot of items on the agenda, three
2 minutes will never cover them or even part
3 of them, so I will try to, but I'm concerned
4 about "C" Motion "C", okay? Way in the
5 bottom there it say, "Deleting certain
6 projects," in your backup one of those
7 projects they are deleting is flood control.
8 If you are deleting that much money why
9 can't you do something for those people in
10 lower Greenridge? That's a lot of money you
11 got there and --
12 MS. EVANS: Actually the flood
13 relief is something that's being deleted.
14 MR. SBARAGLIA: I just learned that,
15 yes. That's why I said why can't something
16 be done with that money instead of deleting
17 it, use it to do something to help them
18 people down there. We were almost flooded
19 again today and tomorrow which is lucky that
20 it's going to turn cold, instead we are
21 going to get a blizzard, but there are
22 things that could be done instead of
23 deleting projects let's use some of that
24 money for the projects that they should be
25 used for.
.
15
1 We are going to borrow the fourteen
2 $500,000 for the TANS again. That's a huge
3 chunk of our city budget and the worst part
4 about that, that has to be paid back in a
5 year and, Jesus, that's a lot of money.
6 There is nothing we can do about it, I
7 guess, it's too late now. I think you
8 already voted on it long ago, but I just
9 bring it out again so people know much we
10 are borrowing on TANS that has to be paid
11 back in the same year they borrow it.
12 And, well, the coffee shop you
13 explained. The only thing I would say on
14 these cars now are going to be in secondhand
15 cars, what's the mileage going to be on them
16 cars and so forth and so on? Are they all
17 going to be like Fords up there with Crown
18 Becks or something similar or are we buying
19 for 10,000 smaller cars like Pintos or
20 whatever?
21 MR. COURTRIGHT: You know, they are
22 going to -- their hope is to go to auction
23 and buy some used vehicles and this time
24 around if this goes through it's going to be
25 for the Detective Bureau because they
.
16
1 sorely, sorely need cars down there and they
2 understand that they can't get the money to
3 buy brand new ones so they are going to try
4 and go to an auction and buy used ones.
5 They are comparable to what they are using
6 now. They're not going to go buy a --
7 MR. SBARAGLIA: They didn't specify
8 the mileage, did they, by any chance.
9 MR. COURTRIGHT: No, they didn't.
10 MR. SBARAGLIA: That's the bad part
11 about that then.
12 MS. GATELLI: It was previously
13 $5,000.
14 MR. SBARAGLIA: No, it's not the
15 money. It's the mileage on the cars that
16 they are buying that's important. Mileage
17 has a lot to do with longevity.
18 MR. COURTRIGHT: Andy, we had done
19 this about a year, year and a half ago, and
20 we found a local dealer that was going to be
21 able to get us some used ones that were
22 already -- there was still warranty on them
23 and at the time the mileage was relatively
24 low compared to what we have now, and I
25 believe in my heart we're going to go out
.
17
1 and get the best deal we can. They are bare
2 bones when they come to cars.
3 MR. SBARAGLIA: But you got remember,
4 that goes up almost --
5 MR. MINORA: Three minutes.
6 MR. COURTRIGHT: Pardon?
7 MR. SBARAGLIA: Almost up to 20,000,
8 10,000, just a little under 20,000 because
9 after that they have to come before you
10 again.
11 MR. COURTRIGHT: We are going to do
12 something with that tonight.
13 MS. GATELLI: Mr. Talimini.
14 MR. TALIMINI: Joe Talimini,
15 resident and taxpayer for the City of
16 Scranton. On the agenda tonight I'm pleased
17 to see that we have an agenda tonight, Items
18 5-F, G, H and I, are those the four items
19 you are going to be introducing by
20 resolution? And this is in accordance with
21 your request?
22 MS. EVANS: Yes.
23 MR. TALIMINI: That's all I have. I
24 just wanted to make sure they are going to
25 be introduced. Thank you.
.
18
1 MS. GATELLI: Mr. Spindler?
2 MR. SPINDLER: Good evening, Council.
3 Les Spindler, city resident. I don't know
4 why the subpoenas have to be on the agenda
5 tonight because they were voted on in the
6 past once already, but I just hope everybody
7 sticks to the way they voted last time and
8 pass it again tonight. And, Mrs. Fanucci,
9 as far as your quote in the paper yesterday
10 as to why -- what Mrs. Evans' motive is,
11 well, if you have been paying attention her
12 motive is to find out where the money is
13 being sent and where all the money is going
14 that the taxpayers are contributing to this
15 city and making sure it's going to where
16 it's supposed to be going, that's what her
17 motive is. Thank you.
18 MS. GATELLI: Mike Dudek.
19 MR. DUDEK: Mike Dudek, 608 Depot
20 Street, Scranton, PA, resident, I live in
21 the Plot. While council was caucusing
22 earlier tonight about a quarter to six, the
23 state police put a bulletin out on WVIA
24 radio directing people to stay away from
25 State Route or Star Route 401, it's flooded
.
19
1 over. State 401 is in Lycoming County.
2 It's a county that's west of us and situated
3 slightly south, further south than
4 Lackawanna County.
5 Now, apparently the flood drain area
6 south of Lake Ontario, the Chemung River,
7 all of those New York counties, are draining
8 into the west bank of the Susquehanna and
9 the flooding is beginning to start. When I
10 look at that and I see that council wants to
11 drain $281.027 of flood protection under
12 Item 5-C you are going to look awfully
13 ridiculous if you delete that money and then
14 we have a flood tonight or tomorrow, please
15 watch what you are doing. Thank you.
16 MS. GATELLI: Sam Patilla.
17 MR. PATILLA: Sam Patilla, resident,
18 taxpayer, homeowner. My better half and I
19 moved to Scranton in August of last year
20 thinking that 85 percent of the populous was
21 going to be senior citizens or at least baby
22 boomers and that the government was honest.
23 Ray Charles could see that what Doherty is
24 doing isn't right, and I implore council to
25 help Mrs. Evans by approving the subpoenas
.
20
1 that she requested. That man has to be
2 pulled to the carpet, all right? There is a
3 lot of misappropriations, a lot of
4 underhandedness going on in this city, you
5 know, and from me just being here and coming
6 before council, you know, that should tell
7 you something, you know, start the petty
8 bickering back and forth, get on the same
9 page and put that man in line.
10 Okay, thing two. I'm totally
11 against anything that has to do with Doherty
12 and the word loan. Anything. Be it he
13 requesting to make loans himself or his
14 loaning out money to other organizations
15 until the subpoenas are handed over and all
16 of this is done and some type of
17 accountability is presented to the people of
18 Scranton because unbeknownst to most people
19 the taxpayers in this city are your boss,
20 not Doherty, and for all of the little
21 people out there afraid of losing their jobs
22 because of Doherty there are more of you
23 than there are him. He can't fire all of
24 you. It's time to stand up and take over,
25 all right? I'm not letting you take my
.
21
1 money. I work too hard. She retired. I
2 don't have anything to give to you. I want
3 to sit in this my backyard overlooking
4 Scranton, get on the kids about littering on
5 my property and letting their dogs do their
6 do and that's it. I don't want to wake up
7 every morning and have new bills, increases
8 in my waste removal, my water bill, I don't
9 want to have it. The city isn't that large.
10 The budget shouldn't be that big. It
11 doesn't make any sense and you should call
12 him anyway you want to, the man is a crook.
13 MS. GATELLI: Bill Jacowicz.
14 MR. JACOWICZ: Bill Jacowicz, South
15 Scranton resident and taxpayer. I'd like to
16 speak on 5-J, the Radisson Lackawanna
17 Station $250,000 loan. Have they ever
18 received a loan from the Urban Development
19 Action Grant Repayment Loan Program? Ms.
20 Fanucci, please, a yes/no or I don't know
21 answer?
22 MS. FANUCCI: I don't know.
23 MR. JACOWICZ: Pardon me?
24 MS. FANUCCI: I don't know.
25 MR. JACOWICZ: Can you find that out
.
22
1 for me by next week?
2 MS. FANUCCI: I can.
3 MR. JACOWICZ: Thank you very much.
4 The Electric City Roasting Company, the
5 $150,000 loan, have they ever received a
6 loan from the Commercial Industrial
7 Revolving Loan Program and, Mrs. Fanucci, a
8 yes, no, or I don't know answer?
9 MS. FANUCCI: Don't know.
10 MR. JACOWICZ: Can you please find
11 that out for me next week? Thank you. Have
12 either of these two companies ever received
13 a loan or assistance from the City in the
14 past even if they were owned by a different
15 owner? Mrs. Fanucci, a yes, a no, or I
16 don't know answer?
17 MS. FANUCCI: Has either of them?
18 MR. JACOWICZ: Yes, ma'am.
19 MS. FANUCCI: I do believe the
20 station had years ago.
21 MR. JACOWICZ: Can you find out when
22 that was and the exact time date and the
23 amount of the loan and whether or not it has
24 been paid back and how they are standing
25 right now on that loan?
.
23
1 MS. FANUCCI: Yes.
2 MR. JACOWICZ: And how many jobs are
3 going to be created since both businesses
4 are currently operational? Just the number
5 please, Ms. Fanucci, the Radisson?
6 MS. FANUCCI: Eight full-time jobs.
7 MR. JACOWICZ: Eight. And the
8 Electric City Roasting Company?
9 MS. FANUCCI: Five full-time jobs.
10 MR. JACOWICZ: Can you please see if
11 you can ascertain what the salary will be
12 for those jobs and I would appreciate that
13 next week, also, if possible or the week
14 after. And, Ms. Fanucci, what benefit would
15 the paying citizens derive from granting
16 these loans, the Radisson charged $10 cover
17 charge for St. Patrick's Day parade plus
18 they did not enforce the smoking law, so I'd
19 like to know what benefits will me as a
20 taxpayer and all the other taxpayers sitting
21 out here benefit by giving these people
22 these loans?
23 MS. FANUCCI: Would you like that
24 now?
25 MR. JACOWICZ: Yes, go ahead.
.
24
1 MS. FANUCCI: Okay.
2 MR. JACOWICZ: My time is your time
3 now. Go for it.
4 MS. FANUCCI: Look at this.
5 MR. JACOWICZ: I'm such a sweet
6 person.
7 MS. FANUCCI: Okay, the Lackawanna
8 Station's loan is for $250,000. The reason
9 that they are taking out this loan is for
10 restoration because they are registered as a
11 national historical place. They have to
12 upgrade, they have to stay on top of it.
13 The loan itself is for the interior -- not
14 for the interior, it's only for the exterior
15 and the structural part which will be the
16 marble, the mason and all valuations of it.
17 Them themselves are putting in $5 million
18 for the project. We are kicking in $250,000
19 in loans so this is actually a requirement
20 by the US Registry of Historical Places so
21 that is the benefit. Also, they are
22 currently staffing 175 people who live
23 around our city. So, to me it is a huge
24 benefit for us and also it is a treasure.
25 The Hilton -- the station is a treasure for
.
25
1 us, so I do believe that they deserve a
2 loan, yes.
3 MR. JACOWICZ: Okay, I have one more
4 request for you then, Mrs. Fanucci.
5 MS. FANUCCI: Sure.
6 MR. JACOWICZ: The 175 people that
7 are on staff --
8 MR. MINORA: Three minutes.
9 MR. JACOWICZ: -- can you please give
10 me a breakdown on their salary ranges, I
11 would like to know how many people on that
12 staff --
13 MS. FANUCCI: I don't know if I can
14 get that.
15 MR. JACOWICZ: -- live in the --
16 MS. FANUCCI: I don't know if I can
17 get that, because that is --
18 MR. JACOWICZ: Can I please finish my
19 question before you interrupt me, please?
20 MS. FANUCCI: Sure.
21 MR. JACOWICZ: Can you please find
22 out what the salary range is for the 175
23 people on staff and find out how many people
24 are making above the economical poverty rate
25 of $21,000, and how many full-time employees
.
26
1 and how many part-time employees. If you
2 can do that I would greatly appreciate it.
3 Thank you.
4 MS. GATELLI: Thank you.
5 MS. EVANS: Mr. Jacowicz, also I
6 don't know if you looked at the backup, but,
7 again, under the alterations to the CDBG,
8 one of those projects being decreased is
9 care and preservation of historical
10 structures, so that's a bit ironic.
11 MR. JACOWICZ: Mr. Minora, may I
12 speak or am I done?
13 MR. MINORA: You had your four
14 minutes, but if you've got a question that's
15 up to the president.
16 MS. GATELLI: I'll say, no, because
17 then we'll get into --
18 MR. JACOWICZ: Okay.
19 MS. GATELLI: Anyone else?
20 MR. HUBBARD: 5-C. Justify deleting
21 flood emergency project money. Please.
22 Justify it.
23 MS. FANUCCI: I'm never going to be
24 able to justify it, but I can tell you what
25 I was told. Is that going to help?
.
27
1 MR. HUBBARD: Probably not. I want
2 council --
3 MS. FANUCCI: Could you just --
4 MR. HUBBARD: I want everybody up
5 here to justify to me and the residents of
6 lower Greenridge how we can delete a flood
7 emergency project to the tune of $281,000
8 and if we delete it as a flood emergency
9 project where is it going?
10 MS. FANUCCI: I can tell you what I
11 was told.
12 MR. HUBBARD: Okay.
13 MS. FANUCCI: And it's not going to
14 make --
15 MR. HUBBARD: That's fine.
16 MS. FANUCCI: You are not going to be
17 very happy.
18 MR. HUBBARD: I usually am not.
19 MS. FANUCCI: I know. Here's what I
20 was told. I was told that these projects
21 that are being deleted had to be used within
22 a three-year period from start to finish, so
23 if you got the approval for that loan or
24 that money to be approved it had to be used
25 within a three-year period of time. The
.
28
1 only way that you can release the funds are
2 to start that process over again.
3 MR. HUBBARD: Okay.
4 MS. FANUCCI: That's what I was told.
5 MR. HUBBARD: So this money needs to
6 be deleted because it didn't get used for
7 emergency flood projects in three years.
8 MS. FANUCCI: That's right I know.
9 I'm just telling you.
10 MR. HUBBARD: Seriously. I mean,
11 this is like what I'm talking about. When
12 you are deleting $281,000 from emergency
13 flood projects that didn't get used in the
14 window of opportunity that you had to use it
15 and in the last three years lower Greenridge
16 has been flooded twice and you couldn't find
17 a project -- you couldn't use the $281,000
18 you had for three years to help a
19 neighborhood that's been flooded twice in
20 the last two years and now that the project
21 money didn't get used in the allowed time
22 you are deleting it. So basically you
23 didn't do a damn thing when you should have
24 done it and the money is useless now. Thank
25 you.
.
29
1 MS. FANUCCI: I have worse
2 information for you.
3 MR. LYMAN: Raymond Lyman. Yeah, I
4 got a -- I got questions from 5-F to 5-I
5 about the subpoenas. Mrs. Evans, and you
6 might answer this and then let me speak the
7 three minutes, you did on the subpoenas,
8 wasn't it from 2001 to 2007 that you want
9 all financial records from the Doherty
10 office and all of the departments, yes or
11 no?
12 MS. EVANS: Yes and no. Actually I
13 said from January of 2002.
14 MR. LYMAN: Oh, 2002. And isn't it
15 true that since Fanucci wasn't here they all
16 voted, the all four of yous voted and it was
17 passed, so why do you guys voted now and
18 because Amil Minora doesn't want to do his
19 job.
20 MS. GATELLI: Excuse me, that's out
21 of order. That is out of order.
22 MR. LYMAN: I'm sorry.
23 MS. GATELLI: Mr. Minora does what
24 council requests of him.
25 MS. LYMAN: But you did pass it,
.
30
1 Mrs. Gatelli.
2 MS. GATELLI: It was passed in a
3 motion which was not the legal way to pass
4 it. We had to do it with a resolution.
5 MR. LYMAN: But, you four did vote
6 and Amil and Kay said, yes, and because I
7 have the tape and it was passed and since
8 Fanucci wasn't here and you guys said that
9 you were going to do it because I tape every
10 meeting and it was passed and it should have
11 went through.
12 MS. GATELLI: Well, now it spells
13 out exactly what we are looking for, this
14 resolution.
15 MR. LYMAN: So, it's not his fault
16 it's Chris Doherty, you should have did it
17 weeks ago. It should have been passed weeks
18 ago so it's still his fault in my opinion.
19 So it might be my opinion and 67,000
20 people's opinions, Mr. Minora should resign
21 in my opinion.
22 MS. GATELLI: Oh, please. Mr. Lyman.
23 He is not a public official. Please refrain
24 from those comments.
25 MR. MINORA: You know what,
.
31
1 Mr. Lyman, don't hold your breath.
2 MR. LYMAN: Well, if Lee Morgan and
3 Andy Sbaraglia does become council you have
4 to resign then.
5 MS. GATELLI: Mr. Lyman, I think your
6 time is up.
7 MR. LYMAN: Well, the three minutes
8 ain't up yet.
9 MS. GATELLI: You are done as far as
10 I'm concerned. You are out of order.
11 MR. LYMAN: Well, the next time --
12 MS. GATELLI: You are out of order.
13 MR. LYMAN: Well, the next time I
14 come up I could speak again.
15 MS. GATELLI: Well, good. You are
16 out of order.
17 MR. LYMAN: Well, my friends --
18 MS. GATELLI: Next speaker, please.
19 MR. LYMAN: -- I think I'll speak
20 again. You will hear me speak again, Mrs.
21 Gatelli.
22 MS. GATELLI: Please don't talk from
23 the audience.
24 MR. LYMAN: I'll speak if I want to.
25 MS. SUETTA: Jean Suetta, and
.
32
1 everybody knows I live in Scranton. Now, on
2 this 5-C, why didn't they use some of that
3 money to build that bank up? Why did it
4 take us six months to get the bridge clear?
5 Where was the moneys then and now you want
6 to take it away from us?
7 MS. FANUCCI: Jean, I could answer
8 the question then with the answer that I was
9 given. Let's not shoot the messenger, okay?
10 They are claiming, the Army Corp of
11 Engineers is claiming that the bank is built
12 up as much as it is going to be built up.
13 They are very satisfied with how far it is
14 built up, and I want to get the exact
15 wording on this that I have.
16 MS. SUETTA: They are not staying up
17 all God Damn night watching the river.
18 MS. FANUCCI: Well, what they were
19 saying, Jean, what they are saying is that
20 regardless of how much more -- this is what
21 I was going to tell you before you left, how
22 much more it is built up will not help the
23 flooding. They said that the material that
24 is there, which I thought when we voted on
25 last week, we thought the material was to be
.
33
1 put over there and that is not the case.
2 That material was left over, they had felt
3 that they have done an adequate job in their
4 flood protection for now. They said the
5 only way you are going to be protected is
6 when the levy is built.
7 MS. SUETTA: Mrs. Fanucci, will you
8 do me a favor?
9 MS. FANUCCI: Yes.
10 MS. SUETTA: And meet me on the
11 riverbank and I'll show you how low the bank
12 is.
13 MR. HUBBARD: All of you.
14 MS. FANUCCI: I was there.
15 MR. HUBBARD: Every single one of
16 you.
17 MS. GATELLI: Please.
18 MS. FANUCCI: I went down there and
19 I totally understand, believe me.
20 MR. HUBBARD: It's ludicrous.
21 MS. GATELLI: Mr. Hubbard, it's not
22 your turn to speak.
23 MS. FANUCCI: But what I'm saying is
24 that I went down and I saw, I understand. I
25 don't know what it is that they are looking
.
34
1 at or what they are studying.
2 MS. SUETTA: Please don't pass that.
3 MS. FANUCCI: Because I am not an
4 engineer, but I know exactly where you are
5 talking about?
6 MS. SUETTA: No, you weren't there
7 when we were flooded.
8 MS. FANUCCI:I was down the other --
9 MS. SUETTA: You didn't see the
10 cellar. You didn't see the house. Bill
11 did.
12 MS. FANUCCI: But Bill and I were
13 discussing it in caucus. I mean, I do -- I
14 understand 100 percent, but this is the
15 answer that I had received from the Army
16 Corp, so that is all I can tell you, what
17 their position is.
18 MS. SUETTA: You mean, you can't take
19 some of this money, buy these concrete
20 barriers and put them on top of it --
21 MS. FANUCCI: I definitely think the
22 concrete barriers probably would help.
23 MS. SUETTA: Don't pass that
24 amendment.
25 MS. FANUCCI: I don't know.
.
35
1 MS. SUETTA: Don't pass that
2 amendment.
3 MR. HUBBARD: They did the -- The
4 Army Corp --
5 MS. GATELLI: Mr. Hubbard, you are
6 through speaking. It's not your turn.
7 MR. HUBBARD: I'm not through yet,
8 Judy. I'm not through yet.
9 MS. GATELLI: Is that a threat?
10 MR. HUBBARD: No, I've got plenty of
11 time to speak at the end, trust me.
12 MS. GATELLI: Well, it's not fair to
13 interrupt someone else.
14 MR. HUBBARD: It's not fair to fill
15 my house with water either, is it?
16 MS. GATELLI: No, I didn't fill your
17 house with water.
18 MR. HUBBARD: No, but you didn't do
19 anything to stop it, did you?
20 MS. GATELLI: You are out of order.
21 MS. SUETTA: What I did --
22 MS. GATELLI: Now, the next time
23 someone talks from the audience and is
24 belligerent I'm going to ask the police
25 officer to remove you. Now, we are all here
.
36
1 and we are here to listen and we are here to
2 respect each other. Now, let's respect each
3 other. We are all human beings and just
4 because I don't agree with you and you don't
5 agree with me doesn't mean we are not human
6 beings and we deserve to be treated
7 respectfully and treat you with respect.
8 So, please.
9 MS. SUETTA: You are not taking my
10 minutes, are you?
11 MS. GATELLI: Jeannie, I just
12 talked-- I talked to Mr. Parker before the
13 meeting --
14 MS. SUETTA: Right.
15 MS. GATELLI: -- and he said to give
16 him a call and he will meet anyone down
17 there because he does want to talk to you
18 about what the Army Corp said.
19 MS. SUETTA: Yeah.
20 MS. GATELLI: So if you would call
21 him tomorrow and maybe, Mr. McGoff, since
22 it's your committee if you would like to be
23 there.
24 MS. SUETTA: He was on the riverbank.
25 There is quite a bit of leaking.
.
37
1 MS. GATELLI: And we'll see if we
2 can't get something settled.
3 MS. SUETTA: And on that 250,000 we
4 are giving to the Radisson, are they going
5 to use our local workers or are they going
6 to hire people out of town?
7 MS. FANUCCI: I don't know that.
8 MS. SUETTA: I mean, if we are giving
9 them that much money I think they should use
10 the locals.
11 MS. FANUCCI: Right. I don't know
12 what the intent is or even if they have to
13 state that before the loan, but I can try to
14 find out for you.
15 MS. SUETTA: If you would please.
16 Thank you.
17 MS. GATELLI: Thank you.
18 MS. EVANS: Mrs. Suetta?
19 MS. GATELLI: Wait a minute, Bill
20 asked to speak first. Go ahead, Bill.
21 MR. COURTRIGHT: I just wanted to say
22 this, I think the $281,000, why we didn't
23 use it, I understand whatever, that's the
24 first I heard that explanation, and I can
25 understand your frustration.
.
38
1 MR. SUETTA: You were here when --
2 MR. COURTRIGHT: It's only in Fifth
3 Order and it's an ordinance so it's got two
4 more readings, and I'll look into it from
5 this day forward and see if it wasn't used
6 why when we go down to and we are going to
7 redirect the money the projects they added
8 why it couldn't be added back in for a flood
9 project.
10 MS. SUETTA: That would be good.
11 MR. COURTRIGHT: Yeah, I don't know,
12 you know, maybe they have an answer why it
13 couldn't be added if we are taking out and
14 we're adding in and if we didn't use the
15 $281,000 shame on us and it wasn't us.
16 Let's get that straight.
17 MS. SUETTA: No, no, because you'd
18 get the phone calls from me.
19 MR. COURTRIGHT: But if you are
20 taking out and you're adding in for other
21 projects why can't you just add another
22 project, add the $281,000 in, and that might
23 be too simple of an explanation, but I want
24 to ask that question.
25 MS. EVANS: Or knowing all of the
.
39
1 flooding that has occurred citywide over the
2 last two years why would you not reapply?
3 MS. SUETTA: Really. You know, he
4 wasn't down there. You were down there.
5 MS. EVANS: When it appears
6 purposely -- yes, I have been down --
7 MS. SUETTA: Bill, you with there,
8 and you were there.
9 MS. EVANS: And I walked the length
10 of that river in the area after both floods.
11 I visited your house and quite a number of
12 houses on Gardner and Marion and Nay Aug and
13 Albright and I know exactly how you
14 suffered, and I do understand that the Army
15 Corp has intentions of completing this
16 project and at such time all will be solved,
17 but in the mean time temporary measures
18 should be taken.
19 MS. SUETTA: Really. Thank you.
20 MS. EVANS: And since a portion of
21 riverbank was already built up in the past,
22 the recent past, in the event of predicted
23 flooding I see no reason why the DPW can't
24 take that dirt and transfer it about 50 feet
25 over to the riverbank where it should be so
.
40
1 that at least we are trying to do something
2 for this neighborhood rather than sitting on
3 or hands and saying, "Well, nothing we can
4 do for you, Folks, until the project is
5 completed."
6 We did a lot, thank God, down in the
7 Plot to save them. We didn't sit on our
8 hands, I think the city did on quite a
9 number of times, but the last time they
10 didn't and thank God and thank all of the
11 individuals who served that area they didn't
12 suffer.
13 MS. SUETTA: Well, why didn't --
14 MS. EVANS: So I don't think this is
15 an acceptable answer.
16 MS. SUETTA: Why don't they come over
17 and do that little bit for us? You know, I
18 thought this morning I went down, there was
19 two dozers there I says, "Oh, they're going
20 to put dirt up on the bank."
21 Movement. I think we speak
22 different languages.
23 MS. GATELLI: Call Mr. Parker
24 tomorrow, Jean, and ask.
25 MS. SUETTA: All right, I'll call
.
41
1 Mr. Parker. We'll meet him. Thank you.
2 MR. GERVASI: Hi, City Council. I'm
3 Dave Gervasi, resident and homeowner,
4 employee of the City of Scranton, proud
5 firefighter. I just have an observation
6 before I say what I was going to say. I
7 think a lot of the frustration that comes
8 from this audience is not only in them not
9 getting answers I think certain council
10 people at certain times, not accusing anyone
11 here or in the past, just generally saying
12 is that if someone has a problem and a
13 council person gives an answer or tries to
14 give an answer to that problem which doesn't
15 find out a solution to our problem and are
16 told by this administration, you know,
17 that's the way it is and you take their word
18 for it, well, there is difference between
19 leadership on this council and there is a
20 difference between and as relative to
21 nonleadership on this council, I think if
22 you take the comments of this flood project
23 from the people out here and you think it's
24 wrong what's happening instead of just
25 taking the administration's word for it
.
42
1 maybe you should do something about it like
2 many of you council people do very often,
3 and that's just my observation and why I
4 think people are very frustrated out there.
5 The other comment I have is, and call
6 me a cynic, but I have seen these shell
7 games before by this administration like
8 when the referendum was out there and dozen
9 of firefighters and police officers and DPW
10 workers and clerical workers came up to this
11 podium and started explaining to the people
12 what's wrong with the recovery plan, and,
13 Mrs. Gatelli, I will tie this into exactly,
14 this is the point I'm trying to make, we
15 were saying what was wrong with the recovery
16 plan and all of a sudden we needed to paint
17 this building and, of course, the building
18 wasn't going to be painted for months and I
19 believe Mr. Fiorini said the date of the
20 closing of the work being done would be
21 right after the election, those little shell
22 games that have planned, perversion of the
23 laws of Act 47 that has been played. Games
24 played with the Court system, delays and
25 delays, things of that sort, so I'm just
.
43
1 curious, the point I'm trying to make about
2 this agenda tonight is Mr. McGoff brought up
3 which, you know, I guess it was kind of a
4 real easy way to lead into get ready for a
5 five-minute speaking rule because it sounds
6 like we are getting six minutes now when, in
7 fact, we are only getting three and three
8 and I'm just curious if anyone knows if this
9 was another deliberate act by the
10 administration to basically not put anything
11 on the agenda for weeks at a time and build
12 them all up to 13 tonight where you possibly
13 don't have a chance or a prayer of any of
14 the citizens wanting to come up here within
15 three minutes and talking about 13 items on
16 the agenda tonight. Does anyone know if
17 this is actually a deliberate ploy, plan,
18 shell game by the administration or am I
19 just crazy?
20 MR. MCGOFF: Are they the only
21 choices we have? I'm sorry, Mr. Gervasi.
22 MR. GERVASI: We have, you know,
23 malcontent and a conspiracy theorists and
24 everything like that.
25 MR. MCGOFF: As far as I know there
.
44
1 was no attempts to limit your time by, you
2 know, abusing the agenda by putting so much
3 items on it.
4 MR. GERVASI: Has anyone ever seen
5 empty agendas for weeks at a time ever?
6 MS. EVANS: No.
7 MR. GERVASI: No? And then all of a
8 sudden we have a big one and we have three
9 minutes to speak on all of these matters.
10 Just fuel for thought. That's all. Thank
11 you.
12 MS. GATELLI: Mr. Gervasi, I'd just
13 like to let you know that the president only
14 puts on the agenda what's sent down. I
15 can't make stuff up.
16 MR. GERVASI: Oh, I understand that.
17 I'm saying, the shell game by the
18 administration. I'm not saying anything up
19 here. I'm not accusing anyone up here of
20 doing anything.
21 MS. GATELLI: Because the president
22 does control the agenda.
23 MR. GERVASI: So then what you are
24 saying is -- -
25 MS. GATELLI: I don't believe I have
.
45
1 ever kept anything off.
2 MR. GERVASI: If the law department
3 or the mayor or if you happen to not be
4 creating any legislation this week, if
5 nothing is sent to you there is nothing on
6 the agenda.
7 MS. GATELLI: If there is nothing
8 sent what are you going to put on?
9 MR. GERVASI: Thank you very much.
10 MS. GATELLI: Thank you.
11 MS. SCHUMAKER: Marie Shumaker, East
12 Mountain Resident. I would like to speak in
13 favor of the subpoenas because I don't know
14 any other way we can find out what's
15 happening to our money or what's going on in
16 the budget. You know I have been here
17 because I have submitted right to know
18 letters and in some instances I get no
19 replies, in other instances I'm just skipped
20 in saying, "We can't find the information,"
21 which is totally ludicrous for a capital
22 budget to not be able to find a single item
23 is just totally ludicrous, so how else
24 without looking at the invoices do you find
25 out where this money has gone.
.
46
1 In 2003 the mayor said he was going
2 to invest a quarter of a million dollars in
3 Robinson Park that still has not happened,
4 where did that money go? He said he had it
5 in from the 2002 $72 million bond. Where
6 has it gone?
7 The questions that I asked, eight
8 questions back on January 11, e-mailed you
9 hard copies after that I still don't have
10 answers and they are questions that if the
11 mayor had submitted his budget properly
12 according to Section 902 of the Home Rule
13 Charter which states, "His budget shall
14 indicate any major changes from the current
15 budget year together with the reason for
16 such changes."
17 These were where there were big
18 variances from the prior year, they hop out
19 at you, you can't help but beg the question
20 there was no line item description that
21 tells you why there were any significant
22 changes. How else do you find out if you
23 don't look at the invoices and see what's
24 actually being billed. Thank you.
25 MS. GATELLI: Anyone else?
.
47
1 MR. LITWINSKY: Yes. Good evening.
2 John Litwinsky, city resident. I'm really
3 baffled by this removal of the $281,000 from
4 the emergency flood. I mean, I have been
5 coming here for years and still no help from
6 anyone, anywhere, call our representatives,
7 nobody. We been flooded seven times on
8 Gordan Avenue. Seven. Twice in '85, I have
9 to repeat this again, January '96, September
10 '03, September '04, April '05, June of '06,
11 I'm glad to see that the Plot is eventually
12 going to get some help and lower Greenridge,
13 but them like us tonight, you know, we live
14 in fear of the rain. You live in fear of
15 the snow melt, so when I leave here I've got
16 to go sit by the river, watch the river, do
17 you clean your first floor out, what do you
18 do?
19 Nobody understands. Nobody can
20 understand by driving by someone's house and
21 saying they think they see the flooding.
22 No, not until you are shoveling crap out of
23 your living room, right, that's the only
24 time that you truly understand. How do
25 we -- who is going to step up to the plate
.
48
1 to help us on Gordan Avenue, the forgotten
2 zone over there. Like who is going to step
3 up to plate, who is going to get involved, I
4 need to know that right now? Our elected
5 officials, we elect our officials in the
6 belief that they are going to help us?
7 There is no response.
8 MS. EVANS: I would be very happy to
9 assist you, but --
10 MR. LITWINSKY: I don't get it. I'm
11 just so baffled. I'm just so baffled. I
12 really am. Two-hundred thousand dollars--
13 MS. EVANS: And I am as well. I am
14 as well.
15 MR. LITWINSKY: I mean, we have had
16 the phone calls, you call this office, that
17 office, they tell you, you know, if we get
18 emergency funding it's going to take ten
19 years to do a study, another 20 years, I
20 mean, Judy, you have been down there, and,
21 Janet, you were at my house, you saw them
22 and we got flooded like that, in an instant.
23 The Sewer Authority I think needs to get
24 involved also that combines sewer outlet or
25 overflow doesn't even need to be there. Why
.
49
1 can't they move it? Why can't something be
2 done? And I'm just -- I don't understand,
3 $300,0000 because it wasn't spent. I
4 repeated phone calls, letters, e-mails, I
5 mean, don't we count as taxpayers? I mean--
6 MS. EVANS: Yes, you do.
7 MR. LITWINSKY: So, what's our next
8 step, like, who do we go to?
9 MS. EVANS: The mayor. I know. I
10 know.
11 MR. LITWINSKY: You got to be kidding
12 me.
13 MS. EVANS: But the mayor ultimately
14 makes the decision.
15 MR. LITWINSKY: I have sent letters.
16 I've left messages. This is going on
17 20 years.
18 MS. EVANS: I understand.
19 MR. LITWINSKY: I don't think
20 anybody understands. I really don't. I
21 just don't get it. Like why, why the
22 $300,000 is gone now. That could have been
23 pumps at least for us or somebody or done
24 something.
25 MS. EVANS: Yes, and, in fact, I
.
50
1 remember requesting industrial size pumps
2 after caucus with Mr. Parker that would be
3 portable and able to pump out areas
4 immediately that were suffering flooding.
5 Never heard anything again. Sent follow-up
6 letters, never heard anything again, so
7 seriously I do empathize with you because I
8 know all too well what it's like to be
9 stonewalled day after day after day.
10 MR. LITWINSKY: I mean, all of the
11 floods and we're told the flood gates -- you
12 can't go anywhere, you're trapped in there.
13 You are trapped. And that six-foot diameter
14 tunnel is ready to explode. I told them
15 about the depression in my back yard, they
16 shot a camera through they didn't see
17 anything. We bought our own six-inch pipe,
18 which still isn't enough.
19 MR. MINORA: Three minutes.
20 MR. LITWINSKY: I mean, what do I do
21 next? Do I get a lawyer or do I get heavy
22 equipment and do my own levy control, but if
23 I do that then I get arrested, right, if I
24 build my own levy then I get arrested and I
25 go to jail for protecting my own property,
.
51
1 so there is no answers.
2 MS. GATELLI: Thanks, John.
3 MR. MORGAN: Good evening, Council.
4 I'd like to speak on the subpoenas tonight.
5 Section 312 Home Rule Charter, "The council
6 may make investigations into the affairs of
7 the city and the conduct of any department
8 office or agency in aid of it's legislative
9 powers and functions and may issue subpoenas
10 for those purposes."
11 Now, I have read the subpoenas
12 that-- I mean, I have read some of the
13 documents that are in the council chambers
14 office when Mr. Saunders was there. I find
15 them to be a joke and I would like to ask
16 Mrs. Fanucci after my three minutes if she
17 tried to decipher anything out of any of
18 that information there because in my opinion
19 when I looked through it, it liked like a
20 pile of garbage, and I have to be very blunt
21 and honest, and I think that when subpoenas
22 are issued if we are going to play games I
23 think all of the subpoenas should be issued
24 at one time, but if you want to play games
25 and issue four at a time then play that
.
52
1 game, but when these documents are prepared
2 for this Council they should be cataloged in
3 a binder with an index and they should be --
4 it should be legislated so that they are on
5 a certain size paper so that when any
6 council member wants to look through them
7 they can find something and there won't be
8 garbage in there. I think what we have in
9 this city are clubhouse politicians, that's
10 what I think this city's major problem is.
11 Appointees to the mayor running rough shot
12 over all departments giving no information,
13 duck, bob and weave at every opportunity,
14 lie, mislead, I mean, and we have to listen
15 to Council say, "Well, this is what we were
16 told," and I'm not picking on any single
17 council person.
18 If that's all you know then you are
19 in the dark because you don't know anything
20 because if all you know is what you were
21 told you don't know anything at all, that's
22 why these powers have to be used. I don't
23 trust this mayor. I think in my own
24 personal opinion, my opinion of him is I
25 think he is good parent, but as far as
.
53
1 administrator of a city he is terrible. He
2 has mismanaged the city's affairs, we just
3 have to look at the Scranton Sewer Authority
4 all the borrowing through the parking
5 authority, all of the borrowing everywhere,
6 all of the bonds, all of the stuff and the
7 only time that he came to this chamber that
8 I remember, one of the few times he came,
9 was to cast a vote for Mr. McGoff, it's a
10 terrible thing for a leader, but then you
11 know something, I don't think the mayor is a
12 leader. I'd like to say that point-blank so
13 that everybody can understand that because
14 you know what, leaders lead and they don't
15 use their minion to come here and spread
16 disinformation and I think it's time for
17 this Council to issue these subpoenas, make
18 them broad, we want all of the information
19 not just what some Council may think that we
20 are entitled to. This is our government, of
21 the people, by the people and you serve us.
22 Thank you.
23 MS. KRAKE: My name is Nancy Krake.
24 I will be speaking on 5-C, 5-F, 5-G, 5-H and
25 5-I. I believe they are all interrelated.
.
54
1 This is the mayor's budget that Mrs.
2 Gatelli, Mrs. Fanucci, and Mr. McGoff passed
3 with a 26 percent increase. As Mrs. Evans
4 was preparing her budget which she and
5 Mr. Courtright voted for she requested much
6 information which she did not receive and
7 still came up with a budget with no tax
8 increase. She requested a lot of
9 information from a lot of different
10 departments and it was not granted.
11 So, Mrs. Fanucci maybe, you know,
12 you might think about voting for the
13 subpoenas, even though I'm sure you won't,
14 abundantly clear in the newspaper, but I'd
15 also like to point out that in this budget
16 and for the past five years we have been
17 spending $18,000 for a flood control project
18 coordinator, $35,000 for an assistant flood
19 control project coordinator, $30,000 each
20 for three flood control relocation
21 specialists, oh, and let's not forget the
22 flood engineer, that was at $15,000, but
23 that's varied over the past five years and
24 the people have gotten no satisfaction.
25 Doesn't this mean anything to you three
.
55
1 people who did not even look at Mrs. Evans'
2 budget? Oh, excuse me, Mr. McGoff did and
3 he took one of her ideas and transferred it
4 over instead of giving the people tax relief
5 we gave relief to business people. You
6 should be ashamed of yourselves.
7 MS. GATELLI: Anyone else? Mrs.
8 Garvey?
9 MS. GARVEY: 5-A, motions.
10 MS. EVANS: Good evening. I ask you
11 to remember in your prayers Mr. Ed Joyce, a
12 retired Scranton firefighter who left this
13 life several days ago and the family and
14 friends he leaves behind. I also ask for
15 your prayers for Matt Grendel and his
16 family, may God send him safely home.
17 I await responses to correspondences
18 sent out this week on behalf of citizens.
19 Kay, please send the following
20 correspondences: Mr. Don King, what is the
21 name of the street located between 123 and
22 129 West Parker Street and at the rear of
23 Hollister Street. A resident has examined
24 city maps but cannot locate a name.
25 Also, a letter to Mrs. Mary Tully,
.
56
1 owner of Electric City Roasting Company.
2 Please provide a written guarantee to
3 Scranton City Council that any loans
4 received from OECD or any city agency or
5 department will not be used in any manner
6 for your property in the 500 block of
7 Lackawanna Avenue. Should that written
8 guarantee not be received by Scranton City
9 Council then I would not approve that loan.
10 Also, I have been asking about a
11 replacement field for the South Side Complex
12 more than once since 2005, so, please, a
13 letter to Mr. Brazil and a second letter to
14 Mr. Doherty regarding the South Side
15 Complex. According to the memorandum of
16 understanding between the Scranton
17 Redevelopment Authority and the University
18 of Scranton as required by Senate Bill 850,
19 the SRA will construct or cause to be
20 constructed a lighted softball field in
21 conformity with ASA requirements to be ready
22 for use by April 1, 2005. Further, the
23 University agrees to contribute $100,000 to
24 the construction of the project. Thus, it
25 appears that the failure to provide the
.
57
1 lighted field is a violation of the mandate
2 of Senate Bill 850.
3 I refer you to my letter of
4 January 12, 2000, and present a deadline for
5 a written response to my questions by
6 Wednesday, March 28, 20007. Should you fail
7 to respond, further measures will be taken.
8 I thank Mr. Gerald Cross, executive
9 director of PEL for his timely response.
10 Mr. Cross states that files for the period
11 January through April 2006, were reviewed
12 and no letter to Mr. Doherty was found
13 regarding police arbitrations as was
14 discussed by Mrs. Stulgis at the Council
15 meeting after February 8, 2007.
16 And, on a brighter note, I think my
17 darling mother would be very disappointed in
18 me if I didn't wish everyone a very happy
19 St. Patrick's Day. May God give you for
20 every storm a rainbow and an answer for each
21 of your prayers. Just a minute, please.
22 (Several people bring boxes up to
23 the front of council chambers.)
24 MS. EVANS: Thank you, gentlemen. In
25 yesterday's newspaper I read with interest
.
58
1 and humor a front page article entitled,
2 "Subpoena Surprise."
3 The article was accompanied by a
4 photo of a grinning Mrs. Fanucci who appears
5 to either be reading or attempting to
6 swallow a canary. Orchestrated by my
7 Honorable Cheshire colleague and supported
8 by an absentminded former city clerk, the
9 article asserts that financial information
10 subpoenaed by my motion of August 18, 2005,
11 was never scrutinized by me and has rested
12 in a vault for roughly two years.
13 Mr. Saunders croaks that the records were
14 never looked at. " No one was asked to look
15 at them and so they were deposited in
16 Council's safe."
17 On the contrary, numerous persons
18 examined several boxes of documents
19 including Mrs. Garvey, Mr. Coolican, and
20 myself. Incidentally, neither Mr. Saunders
21 nor any council member at the time
22 volunteered to assist in the examination of
23 the records which is why I was unable to
24 examine all of the information within the
25 very brief time frame.
.
59
1 Subpoenas were delivered on
2 August 30, 2005, which provided ten days in
3 which to deliver the information. The boxes
4 were delivered on September 9, 2005, I
5 believe and the new deal with Electric City
6 Hospitality, LLP, was passed by four members
7 of City Council on September 29, 2005.
8 Furthermore, Mr. Saunders wished to
9 throw out the documents considering them to
10 be of no value once the very poor deal was
11 finalized. I asked Mrs. Garvey to save in
12 deposit the boxes in Council's vault in the
13 event of a potential sale of the Hilton
14 Hotel or any future issue involved in the
15 Hilton. The documents in these boxes were
16 examined because the Hilton was on the brink
17 of foreclosure and consequently sheriff's
18 sale by Spectrum in a matter of weeks during
19 2005. As a city councilwoman I was
20 concerned about Scranton's likely loss of
21 more than 3 million dollars.
22 In addition, many claimed promises
23 and questions lingered about 175 parking
24 spaces in the Casey and Medallion garages by
25 the Hilton and about tax abatements
.
60
1 involving loss of additional millions of
2 dollars. Questions about the Hilton? For
3 example, was Scranton voluntarily reduced to
4 a second position mortgagee allowing
5 Spectrum to assume the position as the first
6 mortgagee? Was OECD making loan payments on
7 behalf of the developer at the mayor's
8 orders without the knowledge of City
9 Council? Did the former Casey Garage
10 receive state approval for renovation? Who
11 approved the payments to Scartelli for
12 garage renovations that never occurred? How
13 much money had the city loaned and lost on
14 this deal and how could it be recovered?
15 Yes, I learned a great deal. First,
16 the Hilton received $12.9 million from the
17 State of Pennsylvania. It put that money
18 into the hotel construction. Scranton also
19 loaned, not gave, the Hilton $3 million for
20 which the city was to be repaid. So the
21 Hilton and later Spectrum should have
22 invested $15.9 million in the building of
23 which 3 million belonged to Scranton. As
24 collateral for Scranton's 3 million dollar
25 loan, Scranton was the first mortgagee so
.
61
1 that if the hotel were sold for any amount
2 of money Scranton must be paid it's full
3 $3 million first before any other person or
4 company or bank would receive a penny. In
5 other words, Scranton was well protected.
6 Then I learned that the mayor
7 voluntarily reduced Scranton to a second
8 position mortgagee and let Spectrum assume
9 the position as the first mortgagee. I also
10 learned that OECD had, indeed, made Section
11 108 loan payments despite the fact that the
12 mayor went on record denying any such
13 payments. These payments were made without
14 the knowledge of Scranton City Council and
15 the taxpayers.
16 Next, the old Casey garage was
17 approved by the appropriate state
18 departments for renovations. Scartelli was
19 given the contract. Work stopped suddenly
20 and the garage was declared beyond repair.
21 Miss Hailstone approved payments without
22 benefit of am engineering degree, an
23 architecture degree, and without any
24 experience in heavy construction and
25 commercial garages. She did not know if
.
62
1 that type of heavy construction was
2 completed in compliance with the architect's
3 drawings and specifications so as to
4 authorize OECD to make final payments, yet,
5 she did after she inspected or walked
6 through the structure, $266,098 was tossed
7 away idylly with nothing to show for it.
8 Spectrum foreclosed and claimed it
9 should receive the first $35 million when it
10 would sell the Hilton Hotel at a future
11 date. They claimed to have lost 20 million
12 in damages and loss profit, not just lost
13 business because the mayor failed to fulfill
14 his agreement to provide 175 parking spaces
15 in a new garage. Please note, I never saw
16 any written figures to support that claim or
17 any written proof of the Hilton's -- or I
18 should say, Spectrum's loss. Thus, Scranton
19 but must now wait and get it's money, if at
20 all, until after the first 35 million which
21 this mayor and a former council agreed will
22 go to Electric City Hospitality, LLC.
23 Meanwhile, the Scranton Parking
24 Authority sets aside at all times no less
25 than 175 spaces for Hilton Hotel guests and
.
63
1 designates -- or, excuse me, and designates
2 the first and second levels for the
3 exclusive use of hotel guests. It also
4 agreed to charge the lowest of the SPA's
5 public rates in effect, two dollars for an
6 event in the hotel and 50 percent of the
7 regular rate but no more than $10 for the
8 night.
9 Further, the SPA provided each
10 calendar month not less than 100 event
11 passes without charge to the hotel and any
12 unused allocation passes in one calendar
13 month will be carried forward to the
14 succeeding calendar months, thus, the hotel
15 could accumulate the free passes in an
16 unlimited amount and could eventually use
17 and accumulate perhaps who knows, 500 to
18 1,000 free spaces in one month. That can
19 surely effect the garage's monthly income.
20 Finally, I learned that the mayor's
21 sister, Virginia MacGregor, of MacGregor
22 Steel Industries was receiving confidential
23 documents about the Hilton. Did you know
24 these things, Mrs. Fanucci?
25 MS. FANUCCI: I did ask you what you
.
64
1 learned from the records and you just said,
2 "I learned a lot. I feel stonewalled."
3 MS. EVANS: Well, I'll tell you I
4 didn't think it was my job to teach you
5 about it since the boxes were there for your
6 perusal at all times, but I do think -- but
7 seriously, Mrs. Fanucci, I do think you
8 should stop commenting on the things about
9 which you know nothing. Look through the
10 boxes and educate yourself.
11 I hoped the City would have
12 negotiated a better deal than waiting for $3
13 million after a sale of the Hilton for 38
14 million, but it failed to do so. Council
15 members did not listen to my advice.
16 Mr. DeBileo's compromise with Spectrum and
17 Mr. Doherty cost the taxpayer's money, 3
18 million dollars plus.
19 The case closed rapidly and remained
20 so for the present. There was no need to
21 examine the remainder of the documents.
22 They continued to be stored in a vault where
23 I believe they should remain until such time
24 as a sale of the hotel or any future
25 problems develop. We housed the history of
.
65
1 this hotel deal from January 1, 1998,
2 through September 2005.
3 In response to Mr. Doherty's and
4 Mrs. Gatelli's boldfaced lies, all that
5 needs to be done is a simple request and we
6 would honor it, I present the facts again.
7 I sent countless letters of request over the
8 last three years, and I did bring along, but
9 perhaps I'll save it for the subpoenas, just
10 a very small example of late 2006 and early
11 2007, pages and pages of requests that have
12 never been answered, that were directed to
13 Miss Sara Hailstone, the mayor of the City
14 of Scranton, Mr. Leonard Parchefsky,
15 etcetera.
16 I visited the mayor's office in
17 December and February to collect responses
18 to questions I posed in writing and
19 presented in person during budget
20 deliberations. To this moment I have
21 received nothing. I followed up with a
22 visit to OECD and Miss Hailstone to obtain
23 information I had been seeking since
24 July 2006, and which the mayor publically
25 vowed to provide. Miss Hailstone me that I
.
66
1 can't have information. She can't provide
2 it without her boss's permission.
3 On the topic raised by Mrs. Fanucci
4 of wasted taxpayers' money, $3,000 was spent
5 on copies ordered by Miss Hailstone as is
6 her frequent practice. Although she decided
7 not to make the copies inhouse, and perhaps
8 I can understand that because over the last
9 five years the city certainly has many more
10 chiefs than Indians, she did include great
11 waste in the form of duplication and
12 extraneous material. On the other hand,
13 Attorney Boyd Hughes, former Scranton
14 Redevelopment Authority Solicitor,
15 generously donated thousands of dollars in
16 legal services and I myself incurred close
17 to $1,000 in cell phone bills for which