00001
1 SCRANTON CITY COUNCIL MEETING
2
3
4
5 HELD:
6
7 Tuesday, June 16, 2009
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
AMELIA NICOL - OFFICIAL COURT REPORTER
24
25
00002
1
2 CITY OF SCRANTON COUNCIL:
3
4
MR. ROBERT MCGOFF, PRESIDENT
5
6 MS. JUDY GATELLI, VICE-PRESIDENT
7
MS. JANET E. EVANS
8
9 MS. SHERRY FANUCCI
(Not present.)
10
11 MR. WILLIAM COURTRIGHT
(Not present.)
12
MS. KAY GARVEY, CITY CLERK
13
14 MR. NEIL COOLICAN, ASSISTANT CITY CLERK
15
MR. AMIL MINORA, SOLICITOR
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
00003
1 (Pledge of allegiance recited
2 and moment of reflection observed.)
3 MR. MCGOFF: Roll call, please.
4 MR. COOLICAN: Mrs. Evans.
5 MS. EVANS: Here.
6 MR. COOLICAN: Mrs. Gatelli.
7 MS. GATELLI: Here.
8 MR. COOLICAN: Ms. Fanucci.
9 (Ms. Fanucci not present.)
10 MR. COOLICAN: Mr. Courtright.
11 (Mr. Courtright not present.)
12 MR. COOLICAN: Mr. McGoff.
13 MR. MCGOFF: Here.
14 MR. MCGOFF: For the record, Mr.
15 Courtright and Mrs. Fanucci both
16 indicated that they could not attend
17 tonight's meeting.
18 Dispense with the reading of the
19 minutes. Third order.
20 MS. GARVEY: Third order, 3A.
21 APPLICATIONS AND DECISIONS RENDERED BY
22 THE ZONING HEARING BOARD MEETING HELD
23 ON JUNE 10, 2009.
24 MR. MCGOFF: Are there any
25 comments? If not, received and filed.
00004
1 MS. GARVEY: That's it for third
2 order.
3 MR. MCGOFF: Any announcements
4 from council?
5 MS. EVANS: Yes. Please remember
6 in your prayers this week all those
7 who have died, particularly Donald
8 Holmes, a retired school district
9 teacher. Our condolences and prayers
10 go out to his wife, Nancy Kay,
11 Scranton second councilwoman and my
12 former colleague at Scranton High
13 School, for his children and their
14 entire family.
15 Also Mrs. Philbin, a wonderful
16 woman, wife, mother and grandmother
17 passed away and our condolences and
18 prayers are offered to her family as
19 well.
20 And Jane McCarthy, a resident of
21 Washington West who was loved by her
22 fellow residents and her sons and
23 daughter and other family members she
24 leaves behind.
25 Also Mr. Dunkin, my friend will
00005
1 undergo surgery this week. In fact, I
2 believe it was today and I ask that
3 you remember him in our prayers as
4 well.
5 Scranton pools will open on
6 Saturday, June 20th, this Saturday.
7 Donation to the Kids Swim Free Program
8 are solely needed to help
9 underprivileged children enjoy the Nay
10 Aug Swim Complex this summer. Checks
11 may be made payable to Kids Swim Free
12 and cash is also accepted. Please
13 mail donations to 1416 South Webster
14 Avenue, Scranton, Pennsylvania, 18505.
15 I'd like to congratulate members
16 of the class of 2009, all graduates of
17 our local high schools, colleges and
18 universities. I wish you great
19 success in all your future endeavors
20 and I hope you will continue to make
21 Scranton your home.
22 Also a special shout out to
23 Scranton High, the campus of champions
24 and it's outstanding class of 2009.
25 You are a credit to your families, our
00006
1 school and our community.
2 Finally, I'd like to wish Mr.
3 McGoff, Mr. Courtright who is absent
4 tonight and all the gentlemen of our
5 area a very Happy Father's Day.
6 I lost my own wonderful father
7 five years ago, and he was my best
8 friend. I hope everyone, most
9 particularly our young people remember
10 that you have only one mother and one
11 father, and no one loves you more than
12 your parents. Honor and treasure them
13 always. And that's it. MCGOFF Mrs.
14 Gatelli.
15 MS. GATELLI: I have nothing.
16 MR. MCGOFF: At this time I'd
17 like to make a motion to appoint Mrs.
18 Gatelli as the temporary chair for the
19 committee on community development.
20 MS. EVANS: Second.
21 MR. MCGOFF: On the question?
22 All in favor, signify by saying aye.
23 MS. EVANS: Aye.
24 MR. MCGOFF: Aye.
25 MR. MCGOFF: Opposed? Ayes have
00007
1 it and so moved.
2 Before I forget, one last
3 reminder for the PCAA Father's Day
4 five-mile race will be held obviously
5 on Sunday, June 21st, starting at 9
6 o'clock. Registrations can be made
7 online at active.com for Saturday at
8 Weston Field. During packet pickup,
9 they will be also taking
10 registrations. I believe it's from 11
11 to two. And for anybody that is
12 unable to do any of those, there will
13 be some same day registrations Sunday
14 morning but be there early if you wish
15 to register, and also there's no
16 guarantee for the late registrations
17 in any of the amenities that went
18 along with the early registration,
19 specifically shirts. If there aren't
20 enough, late registrations won't get
21 one. But it looks like it could be a
22 really great event and we encourage
23 any local runners to participate and
24 we are also interested in volunteers
25 if anybody wishes to volunteer for
00008
1 that, especially with traffic control.
2 Just contact me or Bob Breslin. You
3 can go on the pcaanep.org and get the
4 e-mail address. But thank you. And
5 that is all.
6 Citizens participation. Miss
7 Franus.
8 MS. FRANUS: Faith Franus. I'd
9 just like to say considering Austin
10 Burke's letter that is in the paper
11 this morning asking council and the
12 school board and the county
13 commissioners to meet with them, you
14 know, to go over this KOZ situation
15 and last week Judy asked to meet with
16 him because she didn't see him the
17 first time. So I imagine they would
18 probably be tabling this Mount
19 Pleasant situation. I don't know. I
20 personally don't think you should.
21 You already saw Austin Burke once in
22 the paper today. What's he going to
23 take -- the bottom line is you should
24 not want KOZs. But, you know, I'm
25 talking for nothing because I'm sure
00009
1 you're going to table it. Mr. McGoff
2 will do anything to make sure this
3 stays alive. There's no way. You
4 would do whatever it takes. If you
5 have to go to the state legislator to
6 get it changed to make the extension
7 on June 30, I bet you'll do it,
8 because Mr. Doherty wants it and
9 you'll do whatever it takes to get
10 this KOZ passed.
11 Well, Judy, everyone is running
12 for election. I don't know if it's a
13 write in or not but if you are, you
14 better take this into consideration,
15 because all the voters will be looking
16 at this vote, and I really don't think
17 you should table this tonight. I
18 think you should stand your ground.
19 If you don't want them, there's
20 nothing Austin Burke can tell you that
21 you don't already know. He's trying
22 to give people properties with no
23 taxes.
24 I'd like to know, how do I get to
25 pay no taxes, and my neighbor and the
00010
1 neighbor -- one around the corner and
2 the one in West Side, the one in South
3 Side, the one on East Mountain, the
4 one in Pine Brook, the one in Green
5 Ridge? How could we, the average
6 citizen to keep this city alive with
7 our taxes, how do we go about KOZs? I
8 should probably file a discrimination
9 lawsuit. How could these people be in
10 a KOZ like in Tripps Park and then I
11 see Tripps Park is on there for the
12 homes that weren't built yet, probably
13 for -- they should be stopped. You
14 wonder why the city is distressed?
15 Because people like you, Mr. McGoff
16 and Mrs. Fanucci, that want to push it
17 up through with no taxes. You think
18 it's funny? You always think it's
19 funny. Wait till January. I
20 absolutely think this should be put
21 right down, voted no tonight. You're
22 going to get easy and table it,
23 totally uncalled for. And all the
24 other ones, they should all be voting
25 no.
00011
1 You know what, last week you
2 mentioned about the Scranton School
3 Board, how they should speak up on
4 this. Well you know what, they did
5 speak up, maybe not through a voice,
6 but they stood up for what they
7 believe. You know how? They didn't
8 put it on the agenda. That tells a
9 long story, sends a strong message.
10 It says we don't want these KOZs.
11 That's what they did by not putting it
12 on their agenda. You know what, I
13 give everyone credit. Good for those
14 school directors. They're working for
15 the people. Congratulations to them
16 for taking a strong stance. That's
17 what you should be doing. Mr. McGoff
18 is president. You didn't have to put
19 it on the agenda either. You chose
20 to, you chose to. You could have
21 stopped it right dead in the water but
22 you didn't want to.
23 I also asked last week about your
24 investigation of Ken McDowell, the tax
25 collector and the tax office. Nobody
00012
1 made a motion. I asked you to. Mrs.
2 Fanucci mentioned to me she had to ask
3 Mr. Minora because she didn't know if
4 it was legal. Did anybody find out?
5 Did anybody ask Mr. Minora during the
6 week or nobody even to ask it? Could
7 somebody -- could you make a motion to
8 investigate Ken McDowell, the city
9 council? Mrs Evans asked one before
10 but only as a single person. But as a
11 body. If you ask for an investigation
12 by city council, I believe that Mr.
13 Jarbola has to investigate it. Is
14 anybody going to make a motion?
15 Mr. McGoff, are you going to make
16 a motion tonight since nobody is
17 answering?
18 MR. MCGOFF: No, I'm not.
19 MS. FRANUS: Mrs. Gatelli, will
20 you make a motion tonight?
21 MS. GATELLI: I have no problem
22 making a motion.
23 MS. FRANUS: Pardon me?
24 MS. GATELLI: I'm sorry. I
25 didn't know I didn't have it on. I
00013
1 don't have any problem making a motion
2 to ask for an investigation.
3 MS. FRANUS: Mrs. Evans?
4 MS. EVANS: I don't have any
5 problem with it either and I'd be
6 happy to second it.
7 MS. FRANUS: Okay. But now does
8 anybody know, Mr. Minora, if that's
9 legal or not that you can investigate
10 by having council ask. That's what
11 Mrs Fanucci stated, you have to ask --
12 they have to ask you.
13 MR. MINORA: A motion to
14 investigate by council or by the
15 District Attorney's Office?
16 MS. FRANUS: Motion from
17 council --
18 MS. GATELLI: To ask to
19 investigate.
20 MR. MINORA: Ask the district
21 attorney?
22 MR. EVANS: To investigate.
23 MS. FRANUS: Ask who?
24 MR. MINORA: You can ask. You
25 can ask for anything. He has the
00014
1 discretion to -- as a district
2 attorney, he has the discretion to
3 prosecute and/or investigate based on
4 evidence that is before him. I think
5 he's already said what he is going to
6 do. You're going to do it again, it
7 doesn't --
8 MS. FRANUS: You've never -- city
9 council has never asked for an
10 investigation. Mrs. Evans may have
11 but city council as whole has not.
12 MR. MINORA: Well, as I said, it
13 still remains the discretion of the
14 district attorney to investigate.
15 MS. FRANUS: But it won't go
16 anchor unless somebody asked.
17 MR. MINORA: To investigate
18 and/or prosecute based on evidence
19 before.
20 MS. FRANUS: Yes, but I think --
21 MS. GATELLI: Yeah, we have the
22 right to ask.
23 MS. FRANUS: And I would
24 appreciate very much if city council
25 would ask Mr. Jarbola to investigate
00015
1 Ken McDowell who is serving now
2 illegally. The Supreme Court said he
3 can run but he cannot serve. Right
4 now he is there illegally and nobody
5 is doing anything about it. This, to
6 me, is horrible. So -- nobody does
7 anything about it. Nothing -- you
8 know, you want things to stay the
9 same, stay the way they are, keep
10 doing what you are doing. In other
11 words, somebody has to do something or
12 nothing will get done. Please, go
13 after this investigation with District
14 Attorney Jarbola on that tax office,
15 the missing money and Kenny McDowell.
16 Also, since these meetings are
17 going to be 10 o'clock in the morning
18 next week, could anybody please find
19 out from Channel 61 or inquire, ask if
20 they would please make sure they put
21 this on one night during the week
22 night instead of every day during the
23 day because nobody is home during the
24 day to see this meeting. People will
25 not see them if they are not just one
00016
1 night next week. And we have to know
2 what night that would be. Thank you.
3 MR. MCGOFF: Marie Shumacker.
4 MS. EVANS: Kay, contact ECTV and
5 find out if that would be possible to
6 have it rebroadcast during the evening
7 on a weeknight as well as I think what
8 they do would be one night and if they
9 are agreeable, what weeknight it will
10 be. Thanks.
11 MS. SCHUMACKER: Marie
12 Schumacker, resident, member of the
13 Taxpayers' Association.
14 First, I would like to ask you to
15 vote against the transfer of the
16 Genesis Wildlife Center $50,000 until
17 the apparent hole in revenue is
18 filled. Also, it would seem to fly in
19 the face of the purpose of the
20 Leadership Lackawanna if the recipient
21 of a gift also pays for the gift.
22 Moody's has assigned a negative
23 outlook to the municipal bond market,
24 so any revenue hole from unfulfilled
25 expectations and monies from the
00017
1 single tax office would most likely
2 result in an increase property tax,
3 something that cannot be afforded.
4 Now, to the KOZ extensions which
5 I am against as a matter of principle.
6 It is simply wrong and immoral to
7 impose a fee on non KOZ businesses and
8 property owners in the form of
9 increased taxes so KOZ businesses and
10 residents may be spared from taxation
11 of their property, wages and gross
12 receipts. Do you comprehend what you
13 are contemplating giving up?
14 Take Mount Pleasant. I made some
15 rough calculations based on advertised
16 information, that is, $30 million of
17 improvements on the land, land
18 assessed at $107,850 and 1,000 good
19 jobs for which I assume the average
20 wage of $32,000 a year. Property
21 taxes would be about 300,000; wage
22 taxes would be 768,000. If you assume
23 salaries are 30 percent of the
24 company's expenses and revenues match
25 expenses, then gross sales would be
00018
1 about 107 million dollars. I believe
2 both mercantile and privilege business
3 taxes are each one percent which would
4 analyze to one million dollars for
5 each. So you are contemplating giving
6 up over three million dollars or half
7 of the annual structure of deficit if
8 you believe PEL every year through
9 2025. You do know that these tax
10 abatements by law may be for ten years
11 from the date of occupancy. So if you
12 assume an occupancy of 2015, then
13 you're going to have all these tax
14 abatements out to 2025.
15 Now, to another proposed
16 extension that seems be nothing short
17 of downright sneaky. The current
18 agreement with the Ice Box says the
19 term of the lease is 99 years,
20 $600,000 rent is due when the city --
21 when several conditions are met. The
22 resolution to extend the KOZ
23 incorporates an increase in the term
24 of the lease -- in the transmittal
25 letter, it says the terms of the
00019
1 agreement -- of the lease goes from 99
2 years to 198 years at one dollar a
3 year with the $600,000 not due until
4 the end of the lease. That
5 significant change is deceptive and an
6 outright insult to all taxpayers.
7 Wait two centuries to collect rent. I
8 believe that is preposterous.
9 Now, to most of the D&L
10 properties. The backup says, quote,
11 unquote, there are plans to
12 development. How does that create
13 jobs? Why not be forthright and say,
14 I don't want to pay tax and please
15 make that legal. A true slap in the
16 face to all taxpayers.
17 Now to the Rinaldi 510-512
18 Lackawanna Avenue property. Mr.
19 Rinaldi has already been gifted, yes,
20 folks, a brand new gift with 26 to 30
21 million dollars of taxpayer money to
22 development property from which only
23 he will gain benefit. But apparently
24 that is not enough for Mr. Rinaldi.
25 He wants to not pay taxes either.
00020
1 This is nothing short of unadulterated
2 greed.
3 Finally, there are alternatives
4 to giving away the store with no
5 guarantee of a return. That is the
6 Local Economic Revitalization Tax
7 Assessment Act or LERTA. As stated in
8 the LERTA guidelines, it offers a
9 potentially vial and effective tool
10 for local governments to revitalize
11 the economically deteriorated areas
12 and to increase job opportunities as
13 well as increasing the tax revenue
14 needed to fund local government
15 services. So if you want to do
16 anything to help them, LERTA seems to
17 be the way to go; definitely not KOZ.
18 Thank you.
19 MR. MCGOFF: Bob Bolus.
20 MR. BOLUS: Good evening,
21 council. Bob Bolus, Scranton.
22 To cut through the chase, I'm
23 here to question the KOZs from 9F
24 through 5Y. I don't need to read each
25 and everyone here to take up time
00021
1 doing them. I think we're fully aware
2 of what they are. To even consider
3 allowing these people, this group, the
4 DeNaples group, Bob Burke at the Ice
5 Box. He didn't even pay for the
6 property he's sitting on down there.
7 He wants a KOZ to build a bank. Banks
8 have money. They can build their own.
9 He doesn't have to come here. And
10 that's for another free ride. He's
11 had a free ride.
12 DeNaples' people, Boulevard
13 Avenue, they just sold the property to
14 the Reserve Center for millions of
15 dollars, 30-some million. Not to
16 them, but that's what it's costing to
17 build there. How many million did
18 they get for their property? Plus the
19 millions of dollars they have made
20 over the last 15 years or so taking
21 the silt from the coal lot there.
22 Nobody has even looked at that.
23 There's no royalties to the city.
24 They've been taking millions of
25 dollars. Now they want to come in and
00022
1 take millions more. They want to go
2 out here by the old South Side Complex
3 that we installed, that the "U" owns,
4 all the abutting land around there, he
5 wants to take free, KOZ, to profit
6 more at the expense of the people of
7 the city. And let's take his other
8 place up by the viaduct. They want to
9 put a co-gen plant there. He wants to
10 keep that KOZ, another free ride.
11 These are millionaires, the
12 Rinaldis on Lackawanna Avenue,
13 millions of dollars. We didn't get an
14 impact fee for all the inconvenience
15 we had while they were there, because
16 nobody on council pushed, nor did the
17 administration. So where are we
18 heading here? We want to give these
19 multimillionaires millions of dollars
20 more. I don't know about the gas
21 line, Mr. McGoff and others at
22 council, that ran from it, runs now
23 from Taylor through Scranton, Dunmore,
24 and Throop that Mr. DeNaples owns the
25 railroad line that it goes through,
00023
1 adding more millions to his pocket.
2 Not that I begrudge anybody making
3 millions of dollars. I'm just sitting
4 here saying between the university and
5 all the other ones that put the screws
6 to the people in this city because the
7 legislatures here and the
8 administration won't do anything about
9 it, including the commissioners. It's
10 time now to sit here and look at it.
11 Tell Austin Burke if he wants to give
12 something away, let him give his money
13 away. He's privatized everything he
14 could to the people over the years for
15 giveaways and industry and business,
16 yet we receive nothing out of it.
17 If you want to build a business
18 and many of us have businesses, many
19 of us have been in the city a whole
20 lifetime. We didn't get a free ride.
21 We paid our way in the city, so has
22 every other business; the jewelers,
23 the butcher, the baker, the
24 candlestick maker if you want that
25 route. That's with Bill Scranton.
00024
1 Now, you want to sit here and vote to
2 allow these people who developed
3 anything over all these years that
4 they had KOZ, now they come and they
5 want more time. They need a KOZ.
6 They have the money to develop. They
7 have the money to weather the storm.
8 And they continue to weather the
9 storm, and they continue to buy, and
10 they continue to grow. They don't
11 need another free ride at the expense
12 of the city. We paid DeNaples a
13 garbage fee that pay for the City of
14 Scranton. Our garbage should be free.
15 Yet, we pay a fee to deliver and get
16 rid of our garbage on top of our
17 taxes.
18 You know, I'm going to cut it
19 short, because I think now enough is
20 enough. We have to wake up to
21 reality. You vote for this and
22 basically you're contributing to
23 destroy the City of Scranton and give
24 the city away to those that profiteer
25 off of us time after time after time.
00025
1 Learn to say no, let them invest their
2 money. They're big boys, we saw the
3 Southern Union, we've seen with
4 Connell building, we've seen it with
5 everything else -- Bewitching -- all
6 the other places in the city are all
7 KOZ, tax free, university, huge
8 footprint, tax free. It's time to
9 draw the line, ladies and gentlemen.
10 It's time to stand up to the people of
11 this city and say no. You're going to
12 drive us into bankruptcy. We can no
13 longer support these businesses that
14 can't go out and do their own job.
15 They had the opportunity. That's what
16 it was called. The one going along
17 the Scranton Expressway, they want
18 1,000 jobs here, they were going to
19 come here anyway with or without your
20 help where they should be building a
21 project. Judge with your heart, judge
22 with your consideration, but put the
23 people in the city first for a change.
24 That's your job. Thank you.
25 MR. MCGOFF: Andy Sbaraglia.
00026
1 MR. SBARAGLIA: Andy Sbaraglia,
2 citizen of Scranton. Fellow
3 Scrantonians, I see A-B, for
4 introduction, an ordinance to takeover
5 that land again up there off of Keyser
6 Valley, the roads again. We went
7 through this -- it was two years ago
8 when we had all these people come in
9 on these roads telling us, again, you
10 want to sell it to us for a buck. You
11 know what, I don't think we should
12 take it for a buck. It's going to
13 cost us a heck of a lot more to take
14 care of the roads. And besides that,
15 there's all kinds of problems up
16 there. That guy that used to come
17 here and explain with his citizen
18 group up there. He had a lot of
19 complaints about that. So it's coming
20 up again. And I think Billy was
21 really in on that. I think he went up
22 there a few times to talk to people up
23 there. So, again, it's coming up.
24 Well, I guess a lot is going to come
25 up before November. Okay.
00027
1 I'm not going to get into all the
2 KOZs. I'm just saying, you've got
3 time, you've got to listen to KOZs.
4 Go out and look at what they have done
5 in the nine and half years that was
6 given to them -- I know none of you
7 voted for that. That was given to
8 them. Go out and look at it. Most of
9 it was just a fence. Scartelli made a
10 parking lot for his vehicles, put up a
11 fence around it. One of the DeNaples
12 parcels has only a fence around it and
13 that's where it stood. Another
14 parcel, he just -- I guess it's AFCO
15 is taken out of it. And there's no
16 development there either. That's
17 where they had that mine fire. And
18 just look at these KOZs. Don't sit
19 there and say this or that. Go and
20 look, examine them. That's the best
21 thing you can do and then when you
22 come and people talk about them, you
23 have firsthand knowledge of what was
24 done at them sites. For me to come up
25 and talk to you about it, it's like
00028
1 talking to the wind. Go out and look.
2 That's what you're there for. That's
3 the best thing you can do. Don't go
4 out with what people tell you or this
5 or that. You don't look at signed
6 contracts or their dreams. I told you
7 before, my dream was always to build a
8 dam across the east and west -- Of
9 course it's a -- but so be it. But
10 it's a good deal. Just electricity.
11 But this is what I mean. Don't look
12 at pipe dreams because really they're
13 not worth it. For nine and a half
14 years we have suffered. There's no
15 question about that. We have gotten
16 tax increases, they have gotten a free
17 ride. God knows how many million of
18 dollars. The state itself is, I think
19 three billion shortfall. Scranton has
20 always had a shortfall because of the
21 give away. You're already stuck with
22 the hospitals. There's nothing you
23 can do about them and the colleges.
24 You can't afford anymore burden placed
25 on the people. They just can't afford
00029
1 it, especially this time. People are
2 really in trouble. And you've got to
3 look at that. But better yet, go out
4 and see what they did with the nine
5 and a half years. That's the best
6 thing you can do. And then you'll be
7 able to draw your own conclusions and
8 you don't have to listen to what
9 people tell you because, believe me,
10 they'll tell you anything. But in
11 nine and a half years, you can look at
12 the progress that was done with these
13 KOZ sites, and we said before, you all
14 were there when we questioned the guy
15 who oversees that project. He said
16 you don't do nothing. All he did was
17 the original that was given and then
18 he keeps recertifying them and that
19 was it because he could never, never
20 recertify the finish as being a great
21 -- I just -- why to keep this KOZ.
22 You know, every year they sort of send
23 out a report on it. And he's supposed
24 to look at it and see what was done on
25 it and surely a fence does not
00030
1 constitute a development of it. And
2 the best part about it, they talk
3 about green space all the time, this,
4 that and there. Hey, they made it
5 that way. They bought the property.
6 That's why it's a green space. If the
7 city had it, they would have probably
8 subdivided it and will say, sell it
9 off. But the city didn't own it.
10 They owned it. And they bought and
11 they wanted a free ride on it. Now
12 that the free ride is getting over,
13 they're afraid. They're starting to
14 shake in their boots because there's a
15 lot of acreage there and when they go
16 out on a KOZ, we will not need another
17 tax raise. Thank you.
18 MR. MCGOFF: Ozzie Quinn.
19 MR. QUINN: Ozzie Quinn,
20 president of the Scranton and the
21 Lackawanna County Taxpayers'
22 Association.
23 Eight years ago Mayor Doherty
24 said that if elected he would decrease
25 the wage tax. There wasn't any
00031
1 decrease in the wage tax whatsoever.
2 We're the third highest in the state.
3 The only thing he did do was increase
4 the property tax. We now are in debt
5 170 million dollars, principle only,
6 extrapolate that with the interest and
7 we're talking a half a billion
8 dollars, the city alone in debt. Now,
9 we still are 2.5 million dollars we
10 owe for the 2009 budget. Where are we
11 going to get that? The firefighters
12 and the state police, they still
13 haven't gotten anything in eight
14 years. And you have the state trooper
15 and you have the captain lose their
16 life. They walk out everyday, out the
17 door and do they come back, and yet
18 they fight against giving them a
19 raise. It's a shame.
20 Now, I spoke personally on the
21 phone to Lee Mame who is the
22 coordinator for the KOZs for the state
23 and he unequivocally said that there
24 has to be all three on board in order
25 to be approved, you know that. Now, I
00032
1 don't get it. The county
2 commissioners, none of them live in
3 Scranton. Austin Burke doesn't live
4 in Scranton. I'm not trying to be
5 provincial, but the fact is how can
6 they say give these people a ride but
7 charge Ozzie Quinn a tax. Holy cow,
8 it's unbelievable. I have a
9 grievance. According to the
10 constitution of the Commonwealth,
11 let's bring that, Article 8, Section
12 One, "All taxes shall be uniform."
13 Now, anything against this is
14 unconstitutional and reaps injustice
15 to the people. Now, Rendell --
16 Governor Rendell today -- what an
17 oxi-maroon, he -- at a press release
18 spoke this way -- is going to raise
19 personal income tax .5 percent, half a
20 percent. Okay? Now, what does that
21 mean? That means that there's going
22 to be 24,000 fewer jobs if the state
23 income tax is hiked 3.57. Despite
24 overwhelming data and consensus from
25 the congress that raising taxes in a
00033
1 recession is economically destructive,
2 Governor Rendell has announced he's
3 pushing to the general assembly to
4 raise the state income tax by
5 16 percent. This would destroy 24,000
6 and drastically reduce the paychecks
7 of those fortunate enough to have a
8 job in a down economy. What can you
9 do about it? Spending -- two year
10 terms has increased by more than
11 double the rate of inflation. Just
12 like Mayor Doherty, raising taxes in a
13 recession is a proven job -- the
14 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the
15 Commonwealth foundation identify
16 nearly five billion of wasteful state
17 pending. Terrible. Raising the taxes
18 and yet wasteful spending.
19 Now, if you really want to do
20 something for the people, you know,
21 there's a House Bill 1275 that's
22 existing in the house right now and
23 none of the representatives from
24 Lackawanna County or the state senator
25 has supported this. This would
00034
1 eliminate the school property tax.
2 Your school property tax is 58 percent
3 of your total bill. I don't hear
4 anybody coming along and say let's do
5 it, let's get behind this. But there
6 are 32 taxpayers associations that
7 belong to the Pennsylvania Coalition
8 Taxpayers' Association that have
9 endorsed this bill. Eliminate the
10 school property tax. In the house
11 bill which Senator Rohr from Reading
12 had introduced, you know, he has ways
13 and means of getting funding from the
14 Department of Education right to the
15 districts and it would be equitable
16 because some districts are poor, some
17 are rich. But we don't do it this,
18 you know. So, please, try to think
19 about the blue collar worker, and
20 think about at least somebody look
21 into it, talk to one of the
22 representatives.
23 And the last thing I want to say
24 is we speak about the University of
25 Scranton and, you know, I'm a graduate
00035
1 of the University of Scranton and I
2 got an annual report that said the
3 University of Scranton on it --
4 placing -- gave $500,000 to the City
5 of Scranton -- $500,000, that's
6 peanuts to them.
7 Now, I would like to recommend --
8 Mrs. Evans, how about writing a letter
9 to Father Pilarz and ask him if he
10 would consider giving five
11 scholarships to lower income students
12 that deserve some type of a college
13 scholarship, okay, at least give
14 something back to the community.
15 Thank you.
16 MR. MCGOFF: Joe Talimin.
17 MR. TALIMIN: Good evening,
18 council, Joe Talimin, City of
19 Scranton.
20 In regard to KOZs, I was either
21 mislead or misinformed the fact that
22 the county commissioners did a blanket
23 endorsement for the KOZs. And I was
24 told today that is absolutely not
25 true. This came from the county
00036
1 commissioners themselves and I have
2 the e-mail right here. It says, "Yes,
3 we did grant KOZ to the Mount Pleasant
4 project but had no idea about blanket
5 approval of these about to expire."
6 Now, that came from the county
7 commissioners. You want to call them
8 a liar, fine. You want to call me a
9 liar, fine. But that's the facts.
10 Now, if you investigate those facts,
11 you'll find out the county
12 commissioners did not give a blanket
13 endorsement. The only one they
14 granted approval to was the Mount
15 Pleasant project.
16 Now, we're looking at 5E, a
17 resolution authorizing revision of the
18 existing traffic signal along 7th
19 Avenue/Providence Road. Mrs. Evans,
20 you work down there, you know how that
21 traffic is with those kids, especially
22 during school hours and shortly
23 afterwards.
24 Is the Ice Box still in arrears?
25 Has the Ice Box met their financial
00037
1 obligation to the city yet?
2 MS. EVANS: No, it has not.
3 MR. TALIMIN: Then why would we
4 grant them another entryway to build a
5 bank, et cetera, on that property?
6 They haven't met the obligations they
7 have with the city now. I would hope
8 that you people would vote absolutely
9 not, because until these people come
10 up and pay what they owe, they have no
11 rights. They have no right. You're
12 willing to foreclose on somebody who
13 can't afford their taxes or take the
14 house away from them, and yet you want
15 to encourage somebody who can't make
16 their obligations? It is a profit
17 making organization. And if they
18 can't pay their just due, then they
19 sure don't deserve any consideration
20 from this council.
21 Now, another fact, and I'm not
22 even going to go into the rest of the
23 KOZs but I would go along with what
24 Mrs. Schumacher said. That 50,000
25 which was designated to the Genesis
00038
1 Wildlife Center and now is being
2 diverted to something else, that
3 should be absolutely a no vote as
4 well. That $50,000 could have kept
5 the Wildlife Center here. It did not.
6 Austin Burke, one of my favorite
7 subjects. Austin Burke has been pussy
8 footing around this city council
9 chamber for quite some time. Austin
10 Burke is supposed to represent the
11 Chamber of Commerce and the businesses
12 in this community. But Austin Burke
13 is coming to the city council and
14 wanting this and that. Why doesn't
15 Austin Burke come before the citizens
16 of this city and tell them exactly
17 what he has in mind. I'd like to say
18 right here that I cut out today, Mr.
19 Burke's statement. I think it's very
20 considerate of him to invite the
21 council. He is going to invite the
22 council and the commissioners and the
23 school board to meet with him. Well,
24 Mr. Burke, I suggest that you meet
25 with the city council who had invited
00039
1 you to come down and you never showed
2 your face. Come on out in the open.
3 You don't have to pussy foot behind
4 closed doors. We're not going to bite
5 you.
6 You know, he talks about a
7 skilled labor force, he also talks
8 about quality infrastructure. And the
9 best part of it is, he talks about
10 road maintenance. Well, Mr. Burke,
11 you better come off your ivory tower
12 and take a good look at what's going
13 on around you because you sure in hell
14 have no idea what you're talking
15 about. You're a snake oil salesman
16 and that's what you're ever going to
17 be. And if you're not willing to face
18 the people, then don't ask for our
19 consideration because I, for one, am
20 not going to give it to you, and I
21 hope that council won't with this.
22 Thank you.
23 MR. MCGOFF: Just for point of
24 information. We have a resolution
25 dated May 14th, 2008, signed by all
00040
1 three county commissioners in which
2 they give blanket endorsement to all
3 KOZ, KOEZs. And I don't need Mr.
4 Talimin to tell me and I'm not looking
5 for a response. It's in a resolution.
6 MR. MCGOFF: Lee Morgan.
7 MR. MORGAN: Good evening,
8 council. The first thing I have is
9 that the Mr. Burke represents business
10 in this city and council is supposed
11 to represent the residents. And, you
12 know, I'm hopeful tonight that this
13 will be the end of the KOZ debates. I
14 hope that legislation would never have
15 been introduced -- there have been
16 numerous speakers who have come to the
17 podium tonight asking that this be
18 killed. And I think the best thing
19 that could happen to this city is if
20 we voted no for KOZs. We have enough
21 blight in our neighborhoods. We've
22 shifted enough of the tax burden to
23 the residents. You know, the truth of
24 the matter is, I think the Scranton
25 School District has a much firmer
00041
1 grasp of the realities of the KOZs
2 because they have to finance the
3 education of the students who go to
4 those schools. And the tax burden
5 they're putting the residents under is
6 extreme to say the least. But they
7 know that they can't do without this
8 revenue any longer. And my opinion
9 when as I think Ozzie stated, the
10 governor said today that there's
11 either going to be a property increase
12 or a personal tax increase. And my
13 opinion is the KOZs spun from the very
14 top of the political spectrum in
15 Pennsylvania right from the
16 legislatures, both branches. And it
17 was all to feed political supporters
18 who give contributions. Today I went
19 and picked up the contributions or
20 whatever for the election this year
21 and I wasn't surprised to see that the
22 mayor raised $544,000 for a primary.
23 And, you know, it's almost obscene the
24 amount of revenue that people are
25 spending to be elected, but this
00042
1 revenue comes from individuals, and I
2 just think, you know, we're putting a
3 lot of pressure, I guess, on this
4 council to vote no to the KOZs but
5 they were really invented in a layer
6 of politics much higher than you are.
7 The only thing is that the paint is
8 really rolling downhill. And if we
9 want to invite in this city, we want
10 to plug the holes that we have in our
11 budget, we need the tax revenue, and
12 we keep going back to the residents in
13 the neighborhoods, we keep screaming
14 about blight, we keep screaming about
15 absentee landlords, we keep screaming
16 about everything except what is
17 reality. And the reality is the
18 people with the deepest pockets aren't
19 paying anything, and the people that
20 don't have pockets left anymore,
21 they're paying everything. And we
22 need to do something about that.
23 You know, Mrs. Gatelli, I hope
24 you vote no. I mean that. I hope
25 that you vote no. I hope there are
00043
1 three votes here. Well, maybe not
2 tonight but I hope that there are
3 enough votes here tonight to once and
4 far all vote no to the KOZs and let
5 all these people spend the money to
6 develop their property and let them
7 pay the taxes and let them keep their
8 money working, because if we're really
9 going to create jobs, then we have to
10 have the people that have the money
11 continually reinvesting the money to
12 avoid taxation, not fighting laws to
13 skirt taxation, but to keep their
14 money actually working in a cycle so
15 they can increase the employment
16 cycle. And that's the problem we
17 have. They're hoarding all their
18 money. They're not spending anything.
19 They've been collecting a lot of
20 money, and they're padding their nest
21 for their retirement or for their
22 families in the future. And then the
23 poor everyday Scrantonians, they can't
24 save any money for their future
25 because we're taxing it from them.
00044
1 And I find it really troubling and
2 tonight, like I said before, should be
3 the end of the KOZs.
4 And, Mrs. Gatelli, I know that
5 the residents here are paying a lot of
6 attention to how you vote tonight.
7 The same with all the council members
8 but, you know, you did a lot for South
9 Side and I know there are a lot of
10 eyes in the city are watching you
11 tonight, and I think that most
12 residents of this city realize that
13 the Scranton School District did the
14 right thing by not voting for it. And
15 the county commissioners didn't vote
16 for all of them either, and it's --
17 MS. GATELLI: They did.
18 MR. MORGAN: Well, I was led to
19 believe they didn't okay all.
20 MS. GATELLI: We'll show you the
21 resolution if you'd like.
22 MR. MORGAN: That will be fine.
23 But I think it's time just to say no,
24 and that's all I have. Thank you.
25 MR. MCGOFF: Jim Stucker. I'm
00045
1 sorry, Jim. Go ahead.
2 MR. STUCKER: I went down by the
3 stadium coming down the ramp, there's
4 high grass on each side of that
5 highway, on the main ramp there coming
6 down, there's grass about this high,
7 it's not cut, coming down the ramp,
8 coming down the --
9 MR. MCGOFF: Off the expressway,
10 the ramp on the expressway.
11 MR. STUCKER: There's a lot of --
12 they should get that cut. This time
13 of year now, this time of year there
14 are a lot of snakes in the grass. You
15 have a lot of snakes in the grass, up
16 in the high grass.
17 So coming down by Whistles that
18 road there has a lot of holes, they've
19 got to fix that, that main road by
20 Whistles, that's chewed up like that.
21 MS. EVANS: The road at Whistles.
22 MR. STUCKER: Yeah, yeah. It's
23 all chopped up, the road is, yeah, the
24 road, it's on that.
25 MR. MCGOFF: I have the address
00046
1 and I will pass this along for you.
2 MR. STUCKER: You maybe see about
3 getting lines drawn on Mulberry. Same
4 thing on that Mulberry coming down
5 that. There's no -- they need lines
6 there, crosswalk, crosswalk, too. I
7 mean, crosswalk, walk there.
8 MR. MCGOFF: Okay.
9 MR. STUCKER: And up there by the
10 university, by the school. The one up
11 there where I live where I stay at the
12 high-rise. There's no lines there
13 either.
14 MR. MCGOFF: No crosswalk lines?
15 MR. STUCKER: No, no.
16 MR. MCGOFF: That probably should
17 be looked at throughout the city.
18 MR. STUCKER: Yeah. Somebody is
19 going to get hit there. A lady was
20 sitting in the middle of the road
21 today down by Tink's today, right in
22 the middle of the road. People had to
23 help her off the road and put her on
24 the sidewalk. She hit her head on a
25 curb, so the ambulance came and took
00047
1 her to the hospital. She always do
2 that this time of year now. Oh, I
3 don't know, people are stupid sitting
4 in the middle of the road when the
5 cars are moving.
6 MR. MCGOFF: And we will look
7 into all of these problems for you.
8 MR. STUCKER: All right. Okay.
9 And what about houses there by the
10 Mercy Hospital. There are two
11 abandoned houses there on top of the
12 hill going -- there are two empty
13 houses there, two abandoned houses
14 there. There's one --
15 MR. MCGOFF: I'm not sure what
16 the addresses would be on that, Jim,
17 so somebody would have to go and look
18 and get the addresses first.
19 MR. STUCKER: People are sleeping
20 in there, I know that.
21 MR. MCGOFF: Okay.
22 MR. STUCKER: I have my number.
23 Got to give it to Stuckard Demolition.
24 Stuckard. I used to work for Stuckard
25 Demolition, I used to work for the
00048
1 guy. He told me to get my number and
2 give it to him.
3 MS. GATELLI: Don't give your
4 number. We're on TV. Give it to
5 Neil. We'll give it to Mr. Stuckard.
6 MR. MCGOFF: Thank you, Jim. Les
7 Spindler.
8 MR. SPINDLER: Good evening,
9 council. Les Spindler, city resident,
10 taxpayer and homeowner.
11 I'm really shocked and
12 disappointed that Mrs. Fanucci isn't
13 here tonight because most of what I
14 have to say is directed towards her
15 but I'll say it anyway.
16 Last week she criticized the
17 school for not even putting the KOZs
18 on the agenda. She said it was
19 irresponsible by them. I don't think
20 it was irresponsible. I think in good
21 conscience they couldn't give the
22 people a six percent tax hike which
23 they're doing and then give these
24 billionaires tax-free land. They have
25 a conscience. Something that you
00049
1 don't have, I guess Mr. McGoff or Mrs.
2 Fanucci because if she was here
3 tonight, she would definitely vote for
4 the KOZs, but she doesn't have a
5 conscience because she socked it to us
6 with a 25 percent tax hike and yet
7 she's all for the KOZs. That's why I
8 can't believe she's not here tonight.
9 Mayor Doherty must know it's a
10 dead deal. They probably told her not
11 to show up tonight because the school
12 board is not going to vote on it. So
13 this issue is dead in the water. And
14 you can have a stack of those papers
15 from the commissioners, Mr. McGoff,
16 they won't do you any good, because if
17 the school board doesn't okay it, it's
18 a dead issue. And continuing now
19 with these KOZs. There's a couple of
20 them, Mr. Scartelli, and it's curious
21 that Scartelli, they are a big donator
22 to the Doherty campaign. Smells a
23 little fishy there that the mayor
24 wants to give them KOZs. Just
25 returning the favor.
00050
1 Next, what I've been asking for
2 the past few weeks, did your solicitor
3 talk to Attorney Cullen about the two
4 city employees that were caught
5 stealing the DiBello signs?
6 MR. MINORA: I did not.
7 MR. SPINDLER: I didn't hear you.
8 MR. MINORA: I did not.
9 MR. MCGOFF: He did not.
10 MR. SPINDLER: Are you going to?
11 MR. MINORA: I beg your pardon?
12 MR. SPINDLER: Are you going to?
13 Council asked you two weeks ago.
14 MR. MINORA: It will be done in
15 due time.
16 MR. SPINDLER: Amazing. Throwing
17 under the rug just like Ray Hayes and
18 Chief Elliott.
19 Yesterday at the DA's press
20 conference about the tragedy of Mrs.
21 Williams death, the city officials
22 were invited to be there. Supposedly
23 Chris Doherty was out of town. Was
24 there a basketball game yesterday?
25 Chief Elliott and Ray Hayes neglected
00051
1 to show up. That just shows the
2 incompetence of our city officials.
3 This act was done in our city,
4 tragically a woman died, and none of
5 our city officials showed up at the
6 press conference. The D.A.'s Office
7 was there, the state police were
8 represented, nobody from our city
9 represented us and that's a darn
10 shame. Again, honestly, it just
11 showed the incompetence of our city
12 officials.
13 One more thing. I'm going to say
14 how Lackawanna College is taking over
15 the Genesis Wildlife Center. This is
16 illegal according to the deed. A
17 private entity cannot go into Nay Aug
18 Park. Nay Aug Park is a free and
19 public park. It's in the deed. I
20 have a copy of the deed, and I think
21 this council should send a letter to
22 the mayor asking him not to give that
23 zoo to Lackawanna College.
24 And that's all I have. It's like
25 the old saying -- the old song goes,
00052
1 see you in September. I can't make
2 the 10 o'clock meetings.
3 MR. MCGOFF: Carl Kupchunas.
4 MR. KUPCHUNAS: Good evening. My
5 name is Carl Kupchunas. The reason
6 I'm here this evening is to invite
7 everyone here and everyone watching on
8 Channel 61 to our annual block party,
9 the Catholic community which includes
10 St. Joseph's, St. Anthony's and Holy
11 Rosary Parish will be conducting our
12 annual block party next weekend, June
13 25th, 26th and 27th at our parish
14 center which is on West Market Street
15 by Cole Muffler, the block party
16 between 6:00 and 11 p.m. on Thursday
17 and Friday and 5:00 and 11:00 p.m. on
18 Saturday. The block party will
19 include the following light
20 entertainment. On Thursday, Picture
21 Perfect will be featured; on Friday,
22 Irish Balladeers; and on Saturday,
23 John Seagrams and Double Shot Polka
24 Band. Gifts -- there should be
25 something for everyone. We have a
00053
1 variety of games for adults and
2 children, such as the Big Six, the
3 Money Wheel, Black Jack and the poker
4 tables for the adults as well as our
5 annual raffle. For the children, we
6 have plush animals, WII games, the
7 kids corner which will include face
8 painting, pony rides and many more
9 games and fun. We can't forget our
10 annual Diaper Derby which we run
11 Friday, June 26th at 7 p.m. all
12 children up to three years of age
13 warmly invited to run for the roses.
14 Prizes will be awarded at the Medal
15 Stand. Other feature at our block
16 party are Treasure Cove -- also
17 baskets -- ice cream truck, bingo and
18 many more. Also, we have some of the
19 best food around. In addition to
20 burgers, hot dogs, fries, pizza,
21 potato pancakes and the usual block
22 party food and beverages, we will be
23 featuring at St. Joseph's stand
24 homemade pigs in a blanket, homemade
25 kielbasa, sauerkraut and Assoukes.
00054
1 Assoukes are Lithuanian homemade
2 cookies. At St. Anthony's stand we'll
3 have homemade Italian cookies and
4 pastries. Why wait until September
5 for La Festa which is many months away
6 when you can get these delicious food
7 items next week and right here in
8 North Scranton. Everybody see our
9 block party has something for
10 everyone. We hope to see you there
11 next week, rain or shine, and
12 sincerely thank everyone who comes.
13 In other matters, when I was here
14 in February, I asked if anyone had an
15 update on the Albright Avenue flood
16 control project which is being done by
17 the Army Corps of Engineers. I was
18 informed that the project was
19 scheduled to be completed to beyond
20 the Albright Avenue Bridge by the
21 first quarter of 2010. It is now the
22 second quarter of 2009 and the project
23 has been at a complete standstill for
24 many months since mid February. Does
25 anyone on the council have an update
00055
1 on the timetable of this project? Or
2 would it be possible for council to
3 write a letter to the Army Corps of
4 Engineers for a timetable update on
5 this project? So far, the summer as
6 everybody all knows and after going
7 through three previous floods, the
8 residents of lower Green Ridge are
9 very nervous every time it rains. Any
10 help in getting this important project
11 completed will be appreciated.
12 I would like to thank you for
13 your time and I hope everybody have a
14 great summer and would it be possible
15 to write a letter to the Army Corps,
16 get some kind of update? Like I said,
17 it been very rainy and, I mean, it's
18 not good. Thank you.
19 MR. MCGOFF: I'll take care of
20 it.
21 Roger Leonard.
22 MR. LEONARD: I'm actually in
23 favor of the KOZ. I'm here for
24 myself. I don't know -- I guess on a
25 one-on-one basis or doing do it an --
00056
1 MR. MCGOFF: It will been done
2 individually.
3 MR. LEONARD: Okay. Well, I
4 guess July 10th is when Rendell signed
5 this act into law, and it only
6 represents properties that were built
7 on/or still unbuilt as of September
8 8th, 2008, nine months ago. It
9 doesn't apply to people that have had
10 KOZ tax relief for the last ten years
11 or so.
12 You know, my personal case, I
13 actually closed on my lot September
14 8th, 2008, because of the extension of
15 Governor Rendell. That's the only
16 reason I bought the lot to build my
17 home in Tripps Park. Now, the whole
18 reason for this KOZ extensions and
19 everybody is getting on it, trying to
20 make all this money. I make $35,000 a
21 year. I'm not a millionaire. I'm not
22 trying to get over anybody. The only
23 reason that I went this way is because
24 this is only way I can afford to build
25 a house being -- having a family of
00057
1 four and trying to, you know, live the
2 dream, you know, and build a house
3 that we got to do in the city. This
4 lot -- my lot was one of say 150 at
5 Tripps Park. Now out of that, there's
6 140-some odd houses built. So
7 obviously there's a problem with the
8 last couple lots that were passed
9 over. I mean, 140-some people didn't
10 pick this lot for a reason. My lot is
11 adjacent right through the power
12 lines. I have power lines running
13 directly to the side of my lot, then
14 150 off my lot there is the railroad
15 tracks and then another 100 feet after
16 that you have a highway there. So, I
17 mean, it's not like it's an excellent
18 area. But it's what I can afford and
19 this situation here, I have enough
20 money in order to build there. It
21 wasn't like, oh, everybody is trying
22 to make all this money. The reason
23 why the governor signed this into
24 action is get to these properties
25 sold. If they're sitting there with a
00058
1 hole for a house, they're not making
2 no money. If this property is going
3 to sit there, we're going to actually
4 pay money over the next ten years or
5 so to keep up this property. I mean,
6 the city has a ton of lots that aren't
7 -- you know, they're just being taken
8 like DPW, the parks, cutting the trees
9 down and stuff like that. That's
10 going to happen with all these lots
11 that are sitting. This lot -- the
12 extension is going to go through -- I
13 think 2017 is what it was. So if I
14 did get the extension, then I would
15 have eight years of tax relief. But
16 that house is going to be sitting
17 there for the next 200 and some odd
18 years which is going to collect -- I'm
19 going to say five times the amount of
20 the average household in Scranton,
21 Pennsylvania. So, I mean, yeah, you
22 have relief for a couple years, but
23 for the next 200 years you're going go
24 collect probably close to $5,000 a
25 year, just off of that house and that
00059
1 makes me a lifer because once you
2 build in Tripps Park, I mean, I don't
3 know if you looked at the real estate
4 markets, the houses aren't selling.
5 The ones that are up on the market are
6 sitting for two years. It's
7 impossible to get rid of. I mean,
8 you're living on the coal dump is what
9 it was, and you're living next to the
10 tracks and in my case I live under
11 high voltage lines. Nobody says,
12 well, this is my dream lot, you know,
13 I can't wait to buy this lot because
14 it's excellent. You say, you know
15 what, if I get this, it's going to
16 give me enough money to maybe put my
17 yard in, put my driveway, my sidewalks
18 and actually maybe realize the dream
19 of having a home. That was the whole
20 reason this happened. I had no idea I
21 had to go through county and city
22 council and through the school board
23 and all that other stuff. So I jumped
24 on it and, like I said, as you see
25 this paperwork, I set up my closing on
00060
1 September 8th and the deed right here
2 is September 8th. I mean, I made that
3 for a reason. I knew that. I'm just
4 hoping that you vote in favor of mine.
5 I don't know if you're going to do it
6 one-by-one. I'm not rich. I'm not
7 trying to get off with a million
8 dollars. I'm just trying to raise my
9 family here in Scranton, Pennsylvania,
10 and I'm going to add -- you might have
11 to defer the payment but like Rome
12 wasn't built in a day. I mean, you're
13 not getting the taxes now but you're
14 going to get them. You might not get
15 them for the next eight years, but
16 you're going to get them for 208
17 years, rather than not get them at
18 all. I mean, it's a toss-up. If it's
19 $5,000 a year for the next nine years
20 is 40 grand but times that by 200, not
21 to mention how much taxes are going to
22 go up, you're talking about a million
23 -- over that, you're going to receive
24 it. I mean, it's kind of common
25 sense. I mean, everybody is
00061
1 downplaying this, but people are
2 building homes, beautifying lots which
3 was a dump. The area was a dump.
4 Nobody is going to chose to live in
5 that area unless you give them some
6 kind of incentive. I mean, this is
7 life, this is reality. That's the
8 decision I made. I mean, I seen the
9 school board said about -- sorry.
10 Well, I just hope that you guys vote
11 in favor of me.
12 MR. GATELLI: Sir, what is your
13 name?
14 MR. LEONARD: Roger Leonard.
15 Thank you.
16 MR. MCGOFF: Brian and Kris
17 Kizer.
18 MS. KIZER: Good evening,
19 council. Before I start, I was
20 wondering if I can approach the bench
21 with what I'm going to say. I have it
22 written down for you.
23 MS. GARVEY: Could you please
24 state your name for the record.
25 MS. KIZER: Good evening. My
00062
1 name is Krissy Kizer and I'm here with
2 my husband, Brian Kizer.
3 Me and my husband are here this
4 evening in reference to receiving the
5 KOZ benefit on our lot, No. 120 or
6 also known as 1508 Euclid Avenue in
7 the Village of Tripps Park Community
8 Development. Our lot is currently
9 vacant. We have no date set on when
10 the construction of our home will
11 begin. The development of the land is
12 a fulfilment of a lifetime dream. By
13 having our KOZ application granted
14 will allow the construction of our
15 single family home for ourselves and
16 our children to be fulfilled at a
17 sooner time than we had hoped. Me and
18 my husband have both been raised in
19 Scranton and also bought our first
20 home here in Scranton, and we have no
21 plans of ever leaving this wonderful
22 city. We are only asking that we
23 receive the same benefits that have
24 been enjoyed by all our neighbors in
25 the Village of Tripps Park Community
00063
1 Development. The KOZ would greatly
2 benefit our family and by helping us
3 provide a better life for our
4 children. We are an honest,
5 hardworking family only asking for
6 your help in these hard economic
7 times. Again, we have no home on this
8 lot and have not received any previous
9 tax benefits. It's my understanding
10 some of the school board members are
11 not happy that we will be tax-free for
12 seven years but please note that we
13 have and will continue paying taxes on
14 our first home. Around this past
15 election time, some of the current
16 council members campaigned to focus on
17 putting the people first and making
18 our neighborhoods better. Well, we
19 are the people here tonight, and we
20 are asking that you put us first and
21 make our neighborhood better. Words
22 cannot describe how much this KOZ
23 would benefit our family. We are here
24 this evening asking for your help, not
25 only help for our family but to help
00064
1 make the City of Scranton even a more
2 wonderful place to live.
3 Thank you for your time.
4 MR. KIZER: I just would like to
5 add that I approve of the KOZ and that
6 the houses that are actually in the
7 KOZ now, once their tax time is up,
8 people are saying that they're losing
9 money, this and that, but the hundreds
10 of some houses in there that will
11 paying four or $5,000 a year, you
12 know, all of that money that will
13 added up will be pretty -- but will be
14 making those substantial lot money for
15 the city. Even in the other projects
16 with the city, all the big businesses,
17 you don't want to scare them away
18 because then you are going to scare
19 jobs away. And in the beginning
20 obviously they're going to get tax
21 relief in the beginning, but you've
22 got to think about in the long run,
23 all the money that will be generated
24 from all that. Scranton is in a
25 situation we're in now because of the
00065
1 taxes and because no business would
2 want to come here because, you know.
3 That's all I've got to say. Thank
4 you.
5 Mr. MCGOFF: Mr. Kizer, do you
6 have copies that I could leave for Mr.
7 Courtright and Mrs. Fanucci?
8 MR. KIZER: Thank you very much.
9 MR. MCGOFF: Thank you.
10 MS. EVANS: I just wanted to add,
11 though, that both you and the previous
12 speaker recognize that because the
13 school district has not agreed to KOZ
14 and KOEZ extensions, any vote taken by
15 city council is irrelevant now because
16 as it stands today there are no KOZ
17 extensions. MR. KIZER: Thank you.
18 MR. MCGOFF: Brett McCloe.
19 MR. MCCLOE: Good evening. My
20 name is Brett McCloe, Scranton
21 resident, homeowner, taxpayer.
22 Location, location, location.
23 One of the most important principles
24 of business that seems to have been
25 misdirected, spun and covered up with
00066
1 poor analogies that once again is
2 designed to take the citizens of this
3 city as far away from their common
4 sense as possible. To blur the
5 distinction between fact and fiction,
6 hype and reality. No one is against
7 jobs being created in this City of
8 Scranton. To spin it to say just
9 because we want businesses to pay
10 their fair share like everyone else,
11 that somehow this means we are against
12 job creation. This is absolutely
13 wrong. You can't make this a black
14 and white -- you can't make this black
15 and white, for and all or nothing
16 situation. To threaten the city with
17 the possibility of Mount Pleasant
18 going to Jessup is silly. Why?
19 Because no matter how many board
20 meetings and negotiations anyone sits
21 in on, certain business practices will
22 always remain the same. Location,
23 location, location. If these
24 buildings are going to house medical
25 offices or whatever, it would be
00067
1 logical to assume that they would want
2 to be closer to where the action is.
3 Mount Pleasant is just two blocks away
4 from the future integral commuter
5 lines, one block away from the
6 expressway and nearly smack dab in the
7 middle of the city. And you want to
8 make this a KOZ property? I don't
9 have a business degree, but it would
10 seem to me that Mount Pleasant is a
11 prime piece of property that should
12 not be given away as a KOZ because
13 someone wants to build political
14 legacy by prostituting the city's
15 assets. That property is no longer an
16 eye sore but it is a tax generating
17 piece of land. Mr. McGoff and Miss
18 Fanucci always talking about long
19 term. Once again, there's no such
20 thing as long term when you rush to
21 get things done before you leave
22 office. Sounds like you don't believe
23 in Mr. Doherty's vision or the people
24 of Scranton; because if you did, there
25 would be no problem in holding out for
00068
1 the bigger and better deal. Patience
2 can be a lucrative virtue. So what's
3 the advantage of having Mount Pleasant
4 as opposed to them going to Jessup.
5 Is it because Scranton people can't
6 work in Jessup? Is it because the
7 fear of long term tax credits will go
8 to Jessup rather than Scranton. I'm
9 sorry. But I would rather pay but
10 one-tenth of a percent of a penny per
11 pay that all the citizens in
12 Pennsylvania have to pay and send
13 these folks to Jessup rather than take
14 prime taxable property off the tax
15 rolls. This way we lose nothing.
16 Keep valuable tax assets, valuable tax
17 assets and still work, even under KOZ
18 in Jessup. This will askew they call
19 progress in just that. Again, a
20 puzzle where they don't want to tell
21 you where all the pieces are. Here's
22 a piece. University of Scranton, not
23 going anywhere. The money invested
24 and to be made along with school
25 property has literally made them too
00069
1 big to fail. Mount Pleasant, even
2 without a KOZ, stupid if they go
3 anywhere else. Location, location,
4 location.
5 Here's an interesting piece.
6 Volkswagen, Chattanooga, Tennessee;
7 Kia, West Point, Georgia; Honda,
8 Greensburg, Indiana; USA Today,
9 12-8-08, "While Detroit automakers
10 close factories -- in the fact of
11 dramatic dropoff in the U.S. auto
12 sales, Asian and European rival
13 continue to add plants in the United
14 States and Canada." Question?
15 Where's ours? Answer: Never going to
16 happen because a lot of -- working
17 class. Maybe they think we're
18 incapable of putting cars together.
19 Even with the cutbacks in production,
20 these companies do not lay off. They
21 retrain their people, give them a
22 smaller salary and they retrain their
23 people. But I think the people around
24 here would rather than giving KOZs and
25 took the rest with those companies
00070
1 than deal with the purposeful
2 stagnation of wages that we have
3 endured for decades. So let's not
4 focus on the self-serving legacy of
5 outgoing politicians, but instead,
6 encourage and to practice common
7 sense, selfishness and empathy and by
8 focusing on the legacy of the 1,000
9 parents in a 1,000 households who work
10 everyday fearing and knowing that the
11 statistics show that children often
12 end up in the same financial situation
13 they grew up in. I'm not quite sure I
14 feel about these folks' home. I pay a
15 lot of taxes myself. But as far as
16 this Mount Pleasant thing, I hope you
17 vote no. Thank you.
18 MR. MCGOFF: Bill Jackowitz.
19 MR. JACKOWITZ: Bill Jackowitz,
20 South Scranton resident, member of the
21 Taxpayers' Association. Kids swim
22 free, mail contributions to 416 South
23 Webster Avenue, Scranton, PA, 18505.
24 I would like to thank the 2009
25 contributors and all the past
00071
1 contributors. Councilwoman Gatelli
2 made a considerable contribution for
3 the money that was leftover for the
4 junior city council. Thank you,
5 Councilwoman Gatelli. We greatly
6 appreciate it. Contributions are
7 still being accepted. Note checks
8 payable to Kids Swim Free, 1416 South
9 Webster Avenue, Scranton, PA, 18505.
10 The pool is open on Saturday.
11 Hopefully the weather will start
12 warming up.
13 I've been asking city council for
14 years to invite Austin Burke to city
15 council meetings, only to be ignored.
16 In today's newspaper Mr. Burke writes
17 a ridiculous letter that he's
18 advocating future jobs from the --
19 Mr. Burke, why the newspaper? How
20 about a public meeting where the
21 citizens can ask questions. Maybe a
22 high school auditorium. Mr. Burke,
23 the time to talk was 28 years ago, and
24 every year since then when you were
25 supposedly working to bring jobs into
00072
1 Scranton as the Chamber of Commerce
2 member and President of the Chamber.
3 But, instead, you choose to ignore the
4 citizens of Scranton, not speak with
5 the citizens of Scranton and you do
6 not bring any jobs into the city with
7 the exception of telemarketing jobs
8 which are all gone. I cannot recall
9 any good paying professional jobs as
10 you, the Chamber of Commerce president
11 have brought into the City of
12 Scranton. You never appeared publicly
13 at city council, and for that matter,
14 anywhere to talk to the taxpayers,
15 residents of Scranton. Although you
16 did you use the newspaper to blame for
17 every speaker of city council for
18 scaring potential business away from
19 the city, again, ridiculous. As far
20 as I know, you as an individual are
21 not a resident of Scranton. So you do
22 not pay Scranton taxes. Mr. Burke,
23 give the citizens of Scranton
24 specifics not generalities. How many
25 jobs? What would the pay scale be,
00073
1 the benefits package be for the
2 workers, not the developers. Would a
3 job be here after the KOZ expires?
4 Would the developers and all the and
5 owners pledge to make yearly
6 contribution to the city so that the
7 city can provide services to all
8 residents of the City of Scranton?
9 Mr. Burke, you and Mayor Doherty, come
10 out of the hiding and address the
11 residents of the City of Scranton. By
12 the way, bring the rich developers
13 with you. I have some questions for
14 them also. We do not need KOZ or Mr.
15 Austin Burke for that matter. We need
16 business who are willing to pay taxes.
17 Mr. Burke's story in the newspaper
18 ending in the thin bridge behind the
19 story ended. In other words, a fairy
20 tale. Why is he not here at the
21 council meeting? KOZs are not the
22 answer. They have never created high
23 paying jobs to justify their
24 existence. If KOZs were the answer,
25 then the City of Scranton would not be
00074
1 financial distressed for 17 years.
2 The word 'job' is nothing more than
3 code word used by the politicians and
4 chamber members. The word 'wages'
5 should be used. Just because you have
6 jobs does not mean you can pay your
7 bills and live comfortably. If you
8 work 40 hours a week and still cannot
9 provide for yourself and your family,
10 or work two or three jobs, what has
11 the Chamber of Commerce done. I say
12 very little. If the risk of the
13 developers or business owners get a
14 free ride and pay no taxes, then they
15 walk away, what does that
16 accomplished? Who really benefits and
17 who did not? Think about the city
18 council member before casting your
19 vote. Look around and see how many of
20 your fellow residents are suffering
21 financial hardship and still working
22 full-time, then look at the names of
23 the developers who are asking for a
24 free ride and see how they live their
25 lives, what kind of houses they live
00075
1 in, how many vacations do they go on?
2 Are struggling day-to-day? I doubt
3 it. Why has the work started on the
4 KOZ site before the approvals. The
5 developers are going nowhere. Too
6 much money is invested already.
7 They're not going to pack up and
8 leave. I urge you to vote no.
9 History shows that it takes three
10 years for a business to be successful
11 or a failure. Why expand tax-free
12 status after ten years. Fill up the
13 empty office spaces in the city first.
14 We have plenty of office space. Just
15 look around here. Carbondale passed
16 three KOZs last night, voted down four
17 KOZs. Looking out for their
18 taxpayers. The Single Tax Office,
19 money missing, bad management, no
20 accountability, wage tax is not be
21 collected, real estate tax is not
22 being collected, state law being
23 violated, single tax law 19 --
24 correction -- single tax law 1929.
25 Certain people have been exempt for
00076
1 paying taxes because of friendships or
2 business association. Just not right.
3 I am having a very hard time accepting
4 these facts especially what appears to
5 me nothing is going to be done about
6 this. Again, the honest taxpayers are
7 taking in -- when nonpaying taxpayers
8 walk away along with an elected tax
9 collector who is supposed to protect
10 and serve the people in the community.
11 And, Mr. McGoff, in regards to
12 Mr. Spindler's comment about
13 basketball, that was when Mayor
14 Doherty chose to go to the Syracuse
15 basketball game when the 109th
16 Infantry returned from Iraq after
17 sustaining seven causalities. He
18 chose to go to a basketball game.
19 MR. MCGOFF: David Dobrzyn.
20 MR. DOBRZYN: David Dobrzyn,
21 resident of Scranton and a member of
22 the Taxpayers' Association.
23 Please consider the need for tax
24 revenues that are fair to all parties
25 concerned. We still haven't settled
00077
1 anything with our public safety
2 contracts. These people really need
3 to have a contract and know where they
4 stand. Do we need new business? Yes.
5 However, no one wants a free ride.
6 Furthermore, the new business model
7 for this country is sorely needed.
8 Undoubtedly the car and trade partners
9 are doing similar to KOZ. One example
10 was a lady in China, I see on the news
11 had her house torn down to provide
12 space for the Olympics. She got to
13 walk around homeless after that,
14 uncompensated. Please contact federal
15 congressmen and ask for a new deal for
16 American industrial development. If a
17 industry exists in your neighborhood,
18 please consider the value as a private
19 sector employer and provider of wages.
20 Try to resolve differences through the
21 neighborhood association.
22 Back to KOZs, much more time for
23 real consideration for the merit of
24 these KOZ applications is needed. I
25 feel we should have Austin Burke
00078
1 petitioning companies with green
2 energy, green and energy producing
3 manufacturers to locate in this area.
4 Brownfield development can produce
5 land and that's only then should tax
6 subsidies and tax holidays be
7 considered.
8 A few weeks ago I actually got a
9 little giggle out of my
10 ultraconservative friend, Marie, and I
11 point that in the 1970s their welfare
12 state was cheaper than -- right now
13 the federal government alone is with
14 ten trillion dollars of debt and back
15 then it was only about one trillion.
16 It's only food for thought. By the
17 way, shame on our state legislature
18 governor saddling the poor people on
19 city council and school boards with
20 this issue.
21 Finally, please work to prevent
22 further swallowing up the ball parks
23 at Nay Aug forever by a local college.
24 Ask them to build up and not out.
25 Thank you and have a good night.
00079
1 MR. MCGOFF: Any other speakers?
2 Chris?
3 MR. SLEDNESZSKI: Listen, have a
4 great summer. Thank you.
5 MS. GATELLI: Thank you.
6 MS. HUMPHRIES: I want to say
7 hello to everybody and I know Bishop
8 Martino is watching and a lot of
9 people is watching.
10 MS. GATELLI: If he's watching,
11 could you tell him to please keep St.
12 Francis Church open.
13 MS. HUMPHRIES: Yes, I will ask
14 him that and I will -- The reason
15 documents is very -- and I invite to
16 listen.
17 Secretary of state, First General
18 Affairs, the Vatican, "Dear Mrs.
19 Humphries: I am directed to announce
20 a letter enclosed which you sent to
21 the Holy Father. I already assured
22 you that -- have been noted. His
23 Holiness will remember you in his
24 prayers with good wishes -- Sincerely,
25 Monsignor Sipi, Vatican." 1991, April
00080
1 30.
2 1994, "To whom it may concern: I
3 read the statement from Phillis
4 Humphries on June 26, 1991. There
5 were definitely principal figures that
6 could be easily seen. I personally do
7 not have any medical training to see
8 distinct figures within it, in some
9 cases were profiled figures and
10 distinct hair could be distinguished.
11 Any -- these figures are of
12 supernatural cause. It appears --
13 rules out the possibility of
14 coincidence. Yours very truly, Dr.
15 Musla Manna," medical report, it was
16 recorded in '94, 1994, and it was --
17 they sent people to examine
18 scientifically -- this, you know, is
19 a picture of the miracle of my X-ray.
20 This right here, your social worker
21 has the following additional
22 instructions for you. The patient was
23 charged by the judge's court order,
24 the 4-29-08. I have been
25 misdiagnosed. I'm speaking for the
00081
1 mentally ill, the down trodden and for
2 the girl that was shot. Someone I
3 know I went to school with, Grace --
4 it was her daughter's sister-in-law.
5 Over the years due to this miracle and
6 prior to that I have been afraid by
7 numerous people. I was taken out of
8 church, I was fingerprinted like a
9 criminal, wherever I would go, I would
10 take my documents or going to seek
11 some help. I have a grandchildren
12 child that disappeared after birth. I
13 left and went to New Jersey and in the
14 process this had me waiting, they
15 said, Mrs. Humphries, we got to take
16 you to some place. So I didn't know
17 if the child had died, if it was
18 adopted, but they took me to the
19 Muhlenberg Psychiatric Hospital.
20 After the five days, I was cleared of
21 any mental illness. I would have had
22 post traumatic stress due to not
23 getting the proper -- the police
24 department. Then I go -- that's one,
25 that's one. Then I go see the Holy
00082
1 Father. My daughter got lost on the
2 way home. In the process, I ended up
3 in a homeless shelter. I asked them
4 that I need to go for special surgery
5 because after seeing the Pope, I had
6 special surgery. The fire, police
7 department, ambulance came. They took
8 me, pushed me sideways, instead of the
9 proper way, and they held for 11 days
10 against my will. They wouldn't give
11 me my change to make a telephone call.
12 If I called to the community room to
13 the administrator, they would rip out
14 the phone to see that other people
15 were being held. People came and
16 there was one, that is a nurse, seeing
17 what was happening, she gave me change
18 and I made a telephone call and I got
19 a lawyer. And this was a superior
20 judge lawyer that I was evaluated by
21 and doctors and this is serious, your
22 social worker has the following
23 instructions for you. Patient was
24 discharged by a judge's court order
25 4-9-08. What they actually did with
00083
1 the City of Scranton was, instead of
2 trying to protect me, they tried to
3 protect themselves with the corruption
4 here. Many of my medical records, the
5 tax and everything has shown
6 unfounded. You know, that's exactly
7 what they did tell Brenda, unfounded.
8 I called constantly the church, and I
9 called the numerous people to help. I
10 called 17 times, I called 1,000 times
11 for help, not in the mental help, to
12 give messages -- to get this proper.
13 The FBI had been so kind to me. They
14 have been my sounding board.
15 MR. MCGOFF: Phillis, you need to
16 finish.
17 MS. HUMPHRIES: The finishing
18 part is this. There's corruption in
19 the City of Scranton. Mr. Jarbola
20 justified a shooting and I would like
21 to know how come he didn't come to
22 speak with me with the corruption with
23 what has happened here and this is
24 wrong.
25 MR. MCGOFF: Phillis, stop.
00084
1 MS. HUMPHRIES: Yes.
2 MR. MCGOFF: Stop.
3 MS. HUMPHRIES: Stop telling the
4 truth?
5 MR. MCGOFF: Stop. Thank you.
6 MS. HUMPHRIES: I hope you all
7 take this into consideration. This is
8 a sad situation in the City of
9 Scranton.
10 MR. MCGOFF: Stop.
11 MS. HUMPHRIES: I will not stop
12 and I will not be silenced, Mr.
13 McGoff, and I want you to know I'm
14 going to do the best I could to fight
15 for the victims that have been abused,
16 used, poverty stricken --
17 MR. MCGOFF: You're out of time.
18 Thank you.
19 MS. HUMPHRIES: Yeah. No, I'm
20 not out of time. I kind of just
21 started, Mr. McGoff.
22 MR. MCGOFF: Okay. Anyone else
23 want to speak?
24 MS. GALLAGHER: Good evening,
25 council. Thank you so much for
00085
1 providing us the opportunity to say
2 what we feel about the KOZ situation.
3 I was there when the school board
4 signed on this many years ago, and I
5 followed it along and I'm afraid that
6 in many instance is hasn't lived to
7 the parameters set by whoever thought
8 it a good idea to begin with. The
9 original concept was wonderful, to
10 take dilapidated buildings and update
11 it and restore or build something new
12 or to take properties that are
13 blighted and make something worthwhile
14 from them. Let's hope some of it will
15 continue to -- the recommendations and
16 do decide to abide by it. Everyone
17 who has gotten into the KOZ situation
18 knows that there's ten-year limit.
19 They also know what their obligations
20 are and I'm afraid that some of the
21 people who have applied for an
22 extension are not willing to abide by
23 these original precepts. And I'm
24 asking you to really stiffen your
25 spine and despite of the fact that a
00086
1 lot of these people are well known and
2 they are community people and so on, a
3 lot of the people have done a lot of
4 good for the community, they really
5 have to abide by what the KOZ expects.
6 And this is one of the those
7 situations where if you give into one
8 group, you have to give into another.
9 And it will get to the point where
10 anybody can do anything and that's
11 absolutely wrong. I don't mind giving
12 ten years of tax abatements or
13 forgiveness to these people.
14 Ultimately what they're going to do
15 will benefit the community. But in
16 the long one, the real beneficiaries
17 will be themselves, and the more taxes
18 we abate for other people, the more
19 the rest of us have to increase our
20 taxes and good only knows, we are over
21 taxed as it and we're being promised
22 from the federal level down that our
23 taxes will be increased. We have no
24 recourse. We have to pay our taxes.
25 We have no one to turn to say you
00087
1 know, I can't manage this year. We
2 felt, you know, we're here on our own
3 and if you're really interested in
4 knowing how people feel about this tax
5 situation, just go up and down the
6 streets and see how many homes are for
7 sale. People simply cannot bear the
8 tax burden. They're conscientious
9 people, they pay their taxes all these
10 years, and they don't default on them.
11 So rather than do that, they are
12 selling their properties. And that is
13 not a good situation. It used to be
14 that the business community sustained
15 the city. That is no longer the case.
16 Residential taxpayers are the ones who
17 support the city and we cannot
18 continue to be imposed upon. I just
19 hope that you will really stand by the
20 intentions of KOZ and not allow -- not
21 approve these extensions. They knew
22 what they were getting into and I
23 think some of them have dragged their
24 heels because they wanted -- they
25 figured, well, they'll so well known
00088
1 and they've got friends in the right
2 places and this theory expediency is
3 so prevalent that when the time came
4 to start paying taxes, they would
5 reapply for it. I know I was trying
6 to commit somebody to take a property
7 that was terrible and I said, "Come
8 on. You're such you good developer.
9 Why don't you buy that?" And I was
10 telling him about the KOZ. He said
11 you know what I would do if I bought
12 that and built something on it. The
13 next day I'd sell it. As soon as the
14 cost started costing me money, I would
15 sell it. And I said, "Don't say that
16 too loud, please. We don't want it to
17 happen." So they are being given a
18 wonderful privilege, I think, and they
19 should not take advantage of it. So I
20 hope as so many people, you know, you
21 are only the advocates that we have
22 and if we can't count on you to
23 advocate for us and help us to stay in
24 our homes and help us to be viable
25 citizens in every way, shape and form.
00089
1 We don't have anybody else, and I
2 think we are the people that you
3 really have to consider. All these
4 developments are very well known. I
5 only know two of them myself. But
6 they are very well known. They are
7 very capable. They are very
8 successful businessmen and if they
9 cannot get this extension, they'll
10 find a way to make money somehow,
11 because they have loads of other
12 involvements and they are all very
13 successful. So I hope you will be
14 concerned about the greater good and
15 think of us instead of just them, and
16 that's all I have to say. Thank you
17 very much for opportunity.
18 MR. MCGOFF: Excuse me. Would
19 you just please state your name for
20 the record.
21 MS. GALLAGHER: I'm Rosemary
22 Gallagher and I'm a citizen of the
23 city and I surely am a taxpayer.
24 MR. MCGOFF: Thank you very much.
25 MR. ELLMAN: President McGoff,
00090
1 how are you?
2 MR. MCGOFF: I'm doing well.
3 MR. ELLMAN: You said last week
4 we got safeguards to keep these people
5 from coming out of the woodwork like
6 happening on that KOZ, another bite of
7 the apple. I bought a house around
8 Thanksgiving '94, and we moved in
9 around the first of the year, and I
10 don't know when my first note was,
11 maybe February, March, but the first
12 time I got a note it was $66 for taxes
13 on there and I've been paying them
14 ever since. Nobody gave me a break on
15 it. I had nobody in school for 35
16 years. You know, they needed to go
17 but they didn't. I bought a new car
18 last week where they didn't give me 15
19 or 20 years credit to pay on my taxes
20 on it. They wanted it right then and
21 there. You just can't keep giving it
22 everybody. Who is going to be left
23 here to pay? A fourth of the city
24 doesn't pay nothing now. The other
25 fourth are people, the senior
00091
1 citizens, the people in the projects
2 and all, it's half the people
3 supporting the other half in the city.
4 You know, this is senseless. I'm just
5 infuriated. I told Miss Rosie I'm
6 coming down here. She said, "Don't
7 make a fool of yourself." Like I
8 usually do. But these KOZs are a
9 failure. These people don't know why
10 that property was vacant for 75 years.
11 Do you know why? No one ever told
12 you? It's over a mine void. If they
13 don't have some good mine subsidence
14 insurance, they better get some quick
15 and 200 years from now, your house
16 won't be there. You're over a mine
17 void for crying out loud. Ask the
18 people that live in the neighborhood
19 why their property was vacant for 75
20 years.
21 MR. MCGOFF: Please, please, let
22 him speak.
23 MR. ELLMAN: I'm not trying to be
24 an alarmist. But that's why no one
25 built there. I've been -- in '68 or
00092
1 something, a boy name Glenn Barry took
2 me out there. He wanted to buy some
3 property where there was a mine shaft
4 and he was in. It still had the
5 cranes and stuff down there, right
6 there where these people live now.
7 That's like that property in Dunmore,
8 they built on all that coal slag and
9 they started getting cracks and
10 everything in the houses, they sued
11 the state. The same thing is going to
12 happen here. The builder won't be
13 around. He won't even take care of
14 the sewers and the basins right now.
15 You know, they let us to do it. If
16 those people pay taxes starting
17 20 years from now for 200 years, they
18 pay for one or two children to go to
19 school, like I said, last week. It's
20 just simple arithmetic. There's so
21 many kids there, you want to build a
22 new school. Then they don't want to
23 pay for nothing. They want people
24 like me and people like these out here
25 that are retired and don't have big
00093
1 incomes, they want us to keep paying
2 for them. They're working. I'm not
3 working no more. Why should I keep
4 paying for children in school and for
5 their stoplights and, you know,
6 streets and sidewalks? Let them start
7 paying.
8 And Rinaldi doesn't deserve
9 another bite. He got A million dollar
10 sidewalk down there. Let him start
11 paying taxes like the rest of us.
12 Like I said, as soon as I moved into
13 our house -- my first house bill had a
14 payment and I've been paying it since
15 '95. You know, they've gone up. It
16 used to be $66 a month. Now I pay
17 just a fraction less than a $1,000 in
18 January so I'm going to have a fee.
19 Last year I paid 1,300 and some.
20 There's just not enough people to keep
21 paying these taxes and carrying all
22 these dead weight on these people.
23 They don't deserve a second bite of
24 the apple. It's just not fair to
25 people that have been working and want
00094
1 to retire and everything and in their
2 houses. You ought to talk to some of
3 these guys that are working at bagging
4 groceries at the Price Chopper or
5 working at McDonald's trying to
6 support people that are working and
7 don't want to pay taxes anymore. They
8 gave you -- and they decide what is
9 going on. Thank you.
10 MR. ANCHERANI: Nelson Ancherani.
11 KOZs, you know, the school district
12 isn't going to address the KOZs but
13 stranger things have happened. There
14 are many extensions and new KOZs on
15 the agenda. What I'm going to ask is
16 to have mercy on the taxpayers. I'm
17 talking about the taxpayers who have
18 endured the past approximately nine
19 years of continuing to pay their
20 taxes. The taxpayers who have not had
21 a break over the last nine years and
22 who have continued to pay their taxes
23 even while some lost their homes while
24 trying to do so. The non KOZs even
25 endured a 25 percent tax increase.
00095
1 The non KOZs are looking at another 25
2 percent or more tax increase because
3 money from the tax office is not
4 likely to materialize. Please think
5 about who is going to get hurt by
6 extending the KOZ status, poor people
7 who can't pay their taxes or rich
8 people get richer. Money goes to
9 money, and that money has to come from
10 somewhere.
11 And Austin Burke, what does he
12 care about the taxpayers for the City
13 of Scranton who don't got a free ride.
14 He doesn't even live in Scranton.
15 Since this is the last evening
16 meeting until September I'm going to
17 hit upon some questions or observance
18 or just make a comments. When you
19 return in September, you will have
20 approximately six weeks before you
21 have to approve the 2010 budget.
22 That's a very short time span. The
23 possibility of not getting the money
24 from the tax office looms large.
25 There's a big probability that no law
00096
1 enforcement agency will see fit to do
2 their job and initiate an
3 investigation into tax office of the
4 past even though state laws have been
5 broken. There's a huge probability
6 that we will be seeing a tax increase
7 of 25 percent or higher. I know that
8 Miss Evans and Mr. Courtright will not
9 vote for that tax increase. Huge
10 loans also loom on the horizon. I
11 believe the tax paying residents
12 should take a deep breath for the
13 record budget coming down the pike. I
14 hope this year that three rubber stamp
15 council members read the budget before
16 it's voted on. Don't be like our
17 Washington senators and
18 representatives who pass hundredths of
19 billions in budgets that not even read
20 what they were passing. We're going
21 to be trillions in debt nationally.
22 This is shameful. We will be
23 trillions in debt from that national
24 level, 300 million in debt on the
25 local level. Three hundred
00097
1 300 million people in the country as
2 opposed commercially the 71,000 people
3 in the city. Our grand kids will
4 never be out of debt. Prove to
5 council members are lame duck members.
6 Please have mercy on the taxpayers.
7 Please ask questions about the budget
8 like why is 879,000 needed to Scranton
9 Parking Authority citation issuance
10 and who are they. That can't be for
11 salaries or persons trying to give
12 jobs, could it? On this real agenda
13 question for Miss Gatelli about her
14 paying Attorney Reihner for her
15 personal litigation against the web
16 site owner. Miss Gatelli, she's going
17 to pay $38,704 back. Did you pay that
18 back, Mrs. Gatelli?
19 MS. GATELLI: I said I was going
20 to pay what the attorney bills for the
21 personal part of the lawsuit.
22 MR. ANCHERANI: Okay. You didn't
23 pay --
24 MS. GATELLI: I have an agreement
25 with the attorney. That is
00098
1 attorney/client privilege that you are
2 not privy to. It's my personal part
3 of my lawsuit. I'm sorry. But that's
4 the answer. I can't answer what my
5 personal agreement is.
6 MR. ANCHERANI: I ask why non
7 determinable expenses are not
8 reflected in the expenditure --
9 they're listed in the budget pages as
10 24 million. Is it because it was
11 reflected and showed that the city
12 employees salaries for citizens are
13 not what the pie chart reflects. That
14 way 20 salaries percentages could be
15 inflated and they could like the city
16 pays more in employee salaries than it
17 does. And I ask whose interest would
18 that satisfy. Would that be even make
19 us keep us looking like the distressed
20 and it's all the fault of union or
21 inflation. Thank you.
22 MR. MCGOFF: Anyone else?
23 MR. MCGUIRE: William McGuire,
24 resident taxpayer.
25 As it has been explained, I would
00099
1 like to speak on KOZs. Although you
2 don't have all the information in
3 front of you at this time, I do
4 understand this great reduction. Over
5 the next couple weeks, after two weeks
6 after -- come to the 10 o'clock
7 meeting will be on Tuesdays then to
8 get all the information needed to
9 state the case. I believe there's a
10 lot of animosity where somebody -- as
11 a homeowner I pay a great deal of
12 taxes to the city. Because I work in
13 the city, I pay a great deal of wage
14 taxes. As a business owner, pay a
15 great deal of mercantile tax. So you
16 understand what people are saying.
17 The KOZ is a stimulus package. I feel
18 that it's wrong that the state
19 legislatures did what they day and the
20 governor. They should do what council
21 should do, the school director and the
22 county commissioners should weigh in
23 -- link in with other elected
24 officials across the state so the
25 state representatives, senators and
00100
1 Congress to come up with a
2 comprehensive plan of KOZs to give a
3 blanket ten years -- annoys a lot of
4 people -- they -- I didn't get nothing
5 for free. If these people have an
6 opportunity to get tax -- to get what
7 they need to build a home, to open a
8 business, to give jobs, more power to
9 them. It doesn't aggravate me at all.
10 But it does to a lot of people. So I
11 think maybe what they should do is
12 come up with a plan you pay two years
13 to get two years; you pay two years,
14 you get two years. You have ten
15 years, it takes you 20. You've got a
16 ten-year spread. And also, probably
17 write into a lottery system where if
18 you had on an average of 120 KOZ
19 properties, 50 would share -- would
20 get tax exempt. The other 50 would
21 have to pay those first two years. So
22 it would be a balancing act. So we
23 are never going to give 100 KOZs away
24 at one time. There's a little less
25 animosity, I believe. Maybe it's just
00101
1 my interpretation of it. But I'm just
2 trying to do the math and I listen to
3 everybody speaking so I kind of get
4 into their thoughts and their feeling
5 as they're speaking, and I hear them.
6 If you look -- I'm not a big fan of
7 residential KOZs, never was, never
8 will be. The point of the matter is,
9 the Tripp Park development is already
10 a KOZs development. You can't say no
11 if we already said yes. We already
12 did it. There was an opportunity to
13 put a business in that development, I
14 believe, many years ago. It was shot
15 down. Therefore, the last was KOZ.
16 What else do you do with it? We made
17 residential. So we should watch what
18 we complain about now. We were
19 complaining about the business going
20 there, now we're complaining there's
21 residence in KOZ. So maybe you should
22 kind of understand what really goes on
23 sometimes. But to those particular
24 homes there, I believe they're up
25 January of 2010, approximately 150 I
00102
1 heard a gentlemen say, homes up to 200
2 homes there, well, those 200 homes,
3 average tax is $4,500, $5,000. Do the
4 math. A million dollars, 2010. So
5 wouldn't it be -- so if we give it ten
6 years, for ten years, we have made a
7 lost of a million dollars. But after
8 those ten years, in three years, we're
9 going to gain -- how many of the lots,
10 all those properties over ten years.
11 It's a win/win situation.
12 And the businesses, people say
13 there's jobs. I don't know if the
14 wage tax for the employees are
15 forgiven, I believe not. The latest
16 business, the mercantile, business
17 privilege, the property, that's all
18 forgiven, correct? The wage for all
19 the employees are forgiven, too?
20 MR. MCGOFF: Yes.
21 MR. MCGUIRE: That doesn't say
22 this in the introduction. It says
23 real property, earned income tax,
24 meaning the business, the net profits,
25 mercantile tax and business privilege
00103
1 tax. It doesn't say employees wage
2 tax are forgiven. But, you know,
3 we're talking -- they can be someplace
4 else. This vacant property, this is
5 an extended KOZ, from existing KOZ.
6 They're not getting ten more years.
7 These are new entities that are
8 getting onto the -- so therefore, they
9 are running new construction jobs from
10 them, landscaping, to, you know, to
11 the plumbing, to electrical. There's
12 a lot of jobs that are coming to the
13 forefront before them, even after they
14 had at this time. It's a very rough
15 economic time and I don't have to tell
16 anybody here. I'm not trying to
17 preach to the choir so-to-speak. I
18 know it's a tough decision situation
19 but to not vote on an issue as the
20 Scranton School District did is a
21 total disgrace. You should vote on
22 any issue whether you are for or
23 against. Give your position now, and
24 I urge this to council to introduce
25 this piece of legislation, continue
00104
1 this road through and pass it in the
2 end, and say, yes, to extend these
3 properties to KOZ. Thank you.
4 THE COURT: Anyone else? Mrs.
5 Evans.
6 MS. EVANS: Good evening. At
7 last week's council meeting I
8 addressed the attention of Lackawanna
9 County Junior College to renovate the
10 former Genesis Wildlife Center into an
11 environmental energy center at Nay Aug
12 Park. As I requested, a letter was
13 sent to Mr. Angeli and the Board of
14 Lackawanna College requesting a
15 contribution in leu of taxes to
16 support free swimming for children at
17 the Nay Aug Swim Complex. I am hoping
18 that Lackawanna will choose to be a
19 good neighbor and to help
20 underprivileged children. It was not
21 long afterward that I read of
22 Lackawanna's attention to take over
23 another part of the facility, Pine
24 Brook's Chip Feldman Field. I can
25 certainly understand the residents
00105
1 outrage and concern as this appears to
2 be a case of déjà' vu with only one
3 great difference, the South Side
4 Complex was sold by this
5 administration to the University of
6 Scranton and to this day remains in
7 litigation because a public park
8 cannot and should not be sold.
9 Apparently Lackawanna College
10 recognizes this cannot be done without
11 a great legal and financial battle.
12 And this latest takeover begs
13 questions will the city lease the park
14 for a dollar or give it away to
15 Lackawanna. Much else appears
16 alarming similar. We, the public may
17 use the field when it is not in use by
18 the school. Such use requires a
19 permission of the school. It does not
20 offer unfettered access to the fields.
21 Further, there will arise financial
22 issue of insurance for the use of the
23 fields. Unlike the University of
24 Scranton who insisted City residents
25 take it at its word, will Lackawanna
00106
1 College commit to writing their
2 agreement that the fields are open to
3 the public. Remember, this is a
4 neighborhood park created and
5 maintained largely by a neighborhood
6 whereas college students can and do
7 transport themselves to any location
8 of an athletic facility. Pine Brook's
9 children can hardly do the same.
10 Children have already been pushed out
11 of the central city area just as
12 softball games were long ago shut down
13 at the South Side Complex. Although
14 replacement field for the South Side
15 Complex was promised by the mayor
16 several years ago, he has failed to
17 keep that promise. Residents continue
18 to wait an ASA regulation sized
19 licensed softball field, walking trail
20 and other athletic courts including at
21 the South Side Complex which were
22 promised by the mayor and to be funded
23 in part by the U of S. Providing this
24 replacement complex or renovating and
25 maintaining our South Side Complex
00107
1 should be the priority of this
2 administration, not giving away
3 another publicly owned asset. Perhaps
4 Lackawanna College will build a
5 beautiful baseball field or football
6 stadium on it's own property which
7 certainly would be a highly beneficial
8 addition to that area of the city.
9 However, it should refrain from taking
10 a public neighborhood park for its
11 use. Equally important, Lackawanna
12 should actively seek and listen to the
13 input of Pine Brook residents and
14 cooperate with their wishes since it's
15 not just their field, it's their
16 neighborhood, their home. Further, as
17 a council person, I will stand by and
18 support Pine Brook residents and their
19 decisions.
20 As you are well aware, there are
21 numerous KOZs extensions on tonight's
22 agenda. Last week I stated that Mount
23 Pleasant Corporate Center's request
24 for a KOZ had opened the flood gates
25 and indeed it has. Everyone from the
00108
1 Ice Box who to date never paid
2 $600,000 it owes the city for the
3 property on which it sits to Hanover
4 Homes of the Village of Tripp Park
5 where streets have not been ordained
6 and flooding and water runoff have
7 caused Court to stop construction, to
8 is owners of Daron Northeast who
9 arguably have diminished the quality
10 of the life for lower Green Ridge
11 residents to the 500 block of
12 Lackawanna Avenue which was built on
13 state and local taxes to faceless,
14 nameless businesses are shopping the
15 Mount Pleasant Corporate Park, where
16 have they been for the last ten years
17 when the KOZ status was acted, and who
18 can guarantee that KOZs won't again be
19 extended when this new round expires.
20 Is this economic and community
21 development or corporate welfare? The
22 truth be told, it is both. In this
23 overall community and in our local
24 financial straights where county
25 raised taxes by 48 percent and the
00109
1 city by 25 percent while both continue
2 to run a deficit and the school board
3 may entertain a six percent tax height
4 and, again, so many of you have said
5 it as of this afternoon, Governor
6 Rendell has announced a guaranteed tax
7 increase for the residents of the
8 Commonwealth Pennsylvania. We can't
9 ill afford to grant tax restatus to
10 businesses. The city is already
11 devoured by approximately 25 percent
12 of tax-free properties. And when
13 tax-free status is given to the select
14 wealthy few, it serves to increase as
15 so many of you have said tonight, it
16 serves to increase the tax burden on
17 many poor and middle class. It also,
18 however, unfairly contributes to
19 driving their tax paying competitors
20 out of the business. Apparently the
21 school district has decided wisely
22 against KOZ extensions. I applaud
23 their decision and concur, because
24 they did not consider such
25 legislation, they, indeed, have made
00110
1 their decision publicly and that
2 decision causes council's vote to be
3 irrelevant. Nevertheless, some remain
4 hellbent on providing benefits for the
5 few on the backs of many.
6 Regarding Mr. Burke's letter,
7 it's tone is decidedly different from
8 his previous public references to city
9 council as an embarrassment and
10 deterrent to local business
11 development. Now Mr. Burke pleads
12 with hat in hand to council to help
13 save the chambers multi million dollar
14 investment. Furthermore, I am bemused
15 by his analogy comparing the locating
16 of business to the purchase of a new
17 car. First, how many people are able
18 to buy a brand new vehicle today? And
19 second, how many people can drive out
20 of the showroom with no payments for
21 ten years? It seems that Mr. Burke
22 published his letter to stir up or
23 sway public against Scranton City
24 Council and the school board
25 directors, although his tenure as
00111
1 president of the Chamber of Commerce
2 has been considerable, what has he
3 done for the average Scranton worker?
4 Has the chamber substantially boosted
5 the low wages? Has the chamber
6 attracted substantial family
7 sustaining jobs to Scranton? Did the
8 chamber work to prevent the closing of
9 local business or industry such as
10 Anemostat. Most importantly, is Mr.
11 Burke looking out for the taxpayer or
12 is he protecting SLIPCO's multi
13 million dollar investment.
14 In his president's message Mr.
15 Burke states that the Chamber serves
16 the best interest of business and that
17 there is no better example of the
18 dedication, hard work and leadership
19 within our region than our between
20 2,200 members of Greater Scranton
21 Chamber of Commerce. On the other
22 hand as an elected officials, I serve
23 the best interest of the people.
24 Corporate welfare will not help the
25 grandmother from South Side who stands
00112
1 in line with Farmers' Market food
2 vouchers or the elderly man in West
3 Side who struggles to walk to the
4 drugstore because he has no car.
5 Corporate welfare will not help the
6 hardworking families of Scranton pay
7 their taxes and mortgages. I believe
8 there is no greater example of
9 dedication, hard work and leadership
10 within Scranton than our countless men
11 and women, mothers and fathers who
12 work oftentimes more than one job to
13 feed their families and pay their
14 bills. It is these men and women who
15 cause me to believe that Scranton can
16 and should do with the KOZ giveaways.
17 I believe in our city's resilience,
18 its workforce, its school district,
19 its geographical location. What holds
20 it back are its wage and business
21 taxes. When they are lowered and
22 unnecessary spending and borrowing is
23 curved, Scranton will grow even more
24 attractive to business and new
25 residents because it will then become
00113
1 truly competitive with neighboring
2 municipalities. Until then, giveaways
3 are not the answer, and the loss of
4 tax revenue from KOZs makes its much
5 more difficult to lower these
6 oppressive taxes. And like Mr.
7 Rinaldi, the developer of the
8 magnificent 500-block of Lackawanna
9 County, I believe new business can
10 bring in more new business, but not
11 through KOZ or KOEZ extensions.
12 Government tax dollars have rebuilt
13 that lot, it's buildings, park,
14 sidewalks, streetlights, et cetera,
15 with the Coney Island and Buona Pizza
16 who are eliminated from this project.
17 One fights to remain in the downtown,
18 while the other business owner pays
19 for his own renovations, and yet both
20 of those businesses have paid taxes to
21 this city for over 40 years. If
22 anyone deserves help, it is they.
23 Ladies and gentlemen, our taxes built
24 that beautiful project. We should not
25 have pay their taxes now as well. We
00114
1 should not have to pay taxes for
2 businesses who move so that they can
3 stop paying taxes. No one -- no one
4 here opposes economic development. We
5 welcome and encourage all new business
6 to locate in our great city. However,
7 you do not support corporate welfare.
8 And finally, if a meeting occurs
9 among the school district, county
10 commissioners, city council, SLIPCO
11 and Mr. Burke, I will be happy to
12 attend if all the businesses and
13 individuals asking KOZ and KOEZ
14 extensions will also attend and
15 explain to the public who will be
16 paying their taxes why they need
17 tax-free status at a town meeting.
18 And although we have been invited to
19 such a meeting on Thursday afternoon
20 at the Chamber of Commerce, I do not
21 believe such a meeting is frankly
22 possible unless it becomes an open
23 public meeting. It will occur in
24 violation of the Sunshine Law.
25 And finally I have two citizens
00115
1 request. The first chunks of pavement
2 have lifted up in the road in the 100
3 and 200 blocks of Mary Lane in East
4 Mountain. According to residents some
5 pieces are in their driveways and
6 others are lying in the street. This
7 was already reported to Mr. Brazil,
8 DPW director, but I wanted to make
9 sure that East Mountain residents know
10 that Mr. Brazil was notified about
11 your problem, and I'm sure he will
12 want to take care of it for you
13 promptly.
14 And also a memo to Mr. Brazil,
15 please send an update on the flooding
16 stormwater runoff property on North
17 Cameron Avenue to city council as soon
18 as possible and that's it.
19 MS. GARVEY: Mr. McGoff, I would
20 like to say something about the Pine
21 Brook Field. Mrs. Evans, I spoke to
22 Mark Dougher today about that because
23 I was asked to find something out. He
24 is saying it is not being sold to
25 Lackawanna and it is staying as it is.
00116
1 However, the land that they do own,
2 they plan to construct a practice
3 football field, a soccer field and
4 maybe a baseball field and that was
5 their plans as far as he was stating
6 today.
7 MS. EVANS: Thank you, Kay.
8 That's very good to know. I have no
9 objection to their building any
10 facilities that are on land and that
11 they have purchased. I simply did not
12 believe that they should in anyway
13 touch a public park. Thanks.
14 MR. MCGOFF: Miss Gatelli.
15 MS. GATELLI: Well, first, I'd
16 like to say that I got a response
17 about the railroad cars from a person
18 at the transportation board in
19 Washington for Congressman Kanjorski d
20 and they say there that they are going
21 to move the locomotive and they are
22 will be cleaning up the property. So
23 that is the latest that I have
24 received from Congressman Kanjorski.
25 Also, there's a condemned
00117
1 property at 541 East Elm Street that
2 the neighbors have complained about
3 for many years and I would just like
4 to announce that Lackawanna Neighbors
5 has executed a contractor and they
6 will be rebuilding that property and
7 then they will sell it. So the
8 property will be rehabilitated at 531
9 East Elm Street. Also, Kay, if you
10 could please get me the addresses,
11 someone mentioned about going to see
12 the KOZs and I think that's a good
13 idea. Some of them -- I'm not sure
14 where they are or what they are. So
15 if you can get the addresses of
16 exactly where they're located so we
17 can go and visually observe
18 properties.
19 I will be attending the meeting
20 Thursday at the Chamber of Commerce.
21 Last week I did ask that all of the
22 bodies get together to have a meeting.
23 I wasn't sure where it was going to
24 happen. I had assumed it would happen
25 here, but apparently Mr. Burke is
00118
1 going to have it there. I will be
2 attending. I talked to Attorney
3 Minora about the Sunshine Law and if
4 all of council would be able to attend
5 a meeting, and he said that it would
6 be fine for us to attend, and it would
7 not be a violation of the Sunshine
8 Law.
9 Secondly, we will be having our
10 own meeting here. I'm not sure what
11 time it will be, but it will be next
12 Monday and we are going to invite all
13 the applicants that applied for KOZ to
14 speak before council and that will be
15 happening next Monday but I'm not sure
16 about what time.
17 As far as the residential KOZ
18 zones, I didn't approve of them, and I
19 wasn't sitting here when the KOZs were
20 approved. But I do remember when the
21 gentleman came to the KOZ over there
22 on Euclid Avenue and he wanted to put
23 a business I don't remember what the
24 business was, but the neighbors had an
25 aversion to that business and they
00119
1 didn't want it there. I do remember
2 that. I don't remember the nature of
3 the business but they had a lot of
4 neighborhood meetings and decided not
5 to allow that business to go in that
6 particular neighborhood and that's why
7 it did turn into a residential.
8 For the record, when you do build
9 a home in Scranton, there is a
10 two-year property tax incentive. You
11 do not have to pay property tax for
12 two years, and that's an ordinance
13 within the City of Scranton. So even
14 if you don't have a KOZ, you can file
15 with the city and your property tax is
16 abated for two years. So we do have
17 some type of an incentive for new home
18 building.
19 Also, there seems to be a problem
20 at Tom and Jerry's. It's supposed to
21 be a restaurant. From what I
22 understand from the neighbors, it was
23 opened this past weekend and it is a
24 dance club, something that violates
25 our zoning law. I know Mr. Seitzinger
00120
1 was there when they were remodeling
2 and all the inspectors and they were
3 told that it had to be restaurant.
4 It's only zoned for a restaurant, not
5 for a tavern. So I would like a
6 letter to go to the mayor and Mr.
7 Seitzinger and the law department. I
8 think they are aware of it, but I want
9 to be on the record, sending that
10 letter opposing that being open as a
11 tavern. We certainly have enough
12 problems on Pittston Avenue without
13 adding one more bar to the mix. We
14 are in the process of trying to close
15 one of the bars on Pittston Avenue
16 right now. We already closed Tony and
17 Mary's. As you know it's a wonderful
18 restaurant and pizza shop right now
19 and there is one more that is in the
20 works for being closed. So we don't
21 want another one to take its place.
22 We will be very fervent in our
23 opposition to whoever is running that
24 dance club on Pittston Avenue.
25 I would like to make a motion
00121
1 that we send a letter to Andy Jarbola
2 and have him if he cannot do an
3 investigation of the Tax Office, to
4 advise us where we can find someone
5 that will. I do agree with the
6 people. We don't have anymore
7 information than we had last January.
8 I know for one thing they are not
9 supposed to have their own solicitor.
10 That's the one violation and yet they
11 still have him, he's still there, he's
12 still the spokesman. So I don't know
13 what the whole deal is up there but it
14 certainly warrants someone looking
15 into something. I'm also very
16 concerned, as I said last week, that
17 we don't have the money yet. They
18 said that we would. I believed them
19 and the money is not coming. So I'm
20 very upset about that. So I do think
21 that we do need to ask Andy to please
22 do some type of investigation or to
23 advise us as to steps we need to take
24 as a municipality to have the place
25 investigated and find out exactly
00122
1 what's what. So I'll make that.
2 MS. EVANS: Second.
3 MR. MCGOFF: On the question.
4 MS. EVANS: Yes. I would just
5 ask, though, that perhaps we can
6 modify the motion to state that we are
7 requesting his investigation as
8 District Attorney of Lackawanna County
9 into this office, because I think at
10 least from my prospective, it's
11 important to know whether he accepts
12 or declines and that is his
13 prerogative. Should he decline,
14 however, that provides council then or
15 then even one individual member like
16 myself to then seek the assistance of
17 the state into an investigation. So
18 it's very important that Attorney
19 Jarbola answer yes or no and then as
20 she said advise us on what he feels
21 would be the most effective route
22 thereafter, yes.
23 MR. MCGOFF: Are we asking for or
24 this motion for investigation of Mr.
25 McDowell as tax collector or is the
00123
1 motion for investigation of the Single
2 Tax Office in general or both?
3 MS. GATELLI: Well, I'd say the
4 Tax Office in general. If he was the
5 collector at the time, I'm sure he is
6 going to be part of it. You know, if
7 they investigate the office and what
8 happened and laws are being violated,
9 I'm sure they're going to have to
10 question him and the workers.
11 MS. EVANS: Well, state laws were
12 violated during those particular
13 years.
14 MS. GATELLI: As I mentioned, the
15 solicitor is there and that's not in
16 our purview to have a solicitor at the
17 Tax Office.
18 MS. EVANS: But, for example, are
19 you aware that for all of those years
20 that the City of Scranton did not
21 receive monthly reports from the Tax
22 Office, the city can actually fine the
23 tax collector in the Tax Office and we
24 were to do that, I would think that we
25 would be `somewhere between 50 and
00124
1 $100,000 that would have been owed
2 from Mr. McDowell's tenure to the city
3 for his violation of state law. And
4 that's just one example of several.
5 MS. GATELLI: Yes. So, I mean, I
6 think he'll be brought into it
7 regardless if we say we want him
8 investigated.
9 MS. EVANS: Well, I don't see any
10 issue with making the statement.
11 MS. GATELLI: Yeah, I don't
12 either.
13 MR. MCGOFF: Well, I guess I'm
14 just trying to determine what it is
15 that we're actually voting on. You're
16 asking -- I don't mean to put words in
17 your mouth -- but to conduct a
18 criminal investigation of the Single
19 Tax Office and it's operations during
20 the tenure of Tax Collector Ken
21 McDowell.
22 MS. EVANS: Well, I can't --
23 MS. GATELLI: And to the present
24 because the solicitor is still there.
25 The state law is still being violated
00125
1 as we speak here.
2 MS. EVANS: But I believe we're
3 also looking for the investigation of
4 the office and Mr. McDowell as former
5 tax collector for the years he's
6 served in office.
7 MR. MCGOFF: Wait. I guess I'm
8 trying to stick by which Mrs. Garvey
9 can put it into a motion.
10 MS. EVAN: There was something
11 else Mrs. Franus said about Mr.
12 McDowell serving as county controller
13 that the state had ruled that he as a
14 Scranton tax collector could actively
15 seek the office of county controller,
16 but if elected, could not serve. And
17 I think she is also asking for an
18 investigation into that as well which
19 is another possible -- I frankly -- I
20 cannot downplay any --
21 MS. GATELLI: Why don't we say
22 investigate any state law and what
23 they are and what were broken and it
24 covers all of them.
25 MR. MCGOFF: Conduct a criminal
00126
1 investigation to the Single Tax Office
2 and its operations during the tenure
3 of Tax Collector Ken McDowell and any
4 current violations of state law.
5 MS. EVANS: Correct.
6 MS. GATELLI: Some are still
7 being violated.
8 MR. MCGOFF: Would that be
9 acceptable as a motion?
10 MS. EVANS: Yes. With the
11 exception if we change the word
12 'under' to 'and.'
13 MR. MCGOFF: I think I did. And
14 any current violations of state law.
15 Conduct a criminal investigation of
16 the Single Tax Office and its
17 operations.
18 MS. EVANS: And it operations and
19 Mr. McDowell --
20 MR. MCGOFF: During the tenure
21 off --
22 MS. EVANS: I'm sorry. I
23 inserted a word 'under.' Okay.
24 Conduct A criminal investigation of
25 the Single Tax Office and its
00127
1 operations and Tax Collector McDowell
2 during the tenure of Tax Collector Ken
3 McDowell and any current violations of
4 state law.
5 MS. EVANS: Yes.
6 MR. MCGOFF: That's the motion
7 and that's what you said?
8 MS. EVANS: Yes.
9 MR. MCGOFF: Okay. Just trying
10 to make it clear. Are we good?
11 Anyone else on the question? All in
12 favor signify by saying aye.
13 MS. EVANS: Aye.
14 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
15 MR. MCGOFF: Opposed?
16 MR. MCGOFF: No. Ayes have it
17 and so moved.
18 MS. GATELLI: I'm going to make
19 another motion. Good night for
20 motions. And this also has to do with
21 the Single Tax Office. And I'm not
22 sure -- probably have to ask Attorney
23 Minora and his opinion on this but I'm
24 hoping he is going to give me the one
25 I want to hear. I've been talking
00128
1 about for months and months about the
2 declaratory judgment. I said last
3 week, you weren't here, Amil, that I
4 had gone to a meeting with the school
5 board, the county and I was there
6 representing the city as a finance
7 chair, and I brought up the idea of
8 the declaratory judgment. All of them
9 were in favor of it. That has to be
10 two months ago. They were all going
11 to go back to their attorneys and all
12 of the attorneys were supposed to talk
13 to each other and file it together,
14 and I haven't heard anything since --
15 MR. MINORA: I have.
16 MS. GATELLI: Have you?
17 MR. MINORA: I talked to Attorney
18 Patterson -- I guess I want to say two
19 weeks ago, maybe a little longer. And
20 we discussed that and her question to
21 me was or her thought to me was it
22 might be better if we could just get
23 the lawyers in the room and come to an
24 agreement. That would expedite
25 everything and rather than go through
00129
1 the procedure, it would be longer
2 than, you, say an agreement, and she
3 was going to contact the other
4 solicitor, the other lawyers and see
5 if that was something that they were
6 in favor of and proceed that way, if
7 possible. So that was the last I
8 heard from her on that. I don't think
9 she opposed the idea of declaratory
10 judgment. Actually she just wants to
11 go as quickly as possible. And, of
12 course, an agreement would be the
13 quickest way.
14 MS. GATELLI: Well, maybe instead
15 of making the motion, we can wait one
16 more week. If you could, please.
17 MR. MINORA: I will be glad to
18 call Attorney Patterson.
19 MS. GATELLI: Because it's
20 getting, you know, near the end of
21 June.
22 MR. MINORA: Yeah, I'll be glad
23 to call her.
24 MS. GATELLI: If not, then I
25 would like you to investigate the
00130
1 possibility of city council filing a
2 declaratory judgment. If we can
3 make --
4 MR. MINORA: No, we can't.
5 MS. GATELLI: No.
6 MR. MINORA: No. That's an
7 administrative function, not an
8 legislative function.
9 MS. GATELLI: Okay. I didn't
10 want to hear that answer. All right.
11 Just a few more things. I also would
12 like to give my condolences to the
13 family of Donnie Holmes. Nancy Kay
14 and I were fellow neighborhood leaders
15 for many years together. She helped
16 with many projects in South Side when
17 it needed help, and I certainly
18 appreciate all she did for the
19 neighbors and when she was on city
20 council and her husband was a teacher
21 at West Scranton High School along
22 with my husband. They both taught in
23 the Science Department. So they were
24 very friendly also. So I would like
25 to give condolences to the Holmes
00131
1 family.
2 I would like to congratulate the
3 Class of 2009 at West Scranton High
4 School. We will be graduating
5 Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m.
6 And last I also would like to
7 wish everyone a Happy Father's Day,
8 Amil and Bob, Neil. Thank you. And
9 like Janet, my dad is also not here
10 anymore. But we'll try to remember
11 him in our thoughts and the many kind
12 things that he always did for us.
13 MS. HUMPHRIES: Mrs. Gatelli, I
14 would like to ask to offer sympathy to
15 my Uncle Patsy that passed away last
16 Sunday. Patrick Fidela.
17 MS. GATELLI: Patrick Fidela,
18 also keep him in your thoughts.
19 And Happy Father's Day to you, my
20 husband who is very good to his
21 children and his grandchildren and my
22 son-in-law, Jerry, who is an excellent
23 father with his two children.
24 And that's all I have. Thank
25 you.
00132
1 MR. MCGOFF: Thank you. A couple
2 things, first asking to ask ECTV to
3 rebroadcast the daytime meetings. I
4 believe the most appropriate time to
5 rebroadcast would be Tuesday nights at
6 6:30. The time slot is already there.
7 People are already conditioned to
8 turning on at that time. So I believe
9 that would be the most appropriate
10 thing to do. I don't see why they
11 would have any objection to that. I
12 don't think it would compete with any
13 of the other programming that they may
14 have. So I will make that request for
15 Tuesday night rebroadcast of the
16 summer meetings.
17 Also I will, Mr. Kupchunas, ask
18 about the flood control. Rather than
19 writing a letter, I will attempt to
20 get in touch with or I will get in
21 touch with flood control project and
22 personally find out what the status of
23 that may be. And as far as the -- I
24 guess the biggest topic of the night
25 or the tone of the night is the KOZ
00133
1 extensions and I'm not sure if the
2 hellbent comment was meant for me, but
3 that's okay. I have said that I'm in
4 favor of KOZ extensions, not all of
5 them, but I have made it a point that
6 I am in favor of looking at them and
7 to making a decision as to the value
8 of them individually. It is by my
9 action that there are 20-some
10 extensions on the agenda. I ask that
11 they be dealt with individually
12 because I don't think you can make, as
13 someone said, before a black and white
14 decision on these. I think that some
15 of them have value, I think that some
16 of them are somewhat dubious in their
17 value to the community.
18 With that said, I have asked or I
19 would like to move all of them into
20 seventh order this evening. It would
21 simply be for to vote them all for
22 introduction and then as Mrs. Gatelli
23 indicated before, that we would then
24 conduct it at an executive meeting at
25 which time we invite interested
00134
1 parties to speak, and then after
2 hearing what people had to say as far
3 as the extensions were concerned, then
4 we would be able to make a hopefully
5 more educated decision. I think there
6 were some suggestions made tonight
7 that are very valid. I think Mr.
8 Sbaraglia's suggestion to take a look
9 at, you know, some of the properties
10 is a good idea. I have not had -- I
11 am familiar with some of the requests,
12 certainly not with all of them.
13 Another week would allow all council
14 to take a better look at the -- what's
15 before us and then make a valued
16 decision as to whether they would
17 offer our approval or not. And
18 remember, we are not granting these
19 extensions. All we are doing is
20 offering a support to them, a letter
21 of support saying that, yes, we find
22 this particular piece of legislation
23 to be of value.
24 As far as the school board, I
25 spoke with members of the school board
00135
1 and they felt that they not putting it
2 on the agenda acting as a vote, that
3 was their interpretation. I believe
4 that we operate differently.
5 Legislation was placed before us. I
6 believe it is our obligation to vote
7 on that legislation. Whether we vote
8 yes or no is important, but I believe
9 that we are all obligated to vote and
10 that is why they are on our agenda.
11 If the school board has decided not to
12 place it on their agenda, that's their
13 decision. But it is my decision to
14 have these on the agenda and to ask
15 for each and everyone of us to vote.
16 No matter what that vote may be, once
17 it's decided that will be the decision
18 and it is irrespective of whatever the
19 school board would do. And we'll,
20 again, we will see how the vote goes
21 on these this evening. And as I said,
22 if there are a substantial number that
23 are voted into for introduction, then
24 I will make a motion to have a special
25 meeting, an executive meeting next
00136
1 Monday at which time we will hear
2 information about each of the
3 applications. And as Mrs. -- there is
4 a meeting scheduled for Thursday and
5 Attorney Minora did say that as long
6 as we could not deliberate, as long as
7 we do not consult on extensions or act
8 as a legislative body during that
9 meeting, then we are in violation of
10 the Sunshine Act. As long as it is
11 for information gathering only, then
12 three or more members may attend and
13 hopefully as many members of council
14 as possible will be there. Hopefully
15 members of the school board will
16 attend, hopefully some of the people
17 who have applied have been invited to
18 attend. I know it has specifically to
19 do with the Mount Pleasant project but
20 obviously there are others overriding.
21 You know, it's great that it's just
22 the Mount Pleasant issue. There are
23 many more as Mrs. Evans said, the
24 flood gates did open and it was
25 anticipated and so we are now more
00137
1 than just one project, and hopefully
2 we can look at them individually and
3 make value decisions on each and every
4 one of them.
5 And with that, let's move to
6 fifth order, if you please.
7 MS. EVANS: Mr. McGoff, just one
8 concern, however. Since I've been
9 seated on council and I know even on
10 your tenure on council, there have
11 been meetings conducted to which
12 council was invited, and we have
13 discussions during our caucus as to
14 which members of city council would
15 attend because we recognize that we
16 were not all able to attend under the
17 Sunshine Law. So this has happened
18 before and I'm just wondering why now
19 since, you know, I do know that
20 discussions of personnel issues are
21 protected under the Sunshine Law. But
22 anything beyond that -- you know,
23 council has never appeared all five
24 simultaneously at any meeting since
25 I've been seated on council, and I
00138
1 think we might be get into some
2 dangerous territory there. Unless we
3 can open this up to everyone. You
4 know, if the public is invited to the
5 chamber and --
6 MR. MCGOFF: I'm not making the
7 invite. I can't extend an invitation
8 on behalf of the chamber. But I would
9 ask Attorney Minora if he would please
10 just investigate the alleged
11 violation --
12 MR. MINORA: I did look at the
13 statute.
14 MR. MCGOFF: And if so, then we
15 will ask that only two members attend
16 the meeting.
17 MR. MINORA: I did take a look at
18 the statute before I spoke to you. I
19 will look at some cases and double
20 check and I'll feel comfortable that
21 that is correct but I'll look again.
22 MR. MCGOFF: Thank you.
23 And I'm sorry. Something came up
24 before, someone mentioned about the
25 county and I forgot, I was going to
00139
1 read this. The county as far as the
2 KOZ extensions, just very quickly.
3 This was a resolution that was adopted
4 May 14, 2008, some of the more
5 pertinent wording: "Whereas the
6 County of Lackawanna County desires to
7 extend its approval of the tax
8 deductions made into credits as
9 authorized by the act, the act being
10 the extensions, consisted with the
11 final provisions of House Bill No.
12 2297, be it resolved the Board of
13 Commissioners of Lackawanna County
14 does hereby grant and accept the
15 extension of KOZ, KOEZ. Said approval
16 to cover all undeveloped and
17 unoccupied buildings currently
18 designated KOZ and KOEZ." All right.
19 I think that's pretty straight forward
20 as to what their intent was. And it's
21 signed by all three commissioners and
22 attested to by their chief of staff
23 and their solicitor. Fifth order.
24 MS. GATELLI: I just want --
25 MR. MCGOFF: I'm sorry.
00140
1 MS. GATELLI: I just have one
2 thing. I made a faux pas tonight and
3 I want to correct it before people at
4 531 East Elm get too excited about
5 what I said. Because the rest of the
6 letter says that Lackawanna Neighbors
7 is not purchasing the home located at
8 531 East Elm. There were major
9 problems with the title. It's
10 unfortunate, because they told me that
11 it was going to happen when we went
12 into an open house on another property
13 on Hickory Street. So I'm very
14 saddened that is going to stay the way
15 it is, and if Kay would please send a
16 letter to Mr. Seitzinger to please put
17 it on the demolition list. Thank you.
18 The money is going back into the
19 program so it will be used for another
20 house that they'll rehabilitate.
21 They've done several in our
22 neighborhood and they do a wonderful
23 job. So I trust in all the work that
24 they do. And I'm sure they'll find
25 another home to use the money for, but
00141
1 it's unfortunate because the house
2 really needed to be rehabilitated or
3 have something done with it. It's
4 been in a deplorable condition for
5 many years. So I'm sorry for that
6 mistake. Thank you.
7 MS. GARVEY: Fifth order, 5B. FOR
8 INTRODUCTION AN ORDINANCE PROVIDING
9 FOR THE ACCEPTANCE AND DEDICATION AS
10 PUBLIC ROADS WILLIAMSBURG LANE,
11 NORFOLK WAY, ROANOKE LANE, ARLINGTON
12 WAY, CHESTERFIELD LANE AND HUNTINGTON
13 WAY, AS WELL AS ALL THE STORM DRAINAGE
14 SYSTEM UNDERLYING SAID STREETS AND
15 RIGHTS-OF-WAY; ALL OF THE
16 AFOREMENTIONED IMPROVEMENTS BEING
17 LOCATED IN THE KEYSER TERRACE
18 SUBDIVISION IN THE CITY OF
19 SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA; ALSO
20 AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND OTHER
21 APPROPRIATE CITY OFFICIALS TO ACCEPT
22 FOR THE SUM OF ONE DOLLAR ($1.00) AND
23 TO RECORD IN THE OFFICIAL RECORDS
24 AT THE OFFICE OF THE RECORDER OF DEEDS
25 FOR LACKAWANNA COUNTY A DEED FOR THE
00142
1 AFORESAID PUBLIC STREETS AND
2 IMPROVEMENTS.
3 MR. MCGOFF: At this time I'll
4 entertain a motion that Item 5-B be
5 introduced into its proper committee.
6 MS. GATELLI: So moved.
7 MS. EVANS: Second.
8 MR. MCGOFF: On the question?
9 All those in favor signify by saying
10 aye.
11 MS. EVANS: Aye.
12 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
13 MR. MCGOFF: Aye. Opposed? The
14 ayes have it and so moved.
15 MS. GATELLI: I'd like before we
16 go on, I'd like to make a motion that
17 we have a public hearing on June 30th
18 at 9:45 in the morning on that
19 particular ordinance.
20 MS. EVANS: Second.
21 MR. MCGOFF: On the question?
22 All in favor signify by saying aye.
23 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
24 MR. MCGOFF: Aye.
25 MS. EVANS: Aye.
00143
1 MR. MCGOFF: Opposed? Ayes have
2 it and so moved.
3 MS. GARVEY: 5C. FOR INTRODUCTION
4 A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR
5 AND OTHER APPROPRIATE CITY OFFICIALS
6 TO EXECUTE AND ENTER INTO AN
7 ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT AUTHORIZING THE
8 ASSIGNMENT OF ALL RIGHTS AND
9 LIABILITIES UNDER THE PRIVATE POLICE
10 CRUISER LEASE OF OFFICER RICHARD
11 IANNUZZO TO OFFICER ROBERT HEGEDUS.
12 MR. MCGOFF: At this time I'll
13 entertain a motion that Item 5-C be
14 introd