1
1 SCRANTON CITY COUNCIL MEETING
2
3
4
5 HELD:
6
7 Tuesday, September 8, 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
CATHENE S. NARDOZZI, RPR - OFFICIAL COURT REPORTER
24
25
2
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
10
MR. WILLIAM COURTRIGHT
11
12 MS. KAY GARVEY, CITY CLERK
13
MR. NEIL COOLICAN, ASSISTANT CITY CLERK
14
15 MR. AMIL MINORA, SOLICITOR
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
3
1 (Pledge of Allegiance recited and
2 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: Here.
10 MR. COOLICAN: Mr. Courtright.
11 MR. COURTRIGHT: Here.
12 MR. COOLICAN: Mr. McGoff.
13 MR. MCGOFF: Here. Dispense with
14 the reading of the minutes.
15 MS. GARVEY: 3-A. AGENDA FOR THE
16 ZONING HEARING BOARD MEETING HELD ON AUGUST
17 12, 2009.
18 MR. MCGOFF: Are there any comments?
19 If not, received and filed.
20 MS. GARVEY: 3-B. TAX COLLECTION
21 COMPARISON REPORTS RECEIVED FROM THE SINGLE
22 TAX OFFICE ON AUGUST 11, 2009.
23 MR. MCGOFF: Are there any comments?
24 If not, received and filed.
25 MS. GARVEY: 3-C. APPLICATIONS AND
4
1 DECISIONS RENDERED BY THE ZONING HEARING
2 BOARD MEETING HELD ON AUGUST 12, 2009.
3 MR. MCGOFF: Are there any comments?
4 If not, received and filed.
5 MS. GARVEY: 3-D. MINUTES OF THE
6 COMPOSITE PENSION BOARD MEETING HELD ON JULY
7 22, 2009.
8 MR. MCGOFF: Are there any comments?
9 If not, received and filed.
10 MS. GARVEY: 3-E. MINUTES OF THE
11 NON-UNIFORM MUNICIPAL PENSION BOARD MEETING
12 HELD ON JULY 22, 2009.
13 MR. MCGOFF: Are there any comments?
14 If not, received and filed.
15 MS. GARVEY: 3-F. MINUTES OF THE
16 FIREMEN'S PENSION COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON
17 JULY 22, 2009.
18 MR. MCGOFF: Are there any comments?
19 If not, received and filed.
20 MS. GARVEY: 3-G. MINUTES OF THE
21 POLICE PENSION COMMISSION MEETING HELD ON
22 JULY 22, 2009.
23 MR. MCGOFF: Are there any comments?
24 If not, received and filed.
25 MS. GARVEY: 3-H. AGENDA FOR THE
5
1 NON-UNIFORM MUNICIPAL PENSION BOARD MEETING
2 HELD ON AUGUST 26, 2009.
3 MR. MCGOFF: Are there any comments?
4 If not, received and filed.
5 MS. GARVEY: 3-I. AGENDA FOR THE
6 ZONING HEARING BOARD MEETING TO BE HELD ON
7 SEPTEMBER 9, 2009.
8 MR. MCGOFF: Are there any comments?
9 If not, received and filed.
10 MS. GARVEY: 3-J. CONTROLLER'S REPORT
11 FOR THE MONTH ENDING JULY 31, 2009.
12 MR. MCGOFF: Thank you, Mrs. Garvey.
13 Are there any comments? If not, received
14 and filed. Thank you, Mrs. Garvey. Any
15 announcements from members of counsel? Mrs.
16 Gatelli?
17 MS. GATELLI: Yes. The first thing I
18 would like to announce is the Night Out
19 against crime will be held Tuesday,
20 September 15 at the Tripp Park Complex from
21 5 to 9. It's unfortunate that it's being
22 held on a Tuesday evening when there is
23 council meeting going on because I'm sure
24 most of us go to that fair, and I'm very
25 disappointed that we won't be able to be
6
1 there. Hopefully the meeting will be over a
2 little early next week and we can take a
3 scoot over after the meeting, but I'm glad
4 to see that they are having it. There will
5 be a canine demonstration and parade, the
6 smokehouse from the fire department, free
7 hot dogs and drinks and Tommy the DJ
8 sponsored by the Scranton Police Department.
9 Also, on Sunday, September 20, from
10 noon to seven, will be Lebanese Heritage Day
11 at St. Ann's Marian Church. They will have
12 all kinds of Lebanese food and things for
13 the children, Sumner Avenue and West Price
14 Street in West Scranton, and that's the only
15 announcements I have. Thank you.
16 MS. EVANS: Please remember in your
17 prayers all those who are died in the last
18 month, particularly retired lieutenant Ben
19 Davis, a firefighter who served our city
20 with dedication and professionalism and his
21 dear family and friends he leaves behind.
22 May God show his tender mercies to the Davis
23 family, and especially his son Mark, who is
24 also a Scranton firefighter.
25 This Friday as a nation we
7
1 commemorate the 9/11 attacks against
2 America. I ask you to remember in your
3 prayers all of the victims of this tragedy
4 and their family members who forever suffer
5 their loss. A memorial service will be held
6 at McDade Park at 8 a.m., and a brief
7 service will be held at St. Ann's Basilica
8 at noon.
9 The annual St. Paul's church picnic
10 will be conducted this Friday, Saturday and
11 Sunday, September 11, 12 and 13 on the
12 church grounds at the corner of Marian
13 Street and Penn Avenue. The picnic offers
14 great food, games, raffles and fun for all
15 ages.
16 An AIDS walk will be conducted on
17 September 19 at Nay Aug Park. Registration
18 is $10 and it opens at 10 a.m., and the walk
19 itself begins at 11:30 a.m. All proceeds
20 benefit the Scranton Temple Health Center.
21 Please come out and support this very worthy
22 cause.
23 On Sunday, September 20, from 12 to
24 6 p.m., the Polish Food Festival will be
25 held at St. Stanislaus Youth Center at 530
8
1 East Elm Street in Scranton. The food is
2 out of this world, so treat yourself to some
3 Polish delicacies.
4 Also, I wish to commend all those
5 who worked on the Latino Pride Parade of
6 Events and the Italian Festival in the City
7 of Scranton. Both events were highly
8 successful and Scranton is most proud to
9 serve as their host city.
10 Council received a petition from the
11 residents of Taylor Avenue, Linden Street
12 and North Irving Avenue which opposes the
13 installation of a 40-foot dumpster compactor
14 by the University of Scranton at 322
15 Wenzelli Court. The Court lies between
16 Taylor and North Irving Avenues. Residents
17 object to the odor, noise, and unsightly
18 appearance of the dumpster/compactor. As a
19 council, I believe it is our duty to
20 safeguard the welfare, safety, and peace of
21 mind of Scranton residents, therefore, I
22 would like a letter from Scranton City
23 Council to the University of Scranton with a
24 petition attached requesting the removal of
25 the dumpster compactor with my colleague's
9
1 agreement.
2 MR. COURTRIGHT: Fine by me.
3 MS. GATELLI: Agree.
4 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
5 MS. EVANS: Thank you. And if, Kay,
6 we might also send a letter to licensing and
7 inspections to make sure that they're in
8 contact with the University as well, and
9 this should be moved as soon as possible.
10 Finally, I hope everyone enjoyed a
11 wonderful Labor Day weekend and recognized
12 the significance of our hardworking labor
13 unions both past and present whose sacrifice
14 and commitments to fair labor practices for
15 all working Americans are the backbone of
16 our great country. If you traveled the
17 courthouse square area during the Italian
18 festival, I hope you admired the statute of
19 our ground breaking labor leader John
20 Mitchell who was largely responsible for
21 this American holiday, and that's all.
22 MR. COURTRIGHT: Mr. McGoff, I -- I
23 discussed this with Mr. McGoff earlier, I
24 wanted to do this in the beginning of the
25 meeting so maybe we can get out in front of
10
1 something. Right before we took our break
2 for the summer there was an issue that came
3 up about two grants actually that went out
4 to the Justice Department. What had
5 happened was there was a letter sent to the
6 Justice Department that council was unaware
7 of, I want to read one to you because they
8 are either exactly the same or similar, I
9 should say. This is to Traci Williams from
10 the Justice Department, and the letter is
11 sent by the grant writer the City of
12 Scranton has. Now, keep in mind, the grant
13 writer is part-time for the City of Scranton
14 and full-time for the county.
15 "Let this correspondence serve as
16 official notification that the memorandum of
17 understanding between the City of Scranton,
18 Moosic, South Abington, Carbondale, and
19 Lackawanna County pursuant to the 2009 JAG
20 nonfederal grant was offered into the
21 Scranton City Council Committee on Public
22 Safety, Tuesday, April 7, 2009, and was
23 unanimously approved per Chief David
24 Elliott.
25 Additionally, the memorandum of
11
1 understanding was introduced in the regular
2 minutes of Scranton City Council and made
3 available for the public comment. To date,
4 all public comment has been overwhelmingly
5 positive about the programs intentions per
6 Chief David Elliott. Thank you for your
7 consideration in this manner and please do
8 not hesitate to contact with me with any
9 questions."
10 And it's sent by the grant writer,
11 part-time grant writer for the City of
12 Scranton. That letter was dated May 18th of
13 2009. We have the same letter July 8th of
14 2008. When was discovered through members
15 of the public that asked questions of me,
16 also members of council asked questions of
17 me, I believe it was discovered by the
18 business administration office, what
19 happened was none of this actually happened.
20 We never saw any of this legislation. We
21 didn't see the legislation for 2008. We did
22 not see the legislation for 2009. We did
23 not vote on it. It was not passed
24 unanimously. There was no public comment
25 and they did not receive it overwhelmingly
12
1 because it just simply did not happen.
2 So I went and I spoke with them, and
3 bear with me because it's a little bit
4 lengthy explanation here, I went and I spoke
5 to Mary Theresa Patterson, who is the city
6 solicitor, and she called in Stu Renda, who
7 is the business administrator, and we
8 discussed it and we had a phone conversation
9 with Dave Elliott. Because of the phone
10 conversation that we had with Dave Elliott
11 we had a meeting with Mr. McGoff, myself and
12 Ray Hayes, who is the Director of Public
13 Safety, Mary Theresa Patterson and Dave
14 Elliott and we discussed how could something
15 like this happen.
16 That meeting spawned another meeting
17 which is a meeting, so as you can see we
18 weren't just doing nothing during the break,
19 another meeting with Mr. McGoff, myself,
20 Dave Elliott and the grant writer, again,
21 the part-time grant writer for the county,
22 full-time with the county. That in turn had
23 another meeting resulted from it, and that
24 was with the grant writer, her supervisor
25 from the county, Mr. McGoff, and myself.
13
1 And the reason I bring it up now is
2 because I know there was people from the
3 public that asked questions, and I believe
4 people from the people sent letters to the
5 JAG office, the federal government, and sent
6 letters to our office and I thought I could
7 just give you some information now. So what
8 appears is there was a colossal
9 misunderstanding between the grant writer
10 and Dave Elliott. If there is any further
11 questions I would most certainly be happy to
12 answer them from anybody if you just want
13 explanation when you come to the podium or
14 anybody on council here, but I want to get
15 this out front now so that you know we are
16 not trying to hide anything.
17 Well, the grant is going to be given
18 to us, all right. I believe we need to have
19 an account opened up for it. We didn't have
20 any of the proper procedures done because we
21 did not know about it. We didn't know what
22 they were.
23 MS. EVANS: Mr. Courtright, yes, as
24 you just mentioned there is legislation on
25 tonight's agenda that pertains to the JAG
14
1 grant and I'm very grateful that the city is
2 receiving this money, and I'm going to vote
3 "yes" to introduce it tonight because I know
4 we sorely need these funds. The police
5 department needs more than is even available
6 to us at this point in time, particularly in
7 light of what occurrences have been revealed
8 in the last month, but I'm not -- I realize,
9 okay, there were two letters, you have had -
10 you and Mr. McGoff have had now what was
11 that three meetings over --
12 MR. COURTRIGHT: I have had four.
13 MS. EVANS: Four meetings, okay, and
14 can you explain to me though you said there
15 is a colossal misunderstanding, what is this
16 big misunderstanding? I mean, what is the--
17 please, if you can in detail tell us what
18 this misunderstanding is because my concern
19 since you brought this out publically now is
20 the fact that false information was provided
21 to the Justice Department with regard to
22 Scranton City Council and someone has to be
23 held responsible for that. Do we know, I
24 mean, what's been the end result of the four
25 meetings?
15
1 MR. COURTRIGHT: Okay. I'll be happy
2 to explain it, and again, this is the reason
3 I brought it up because we don't want to
4 look like we are hiding anything, but I
5 would ask Mr. Minora if in my explanation do
6 you think I'm giving information that's
7 confidential and I shouldn't be giving would
8 you jump in?
9 MR. MINORA: I will, but I don't see
10 that this is a personnel matter or
11 litigation. I mean, it's --
12 MR. COURTRIGHT: Okay.
13 MR. MINORA: It's legislation, so if
14 there is a problem --
15 MR. COURTRIGHT: I'll also ask
16 Mr. McGoff if I'm on base then or incorrect
17 because the only meeting he wasn't on was
18 the first one when I spoke to the attorney
19 with the city and Mr. Renda, and I'll try to
20 summarize it and then I will be more than
21 happy to give you more detail if you need it
22 and then further after the meeting give you
23 more detail.
24 My understanding of what has
25 happened is that, and again, please correct
16
1 me if I'm wrong because this is a little bit
2 of a touchy situation, the grant writer was
3 told by the police department that on
4 April 7 we -- council was going to be
5 receiving legislation, all right? And I
6 have to assume that this is the same thing
7 that the grant writer was told in 2008.
8 This happened two years, we didn't catch it
9 the first year and we caught it in 2009. So
10 she was told by Dave that the legislation is
11 going to go before us.
12 What she did was she took an old
13 letter to the Justice Department, I believe
14 maybe 2007, and she merely copied it and put
15 it in the dates, all right? And I asked her
16 in the last meeting that we had, you know,
17 why would you do that, you know, and she
18 said, "Well, that's what I was told. I was
19 told it was going in there."
20 I said, okay, you know, you sent
21 that to the Justice Department -- she sent
22 it to the Justice Department assuming that
23 it went to us because they have told -- Dave
24 Elliott told her it was coming to us. She
25 had no reason to believe otherwise.
17
1 MS. EVANS: Mr. Courtright, just one
2 quick question in case I forget -- or
3 Mr. McGoff, is it the grant writer's job
4 then to notify city council that this
5 legislation should be coming or is it the
6 job of the legal department or the job of
7 the police department, who typically
8 contacts city council to put the legislation
9 on?
10 MR. COURTRIGHT: I checked into this,
11 this was a question brought up and, Kay, now
12 you can correct me if I'm incorrect, what
13 had happened in the past is the police
14 department would send a letter to the law
15 department, the law department would write
16 legislation that would come to us, and then
17 we always passed it and I think the grant
18 writer, you know, assumed we would this
19 time, which I'm sure we would have.
20 MS. EVANS: Oh, yes.
21 MR. COURTRIGHT: But that didn't
22 happen. It went to the law department on
23 2008 and I guess again in 2009, and somehow
24 the business administrator caught it this
25 time. So she had no reason to believe that
18
1 it didn't go to us. I said, well, did you
2 not have to have someone sign off on this?
3 She said it went electronically. I believe,
4 and correct me if I'm wrong here, Bob, the
5 last thing I think she said Dave Elliott got
6 a copy and then a copy goes electronically
7 and then he has access to her e-mail. I
8 don't know, you know, she assumed that it
9 went to us. No one told her differently, so
10 I guess that raises another question.
11 MS. EVANS: Well, Mr. Courtright, I
12 was wondering, as I said, the legislation is
13 included on tonight's agenda and I do know
14 that the city sorely needs this money.
15 MR. COURTRIGHT: Right.
16 MS. EVANS: And it's not my intention
17 to stand in the way of the creation of the
18 account or the acceptance of the grant, but
19 I still have questions about last year's
20 grant, for example, how much was received,
21 where was that money placed and what I am
22 wondering though is before we cast our final
23 vote on this legislation to accept the JAG
24 grant and create the new account for
25 placement therein, would you be able to set
19
1 up a meeting for me with this grant writer
2 and yourself as Chair of the Public Safety
3 Committee because there are a few questions
4 I would like to ask her myself?
5 MR. COURTRIGHT: And maybe that would
6 be a good idea then there would be no
7 miscommunication. I tried to call everyone.
8 I did talk to Judy and Bob was there, I
9 talked to you, Sherry. I didn't get a
10 chance to talk to you. Yeah, I think she
11 is -- would be more than willing to speak
12 with you, I'll ask if --
13 MS. EVANS: Could you set that up for
14 me?
15 MR. COURTRIGHT: When you would be
16 available and I would call her and get the
17 story firsthand.
18 MS. EVANS: Okay.
19 MR. COURTRIGHT: I just know there
20 are people from public, that's why I got
21 people from the public asking questions and
22 I think Bob would agree with me we did not
23 want to look like we were doing anything
24 wrong.
25 MS. EVANS: But we did nothing wrong.
20
1 MR. COURTRIGHT: Right, we didn't.
2 MS. EVANS: We had no part in this.
3 MR. COURTRIGHT: We were unaware of
4 this, and that's one of the great concerns
5 that we had --
6 MS. EVANS: I'm just looking to get
7 to the bottom of it and to --
8 MR. COURTRIGHT: Absolutely.
9 MS. EVANS: -- find out where all of
10 the money is or how the money has been
11 dispersed and --
12 MS. FANUCCI: We did get that.
13 MR. MCGOFF: Can I -- the 2000 -- the
14 2008 JAG money was approved. There has --
15 it has to the been drawn upon as of yet, so
16 there is no money -- it's still --
17 MS. EVANS: Sits somewhere. Do you
18 know where?
19 MR. MCGOFF: It's still with the
20 Department of Justice. There has been no
21 money -- she has not drawn down that amount
22 from 2008.
23 MR. COURTRIGHT: She needs to start
24 the --
25 MS. EVANS: We received a grant, the
21
1 Justice Department maintains those funds and
2 as we need them they are --
3 MS. GATELLI: Drawn now.
4 MS. EVANS: -- applied for or drawn
5 down.
6 MR. MCGOFF: Right.
7 MS. EVANS: And we are saying that in
8 a whole year the police department didn't
9 need to use those funds for any reason?
10 That doesn't seem to hold water.
11 MR. MCGOFF: I'm telling -- you know
12 what, I don't know whether they needed it or
13 not. That money has -- and this is from the
14 grant writer since she is the one that draws
15 the funds --
16 MS. EVANS: Right.
17 MR. MCGOFF: She said that there has
18 been no money drawn from that 2008.
19 MS. EVANS: Well, that's certainly
20 a--
21 MR. MCGOFF: Can I also add to this,
22 that when it was discovered that this
23 letter -- the letter that Mr. Courtright
24 read, when it was discovered that that was
25 part of the application a retraction was
22
1 sent, communication from the grant writer
2 and through Chief Elliott's Office was sent
3 to the Department of Justice. The
4 Department of Justice responded saying
5 basically that fine, procedural error, there
6 was no problem, that it should be presented
7 to council and --
8 MS. EVANS: They were aware we have
9 done this for two consecutive years?
10 MR. MCGOFF: Yes.
11 MR. COURTRIGHT: There should be two
12 letters sent.
13 MR. MCGOFF: For want of a better
14 term, there was a letter of retraction and
15 it did say it was 2008-2009 and the
16 Department of Justice simply said, you know,
17 follow through, make sure it goes to council
18 like there was no -- so we did not lose any
19 funds. There is no recriminations, you
20 know, through the Justice Department. As
21 far as the Justice Department is concerned
22 the situation has been rectified so, that
23 you know, that part of it is, I'm going to
24 say kind of no harm, no foul type-thing.
25 Now, I understand your concern over the
23
1 procedural part of it, but I want --
2 MS. EVANS: Well, the procedural part
3 of it in addition to the fact that monies,
4 let us say, approved by the Justice
5 Department remain untouched for this amount
6 of time had we need Scranton police officers
7 on the street and they need better equipment
8 and we are not touching a grant that was
9 approved for the 2008 year.
10 MS. FANUCCI: There is a lot of
11 reasons for that though, because when we
12 draw federal funds and funds from the state
13 we are only allowed to max out a certain
14 percentage per yea, so just because we were
15 approved doesn't mean that you're able to
16 take it out, we might have been using it in
17 other areas, for instance, they are only
18 certain amount of percentage, in fact, you
19 should write a letter to Stu, maybe Kay can
20 write a letter to Stu, find out what the
21 reason for funding not being used was, and
22 how much we are allowed percentagewise to
23 draw on from the federal government and also
24 from the state for the police officers
25 yearly. That might clear a lot of that up
24
1 because I know -- the same thing happens
2 from the state with us. We can only do so
3 much with this CDBG or want to use for them
4 or any of the cops on the street or --
5 MS. EVANS: I see what you are saying
6 and how that can --
7 MS. FANUCCI: Right, but that's what
8 I mean --
9 MS. EVANS: And maybe if we --
10 MS. FANUCCI: --if you understand
11 that if get from them at your different
12 levels you can't use them because you
13 already used how many --
14 MS. EVANS: And will the Justice
15 Department continue to grant additional
16 funding when they are in possession of
17 information that says, "You have not used a
18 penny of what was granted to you the prior
19 year because you were unable to do so,
20 "because in effect I guess what we're saying
21 is we are overfunded.
22 MS. FANUCCI: No, no, no.
23 MS. EVANS: According to the --
24 according to the formulas that happened --
25 (Whereupon council members began
25
1 speaking on top of on another.)
2 MR. COURTRIGHT: One more thing
3 because I know we off track here, there is
4 some paperwork from the council and -- I
5 think one thing is that I don't know how we
6 would have used the money because there was
7 not a special city account opened to put it
8 into, right, we always make special city
9 account so there has been no legislation.
10 There is no legislation asking us to open a
11 special city council so how could we have
12 drawn down on it, so that's number one.
13 But when I sat this there and asked
14 Stu there was confusion because there are
15 checks being written and I'm telling you
16 there is a pile of stuff here, a pile of
17 stuff here. And maybe just the answer is to
18 have this meeting with this young lady and
19 speak to her and then maybe can you list the
20 questions.
21 MS. EVANS: Yes.
22 MR. COURTRIGHT: Because every time
23 we speak I learn something new and --
24 MS. EVANS: Well, I would like the
25 opportunity I think just to clarify --
26
1 MR. COURTRIGHT: I'll call her
2 tomorrow and see --
3 MS. EVANS: -- for myself that I take
4 it seriously anyway.
5 MR. MCGOFF: Just as an addendum,
6 the stenographer was having a difficult time
7 when were are talking at the same time if we
8 could have a little bit of sympathy for her
9 plight.
10 MS. GATELLI: I think you should
11 schedule her so we can all be there.
12 MS. FANUCCI: Yeah.
13 MR. COURTRIGHT: Okay.
14 MS. GATELLI: If she should come to a
15 caucus.
16 MS. EVANS: If she could attend the
17 public caucus. But, Mr. Courtright, I would
18 still like to continue with --
19 MR. COURTRIGHT: I'll give her a
20 call.
21 MS. EVANS: I'll come into a meeting
22 prior to next week.
23 MR. COURTRIGHT: I go to be honest
24 with you, I'm sorry, I was told, I don't
25 know how comfortable she would be being on
27
1 TV. She was rather nervous when we met with
2 her.
3 MS. GATELLI: We can meet in the
4 office. It doesn't have to be on the TV.
5 MR. COURTRIGHT: Again, I just want
6 to say, this girl works full-time for the
7 county, she is only part-time for us, and I
8 don't want to see her get a bad wrap.
9 MS. EVANS: Mr. Courtright, we have a
10 grant writer. The city employs a grant
11 writer, why was our grant writer not
12 involved in this process. It would seem --
13 if that individual had been -- maybe none of
14 this would have happened because there
15 aren't the actual city procedures in the
16 processes, so --
17 MR. COURTRIGHT: You are right. You
18 right.
19 MR. MCGOFF: May I -- on this one, at
20 least in 2009, and I won't speak for the
21 2008 because I don't know, but the 2009
22 application also included two other -- two
23 or three other municipalities.
24 MR. COURTRIGHT: Right. This is the
25 first one.
28
1 MR. MCGOFF: So it was more of a
2 countywide or -- it was outside of the City
3 of Scranton so that it was done through the
4 grant writer in the county. I know that
5 from the 2009, again, I can't speak for the
6 2008.
7 MS. EVANS: Oh, okay. Thank you.
8 MR. MCGOFF: All right.
9 MR. COURTRIGHT: I'll set it up.
10 MS. EVANS: Thank you.
11 MR. MCGOFF: Sorry for the --
12 MR. COURTRIGHT: I apologize, I just
13 wanted to get that out there.
14 MR. MCGOFF: Citizens' participation.
15 Andy Sbaraglia.
16 MR. SBARAGLIA: Andy Sbaraglia,
17 citizen of Scranton, fellow Scrantonians.
18 There is two articles in the Times that
19 affects your pocketbook. We got a man in
20 charge of the DCED is writing up this
21 revised Recovery Plan, but some of the
22 things that we don't know what's in it, but
23 they did put two articles in the paper what
24 this man was thinking. It proposes
25 expanding the business payroll tax to
29
1 nonprofits, one thing or increasing, this is
2 us, our tax, our 52 tax, the $52 we pay in
3 tax an hour from people working in the city
4 to $145. This is where these man is
5 thinking, so what's happening is under this
6 new revised recovery plan, which I was told
7 we don't get to vote on for some dumb
8 reason, we should write a new one and we
9 should put a new one in, but for some reason
10 we don't get a right to vote on this one.
11 This one just comes, I don't even know if
12 you get to vote on it. I guess we get the
13 Czar in here and he is going to tell us how
14 much taxes we to pay and who has to pay it,
15 but whatever it is people open your eyes.
16 Open your ears and try to get as much
17 information as you can out of this Recovery
18 Plan because it don't come from you. It
19 really don't. It's come out of the paper
20 and affects everybody's pocketbook in this
21 city. What I could say is we are going to
22 get burned.
23 Now, we got another article in here,
24 which is this is bad, six municipal pension
25 plans. I spoke about pension plans maybe
30
1 two years ago that were underfunded, and I
2 guess we are more underfunded now than we
3 were when I spoke two years ago. I quoted
4 something like a loss of 23 million, I
5 believe, and the point is with this recovery
6 for this fixed municipal pension plan,
7 someone has to makeup the pension plans.
8 If they decide that we have to keep
9 this fund at 80 percent, 85 percent, that
10 means someone has to pay, and who is going
11 to pay? Us. All of us. All of us in this
12 city is going to have to pay toward this
13 pension plan. Now, if this is only the city
14 we might be able to take it, but it's also
15 all of the municipal employees, which is a
16 whole different ballgame. I don't know how
17 they are down, but this is the crux. If we
18 get hit trying to bring up all of the state
19 worker's pension plans up, we might as well
20 all declare bankruptcy because we won't be
21 able to afford it, and these are things that
22 should be brought up to all of the people,
23 you should have our state representatives
24 actually come before us and explain to us
25 what they can do and this. As you know,
31
1 some of them are out of work, we all get
2 pensions, at least, okay, I got one. Most
3 of yous I think got one except
4 Mr. Courtright I don't know if he has one,
5 but anyway, we all have to -- we need the
6 pension, there is no question about it. The
7 only question is how much do we have to keep
8 in reserve for these pensions and that's the
9 important thing, to get to your state
10 representatives and you should do it for us.
11 You should contact Mr. Smith or Kevin Murphy
12 and ask them to try to get a formula that we
13 can live with because that's the most
14 important thing we can do because if we get
15 hit with this, plus God knows what our
16 budget is going to be like, who knows.
17 Maybe sky is the limit, who know.
18 Well, I guess I got a few more
19 minutes, you are about to subordinate
20 another loan. You know what I think about
21 subordination. I have been saying that for
22 years and years and years. All you do is
23 protect the banks and they definitely need
24 protection, but the federal government is
25 helping them all, so I don't know why we
32
1 have to protect them, too. Your duty is to
2 protect the taxpayers of the city. We lost
3 millions of dollars already. I don't know
4 if this is a good loan or not a bad loan.
5 The A-Park building is a nice building, I
6 always said it, but when the new owner
7 bought it they kicked out the museum, which
8 is in our basement. Thank you.
9 MS. EVANS: Mr. Sbaraglia, can I see
10 that article that you reading from for a
11 moment, please?
12 MR. SBARAGLIA: You mind if I give it
13 to her?
14 MR. MCGOFF: Please.
15 MR. SBARAGLIA: You can have both of
16 them if you want.
17 MR. MCGOFF: Ozzie Quinn.
18 MR. QUINN: Ozzie Quinn, Taxpayers'
19 Association. First of all, the Taxpayers'
20 Association submitted an application for the
21 tenth year Community Development Block Grant
22 for $7,000 for kids for swim, and I saw the
23 ones that came over from OECD and their
24 recommendation and it wasn't included, okay?
25 I would appreciate it if you would look at
33
1 it. I looked at the Scranton School
2 District numbers and there is 5,200 families
3 that would be able to benefit from this here
4 program. Would someone please consider
5 looking at this here?
6 MS. EVANS: We will doing just that
7 --
8 MR. QUINN: Thank you very much.
9 MS. EVANS: -- Mr. Quinn, in fact,
10 our president tonight asked after tonight's
11 introduction of the proposed CDBG grants
12 that each council member would go through
13 very carefully those that have been selected
14 by the administration versus all of the
15 applicants.
16 MS. FANUCCI: Mrs. Evans, I just want
17 to say it's here. It is here. It's part of
18 our packet. So it's on our list.
19 MS. EVANS: That's what I was saying
20 to you.
21 MR. QUINN: It's what?
22 MS. FANUCCI: It is -- the
23 application it is part of our packet, so it
24 is still active.
25 MR. QUINN: Yeah, but our
34
1 application is not on there.
2 MS. FANUCCI: These are the
3 applications and yours is part of the
4 application process, so it is here.
5 MS. EVANS: Yes, but what he is
6 saying --
7 MS. FANUCCI: We can still vote on it
8 for him.
9 MS. EVANS: Yes, it doesn't matter --
10 MS. FANUCCI: We can still vote on
11 it.
12 MS. EVANS: You were included,
13 indeed, in that the applicants, but between
14 now and final passage of this legislation
15 council will meet and will go over the list
16 presented by the administration, make
17 deletions, additions, in other words, I
18 would be very hesitant to say that what you
19 see on tonight's agenda is what the final
20 passage will include. There will be changes
21 to this made by council I'm sure.
22 MR. QUINN: I appreciate that.
23 MS. EVANS: And I will certainly
24 consider the Kids Swim Free Program. I have
25 appreciated your efforts all of these years
35
1 and I do believe it should be part of the
2 package.
3 MR. QUINN: Thank you very much. The
4 other thing is I wanted to discuss the fact
5 that 5-i in regard to that subordination.
6 You know, Mrs. Fanucci and Mrs. Gatelli, you
7 know, I'm not going to say I gotcha, but I
8 gotcha. You said here publically, okay,
9 that there wasn't any -- everybody was up
10 the snuff in regards to business loans and
11 over since the recess we come up with four
12 or five that have been back two years
13 delinquent, 700 and some thousand dollars
14 total. Now, you people should have known
15 that.
16 MS. FANUCCI: Actually, I believe I
17 did say that Whistles was one, but they did
18 catch up, so that's not true so there was
19 one. I do agree that all indications in the
20 letters we got stated otherwise so --
21 MR. QUINN: Well, you may have been
22 right on Whistle's, I don't know.
23 MS. FANUCCI: We all asked together
24 actually. We sent a letter every time as a
25 body, three times, so we were giving the
36
1 information we were provided with.
2 MR. QUINN: You may be right on that
3 Whistle's, but I'm just saying that there is
4 four properties that's causing $700,000,
5 that's two years and you as the head of the
6 CDBG should have been on top of that.
7 Now, I want to know, give me an
8 explanation why is this bank getting the
9 money and why is the taxpayers again going
10 to be left out? Can somebody explain that
11 on this?
12 MS. EVANS: I can give you a brief
13 run down on -- you are addressing on what's
14 tonight's legislation?
15 MR. QUINN: Yes, please.
16 MS. EVANS: Originally OECD and city
17 council had approved a business loan for
18 this entity for $250,000. It was a
19 mortgage, the city holds that mortgage. At
20 the same time this business had received a
21 $500,000 loan from a bank. Since then I
22 suppose there if we want to call it
23 refinancing they have approached a new bank,
24 they intend to pay off in full their loan
25 with the first bank and in addition to that
37
1 they are going to borrow $300,000 above and
2 beyond the $500,000. So what had once been
3 $500,000 with bank one will now become
4 $800,000 with bank two. The $250,000, I
5 think it might have been a commercial
6 revolving business loan through OECD, still
7 stands, and the city, of course, takes a
8 second position behind the bank in terms of
9 repayment. So it is, you know, just as an
10 aside, it is my belief that the city should
11 be paid for it's loan just as the bank is
12 being paid for it's loan rather than our
13 being carried over endlessly and placed in
14 second and sometimes, not in this event, but
15 sometimes third positions on repayment
16 because, as we can see, the city has been
17 losing miserably on a number of these loans
18 at that were not identified to city council.
19 So actually I'm going to I think be asking
20 under my motions that this piece of
21 legislation is tabled.
22 MR. QUINN: Thank you, I appreciate
23 that. And I just want to mention that there
24 is going to be a sale of property taxes by
25 the county September 21 and there is 600
38
1 from the city. Now, a property owner
2 attached -- contacted me regarding the civil
3 complaint -- could I have a couple -- Mrs.
4 Evans, you spoke, could I have a final say?
5 A civil complaint was filed and ruled on by
6 the SRA as the assignee and the NCC
7 Abrahamsen, who is the lawyer, the person
8 owes $1,584.07 and they are asking for a
9 judgment of $4,586.21. That means that NCC
10 is going to get a profit of $3,214.
11 MS. EVANS: Exactly.
12 MR. MCGOFF: Mr. Quinn --
13 MR. QUINN: Now, I called the other
14 district justices and magistrates -- she
15 gave me time.
16 MS. EVANS: Yes, I told him because I
17 devoured his time.
18 MR. MCGOFF: Well --
19 MR. QUINN: I called them up and
20 they told me that they were also inundated
21 by complaints from the city for collecting
22 taxes. Now, we are not dealing with bricks
23 and mortar here, we are dealing with people.
24 You know, you understand the stress that
25 these people are under or don't you?
39
1 MS. EVANS: I do.
2 MR. QUINN: I know you do. You
3 know, and Mr. Courtright --
4 MR. COURTRIGHT: Yes.
5 MR. QUINN: I know you didn't vote
6 for NCC, did you?
7 MR. COURTRIGHT: I'm sorry, I didn't
8 hear you.
9 MR. QUINN: Did you vote for NCC?
10 MR. COURTRIGHT: For these fees?
11 MR. QUINN: Yeah.
12 MR. COURTRIGHT: No.
13 MS. FANUCCI: I did.
14 MR. QUINN: This is ridiculous, you
15 know. This is utterly ridiculous, and how
16 you can let this go on. Mr. McGoff, you
17 should take the bull by the horns and do
18 something about it. Don't you have any
19 empathy? Not compassion, they don't want
20 compassion, they want empathy. Now, they
21 are getting hit double whammy from the
22 county and the city.
23 MR. MCGOFF: Mr. Quinn, thank you.
24 MR. QUINN: You know, some people, I
25 agree, some people should pay their taxes,
40
1 but there is people out there that are
2 hurting. Thank you.
3 MR. MCGOFF: Les Spindler.
4 MR. SPINDLER: Good evening,
5 Council, Les Spindler. Well, I was going to
6 speak about Chief Elliott, but he was low on
7 my list of priorities tonight, but he moved
8 right to number one after what
9 Mr. Courtright said tonight. It just goes
10 to prove what I've been saying and what a
11 lot of other people have been saying, we
12 have an incompetent police chief. I brought
13 it up a long time ago, he is holding back a
14 report that has the two names of city
15 employees who stole Gary DiBileo's signs,
16 he's not doing anything about that, and he
17 doesn't know how to schedule a national
18 night out. Everybody knew it was
19 August 4th. I knew, council knew, the Tripp
20 Park Neighborhood Association knew, he
21 scheduled it on the wrong night, and this is
22 the police chief we've got? No wonder this
23 city is in shambles.
24 Moving on, talked about KOZ's',
25 since I wasn't here in July I want to read
41
1 something from the July 10 Doherty
2 Newsletter about KOZ's, "What little data
3 are available suggests that Keystone
4 Opportunity Zone Program has produced few
5 jobs and economic development promised by
6 proponents and participants the report
7 reveals."
8 And this is contrary to what
9 Mrs. Fanucci, Mr. McGoff and Mrs. Gatelli
10 feel and we have said it all along the KOZ's
11 are a waste and you people just keep voting
12 for them.
13 Next thing, Holy Cross. A Dioceses
14 that's always complaining they need money
15 and they turned down a $25,000 offer from
16 Bob Bolus. Well, to me there is more than
17 meets the eye with this. I think there is a
18 deal being made between the city and the
19 Diocese, just like the deal that was made
20 for the Genesis Wildlife Center between the
21 city and Lackawanna College, so I don't
22 think you should pass this legislation, it's
23 not right.
24 MS. GATELLI: Mr. Spindler, you
25 weren't here before, but we are voting
42
1 against that. Mr. McGoff, we had a meeting
2 beforehand and --
3 MR. SPINDLER: Okay. And another
4 thing, Mr. McGoff say on the July 28 meeting
5 where the people been for four years. Well,
6 they weren't threatening to demolish it for
7 four years, Mr. McGoff, they were just
8 threatening to demolish it now. That's why
9 nobody was here for the last four years.
10 On August 2 Channel 16 reported a
11 dumpster filled in the alley out back with
12 documents with people social security
13 numbers and other classified information and
14 Ray Hayes says, "We are learning from our
15 mistakes."
16 Well, obviously, they didn't because
17 Ann Marie Stulgis found a load of index
18 cards years ago with social security numbers
19 on it and they didn't learn from that
20 mistake. So, you know, this city
21 administration is just a joke. Oh, and
22 Chris Doherty blamed the summer help. Well,
23 wasn't the summer help supervised or did
24 they just go in the room and throw
25 everything out on their own?
43
1 Okay, on what Ozzie said. I
2 remember specifically not long ago Mrs.
3 Gatelli said all the loans are up-to-date.
4 Well, here is a headline from the Doherty
5 Newsletter: Brannigan's tab $557,000. The
6 city is getting stuck on that, and right
7 after that Michael's Luxury Eyewear and
8 Vidas Tapas Bar also that they owe $214,000.
9 So where is the city going to get this
10 money? We are a distressed city and you
11 three give out loans like you are giving out
12 candy, but what do you do for the taxpayers?
13 You just screw the taxpayers over. You vote
14 for fees and penalties so people lose their
15 houses, you vote for a 25 percent tax hike
16 and yet you vote for these loans for all of
17 these millionaires. You should -- you three
18 are a disgrace.
19 Next on the list. Again, in the
20 Doherty Newsletter", Doherty, Act 47 helps
21 city. Chris Doherty went to Reading and he
22 is giving them financial advice we are over
23 $250 million in long-term debt and he is
24 giving financial advice? What a joke.
25 That's like having an arsonist give advice
44
1 to a fire safety class.
2 Moving on --
3 MS. GATELLI: He's the star tonight.
4 MR. SPINDLER: Okay moving on.
5 MS. GATELLI: You are going to be on
6 YouTube now, Les.
7 MR. SPINDLER: On a serious note,
8 myself and other people have come here for
9 years saying there is gangs in this city,
10 Chief Elliott and Chris Doherty denied it.
11 It took a murder on State Road for Chris
12 Doherty to admit there is gangs in the city,
13 and two of these people came from the high
14 school my daughter is going to which scares
15 me to death. Who knows if there is not more
16 in that school.
17 Can I continue this? Oh, there is
18 article in the paper, the mayor is putting
19 more police officers at the high school
20 games and he says we are being proactive.
21 No mayor, putting more cops the high school
22 games isn't being proactive, proactive would
23 have been if you'd listened to what we said
24 three or four years ago and maybe this
25 murder could have been prevented, and I have
45
1 more but I'll continue on next week. Thank
2 you.
3 MR. MCGOFF: Bob Bolus.
4 MR. BOLUS: Good evening, Council,
5 welcome back. Bob Bolus. I guess we are
6 going to talk about 7-A, so the council I
7 believe is fully aware I had sent a fax that
8 we raised our offer on Holy Cross from
9 $25,000 to $35,000. People said why did you
10 bother to do that? What is our history and
11 our heritage in this city worth? We can't
12 put a dollar sign on it. I don't believe
13 anybody with any common sense seeing our
14 city and where we are going will want to
15 destroy and continue to destroy places that
16 are house of worships or gateways to the
17 city. Gateway churches where people
18 actually starting building around in this
19 city and in communities nationally.
20 The Diocese sits here and cries,
21 they are broke, they have no money, we can't
22 do this and do that, but they want us to be
23 their scapegoats. Scrantonians to be their
24 scapegoat to take over a church. Why?
25 Because their fiscal mismanagement of their
46
1 own funds. They can't run their churches
2 properly, they don't know what to do with
3 their money, yet the Roman Catholic Churches
4 is one of the richest businesses in the
5 world starting from Rome across.
6 Why should we take this church and
7 allow our heritage to be torn down and make
8 a blacktop parking lot to satisfy a few? To
9 take over and worry about a basketball team
10 the season. There is parking down the
11 street at the old tennis courts that are
12 part of the University or whatever they may
13 have been. Give them that to park. They
14 can run up and down the court for hours,
15 they can't walk a half a block to park the
16 car? I think it's absurd.
17 My intent is to keep this church,
18 this facility, in it's entirety as it is
19 today, to restore it. Mr. McGoff, you made
20 comments in the Scranton Times, oh, it's
21 going to cost this or tear it down might be
22 feasible. It's not your problem. It's my
23 problem or it's whoever's problem with the
24 Diocese that buys it. We are going to put
25 it on the taxrolls. We not going to give it
47
1 a free parking lot, if you are going to do
2 that for these people down there then how
3 about we have one up on East Mountain and
4 somewhere else in the city, and South Side
5 and North Scranton, we just start making
6 free parking lots out of every blighted
7 parking lot in this city.
8 And what determines blight? What
9 determines how it gets from here to there
10 ahead of everybody else. How does it jump
11 the line? I would like to know that,
12 please. There is none. There is no common
13 sense behind it. You cannot take burned out
14 buildings that have been sitting for years
15 that should have been torn down, put up for
16 auction, with the contingency you buy it you
17 must build on it. You put it on the
18 taxrolls. It's about making money in this
19 city.
20 Not the nonprofits who give nothing
21 like the University, you know, sure they
22 give great educations, but they don't pay
23 their fair share. All of them. I don't
24 care if it's a church, rectory, it should
25 pay taxes because it's not a house of
48
1 worship. These are the things that we are
2 missing here and we are missing it big.
3 We lost how much from Molly
4 Brannigan's and how much more with all of
5 the other hundreds or hundreds and millions
6 of dollars? We should never take a second
7 position to anyone. We should always be
8 first. They go down, we get paid, and the
9 banks don't want to do business with them
10 then pay us off and give them 100 percent of
11 their money. We are their scapegoats and
12 it's got to stop. You got to confirm this
13 is a business. I don't know care how you
14 look at it.
15 You must take a hardcore look at
16 this, and tonight I'm asking you, this
17 contract is probably null and void because
18 to the benefits of some of us Catholics
19 Martino is no longer in charge, and I
20 applaud that, because I have seen the
21 Catholic church destroying the house of
22 worship where people were baptized, they
23 grew up in, they were married in and they
24 died and were buried in now destroyed. We
25 can't continue to do this. Let them run
49
1 their own house. They're big boys and
2 girls, let them pay their fair share. Not a
3 dollar from the City of Scranton to pull
4 them out of the fire. I'm asking tonight
5 that this be tabled, put on the back burner,
6 because Martino is no longer involved. He
7 signed this contract, the solicitor probably
8 would be better suited for this, but I
9 believe the contract is now null and void
10 because there is new head of the Diocese and
11 he needs that opportunity. We sent him a
12 letter and we addressed it to him and asking
13 him now to pay attention to this because
14 Martino isn't here, and I believe Mr. Minora
15 would agree with me that contract is now
16 null and void.
17 MS. GATELLI: Mr. Bolus, I don't know
18 if you heard me tell Mr. Spindler, but we
19 discussed this in caucus with the
20 Architectural Heritage Association and we
21 have all agreed that we are voting "no."
22 We aren't going to table it, we are
23 voting "no."
24 MS. BOLUS: I heard that,
25 Mrs. Gatelli, but I want to be here tonight,
50
1 I took the time to come here, I wanted this
2 on the record, I want the sincerity of what
3 we are saying and what the Heritage
4 Association is saying and council and
5 everybody in the city to understanding. We
6 are Scrantonians and that's what comes
7 first. Not greed or misconceptions and
8 little ideas and backdoor deals. It has to
9 stop and stop now, and I thank you for your
10 consideration. I'm sure everybody else
11 will, too.
12 MS. GATELLI: I hope you are around
13 when St. Francis is closed --
14 MR. BOLUS: We'll buy them all. It
15 doesn't make a difference. You could have
16 Sister Gatelli, Sister Fanucci, Reverend --
17 MR. MCGOFF: And Bishop Bolus. Jean
18 Suetta. Sorry. I'm sorry, Fay Franus. My
19 apologies.
20 MS. FRANUS: Fay Franus. I would
21 like to applaud you for voting "no" for Holy
22 Cross Church, but one thing, Mr. McGoff, I
23 saw who you mentioned many times that the
24 neighbors in Bellevue don't mind this
25 parking lot. I lived in Bellevue all my
51
1 life, the neighbors, over 30 of them that I
2 spoke with, do not want a parking lot there
3 and they very much so object. I don't know
4 who you spoke to, I'd love to know the
5 names, because I don't know one person that
6 wanted that torn down. Not one. So you
7 don't speak for the neighbors in Bellevue.
8 Another thing, Mr. Courtright, was
9 there a letter from the Department of
10 Justice saying basically this is an
11 oversight and they are just going to let
12 this go?
13 MR. COURTRIGHT: They acknowledged a
14 letter from the city, they had a set of two,
15 one from 2008 and one from 2009 telling the
16 City of Scranton to correct the letters that
17 were sent erroneously or in error.
18 MS. FRANUS: Well, I definitely feel
19 there should be an investigation because I
20 believe from what I understand there was
21 grants from 2002 up until now that Chief
22 Elliott may have applied for -- or whoever
23 the police chief might have been by then,
24 but I think there should be an investigation
25 of all of the grants that were asked for and
52
1 did they come in front of council for
2 approval.
3 MR. COURTRIGHT: They are the only
4 two I'm aware of.
5 MS. FRANUS: Pardon me? No, I'm not
6 talking about -- maybe you are only aware of
7 two years, I'm saying check back and see
8 exactly how many grants --
9 MR. COURTRIGHT: I can do that.
10 MS. FRANUS: How many grants went in
11 front of the Justice and got approval, even
12 received the money without council's
13 approval. It might take some digging, but
14 it's certainly worth checking into. I'd
15 like to know if Chief Elliott deliberately
16 said this without council's approval
17 knowing, fully knowing that council didn't
18 approve this. That's what I would like to
19 know.
20 MR. COURTRIGHT: All right. I will
21 absolutely check that.
22 MS. FRANUS: And I hope that you
23 have a public meeting with the person, the
24 grant writer.
25 MR. COURTRIGHT: My fear is -- I just
53
1 told her time for a second. My fear is that
2 when this girl met with us, right, I don't
3 want to point any fingers, I think she was
4 mislead and I wouldn't want her to be
5 persecuted for something that she really
6 didn't do --
7 MS. FRANUS: Bill, excuse me. I
8 don't mean for the people to speak with her,
9 I just mean for the public to be in
10 attendance like a caucus or anything. I
11 don't mean for the public to ask questions I
12 just meant the public to be there.
13 MR. COURTRIGHT: I will ask for Mrs.
14 Evans' meeting, I will ask for a meeting
15 with all of us.
16 MS. FRANUS: Because if there is
17 nothing to hide there is not a question that
18 could be asked to her that she shouldn't
19 be --
20 MR. COURTRIGHT: I agree.
21 MS. FRANUS: Like I said, this is
22 very important, just not 2008-2009.
23 MR. COURTRIGHT: Do you know, Fay,
24 what you said, I told everybody at the
25 meetings, this is exactly what would happen
54
1 and this is exactly what is happening. The
2 people want to know and they have every
3 right to know.
4 MS. FRANUS: We have a right to
5 know.
6 MR. COURTRIGHT: They have every
7 right to know.
8 MS. FRANUS: And maybe somebody will
9 squirm and they do not want to answer the
10 questions, but we have a right to know.
11 MR. COURTRIGHT: Yes, you do.
12 MS. FRANUS: And we also want to
13 know how many of these grants did not come
14 in front of city council for approval and
15 who authorized it and I don't think this is
16 just an oversight.
17 MR. COURTRIGHT: I will absolutely
18 check. I will go back to 2002.
19 MS. FRANUS: Yes, please. Like I
20 said, it might take some digging to go over
21 all of the minutes, but --
22 MR. COURTRIGHT: No, I'll do it. I
23 think you are 100 percent --
24 MS. FRANUS: I'd like to know how
25 many grants, what are the amounts, what were
55
1 though for and how many came in front of
2 council for approval and how many did not
3 come in front of council for approval and
4 how much money was given to this police
5 department. Thank you very much.
6 MR. COURTRIGHT: You are welcome.
7 MR. MCGOFF: Jean Suetta.
8 MS. SUETTA: Are you sure?
9 MR. MCGOFF: I'll double-check it.
10 MS. SUETTA: I came spiffy, huh? You
11 know how far I chased him for them?
12 MS. FANUCCI: Nice.
13 MS. SUETTA: Jean Suetta.
14 MS. FANUCCI: I'm going to tell her
15 you said that.
16 MS. SUETTA: What did he say?
17 MS. FANUCCI: He said nice legs.
18 MS. SUETTA: Nice. I am nicey nice.
19 I just got a couple of questions: One,
20 whatever happened to the lighted ballfield
21 for our softball players?
22 MS. FANUCCI: We don't know.
23 MS. SUETTA: Is there a grant coming
24 for that?
25 MR. COURTRIGHT: I don't know.
56
1 MS. SUETTA: And you know this lady
2 that was mislead, get the jackass that
3 mislead her here.
4 MS. FANUCCI: We can't curse.
5 MS. SUETTA: I'm not cursing. That's
6 an animal or a donkey. Get the donkey down
7 here, all right? I have to say hello to
8 Ziggy Levandowski. I met him in the
9 hospital, we were getting tests. Hi, Zig, I
10 hope you are feeling better. Thank you very
11 much. You don't know who he is.
12 The weeds. The jungle is still on
13 Greenridge Street.
14 MR. COURTRIGHT: You're right.
15 MS. FANUCCI: You are right. I saw
16 it the other day.
17 MS. SUETTA: I know. Are they
18 getting fined?
19 MR. COURTRIGHT: Didn't they cut a
20 little bit?
21 MS. FANUCCI: They did a little bit
22 in the beginning, but that was right in the
23 beginning.
24 MR. COURTRIGHT: They did do
25 something way back.
57
1 MS. SUETTA: Look it, even Corrugated
2 Box is letting their place go to hell now.
3 MR. COURTRIGHT: Who?
4 MS. SUETTA: Corrugated Box.
5 MS. FANUCCI: That's new though.
6 You never told us that before.
7 MS. SUETTA: No, today, yeah. Now,
8 my house was robbed Sunday.
9 MS. FANUCCI: No, it wasn't.
10 MS. SUETTA: Yes, it was. Now I'm a
11 victim. He better start giving our cops
12 some kind of help because we got hooligans
13 our neighborhood. You can't say nothing
14 to them. If you do, the one called me
15 something. You want to tell me what he
16 called you?
17 MR. COURTRIGHT: No. No. Please
18 don't.
19 MS. SUETTA: Twenty years ago I would
20 have caught him on that skateboard. I
21 couldn't catch him, but if I catch them I
22 can't hit them anyway because they are 14
23 and 15 years old. All my life my doors went
24 open, that's how crazy. I got three dogs
25 and a cat and they robbed my house.
58
1 Nothing?
2 MS. FANUCCI: Sorry.
3 MS. SUETTA: They invaded my privacy,
4 you know? I'm investing I. Got a couple of
5 the banks looking -- a couple of the
6 changers checking their videos, and God
7 forbid if I find out, you know? Two days I
8 ain't slept. It's no fun when somebody goes
9 in your house and you are not there, and I
10 have three dogs. They ain't afraid of
11 nothing, you know? And I had -- they took a
12 jug of money, a gallon jug of money, one of
13 those pretzel ones, those big one,
14 three-quarters full. How they got it out of
15 the house I don't know, but they did it on a
16 Sunday, broad daylight. I was gone from 1
17 to 5.
18 Now, why? What would I do if they
19 come in my house and I'm there after bed?
20 Hit them while they are there don't hit them
21 with they are leaving; right? Am I right or
22 wrong?
23 MR. COURTRIGHT: I'm not going to
24 give any advice, Jean, because if you do
25 that --
59
1 MS. SUETTA: No. Well, I'll tell you
2 what, the officer that came to my house was
3 very nice, Anthony Redna? Redner?
4 MS. GATELLI: Renda.
5 MS. SUETTA: Renda. Very nice
6 officer. He couldn't say how I was holding
7 my composure, but then I lost it.
8 MR. COURTRIGHT: He must have got a
9 kick out of you.
10 MS. SUETTA: Well, then he got a
11 little scared then after awhile, you know?
12 MR. COURTRIGHT: I don't blame him.
13 MS. SUETTA: But that's all. You
14 got to get more cops.
15 MR. COURTRIGHT: I agree.
16 MS. SUETTA: I mean, I got the
17 scanner on, they are getting run ragged.
18 All right. Thanks.
19 MR. MCGOFF: Lee Morgan.
20 MR. MORGAN: Good evening, Council.
21 The first thing I have here is I think that
22 the city, council and the mayor should
23 consider turning over the city's pension
24 plan to the state. We have wrestled with
25 this demon many times, and to be honest with
60
1 you, I don't know see how the City of
2 Scranton is ever going to meet the
3 obligations we are going to have with that
4 pension plan. I mean, we keep talking about
5 it and councils have changed, administrators
6 have changed, it's been millions off dollars
7 short, and my personal opinion is that
8 Mellon Bank in the beginning when I first
9 came to council a long time ago may have
10 been doing a fairly good job, but to be
11 honest with you all of the pensions are just
12 collapsing and when we look at the city and
13 the amount of pressure that the residents
14 are under, I don't see any possible way that
15 the residents should keep bleeding them the
16 way they are being bled.
17 I really think it's time for
18 leadership in this council. I'm wondering
19 has council ever sat down with Austin Burke
20 and maybe considered a plan for the Scranton
21 Lace building that Mr. Boscov owns? I have
22 had an opportunity to speak to him and the
23 developer about green technology jobs when
24 the KOZ's were being killed by the Scranton
25 School District, and believe me that was a
61
1 great thing for the city.
2 You know, I just -- I had to leave
3 here before, I mean, I just couldn't sit
4 here because I sit here week after week and
5 I watch politics spin completely out of
6 control and everybody wants the upper hand
7 in politics, but the people in this city
8 don't have the upper hand because this city
9 has been so mismanaged that it's beyond
10 belief, and council has the obligation to do
11 investigations and in my opinion it's just
12 not happening, and I don't know if it's ever
13 going to happen. We have cashed out
14 blighted properties all over the city. We
15 have tore a lot of them down, we don't even
16 maintain the lots they are on. After we
17 ripped the property down who is maintaining
18 those lots? Who is doing anything? Nobody
19 is doing anything.
20 Today a lot of people came here I
21 think with the focus of the Scranton Times
22 put on it that what was happening the Holy
23 Cross was the most important issue in this
24 city. The most important issue in this city
25 is the survival of the city itself and it's
62
1 residents. Unemployment is 17 percent. I
2 mean, when you look at all of the numbers,
3 the discouraged workers that stop looking,
4 and my question for this council is do you
5 have the answers? Because you know
6 something, I think everybody should -- I
7 appreciate anybody who runs for a public
8 office even, Mrs. Gatelli, there is talk you
9 may run a write-in, and you know what? I
10 think you should. And, Mrs. Fanucci, if you
11 feel you should I think you should. And I
12 think that any resident in this city who
13 thinks they should do a write-in should do a
14 write-in, but we need some solutions to the
15 problems that we have and we are just not
16 getting them. We are playing politics here
17 with people's lives and it's just not right.
18 Thank you.
19 MR. MCGOFF: Jim Talerico.
20 MR. TALERICO: Good evening, Council
21 members. My name is Jim Talerico. I want
22 to speak about the church on the corner of
23 Fifth and Broadway. Give you some
24 background on me, I'm Catholic, I go to
25 church every Sunday. I went to Mother
63
1 Cabrini School for eight years, which is now
2 closed. I was an altar boy and served mass
3 7:00 every day and at this time you had to
4 Latin to be an altar boy. My brother was
5 the maintenance man at St. Lucy's Church,
6 his wife sang in the choir, his
7 mother-in-law was the sacristan, my mother
8 helper her out once in awhile and I worked
9 for her on Saturday. She paid me 50 cents
10 for the whole day.
11 I'm a commercial real estate
12 appraiser and a real estate broker. I'm the
13 President of Scranton Appraisal Group and
14 Scranton Development Group. I have been in
15 real estate for over 40 years, completed
16 many appraisals on churches in Lackawanna
17 and Luzerne Counties. I have spoken with
18 Bishop Joseph F. Martino, Chancellor James
19 P. Early, Father Francis Torsick and many
20 other priests.
21 I have completed an appraisal of St.
22 John's Baptist Catholic Church which is
23 located right around the corner at 1314-1316
24 Broadway Street. We have completed many
25 detailed narrative commercial reports 50 to
64
1 100 pages from the sales comparison
2 approach, the income approach, and we don't
3 usually do the cost approach because
4 churches are very old, but we do estimate
5 what the land value is. Most Catholic
6 churches are masonry structures and are of
7 Superior quality and in excellent condition.
8 Most churches are in residential zones which
9 does not allow commercial uses.
10 However, city council and the zoning
11 board agreed to rezone Catholic churches to
12 commercial uses, the Diocese can lease these
13 churches to lend a commercial use such as a
14 DayCare center, office use, nursing home or
15 other limited commercial uses. In this
16 economic downfall, Scranton Diocese is
17 losing parishioners and are going to sell
18 the structure below market value. If the
19 Diocese leases the churches for limited
20 commercial use they can benefit by
21 collecting additional income and maybe in
22 the future there will be an increase in
23 parishioners and the city can collect taxes
24 on those properties.
25 Also, I did a church in Lynburg,
65
1 Byzantine Catholic Church of Lynburg located
2 on Gravel Pond Road. What they did was they
3 converted that into a bank a couple of years
4 ago.
5 The church on Fifth and Broadway may
6 have other uses available, what is the value
7 of the church as it is now? I will do an
8 appraisal on this structure at no charge
9 just to see what the value is. I would like
10 to save the Catholic churches and schools
11 and offer my experience in appraising
12 churches. That's all I have to say. Thank
13 you very much.
14 MR. MCGOFF: Thank you. Charlie
15 Newcomb.
16 MR. NEWCOMB: Good evening, City
17 Council. I am here this evening on two
18 topics. One is has become over the last
19 couple of months a personal mission of mine.
20 This past April we lost my grandmother, but
21 the worst part is we had to bury her in the
22 Washburn Street Cemetery. Why I say the
23 worst part is that we had to bury her in the
24 Washburn Street Cemetery is, if any one of
25 you drive by this overgrown deplorable
66
1 cemetery, you will see how sad it truly is.
2 My mother had to bury her mom in this
3 deplorable place. This past weekend it was
4 so bad that my own mother couldn't get out
5 of my vehicle to pay respects to her mom
6 because the cemetery is in such a disgraced
7 condition. There is overgrown grass all
8 summer. We have to cut the grass around the
9 tombstones ourselves. I'm not the only
10 person that goes there. You go over there
11 on a weekend you will find 10, 20 people
12 doing the same thing.
13 There is no phone number listed for
14 the cemetery. I had to get a phone number
15 from our funeral director. I called the
16 gentleman on his cell phone to voice my
17 complaint and he told me there is no money
18 to do anything. That's not my problem,
19 that's not your problem, that's not
20 anybody's problem that is buried in that
21 cemetery that paid money to take care of
22 their graves. It truly has become a
23 disgusting condition to put it bluntly.
24 If my home, your home, anybody's
25 home looked like this cemetery did you would
67
1 be cited for blight, so I ask this city to
2 cite these people for blight and give them
3 30 days to clean up the cemetery and cite
4 them every day because I should not have to
5 go over there and clean up for something
6 that we paid for and neither should anybody
7 else have to.
8 There is hundreds, upon thousands of
9 people in this city that have loved ones
10 buried in that cemetery and it's truly a
11 disgrace. Not only is the gras overgrown,
12 but there is tombstones toppled all over the
13 place. I was told by a gentleman that fixes
14 the tombstones that these are not cause of
15 vandals, it's because the poor drainage in
16 the cemetery and not properly maintained.
17 We buried my grandmother on April 3
18 and it took until July 2 for somebody to
19 come over and fill in the grave because it
20 had sank so bad. It's truly sad. I have
21 family members buried in both Cathedral and
22 Dunmore cemeteries and if you go to those
23 cemeteries you leave there in peace. You
24 cannot do this at that Washburn Street
25 Cemetery. I drive by there ever day going
68
1 and coming from work and this summer truly
2 is the worst it's ever been.
3 To move onto other topic that I have
4 come here time and time again, I ask did
5 anybody receive my e-mails that I sent two
6 weeks ago for the water problem?
7 MS. EVANS: Yes.
8 MR. NEWCOMB: If you can see from
9 these e-mails, this past spring my wife and
10 I put thousands of dollars into our property
11 and 35 tons of soil and dirt to bring up our
12 property. Our foundation costs us $4,000 to
13 fix to stop the water from coming in.
14 Fortunately, for me we solved the problem
15 with the exception that when the water comes
16 up over the street and there is no where
17 else to go it's going to come in the yard.
18 The flooding this summer has just been
19 unreal. There is mosquitos right in front
20 of my house. You can't even let the kids go
21 outside because the water just ponds there.
22 Nobody seems -- Mrs. Gatelli, I know
23 you had the city come over and they put in a
24 drain, that works to get rid of some of the
25 problem, but it doesn't help it. I know
69
1 Mrs. Evans you have tried and time and time
2 again to help, but it's just getting bad and
3 neighbors are actually come outside and they
4 cry because they say, "Why doesn't anybody
5 want to do anything about this problem?"
6 No offense, Mr. McGoff, but I'm
7 still waiting for you to come over because I
8 know you said about two years you would come
9 over and look at the problem and you'd take
10 personal interest in it and nothing has
11 happened. Like I said, I think I helped the
12 problem to stop the water from coming into
13 my home, but unfortunately the rest of the
14 neighborhood is just -- is getting hit
15 pretty hard.
16 MS. GATELLI: Did you get any relief
17 from Keyser Avenue?
18 MR. NEWCOMB: No.
19 MS. GATELLI: You know, that there
20 is no storm drains up there?
21 MR. NEWCOMB: No, that's the problem
22 the water needs to be stopped from Keyser
23 Avenue --
24 MS. GATELLI: I know.
25 MR. NEWCOMB: And it comes from
70
1 Keyser Avenue and we are the lowest point
2 and that's were where it settles, so you
3 either need to put drains right across
4 Keyser Avenue or at the bottom of us you
5 need to make some kind of gully system or
6 something to stop the water because when the
7 engineers came over from the Sewer Authority
8 they said there is a 18-inch pipe that goes
9 into a 24-inch pipe -- or, I'm sorry, I have
10 it backwards, a 24-inch pipe that goes into
11 a 18-inch pipe. That's not going to hold
12 that type of water. You are talking about
13 thousands of gallons of water that comes
14 down within a matter of ten minutes. It's
15 really, really sad.
16 And one other quick question I have
17 if I can, do we know if we charge insurance
18 companies for the use of Rescue 1 in car
19 accident? Did we use to?
20 MS. FANUCCI: I don't know that.
21 MR. COURTRIGHT: We might have in
22 the past, I don't think we do now.
23 MR. NEWCOMB: I think that's
24 something that we look into to make revenue
25 for the city. You see them all of the time
71
1 responding to accidents and the ambulance
2 charge for their services, I can't see why
3 Rescue 1 of the city can't charge for their
4 services as well. But, personally, I ask
5 you to please look into the Washburn Street
6 Cemetery because it really is a sad
7 situation. It's really, really bad. Thank
8 you.
9 MR. MCGOFF: Marie Schumacher. Or,
10 excuse me, I'm sorry, I keep jumping ahead.
11 Chris Hughes.
12 MR. HUGHES: Good evening, Council.
13 Thanks for giving me the chance to speak
14 tonight. My name is Chris Hughes. I'm 25,
15 I'm a lifelong resident of the city. I want
16 to come tonight because I see a problem in
17 the city, but I don't hear anybody
18 presenting any kind of positive solutions
19 and any positive alternatives. The problem
20 I see is blighted properties and what
21 happens to blighted properties once the
22 bricks, the mortar and the tenants are gone
23 for months and possibly years at a time.
24 Right now where I live, in the
25 section of West Side where I live, there are
72
1 two vacant properties completely vacant, no
2 buildings whatsoever within two blocks of
3 each other. One of those properties sits he
4 at the intersection of Oram Street and North
5 Bromley Avenue, that site apparently owned
6 by a group called 1222 Oram Street, LLC.
7 I'm hoping from what I have been told by
8 neighbors that's a group of neighbors that
9 bought the property. I'm hoping they do
10 something to develop it.
11 The property that I'm more concerned
12 with because it doesn't seem like anybody is
13 doing anything with it sits at the corner of
14 North Bromley and Pettibone Street just up
15 from the Turkey Hill on Main Avenue in West
16 Side. I don't know if anybody -- if you are
17 familiar with that. Mr. Courtright is
18 giving me a nod. I'm coming here because I
19 want to learn a few things. I would like to
20 see the property positively developed
21 probably to the chagrin of many, but
22 possibly as a neighborhood community garden.
23 A project like this would probably solve at
24 least two problems in the city, it would
25 develop a blighted property and something
73
1 positive and it could foster a sense of
2 community that I think is missing in the
3 City of Scranton these days.
4 There is a couple of preliminary
5 questions that I have, and I'm sure that if
6 I got any kind of approval for this kind of
7 a project there would be many more that
8 would come forward down the road. I guess
9 the first question would be, could I as a
10 civilian obtain any kind of community
11 development grant, block development grant
12 for this kind of project? If I could where
13 could I go to apply for that kind of grant?
14 What office, whether it be in the city or
15 the county level. Could somebody who owns
16 the property, how much it's worth, how to
17 obtain it. And I guess the final
18 preliminary question would be what kind of
19 approval what I need to get from
20 neighborhoods, there is two schools in the
21 community, Charles Sumner and John Marshall,
22 would I need any kind of approval from the
23 zoning boards to get this kind of project
24 moving forward. If there is any kind of
25 correspondence, I could deal with the
74
1 members of council. I'd be happy to give
2 you my e-mail address off camera, my cell
3 phone number, whatever I could give you to
4 keep moving forward.
5 If you don't have answers tonight I
6 understand because it's probably something
7 you didn't expect, but I appreciate any kind
8 of information you can give me because I'd
9 like to see, like I said, something positive
10 happening with the sites.
11 MS. FANUCCI: Certainly I can help
12 you with the contact OECD to try to obtain
13 type of funding, but I think your first
14 source is trying to find out who owns the
15 property, so I think we should start there
16 to see if it's available.
17 MR. HUGHES: Would be from the County
18 Assessor's Office?
19 MS. GATELLI: The Assessor's.
20 MS. FANUCCI: The Assessor's Office
21 would be where you would go for that, and
22 then after that it would be OECD and you
23 would want to contact them and tell them
24 what it is that you looking for, but you
25 would have to acquisition of the property
75
1 first.
2 MR. HUGHES: Sure.
3 MS. FANUCCI: So that's your first
4 step.
5 MR. HUGHES: And this is probably
6 more of an opinion question, but would that
7 be better served as like a civilian thing or
8 would it be better --
9 MS. FANUCCI: What are you trying to
10 do, you want to do a community center?
11 MR. HUGHES: No, no, like --
12 MS. FANUCCI: Community gardens.
13 MR. HUGHES: Like an outdoor
14 community garden. My vision is to have it
15 fenced in, to use a Scranton based business
16 which would be the Earth Box business to
17 have container gardens set up so I wouldn't
18 have to worry about tilling land or anything
19 like that, and use existing parking on the
20 sides of the streets.
21 MS. FANUCCI: Well, you could
22 probably start a nonprofit then, right?
23 MR. HUGHES: That would be my guess,
24 but --
25 MS. FANUCCI: I would think that
76
1 nonprofit would be your best route.
2 MS. GATELLI: And there is a
3 gentleman that came here, I don't recall his
4 name, that was doing community gardens.
5 MR. HUGHES: Really?
6 MS. FANUCCI: He has been here for
7 awhile. Actually, I do have his e-mail.
8 MS. EVANS: It's Mr. Murphy. I
9 think he resides in Greenridge. He was
10 interested in that. I don't know that it
11 came to fruition. I know I had sent some
12 volunteers to attend his meetings and sadly
13 the meetings weren't conducted. But I
14 think, you know, also it would to your
15 advantage when applying for a CDBG grant,
16 for example. First of all, you have to
17 ascertain and if this is a low to moderate
18 income area; and then secondly, your chances
19 are improved if you are a group that is
20 applying rather than an individual and, of
21 course, the current round of CDBG's are now
22 in process and that is for funding within
23 the 2010 fiscal year, so that in terms of a
24 CDBG grant they are going to need to wait
25 until next summer for application and
77
1 receipt of funds then probably in 2011.
2 MR. HUGHES: Okay. Do have an
3 estimated time as to when the grant would
4 have be to sent in?
5 MS. FANUCCI: Just in response, I
6 want to say this first, we don't believe
7 it's in a low to moderate income area.
8 MR. HUGHES: I don't believe it is
9 either.
10 MS. FANUCCI: So you would not be
11 able to apply for that funding, but there
12 would be other sources depending on what it
13 is you are looking for. If you leave your
14 e-mail with Neil I certainly will contact
15 you and see what we can do.
16 MR. HUGHES: Thank you.
17 MR. MCGOFF: Marie Schumacher.
18 MS. SCHUMACHER: Marie Schumacher,
19 city resident and member of the Taxpayers'
20 Association. Before I start with the
21 remarks that I prepared for tonight, did I
22 hear correctly that we will have a new
23 Recovery Plan imposed on us that will not
24 come to council or come before the voters?
25 MS. FANUCCI: I believe it has to
78
1 come to council because I think we have to
2 adopt it as legislation 'am I correct, Amil?
3 MR. MINORA: Yes.
4 MS. EVANS: YES.
5 MS. FANUCCI: So it does have to
6 come before council.
7 MS. SCHUMACHER: I misheard, okay.
8 Now, the capital budget, Section 904 of the
9 Home Rule Charter states: "Capital budget
10 shall contain: One, a summary of it's
11 contents. Two, a list of all capital
12 improvements which are proposed to be
13 undertaken during five fiscal years and
14 ensuing with appropriate supporting
15 information as to the necessity for such
16 improvements. Three, cost estimated, method
17 of financing, and recommended time schedule
18 for such improvements. Four, estimated
19 annual cost of operating and maintaining
20 facilities to be constructed or acquired.
21 Five, inventory replacement schedule for
22 purchase and replacement of major
23 equipment."
24 I have to tell you that this is the
25 poorest excuse for capital budget I have
79
1 ever seen.
2 MS. EVANS: I agree.
3 MS. SCHUMACHER: I cannot believe
4 that anybody didn't have enough pride to not
5 bother submitting this. Not only is it
6 several months late, but it is totally out
7 of comport with the Home Rule Charter.
8 Where are the projects within each
9 department? Why did council approve the
10 $50,000 budgeted for Genesis Wildlife Center
11 to Leadership Lackawanna for Hanlon's Grove?
12 Where is the greenhouse funding? Why are
13 nonmunicipal entities allowed to initiate
14 capital projects? Every capital project
15 should be in the city budget and it should
16 be shown as approved by council with a
17 nonmunicipal entity shown as the funding
18 sources once it is approved by council.
19 We have been out of compliance for
20 years and years. I think the last one of
21 the Connors' administration the only one
22 that was done correctly, and I think it's
23 time that you make this administration shape
24 up. It is just terrible. Where are the
25 streets to be paved? There is money in the
80
1 OECD budget that you have received for today
2 to have streets paving. That's a capital
3 project that should be in there. I just
4 don't know. I don't know why you let them
5 get away with this and I think it's time
6 that this year you stop it and get a correct
7 budget.
8 MS. EVANS: Ms. Schumacher, I agree
9 with you --
10 MS. SCHUMACHER: 5-D -- my time.
11 I've got five here.
12 MS. EVANS: I'm sorry.
13 MS. SCHUMACHER: Thank you though.
14 5-D, I ask council to obtain the full list
15 of applications, not just those selected for
16 inclusion in the CDBG budget that's proposed
17 to you tonight. Why are there no non
18 agilged funds for emergency fuel help? We
19 all know what shape people are in
20 economically, we know what's happening to
21 utility rates and not a penny for emergency
22 fuel help? That is -- that is terrible.
23 I mean, I wonder why I waste my time
24 going to these meetings when they look for
25 citizen input and you take your time and you
81
1 go down and you remind them of these things
2 and then forward comes the budget, but I
3 think we should all, every citizen, should
4 see all of the applications that were
5 received and their recommendations and I
6 would like to that you would request tonight
7 that we all do see the all of the
8 applications.
9 5-E on tonight's agenda. It should
10 be publically that SLIBCO is not losing any
11 funding in this transaction, rather SLIBCO
12 will receive a quarter of a million dollars
13 from the federal stimulus funding. This
14 transaction begs the question of where the
15 CDBG-R for recovery itemized budget is
16 showing all of the stimulus funding. It's
17 referenced in the backup, but where is it?
18 The city clerk's office doesn't have it.
19 This dash "R" plan is listed in the backup,
20 it should be available in the clerks office
21 and I would recommend that you see that
22 that's received before next week's meeting.
23 Speaking of the Clerk's Office, I
24 would like to make a recommendation
25 regarding authorities. During -- may I
82
1 finish this thought? I'll bring the rest
2 next week?
3 MR. MCGOFF: Please.
4 MS. SCHUMACHER: During the August
5 recess the deal the Parking Authority made
6 with Molly Brannigans came to light. I
7 called the clerk's office to request an
8 appointment to review the Scranton Parking
9 Authority 2009 meeting minutes only to be
10 informed that city council does not receive
11 these minutes. I was going to go over that
12 third item, but since we taxpayers are the
13 ones that are left holding the bag if the
14 authorities' default, I believe council
15 should request minutes of each authority be
16 forwarded to council, even an open records
17 request if that's what it takes to get
18 compliance in a timely manner and so noted
19 when received in your agenda item three.
20 And God Lord willing, I'll be back next week
21 with the rest of my comments. Thank you.
22 MR. MCGOFF: Jim Stucker.
23 MR. STUCKER: How you doing?
24 MR. COURTRIGHT: Hi, Jim.
25 MR. STUCKER: Hi. I was at the
83
1 festival, I had a good time, three days, it
2 worked out four days.
3 MR. COURTRIGHT: Good.
4 MR. STUCKER: And what about them
5 houses now, the one on Greenridge, are they
6 going to get --
7 MR. COURTRIGHT: I know. They
8 boarded it up though, Jim. They didn't tear
9 it down yet, but it's boarded up.
10 MR. STUCKER: When are they ripping
11 it down?
12 MR. COURTRIGHT: I don't know.
13 MR. STUCKER: And I was wondering
14 about that street by the courthouse, by the
15 post office courthouse, that road is bad.
16 They have to put a new road in there.
17 MR. COURTRIGHT: Yep.
18 MR. STUCKER: All right. And Pocius
19 they said, I don't know if it was one of
20 your friends come into Sheeley's Drug Store,
21 he said Pocius found my bike.
22 MR. COURTRIGHT: Okay.
23 MR. STUCKER: He had a green blazar.
24 He said he knows you.
25 MR. COURTRIGHT: He knows me?
84
1 MR. STUCKER: Yeah.
2 MR. COURTRIGHT: What bike, Jim, not
3 the scooter?
4 MR. STUCKER: No my brand new
5 mountain bike.
6 MR. COURTRIGHT: And what happened,
7 it was stolen?
8 MR. STUCKER: Yeah, it was stolen
9 outside of Bernie's Bar.
10 MR. COURTRIGHT: And they said I have
11 it?
12 MR. STUCKER: Well, Pocius --
13 MR. COURTRIGHT: Pocius?
14 MR. STUCKER: Yeah. Pocius said he
15 gave it to you.
16 MR. COURTRIGHT: I don't think
17 Mr. Pocius has your bike, Jim.
18 MR. STUCKER: I just talked to a guy
19 in a green blazar, he said you -- he said
20 Pocius -- the guy in the green blazar told
21 me, I don't know his name, he said he will
22 give you a call or Pocius give him a call
23 and said they found the bike, he did, so he
24 is supposed to get back to you about it, so
25 you might have to call Pocius.
85
1 MR. COURTRIGHT: Jim, I don't think
2 Mr. Pocius has your bike, Buddy. I think
3 they were teasing you.
4 MR. STUCKER: The kid was tall, a
5 tall kid and two other kids, too.
6 MR. COURTRIGHT: You know what to do,
7 Jim, get his name so that I can call him
8 because I think he is fooling around with
9 you.
10 MR. STUCKER: All right. Now we got
11 these skateboards and they are on on where I
12 live on Adams Avenue in that big tall
13 building, right around the corner of
14 Mulberry, the kids live in this building,
15 they were there tonight with the skateboards
16 bouncing off -- the cops -- this cop here
17 went right up the street, he had to come
18 over here so that's why he didn't stop, and
19 they are over the courthouse now tonight,
20 they will be there running up and down the
21 courthouse square, and running all up that
22 wall. Two cops stopped them three weeks
23 ago, two cops, and took they kid to jail and
24 took the skateboard off of them. Now they
25 are all back. They are over there tonight.
86
1 MR. COURTRIGHT: Okay, the sheriffs
2 will take care of that, Jim.
3 MR. STUCKER: Well, you got to tell
4 them.
5 MR. COURTRIGHT: I will tell them.
6 MR. STUCKER: We need more cops.
7 MR. COURTRIGHT: We need more cops,
8 you are right. Yep.
9 MR. STUCKER: And I think I might be
10 back in the hospital again.
11 MR. COURTRIGHT: Oh.
12 MR. STUCKER: For my valve, checking
13 my valve they are, which they do now.
14 MR. COURTRIGHT: I hope you are okay.
15 MR. STUCKER: I hope they can find my
16 bike, I'll be lucky.
17 MR. COURTRIGHT: Yeah, I don't think
18 Mr. Pocius has your bike, Jim.
19 MR. STUCKER: All right.
20 MR. COURTRIGHT: Okay.
21 MR. STUCKER: All right.
22 MR. COURTRIGHT: So long, Jim.
23 MR. MCGOFF: Ron Ellman.
24 MR. ELLMAN: Ron Ellman.
25 MS. FANUCCI: Ronnie, your shirt is
87
1 amazing. You are a big deal.
2 MR. ELLMAN: Ronnie Ellman again.
3 Brother McGoff, if council would like me to
4 intercede with the Justice Department on
5 their behalf I have had some experience with
6 them. Just a thought. Probably best I not.
7 I lost, you know.
8 I saw where our mayor's watering
9 hole dried up. I was told that the club if
10 he paid his bar bill they could still be in
11 business.
12 I went to Steamtown Saturday, the
13 first time I ever been there, and it's very
14 nice. I was pleased. It's not real
15 expensive, the train rides are like $20 out
16 and up I guess where you go. I didn't go on
17 them, but they don't have a club card, you
18 know, so they told me. I came -- what I
19 came to talk about one thing in the paper
20 the other day, the University of Scranton
21 bought two more buildings on Madison Avenue,
22 one for $175,000 and one for $100,000. That
23 means those taxes are gone forever. This
24 has got to stop. We got. We got this other
25 one, the college, they are buying that end
88
1 of town up, how do you expect the people of
2 this city, this isn't a college town where
3 the college supports it. We are supporting
4 these businesses. It just can't go away.
5 You know, a fourth of the city is not paying
6 taxes and this keeps going on. They are
7 money making businesses that make fortunes.
8 It's just terrible what's going on right
9 under you people's noses.
10 I know everybody probably saw all of
11 these names in here for the tax sale. There
12 is over 600 for the city, how does these
13 people get to pay so much, to owe so much
14 money. There is one guy here, Medical
15 Dimensions, $404,000. You know, and here is
16 the St. Peter's Square, they're building all
17 of that stuff down there wants KOZ's, they
18 don't need KOZ's, they owe $58,000, one
19 after another. A dozen of these people owe
20 over $1 million. USA Reality over $45,000.
21 Underneath them is some poor guy on
22 Washburn Street that owes $258 and his name
23 is in there, and underneath him are two
24 deadbeats that owe $44,000. How did tens of
25 millions of dollars get on these taxrolls?
89
1 You know, nobody -- I have asked people,
2 nobody -- and they said that nobody cares.
3 Nobody keeps up with things. They got -- I
4 just don't understand how somebody could owe
5 $404,000. It's a business that's there, it
6 makes money and they don't pay anything? I
7 don't know.
8 I'm taking my paperwork, I phoned --
9 I'm taking my paperwork that I told you
10 about to the FBI. They want to see it
11 because they don't believe me. They said
12 it's impossible for the bank to pay, the
13 city make you pay, and then turn it over to
14 the collection agency that I paid them and
15 there is no check from the collection agency
16 back to the city I was told. I gave a check
17 for when Mr. Walsh was down there I think
18 for $1,900 I got the receipt, in a few weeks
19 they sued me for $1,900 and turned it over
20 to the collection agency and they wanted
21 $2,400 so Ms. Rosie went out there and paid
22 them, and where is the money? It didn't
23 come back to the city. The FBI wants to see
24 all my paperwork.
25 The bank took money every year I got
90
1 the receipt from the bank paid my taxes, you
2 know, and I'm not the only one. You start
3 talking about it, this has happened in the
4 one person after another, but how can some
5 poor guy lose a house for $250,000 in
6 this Medical Dimensions is not paying
7 404,000. All these jerk water towns out
8 here, there is no big amounts of money like
9 this. In Moosic there is one little -- some
10 company owes $24,000. Every one of them is
11 just little amounts of money, a thousand or
12 3,000 or something. You get over here to
13 Scranton, huge amounts, one after another
14 down all of these pages people owe just huge
15 amounts.
16 MR. MCGOFF: Thank you, Mr. Ellman.
17 MR. ELLMAN: I'd like to know why
18 they weren't turned over to the collection
19 agency and I was, you know. There is some
20 people ought to be in jail instead of having
21 the pictures up on the damn schools or
22 wherever around here. Thank you.
23 MR. MCGOFF: Dave Dobrzon.
24 MR. DOBRZON: Good evening, council.
25 Dave Dobrzon, resident of Scranton and
91
1 member of the Scranton Taxpayers, and you
2 kind of stole my parade on 7-A, but
3 nonetheless, I want to read from Article III
4 of the PA State Constitution on religious
5 freedom. Now, I'll need these to read my
6 own writing. "All men have a natural and
7 indefeasible right to worship all Mighty God
8 according the dictates of their own
9 consciences. No man of right can be
10 compelled to attend, direct or support any
11 place of worship or to maintain any ministry
12 against it's consent. No human authority
13 can in any case whatever control or
14 interfere with these rights of conscious and
15 no preference shall ever be given by law to
16 any religious establishments or modes of
17 worship."
18 Now, the reason I brought this up
19 is, well, one church which is kind of
20 mainstream around here would like a little
21 help. Who next, the Muslims, the Synagogue,
22 the Arian Nation? So, in other words, what
23 I'm saying is that this should never be
24 voted on on the basis that people who are
25 not of the conviction of this religion
92
1 basically have to pick up the tab out of
2 their taxes and do without other uses for
3 those taxes. So enough on that.
4 I'd like to -- one other thing I
5 would like to say is that I do track
6 personally the actions of politicians and
7 when I regard them as on the fringes of
8 constitutionality it's time to vote against
9 them or not vote for anybody at all if you
10 are voting for the least of two evils.
11 As far as Northeast Criminal
12 Conspiracy, I mean, NCC, this is ridiculous
13 some of these people getting socked with
14 these taxes, the three tickets. It's
15 terrible. It's actually, I think they
16 should be in jail for cruel and unusual
17 punishment against the citizens of this
18 town.
19 And few years ago and I seen this
20 man, I think it's Joe Gallanti, pushing the
21 nonsmoking regulations in Scranton
22 ordinance, now he is down the county. Well,
23 he got the stadium nonsmoking and, of
24 course, every week in the paper there is --
25 there is an article about how much more we
93
1 have to pay in county taxes to renovate that
2 stadium even though the bleachers were 20,
3 30 percent built. It's really ashame that
4 these people can come in because I think it
5 relates to Molly Brannigan's. Everybody
6 pushed it as a nonsmoking alternative and
7 everything, but the bottom line is when it's
8 taxpayers' money involved and at risk we
9 shouldn't be telling people how to conduct
10 their business. Enough on that. I mean,
11 smoking is a bad idea in the first place,
12 but if people want to be silly they should
13 be left to be silly when they want to be
14 silly, and it's not any big deal.
15 The last thing I would like to say
16 is with the upcoming elections, all
17 candidates please don't accept any outside
18 money for elections. If these people from
19 Clarks Summit and so forth want to
20 contribute to elections in Scranton maybe
21 they should pay a commuter tax and that
22 might wise them up because, obviously, they
23 want to run our town but they don't want to
24 pay taxes in it, so it's too bad they
25 couldn't get a commuter tax and tax the
94
1 pants on off them then they won't have any
2 money to dump into political donations and
3 try to control our town and our future.
4 Thank you and have a good night.
5 MR. MCGOFF: Other speakers? Please.
6 MS. SOLAN: Good evening. I'd like
7 to first say that I'm Jackie Solan and I'd
8 like to thank you, Janet Evans, for
9 responding to our e-mail. We have a
10 property at 526-524 Emmett Street.
11 MS. EVANS: Yes.
12 MS. SOLAN: I have numerous pictures
13 here that you can keep. We have been
14 dealing with this problem with the blighted
15 properties for years. They have been
16 condemned since 2005. I have three small
17 children. There are -- in the winter months
18 there are homeless people that take up
19 residencies. There are animals, there is
20 raccoons. I mean, my children have to be
21 supervised in the backyard. We have called
22 the blight hotline numerous times, the City
23 of Scranton inspectors. The foundation on
24 the property to the left that -- we are
25 surrounded, there is one blighted property
95
1 another blighted property, our residence,
2 our other house, and then another blighted
3 property, so we are surrounded by blighted
4 properties. Now, it's like an Amazon and
5 like Claws and Paws surrounding us. So, I
6 mean, it's just horrendous and, you know, I
7 don't want to complain or anything like that
8 but if they were to be condemned, I mean, I
9 have all of these pictures here, they said
10 they have been on the list for years.
11 MS. EVANS: Yes.
12 MS. SOLAN: They have done nothing.
13 MS. EVANS: May I have the pictures?
14 MS. SOLAN: Absolutely.
15 MS. EVANS: I had my own list tonight
16 a request -- -
17 MS. SOLAN: They might be doubles,
18 but you can keep them, but it's pretty hard
19 to look at.
20 MR. MCGOFF: Excuse me, what was the
21 address?
22 MS. EVANS: I have them all. I have
23 the list of them tonight with me.
24 MS. SOLAN: Sorry, I mean, there is--
25 in the back there is a, I don't know, it's
96
1 like a cliff. There's a -- you will see
2 there is a like a car wash and then they
3 have that trailer that they put in, well, I
4 mean, last summer there was homeless people
5 climbing up there, but they come to stay,
6 they take things that people have thrown
7 back there, I mean, it's horrible. And
8 there is kids in and out of there. I mean,
9 when you see the pictures you are going to
10 be just totally taken away, you know?
11 But I'd just ask that maybe somebody
12 could take the time to really consider
13 tearing them down instead of just saying,
14 okay, they are on the list, you know? But I
15 thank you for your time.
16 MR. MCGOFF: Thank you.
17 MS. GATELLI: I think I condemned
18 these when I was up there, that's how long
19 ago it is?
20 MS. SOLAN: It's been awhile.
21 MS. EVANS: Why? Why all of these
22 years? Where is the justice in the list?
23 Look at this.
24 MR. MCGOFF: Go ahead, Mr. Talimini.
25 MR. TALIMINI: Joe Talimini, City of
97
1 Scranton. One of the things that has been
2 gauling me for a long time, and I don't who
3 is in charge of DPW or what their new laws
4 are or what their new contract calls for,
5 but quite frankly, I have been sitting back
6 listening to my scanner, when they have a
7 cave in the DPW doesn't come out, they will
8 get it in the morning. It's raining, DPW
9 does not come out. You have an emergency, a
10 fire going on, DPW does not come out and
11 they have to tell the firemen where the
12 barricades are, but they don't come out.
13 You have a crime scene, DPW does not come
14 out at night, it might be raining, but they
15 will tell the cops where the barricades are.
16 Now, I thought it was a 24-hour
17 agency, apparently it's not, so I would like
18 to ask you to look into that and tell you
19 what's going on. With regard to OECD, I
20 think it's about time for a federal
21 investigation of OECD and I personally will
22 call for one because we have lost so many
23 businesses in this town, we have been lied
24 to about those people who were behind and we
25 were told, no, they were not behind and
98
1 everything was up-to-date then we find out
2 Molly Brannigan's, which is a national
3 franchise, has beat the City out of over
4 $700,000, they beat the parking authority or
5 the sewer authority who they were renting
6 from out of $60,0000. There are other
7 others.
8 Our downtown is prospering, which is
9 why Steve and Barry's left, which is why
10 Zale's jewelers left, which is why Ground
11 Round left, but we are prospering, but I
12 don't know where which brings me to my other
13 point. I think it's time the city got out
14 of the banking business and let's the bank
15 handle this thing. If these people can't
16 borrow money from the banks then sad on
17 them, they shouldn't be in business.
18 Now, that's $750,000, I mean, rough
19 estimate, if you had taken $25,000 of that
20 and invested it in the people in this city
21 who would like to make a little business
22 going you probably could have started 30
23 businesses without any problem at all and
24 they probably would still be prospering.
25 Now, all of these people with their
99
1 grandiose ideas, all of these politicians
2 and all of these other people who are
3 bringing these franchises into this town so
4 they can pat themselves on the back and
5 march in parades with them, it's ridiculous.
6 Where is the money going and what are you
7 people going to do about getting that money
8 back? Molly Brannigans is not a local
9 organization, it's a national franchise.
10 Zale's Jeweler, I don't know if they owe us
11 any money or not, the Ice Box from what I
12 understand, a few hundred thousands dollars
13 there. Have they been paid at all yet?
14 MS. EVANS: No.
15 MR. TALIMINI: So where is all this
16 money and what are these people doing about
17 it? And OECD is using this money as if it
18 were coming out of everybody's pockets.
19 Well, it's coming out of my pocket as well
20 as everybody else's, and it's time we did
21 something about it.
22 Now, I'd like to address the Holy
23 Cross Church, I think this is something that
24 should be of interest to all of you. I
25 suggest the city buy Holy Cross Church and
100
1 turn into a rehab center for politicians,
2 developers, bankers and lawyers in this
3 town, and I'm sure if we get enough
4 people -- I'm sure we can get enough people
5 up there who would be glad to introduce
6 shock treatments to get you people back to
7 reality, and a 30-day process. It would be
8 just like the Betty Ford Clinic. You must
9 be do a mandatory 30 days before you are
10 allowed out in public again because you are
11 certainly not entitled to the general
12 population, and I think I can talk Mr. Bolus
13 into going along with that as well. Thank
14 you.
15 MR. BHARUCKA: Good evening.
16 MS. EVANS: Good evening.
17 MR. BHARUCKA: City Council, my name
18 is Jay Bharucka, I live at the rear 300
19 block of Taylor Avenue.
20 MS. EVANS: Yes.
21 MR. BHARUCKA: And I live there
22 34 years and I'm still living there and
23 tonight I came here to oppose the program,
24 it's called -- the University has the
25 garbage collection center across my house
101
1 just 15 feet from my house.
2 MS. EVANS: The dumpster/compactor.
3 MR. BHARUCKA: Yes.
4 MS. EVANS: I addressed that earlier
5 tonight and we are on that --
6 MR. BHARUCKA: It is not a dumpster
7 but is actually not dumpster, I talked with
8 the zoning officer and everybody is
9 confused. It's not a dumpster, it's like a
10 garbage collection center, garbage
11 collection.
12 MR. NOLAN: A compactor.
13 MS. EVANS: A compactor.
14 MR. NOLAN: For the whole University,
15 all of their garbage is going to be in
16 there.
17 MS. EVANS: Really. Well, that --
18 MR. BHARUCKA: And I don't now to get
19 them, I'm in awe of these things, and I am
20 here opposing that and, please, I don't want
21 it.
22 MS. EVANS: I agree.
23 MR. BHARUCKA: Whatever the project
24 and I want to stop that.
25 MS. EVANS: Yes, and we are going to
102
1 do everything we possibly can to help you
2 with this. As I said earlier, a letter is
3 going to be sent on behalf of Scranton City
4 Council requesting that the University of
5 Scranton remove that and relocate it
6 elsewhere, and we are also sending a letter
7 to the Licensing, Inspections and Permit
8 Department of the City of Scranton so that
9 our people are aware of this situation and
10 they should be sent out there to see that
11 this occurs.
12 MR. BHARUCKA: Thank you very much.
13 MS. EVANS: You are very, very
14 welcome. No one should have to live with
15 that. I'm sure between the odors and the
16 noise it has to be unbearable to the
17 neighbors on Taylor Avenue and North Irving.
18 MR. NOLAN: We have a petition, I
19 don't know if you guys --
20 MS. EVANS: Yes.
21 MR. NOLAN: You all got a copy?
22 MS. EVANS: We received it.
23 MR. NOLAN: He said he dropped it off
24 at the office.
25 MS. EVANS: And that's going --
103
1 MR. NOLAN: And I have some pictures
2 if you would like to see them.
3 MS. EVANS: Excellent. Yes. We will
4 take those as well.
5 MR. NOLAN: This is the dumpster that
6 they removed, it was basically a small
7 dumpster.
8 MR. MCGOFF: Please, I'd just ask if
9 you talk -- the stenographer can't --
10 MS. GATELLI: Can't hear you.
11 MR. MCGOFF: Can't hear and also take
12 the podium.
13 THE COURT REPORTER: And state your
14 name, please.
15 MR. NOLAN: My name is Michael Nolan.
16 I live at 301 North Irving. I also oppose
17 this. I didn't actually get to the chance
18 to sign the petition because I was out of
19 town, but the pictures basically that's the
20 small dumpster that was in the area, and
21 this is the concrete pad where they are
22 going to place I believe the 40-foot
23 compactor/dumpster. He is talking storage
24 area. We have been told it's for the whole
25 universities' garbage and this is a picture
104
1 here. His house is like right across the
2 alley from this. He lives in the alley
3 here. I mean, I couldn't imagine having
4 this right next to my house.
5 MS. EVANS: No.
6 MR. NOLAN: And I basically want to
7 know with all of the property the university
8 has why they can't put in one of their
9 parking lots?
10 MS. EVANS: Exactly.
11 MR. NOLAN: It's right close to one
12 of their buildings that they would just be
13 taking away a couple of parking lots for
14 cars instead of putting it by this
15 gentleman's home. I mean, this is -- I'm
16 outraged by it, but, you know. I can't
17 believe they can do this without like asking
18 anybody.
19 MS. EVANS: No, I can't believe it
20 either.
21 MR. NOLAN: So that you have already
22 had a copy of that petition though.
23 MS. EVANS: Yes.
24 MR. NOLAN: Okay. Thank you.
25 MS. GATELLI: You are welcome.
105
1 MS. EVANS: Thank you. We will do
2 our very best for you.
3 MR. O'MALLEY: Barbara O'Malley,
4 Scranton resident. I just want to be clear,
5 it's my understanding or I thought I heard
6 out in the hall that you are voting "no" on
7 7-A? Was that -- is that accurate
8 information?
9 MS. FANUCCI: How do you know that?
10 MS. O'MALLEY: On Holy Cross.
11 Somebody said that --
12 MR. MCGOFF: Yes. That is correct.
13 MS. O'MALLEY: It's not tabled --
14 MS. FANUCCI: How does she know?
15 MS. O'MALLEY: How did I know? I
16 heard -- I wasn't here earlier in the
17 meeting, but somebody who left the meeting.
18 That's why I came to the meeting primarily
19 to talk about it, so I just wanted to make
20 sure that was accurate.
21 MS. GATELLI: It's a "no."
22 MS. O'MALLEY: Okay. I appreciate
23 that. Thank you very much. The other thing
24 that I wanted to ask for information about
25 is there was a report in the Scranton Times
106
1 about the Army Reserve Center in -- on
2 Colfax Avenue in Scranton that that will be
3 closing and the property can be transferred
4 to a nonprofit, and I did try and call the
5 Scranton Redevelopment Agency to ask them
6 about the process of the transfer and some
7 other information about future use of that
8 property, unfortunately, I never got a call
9 back, but this is the question and maybe
10 somebody at council can help get this
11 information.
12 It is my understanding from reading
13 the article that that property can only be
14 transferred as part of the agreement to a
15 nonprofit organization, and that there are--
16 the city is considered a nonprofit and two
17 schools, and the question I live in the
18 neighborhood and the question that we have
19 as neighbors is if the property is
20 transferred to say one of the schools and
21 for some reason the school doesn't -- is no
22 longer able to operate, are they under the
23 same agreement that then the property has to
24 continue to go to a nonprofit or at that
25 point can it go to any developer? Because
107
1 the answer to that question will impact the
2 input that the citizens and the taxpayers
3 who live in that neighborhood around that
4 property, you know, whatever conclusion and
5 input that we would have on that, so I don't
6 know if anybody knows that answer to that
7 question at this time or not.
8 MS. GATELLI: You are talking about
9 Holy Cross?
10 MS. O'MALLEY: Oh, no, no, no.
11 MS. EVANS: No, we are a talking
12 about the old reserve building, the armory.
13 MS. GATELLI: Sorry.
14 MS. O'MALLEY: That's okay.
15 Originally I was -- I started on Holy Cross
16 and then I went over to the armory on Colfax
17 Avenue.
18 MS. GATELLI: I know what you are
19 talking about.
20 MS. O'MALLEY: And again, it's
21 supposed to -- a further company or whatever
22 would go nonprofit, Amil, do have the answer
23 to that?
24 MR. MINORA: Yeah, the answer to that
25 is going to be kind of a multiple choice
108
1 question. If the restriction runs with the
2 deed, if it's in the deed itself,
3 restricting to it nonprofits itself then
4 it's binding on every person that buys. If
5 it's an agreement between two people or two
6 bodies, two entities and one entity uses it
7 as it's supposed to, that may or may not
8 bind them with their transfer for the next
9 person and then the question then goes on
10 from there.
11 So it's the nature of the agreement
12 that will be up in the air. I have no way
13 of knowing until I see that, but if it's in
14 the deed, it's a deed restriction, then that
15 would go with it.
16 MS. O'MALLEY: I believe it might be
17 a deed restriction, but I'm not -- I don't
18 know if the reporter who wrote the article
19 is here, but I think it might be, but we
20 should be able to find that out at some
21 point, so thank you. And the only other
22 thing that I would ask is I'm not certain
23 whose responsible, but the upper chamber
24 here in council has been locked and last
25 time I was here and I actually prefer to sit
109
1 up there because, unfortunately, sometimes
2 the chatter in the back of the room makes it
3 really hard to concentrate and so I'm
4 requesting that, Mr. McGoff, maybe you could
5 look into that as council president? The
6 upstairs chamber, that section up there.
7 MR. MCGOFF: I understand.
8 MS. O'MALLEY: It's locked and has
9 been locked and I would really appreciate if
10 it could be opened. Thank you.
11 MR. MCGOFF: Anyone else? Chris?
12 MS. GATELLI: Chrissy is back at
13 West.
14 MS. SLEDZENSKI: That's right.
15 That's right. Right, Billy?
16 MR. COURTRIGHT: Happy Birthday,
17 Buddy.
18 MR. SLEDZENSKI: Thanks, Billy.
19 MS. EVANS: Oh, Happy Birthday.
20 MR. SLEDZENSKI: Thank you, Janet.
21 Thank you.
22 MS. Evans: And a hundred more.
23 MR. SLEDZENSKI: Janet, I could lose
24 my mind over this. Well, Bill, our first
25 loss, it wasn't the best to us year, but you
110
1 never know, Bill. This week, we will win
2 this week, Baby. I'm going back to West
3 Side where I belong, Buddy.
4 MR. COURTRIGHT: Okay, Chris.
5 MR. ANCHERANI: Good evening.
6 Nelson Ancherani, First Amendment Rights.
7 Just a little remainder, the city has a
8 full-time grant writer, a police grant
9 writer, but the Recovery Plan prohibits the
10 city police grant writer from writing the
11 grants for the police department. Who
12 writes the police grants for the police
13 exclusively for the city? Are they
14 combined, you know, like with the county
15 they write all our police grants, every one
16 of them. We have a grant writer that can't
17 write police grants.
18 MR. COURTRIGHT: It appears that she
19 is writing all of our grants.
20 MR. ANCHERANI: The county.
21 MR. COURTRIGHT: Yes.
22 MR. ANCHERANI: The part-timer.
23 MR. COURTRIGHT: Yes.
24 MR. ANCHERANI: Okay. Well, here it
25 is September already, nine weeks until
111
1 November 15 and the 2010 budget will be
2 presented to city council. My annual
3 predictions: One, a record budget topping
4 the 84 million 2008 budget; 25 percent more
5 tax increase. We have to remember taxes
6 will have to be raised because the city
7 probably will be short $5 million from the
8 tax office; and three, millions borrowed.
9 Two of the council members that
10 voted for the last budget that included the
11 three predicted items are lame duck council
12 members, so it will be interesting to see
13 how they vote. We already know how Mr.
14 McGoff will vote since he agrees with
15 everything the mayor sends down the pike,
16 but as I had just mentioned, it was
17 Ms. Fanucci, Mrs. Gatelli and Mr. McGoff who
18 voted for the 2007 25 percent tax increase
19 while 12 million was sitting in that
20 mysteriously discovered tax office account.
21 Don't forget the NCC vote that adds
22 thousands to unfortunate persons delinquent
23 tax accounts that can force people to lose
24 their homes. Those three voted for that,
25 also. Maybe some of the names of that paper
112
1 that Ronnie Ellman had are NCC clients.
2 Out of curiosity, you three, did you
3 get new rubber stamps or are you going to
4 use the old ones?
5 MR. MCGOFF: That's rather insulting.
6 MR. ANCHERANI: What's going on --
7 MS. FANUCCI: You want an answer to
8 that or was that just a comment for
9 hysterical fun factor, would you like me to
10 --
11 MR. ANCHERANI: Take it whatever way
12 you want.
13 MS. FANUCCI: I didn't buy a new
14 rubber stamp, no, but thank you.
15 MR. ANCHERANI: Okay, take it
16 whatever way you want. What's going on with
17 the Scranton Parking Authority? Are they
18 defaulting on their $600,000 payment?
19 Anybody know that?
20 MS. GATELLI: Who, the parking
21 authority?
22 MR. ANCHERANI: Yeah.
23 MR. COURTRIGHT: I guess so.
24 MR. ANCHERANI: They are? Okay. How
25 is that happening? They got a $35 million
113
1 loan that we will be paying back
2 $94 million. That's 50 some million with
3 interest. That's on top of the 16.1 million
4 bond issue in early 2003. They just got
5 another million and they forgave 60,000 plus
6 5,000 electric utilities at Brannigans. We
7 have 722,000 tied up in defaults by three
8 businesses and possibly another one coming
9 down the pike. What is wrong with this
10 picture?
11 The parking authority possibly
12 defaulting on a bond, now they are, and they
13 forgive $65,000 to Brannigans and Brannigans
14 skips out be the city. Who is that wheel
15 when this occurred? Who failed in doing
16 their homework and research on those new
17 business loans? What's going on? Will the
18 taxpayers be responsible to pay the $600,000
19 bond? Wait, don't answer. I already know
20 the answer.
21 Mrs. Evans said before, maybe not in
22 exact words, if any of the authorities
23 default on their payments the taxpayers will
24 foot the bill. Again, it will be
25 responsible for the payments. This $722,000
114
1 that the city is losing on the defaults for
2 three failed businesses is on this mayor's
3 watch, and the possibility of a fourth
4 business going down the drain. How long
5 were these four businesses in this city
6 before shutting down? Possibly a total of
7 ten years.
8 Under this mayor's watch we lost:
9 Leonard's Hardware, Quints, Hobans and other
10 totaling well over 300 years in business.
11 They went down the tubes on this mayor's
12 watch. The mayor went to Reading to sell
13 the Reading City leaders Act 47. He brags
14 about getting rid of 27 policemen and the
15 gangs are festering in our city. He must
16 have forgotten that we are in Act 47 going
17 into our 19th year starting in January. We
18 can't get out of 47 and he is helping to put
19 Reading in it. I guess misery loves
20 company. Thank you.
21 MR. MCGOFF: Mrs. Evans?
22 MS. EVANS: Good evening. I'm very
23 pleased to resume our fall session of city
24 council meetings and I'd like to update you
25 on issues I've worked on and studied over
115
1 the August recess. First, I strongly
2 disapprove of the covert actions taken by
3 the Scranton Parking Authority in relation
4 to Molly Brannigan's restaurant.
5 Further, I am highly concerned about
6 the financial stability of the parking
7 authority who in the last three years alone
8 has borrowed $36 million, a debt for which
9 the Scranton Taxpayers are ultimately
10 responsible.
11 Consequently, I would like the
12 executive director of the Scranton Parking
13 Authority to attend a city council caucus in
14 September to explain the conduct and discuss
15 the financial status of the parking
16 authority. Do my colleagues agree?
17 MS. FANUCCI: Sure.
18 MS. EVANS: Kay, please send a letter
19 requesting a caucus on September 15, 22 or
20 29, at 5:45 to Mr. Robert Scopeletti and the
21 chairman of the Parking Authority board.
22 Second, the Office of Economic and
23 Community Development also owes council and
24 the taxpayers an explanation of the several
25 business loans in default that were
116
1 concealed for at least a year. Secondhand
2 reports from my council colleagues are
3 unacceptable at this time, particularly
4 since several have now been proven to be
5 false. I cite Molly Brannigan's, Michael's
6 Luxury Eyewear, Vida Tapas Bar and Grill and
7 the financial restructuring that occurred a
8 few months ago for Mr. Brian Murray,
9 insurance executive. I warned council at
10 the time against approval for Mr. Murray's
11 agreement, but it fell on deaf ears once
12 again.
13 Therefore, I would like to schedule
14 a council caucus with Mrs. Linda Aebli --
15 Miss Linda Aebli, excuse me, OECD Director
16 in the month of September with the agreement
17 of my council colleagues.
18 MR. COURTRIGHT: Yes.
19 MS. EVANS: Kay, please send a letter
20 requesting Miss Aebli's attendance at a
21 caucus on September 15, 22 or 29 at 5:45
22 p.m., and please be certain that
23 Mr. Scopelitti and Ms. Aebli respond
24 promptly and schedule separate meetings.
25 I also move to halt the acceptance
117
1 of any additional OECD loans on council's
2 agenda until such time as Ms. Aebli meets
3 with Scranton City Council.
4 MS. GATELLI: Second.
5 MR. COURTRIGHT: She seconded it?
6 MS. GATELLI: I seconded it.
7 MR. MCGOFF: On the question?
8 MR. COURTRIGHT: On the question, I
9 am probably going to get beat up a little
10 bit for this, I agree that we don't do
11 anything until we find out the truth because
12 I'm going to defend Mrs. Gatelli and Mrs.
13 Fanucci here. You know, we each have
14 committees that we are in charge of, not in
15 charge of, we are the heads of, and I know
16 when I ask questions from my committee I'm
17 assuming, because I have no choice, that I'm
18 getting told the right answers, so I have to
19 think that they asked and they were
20 misinformed so I'm disappointed in OECD for
21 not -- at the very least they should have
22 told us -- they should have told us what was
23 happening and let us know. If there was
24 confidential things that couldn't have been
25 put out there then I think the citizens of
118
1 the city trusted us, they put us here, and
2 OECD should, and I think they did a
3 disservice to Mrs. Fanucci especially
4 because that's her committee telling her, I
5 am assuming they were telling you all along
6 things were good and things were not good.
7 So I say shame on them.
8 MS. FANUCCI: We asked numerous
9 times as a body, when we had requests from
10 the audience and --
11 MS. EVANS: Yes, and the only name
12 that's ever been mentioned here at this dais
13 has been Whistle's.
14 MS. FANUCCI: Right.
15 MS. EVANS: Which was straightened
16 out long ago.
17 MS. FANUCCI: That was the only name
18 that had come up.
19 MS. EVANS: But nothing else, and
20 these loans have been bad for quite a period
21 of time.
22 MS. FANUCCI: If you want to talk, we
23 are not talking that every loan is bad.
24 MS. EVANS: No, we are not talking
25 every loan is bad --
119
1 MS. FANUCCI: -- throughout the rest
2 of the city --
3 MS. EVANS: But we also need to
4 remember that there was quite a debacle over
5 the Hilton Hotel, and that's another loan
6 situation that went bad and a $3 million
7 loss to the city back in 2005 that we are
8 never going to recover, and that was kept a
9 secret as well until I uncovered it in 2005
10 and wanted to know why OECD was saying we
11 are making loan payments for a hotel to the
12 government and the mayor was saying, no, we
13 are not. Well, there is a lot that's been
14 going on in OECD.
15 And the other key it remember here
16 is this, a loan portfolio was sold by the
17 city several years ago and that loan
18 portfolio contained the best loans that the
19 city had plus and the mayor wanted money, so
20 they were sold off to a company and what we
21 were left with at that time were the loans
22 that --
23 MS. GATELLI: Risky.
24 MS. EVANS: The risky loans that no
25 else wanted to by, so we still have those,
120
1 I'm sure, but in the meantime we have been
2 giving away these loans like candy and it
3 seems to me that somebody has dropped the
4 ball here or somebody is dropping it
5 purposely and isn't telling city council
6 exactly what shape these businesses are in.
7 And when they aren't telling council they
8 aren't telling you, the people, and this is
9 your money, your tax money, and I will not
10 entertain anymore OECD business loans. In
11 fact there is one on tonight's agenda, a
12 subordination agreement that I will move to
13 table because my faith and confidence in
14 OECD is severely shaken.
15 MS. FANUCCI: I'm going to say
16 something, my only issue is that when people
17 fill out the application and go along with
18 the process they obviously have to be able
19 to qualify, so if that's the case when they
20 are coming in in these situations they are
21 qualifying. Whether or not you know and can
22 decide on what business is going to do well
23 and what business is not, I don't know how
24 we would be able to prevent that because
25 it's not for me to say or any of us to say
121
1 what will make it and what won't. That's
2 the issue.
3 MS. EVANS: We are not even allowed
4 to look at this information supposedly.
5 MS. FANUCCI: No.
6 MS. EVANS: So I'm asked to trust the
7 very same people who have covered for
8 businesses now for up to two years. I'm
9 asked to believe them when they say, oh,
10 that business has no state liens, they have
11 no IRS liens. Well, I believe nothing.
12 MS. FANUCCI: Well, that has to go
13 through the state. That's not our issue
14 here. It has to go to the state level to
15 clear that, so that's something --
16 MS. EVANS: Well, what we are told
17 constantly is either you can't see it or
18 everything is fine.
19 MS. FANUCCI: Right.
20 MS. EVANS: And there is only one bad
21 loan and that's Whistle's and Whistle's
22 isn't the bad loan.
23 MS. FANUCCI: Well, right. Well,
24 they made good finally, yes, they did do
25 that. They finally stepped up to it, but
122
1 they had two years of bad just like these
2 people do.
3 MS. EVANS: Exactly, but these --
4 MS. FANUCCI: Let's hope these people
5 will do the same as Whistle's did. Let's
6 hope that a few years they are taken over by
7 a new business and then thereafter two years
8 they may turn around and say we are able to
9 pay so, let's hope this is the situation and
10 the best case scenario and let's they --
11 MS. EVANS: I hope they are going to
12 pay this off, too, but I am not looking
13 through things in -- or rather through
14 rose-colored glasses. I don't see or I'm
15 not going to work through words and figures
16 and visions and rose-colored glasses.
17 MS. FANUCCI: Listen, I agree with
18 you.
19 MS. EVANS: We have been lied to --
20 MR. MCGOFF: The motion, would you
21 please restate the motion? Please.
22 MS. GATELLI: He wants you to say
23 your motion.
24 MS. EVANS: Again?
25 MR. MCGOFF: Please restate it.
123
1 MS. EVANS: Thank you. Okay, I will.
2 I also move to halt the acceptance of any
3 additional OECD loans on council's agenda
4 until such time as Ms. Aebli meets with
5 Scranton City Council.
6 MS. GATELLI: And I seconded it.
7 MR. MCGOFF: And it was seconded by
8 Mrs. Gatelli. Anyone else on the question?
9 All in favor signify by saying aye.
10 MS. EVANS: Aye.
11 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
12 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
13 MR. MCGOFF: Opposed? No.
14 MS. FANUCCI: No.
15 MR. MCGOFF: The ayes have it and so
16 moved.
17 MS. EVANS: Third, the 2008
18 independent audit of Scranton City Council
19 has been delayed the Scranton Redevelopment
20 Authority, the Scranton police department
21 heads, and certain attorneys who have been
22 asked for responses to potential claims and
23 litigation since the week of June 29, 2009,
24 according to a September 8 report. Robert
25 Rossi & Company also sent council regular
124
1 updates throughout the month of August. As
2 of August 10, the Redevelopment Authority
3 audit was completed and council received
4 it's audit just this afternoon.
5 It is unacceptable that requests and
6 motions of council have been ignored by some
7 entities, so we can only hope that the 2008
8 audit will reach council by September's end.
9 I do wish to commend the Sewer and Parking
10 Authorities for their improved cooperation
11 and Robert Rossi & Company for it's constant
12 diligence, professionalism and perseverance
13 in trying to obtain essentially financial
14 information from numerous city entities in a
15 timely manner.
16 Fourth, the following is the August
17 update from the Scranton Tax Office
18 regarding the year-to-date tax collections
19 in comparison to 2008 figures:
20 Real estate, $11,565,122 for a
21 decrease of $26,340; wage tax, $12,272,577,
22 a decrease of $672,032; local services tax,
23 $1,022,932, an increase of $403,275; and
24 business privilege mercantile tax
25 $1,625,458, an increase of 27,178.
125
1 In addition, the city has not
2 received the 4.3 million it is owed from the
3 Scranton Tax Office, a 5.5 million dollar
4 figure was plugged into the 2009 budget by
5 the mayor and approved by a Council majority
6 and the clock is ticking.
7 Fifth, in drafts received of the
8 revised Recovery Plan for Scranton, the
9 director of DCED indicates that the city
10 must cut it's expenses and develop new
11 revenue sources to see it's distressed
12 status lifted, and this statement in many
13 ways vindicates and supports my votes and
14 actions as a councilwoman for the last six
15 years. Apparently, the administration is
16 attempting to comply with DCED by
17 investigating new revenue sources, such as
18 potential charges and fees for large
19 nonprofits and for select services such as
20 parking spaces. In terms of expenditure
21 cuts, it will be most interesting to see
22 what cuts are contained in the mayor's 2010
23 budget beyond those he has already made in a
24 police department and hopes to further cut
25 in our public safety services.
126
1 Six, council received a letter from
2 Congressman Kanjorski dated August 4, 2009,
3 indicating that the Congressman submitted
4 the following project to the Committee on
5 Transportation and Infrastructure as a high
6 priority project in the Surface
7 Transportation Reauthorization Bill: Meadow
8 Avenue sound barriers in the amount of
9 $4 million. The committee will review the
10 high priority projects and will determine
11 eligibility for funding.
12 Thus, the letter from Congressman
13 Kanjorski should not be considered a
14 guarantee that funding will be awarded.
15 Also, this legislation is not part of the
16 yearly appropriations process and may take
17 some time before being enacted into law,
18 however, Council does thank Congressman
19 Kanjorski for his support of this much
20 needed project in our area and his efforts
21 to see it to fruition.
22 And finally, I have citizens'
23 requests for the last several weeks.
24 Neighbors report, and we had a firsthand
25 report tonight actually, that 520-522 and
127
1 528 Emmett Street in the Bellevue Section
2 are condemned for years and, in fact, as I
3 went through the photos presented to council
4 tonight, I note a photo of one condemnation
5 notice that is dated 6-21-05. That's over
6 four years ago and all of these messes are
7 still standing. These properties are
8 overgrown with shrubs, trees and grass and
9 are habitats for stray cats, skunks, rats
10 and woodchucks.
11 As you heard before, neighbors have
12 called the blight hotline for years and they
13 have met with no success. Please provide a
14 written response by September 21, 2009,
15 indicating a date when these properties are
16 going to be demolished or cleaned up.
17 Next: Neighbors report the
18 following condemned properties and the
19 deplorable condition of each: 521 Maple
20 Street, windows are broken and boarded up.
21 Overgrown weeds cover the sidewalks and rats
22 and skunks inhabit the property.
23 1017 Hamm Court overgrown weeds,
24 presence of skunks and rats.
25 And then finally, I think council's
128
1 favorite, it's been on the hit parade now
2 for years, 1101 Cedar Avenue. South Side
3 residents complain that this property
4 remains an eyesore. One resident states
5 that Holy Cross Church is a mansion
6 comparison to this structure. I have to
7 laugh, it's true, which has been allowed to
8 stand for several years without any progress
9 or renovation.
10 A resident requests the installation
11 of a speed bump or perhaps a "Slow Children
12 at Play" sign on the road located between
13 123 and 129 West Parker Street. Vehicles
14 speed through this area where small children
15 play and this request has been made numerous
16 times in the last three years, but the
17 problem is never solved. Provide written
18 response or about September 2, 2009, which
19 includes what measures will be taken.
20 A letter to Mr. Brazil: Please
21 repair large deep potholes near the curb in
22 the first block of Crown Avenue, which is
23 located parallel to Harrison Avenue. This
24 very short and steep street has remained
25 without repairs for decades. The neighbors
129
1 tell me it's been over 40 years. It is
2 across the street from the small park at the
3 corner of Harrison Avenue and Moosic Street.
4 I'm very pleased to report that the
5 Sewer Authority cleaned and repaired the
6 storm drains on North Washington Avenue near
7 Marywood University during August and I
8 thank the Sewer Authority for it's prompt
9 response and hard work.
10 And to the residents of Jackson
11 Street section of West Side I received your
12 letter which outlines your problems, and I
13 hope to be able to address these issues in
14 the new year with the help of a new council
15 majority.
16 The neighbors reported deteriorated
17 deck at the rear of 920 Greenridge Street,
18 please send an inspector to review the
19 report, and residents of Marvin, Capouse and
20 North Main Avenue report ATV drivers on the
21 city streets during daytime hours. When
22 possible it would be appreciated if the
23 police could drive through this area.
24 And then finally, we are requesting
25 a list or rather let's say a dollar amount
130
1 of stimulus funds received and a list of the
2 city projects approved for funding through
3 that stimulus package, if there are any, and
4 that came from a speaker tonight during our
5 council meeting, and that's it.
6 MR. MCGOFF: Mrs. Gatelli.
7 MS. GATELLI: Well, the first request
8 I have for Mrs. Garvey is that I wrote a
9 letter to Chief Elliott back in July
10 concerning where the beat cops are and in
11 what neighborhoods, and I got an e-mail
12 response but he only answered about the
13 South Side beat cop. I really wanted to
14 know where they were throughout the whole
15 city, so if you could please clarify that
16 and send him another letter for me I would
17 appreciate it.
18 521 Maple Street that Mrs. Evans
19 spoke about is scheduled for demolition.
20 1101 Cedar, the last I was aware of the man
21 received a variance and there is a dumpster
22 there and he is supposed to be making
23 repairs to that building. I will call the
24 gentleman and see what his intentions are,
25 but the zoning board did give him a variance
131
1 for 1101 Cedar.
2 I'd like thank the DPW for taking
3 down a blighted structure at 29 -- I believe
4 it's 2947 Pittston Avenue. That was there
5 for about seven years and it has been
6 removed, and I would also like to know the
7 status of 3244 Pittston Avenue. I see that
8 the gentleman has taken down all of the
9 trees there, but I don't know what he is
10 going to be doing with the structure. I saw
11 a contractor there today.
12 Also, I would like to know the
13 status of 411 Corey Street, Rear 422 Fig
14 Street that was burned down six months ago
15 and 422 Fig Street in the front, and also
16 612 Gibbons Street. Those are all of the
17 properties that I have been concerned about
18 and asking questions.
19 I sent a letter to Andy Jarbola on
20 July 23 concerning the old Tom and Jerry's
21 on Pittston Avenue, I don't know what it's
22 called now because they keep changing the
23 name on the sign, but it certainly is not a
24 restaurant. We are still concerned there
25 are police called there every weekend, I'd
132
1 like to know if the police are writing
2 reports because you can't close it as a
3 nuisance unless you have police reports to
4 back up it up for the LCB. There are signs
5 all over the building now selling beer, six
6 packs are $8 and the whole one side has all
7 "Beer For Sale" signs.
8 This is totally unacceptable. It's
9 supposed to be a restaurant and I don't
10 understand why nobody is doing anything
11 about it, but it's making me very angry that
12 they are not. So if you could send that to
13 the mayor and the law department and whoever
14 else has anything to do with it I certainly
15 would appreciate it.
16 Also, I got some reports from people
17 from the soccer league at the South Side
18 Complex, no one wanted to give their names
19 publically because they fear recrimination
20 from the people that run the league, but
21 they have been paying a certain person $450
22 per team as a rental fee. The person was
23 telling them that they had to pay a rental
24 fee and he was collecting the rental fee. I
25 called the University of Scranton and they
133
1 said that no one pays anything to play at
2 the South Side Complex. I was hoping -- I
3 did speak to the reporter about this
4 situation, but he is very reluctant
5 understandably without having people coming
6 forward to say, "Yes, we did pay."
7 So I want the word out there to all
8 of the Latinos that play there do not pay a
9 penny to anyone. The field is free and you
10 should not be charged by anyone.
11 MR. COURTRIGHT: Mrs. Gatelli, I hate
12 to interrupt you, but they are also paying
13 $50 if they have a stand for selling food
14 at. I called Mark Dougher and he said the
15 city is not taking anything. I did call Rob
16 Farrell, but he didn't return my call from
17 the University.
18 MS. GATELLI: He told me that you
19 spoke to him. It wasn't the first complaint
20 he got.
21 MR. COURTRIGHT: Exactly, I --
22 MS. GATELLI: They are making money
23 down there off of these people that they
24 shouldn't be making and I know who the
25 person is, but I don't want to say his name
134
1 out loud, but he is involved in several of
2 these things that I'm talking about. He is
3 involved in Tom and Jerry's, too, and it's
4 not going to be tolerated. If it's the last
5 thing I do sitting up here, and I'll be
6 back. If I don't run I will be back and
7 I'll be at that end of the podium, but my
8 neighborhood is not going to be disrupted
9 like this and those people shouldn't be
10 exploited by someone when it's free. That's
11 a disgrace.
12 The next thing I have is the Castle
13 Restaurant. I know several years ago there
14 was a problem up there with the after hours
15 bar going on in the Castle in the basement,
16 and I have since found out they are now
17 giving free beer to the customers. It used
18 to be I think a BYOB down in this basement,
19 and that was allowed, but I don't think that
20 what they are doing now is allowed in that
21 particular zone. They are charging a $20
22 cover charge and then giving free beer.
23 It's okay with the LCB to do that, but I
24 don't belive it falls under the zoning code,
25 so if we could check with Mike Wallace and
135
1 tell him that's what's been going on up at
2 the Castle Restaurant. I did notify Kevin
3 Murphy's Office about the situation because
4 he is right up in this corner so that he
5 could know what's going on.
6 Also, if you remember back, oh, I
7 guess it was over a year ago when they
8 wanted to put a dance studio up on the top
9 of Pittston Avenue, and it really became a
10 debacle, as Mrs. Evans used the term before,
11 they also had a radio station that they had
12 installed a large antenna strapped onto the
13 chimney of that building. We did report it
14 to the FCC and they were using a radio
15 station from St. Mary's, Pennsylvania. They
16 were, you know, cutting in or pirating as
17 the man used that phrase, pirating a
18 station, and they are charging, from what I
19 understand, people to advertise on this
20 station which is illegal. The radio station
21 is illegal and it was dismantled.
22 From what I understand now it's up
23 on Meadow Avenue in someone's yard and it's
24 disrupting all of the neighbors with their
25 televisions, you know, you get static from
136
1 it and I did tell Mr. Wallace about it, but
2 if we could, you know, reiterate that he
3 should go up to Meadow Avenue and have these
4 people stopped with this antenna and this
5 radio station. I did file a complaint with
6 the FCC about it, so the neighbors will
7 know. You know, I don't know why the
8 gentleman doesn't stop doing what he is
9 doing, but he won't stop, so we'll have to
10 just keep moving forward.
11 I sent a letter in July also to Mrs.
12 Flynn-Vitali about the timeline for the
13 money. Needless to say, I'm very concerned
14 about it. I based a budget on what I was
15 told would come to the city and it was a
16 small amount. Later we had read in the
17 paper that we are supposed to get $7 million
18 from the tax office. I went to one meeting,
19 down in the county with the county and the
20 school district and, of course, I was
21 representing city council, and we talked
22 about going to Court and they all agreed
23 about going to Court, that would be the
24 quickest way to get the money, and then I
25 was never called again for another meeting.
137
1 So I don't know when they have the meetings
2 or what they discuss at these meetings
3 because I was never invited to another one.
4 I'm very disappointed that we are
5 not getting any feedback and I don't know if
6 we are getting the money. I mean, I hope we
7 are, but I don't seem to get an answer that
8 they are even investigating it.
9 MS. EVANS: I think it may have been
10 the last summer meeting when I had discussed
11 her response to your letter and it seems
12 that, if I may paraphrase here, Mr. McGovern
13 and Mrs. Vitali feel it took a long time to
14 get to the point at which they found
15 themselves when they took over the tax
16 office and they feel it could take quite a
17 time to straighten all of this out, and so
18 my concern as we left for the summer recess
19 was what is the administration going to do
20 to fill this budget hole. It's a very deep
21 hole and since the tax office, at least
22 according to that letter, doesn't seem to be
23 in a hurry to provide our funds what is
24 going to happen with the 2009 budget? What
25 is the plan of the administration to cover
138
1 that hole, and I haven't received any
2 response on that.
3 MS. GATELLI: Maybe we could ask
4 Mrs. Vitali-Flynn come next week or the week
5 after with Mr. McGovern and find out exactly
6 where they are at with it.
7 MS. FANUCCI: Good luck with that.
8 MS. GATELLI: Well, I can try, can't
9 I?
10 MS. FANUCCI: Yeah, you can ask.
11 MS. GATELLI: All right. If you guys
12 would be agreeable. If they could at least
13 come and maybe Stu can come with them.
14 MS. GARVEY: I don't know if you
15 looked in your boxes tonight, there was an
16 e-mail that I forward to you that I received
17 late this afternoon from Attorney McGovern.
18 MS. GATELLI: No, I didn't see that.
19 MS. GARVEY: There is hard copy in
20 the boxes of your male, you should have it
21 with you, and also the e-mail as well. I
22 can't remember exactly everything it said.
23 It came with more comparisons for 2008 and
24 there was some kind of a wording in there
25 about --
139
1 MS. EVANS: The September
2 comparisons.
3 MS. GARVEY: Yes, that's what I
4 meant, the September ones.
5 MS. GATELLI: But there wasn't
6 anything about our money?
7 MS. GARVEY: There was a brief
8 statement in there about what they were
9 working on, what the workers were doing in
10 the office to get this rolling, so I don't
11 have it right in front of me --
12 MS. GATELLI: Also, if you could have
13 them bring with them a list of all the
14 workers and what their job is. I mean, I
15 don't even have any idea how many people
16 work there. I see in the agreement they are
17 saying that the chief clerk is not going to
18 be filled, someone is retiring and they are
19 not going to fill the position, but yet they
20 are going to hire a controller and a
21 solicitor in the agreement. You know, this
22 is just a draft agreement, but it has to
23 come before council and I was under the
24 impression that there was an accountant
25 working there, a chief accountant. So, you
140
1 know, I'd like to see how many people are
2 working in that office and what their titles
3 are. And I don't think we should have a
4 solicitor, it should be the city solicitor
5 that takes care of that according to the
6 state law, and that's all I have.
7 MR. MCGOFF: Mrs. Fanucci?
8 MS. FANUCCI: I want to say it's real
9 fun being back. First thing I want to do,
10 Kay, I want to send a letter to OECD,
11 obviously, asking them for a list of all of
12 our loans and the current conditions of each
13 that are outstanding as we speak.
14 I also would like a list from the
15 past I'm going to say six years of what has
16 transpired, if loans have been paid off, who
17 paid them off, and everything that has gone
18 on in that office for the past six years.
19 I'm not as outraged at the fact that
20 people default on the loans because it
21 happens all the time in business, as I am a
22 little concerned about the fact that we
23 weren't aware of it. I think a lot of times
24 if you are aware it's a little easier to
25 have more input on what to do and how to
141
1 proceed in the years to come, and I think
2 that that's the issue, not the fact that you
3 have businesses fail because, unfortunately,
4 that's what happens in any situation. We
5 always have businesses make it or fail.
6 I don't want the people to suffer on
7 account of a few bad people. I mean, we
8 have had people default for years under
9 every administration, it's been going on,
10 this isn't a new program, it's not something
11 we just invented since Chris Doherty has
12 been the mayor, so this has been common
13 practice for years and years and,
14 unfortunately, it is a gamble a lot of times
15 and we want to be able to protect ourselves
16 and make sure that we take a little bit of
17 risk out, so that is something I think we
18 should proceed and caution with, also.
19 I just want to say that, yeah, as
20 far as who knew what, I mean, of course, my
21 biggest fan, Les Spindler, got up tonight
22 and blamed me for the fact that I should
23 have known -- or maybe it wasn't Les, I
24 don't know, I have so many fans it's tough
25 to say so don't get upset, Les, if it wasn't
142
1 you, that it was my fault and I should have
2 known and I tend to agree. I should have
3 been aware. I tend to agree. So I will not
4 dispute that fact I definitely should have
5 been aware, and that is all I have and thank
6 you and it's very nice being back and sad to
7 see the summer go.
8 MR. COURTRIGHT: Just real briefly, I
9 don't want to prolong the thing with the tax
10 office, but as Mrs. Gatelli said there
11 was -- they were saying that, you know, the
12 Courts would settle and we would get the
13 money from the tax office and, Mr. Minora, I
14 believe you had told us that we were going
15 to try to avoid the Court system and the
16 lawyers were going to try decide on that,
17 isn't that where we were?
18 MR. MINORA: Well, it was a
19 combination of the two. My thought that we
20 talked about here was to file a declaratory
21 judgment action and asking the Court to
22 determine who is owed what, get everybody in
23 a room and if, you know, and this is
24 certainly not carved in stone, but as an
25 example of how you might resolve it once you
143
1 are in that setting is to say, well, you
2 know, your population represents 30 percent
3 of the whole population of, communities we
4 are talking about, and yours is 10 and 20,
5 and so why don't we just divide up that
6 money that way and get the Court's approval
7 of that and an agreement of council that
8 could be done.
9 And the only reason I'm suggesting
10 that procedure, not necessarily that that's
11 how you divide it up, but that procedure is
12 from what I understand the actual tracking
13 of who paid what is a nightmare that might
14 take years in an effort to unravel and still
15 not be able to do, so at the end of the day,
16 you know, next month or five years from now
17 they are liable to have to come to some kind
18 of --
19 MS. GATELLI: Formula.
20 MR. MINORA: -- reasonable formula to
21 decide, so by doing it in front of a Court
22 with an action pending, you know, you have
23 an official stamp, so to speak, by judgment,
24 by agreement and an oversight of the judge.
25 MR. COURTRIGHT: I thought we said
144
1 we would like to see that happen.
2 MR. MINORA: Yes.
3 MS. FANUCCI: We did.
4 MS. GATELLI: But they all dropped
5 it.
6 MR. COURTRIGHT: We are not pursuing
7 it or -- -
8 MS. GATELLI: No, they all dropped
9 it.
10 MR. MINORA: Honestly, I don't know.
11 I mean, anybody who has spoken to me about
12 it I explained what I thought would be the
13 way to --
14 MR. COURTRIGHT: How do we pursue
15 it? We, as council?
16 MR. MINORA: I don't think we can at
17 council.
18 MR. COURTRIGHT: Who do we ask to
19 pursue it? We've got to get this money.
20 MR. MINORA: The mayor and the
21 solicitor can start an action, but frankly,
22 unless everybody else kind of joins in --
23 MS. GATELLI: I'm telling you the
24 first meeting they all agreed, it was all
25 hunky-dorey, I said it here right after that
145
1 meeting.
2 MR. COURTRIGHT: The fact remains we
3 got a serious problem if we don't get this
4 money, it's as simple as that.
5 MR. MINORA: I presume every
6 community does.
7 MR. COURTRIGHT: But maybe we
8 can send a letter to the city solicitor and
9 ask her, you know, if they are still willing
10 to entertain this.
11 MR. MINORA: I'll call Attorney
12 Patterson.
13 MS. GATELLI: Please. Please.
14 MS. EVANS: You were not -- I know
15 Mrs. Gatelli was saying she was discluded
16 from these meetings after the first meeting,
17 you are the new tax collector, you are
18 included?
19 MR. COURTRIGHT: I'm not allowed to
20 attend anything. They don't want me there I
21 don't think.
22 MS. FANUCCI: Well, you should be
23 there.
24 MR. COURTRIGHT: They won't included
25 me in the meetings.
146
1 MS. GATELLI: So you can learn.
2 MR. COURTRIGHT: And even if not at
3 the meeting if someone went in from the tax
4 office as a council member, if they give a
5 reason for it --
6 MS. GATELLI: Well, I was there but
7 then they never called me again either.
8 MS. EVANS: But it seems not that,
9 you know, I don't appreciate the input of
10 people that have worked there now for over a
11 year, certainly they bring their own
12 experiences to the table, but they are on
13 their way out and it would seem that, you
14 know, the person who is going to be
15 overseeing all of this for the next four
16 years should have as much input as the
17 people who are on the way out.
18 MS. GATELLI: The transition even.
19 MS. EVANS: And they should work
20 together in a transition, exactly.
21 MR. COURTRIGHT: I would like to be
22 included. There has been some member of the
23 county that have told me what's going on and
24 one or two members of the school board has
25 told me what's going on because they have
147
1 meetings about what's going on over there
2 and it was suggested that I attend the
3 meetings, but there is someone resisting to
4 having me there, I guess. I'm not quite
5 sure who.
6 MS. GATELLI: You are in good
7 company, so.
8 MR. COURTRIGHT: Sorry.
9 MS. GATELLI: Even though some
10 wouldn't agree with that.
11 MR. COURTRIGHT: Okay. I'm not going
12 to say anything. I'm off the tax office for
13 now. Mrs. Gatelli caught me offguard there,
14 okay.
15 On a good note, I got a call from a
16 woman from North Scranton and asked me to
17 bring this up, she had a check stolen from
18 her and she called the police and Officer
19 John Halpern responded and took the
20 information, and he didn't let it go. He
21 stood on top of it and I believe it was a
22 month or two later he caught the person that
23 stole the check and she got her money
24 returned to her. So I would, you know,
25 John, job well done. The lady was just
148
1 ecstatic.
2 MS. EVANS: Excellent.
3 MR. COURTRIGHT: So he didn't just
4 take the report, he took the report and
5 followed up on it and he did a good job and
6 she is extremely happy, so we want to thank
7 Officer John Halpern for that.
8 And one other officer, another
9 officer Tommy Lee, I actually had a guy seek
10 me out, he found out where -- I only go one
11 place on Saturday morning to have a coffee,
12 he found out where I go and to come and
13 thank me because Officer Tommy Lee went to
14 his house on the corner of Slader and North
15 Hyde Park, there is vehicles there that were
16 in bad condition that needed to be towed,
17 but more importantly there was house that
18 was so bad he called the inspectors and I
19 believe they evicted the people then and
20 there and the people in the neighborhood are
21 just very, very happy, so I want to thank
22 Officer Tommy Lee for that.
23 And I'll leave it on a good note
24 then, that's all I have. Thank you.
25 MR. MCGOFF: Thank you. 5-B.
149
1 MS. GARVEY: 5- B. FOR INTRODUCTION -
2 AN ORDINANCE - ESTABLISHING PERMIT PARKING
3 ONLY IN THE 700 BLOCK OF EAST OLIVE STREET
4 FROM MADISON AVENUE TO MOIR COURT.
5 MR. MCGOFF: At this time I'll
6 entertain a motion that Item 5-B be
7 introduced into it's proper committee.
8 MR. COURTRIGHT: So moved.
9 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
10 MR. MCGOFF: On the question? All
11 in favor signify by saying aye.
12 MS. EVANS: Aye.
13 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
14 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
15 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
16 MR. MCGOFF: Aye. Opposed? The
17 ayes have it and so moved.
18 MS. GARVEY: 5-C. AN ORDINANCE - TO
19 APPROVE AND ACCEPT THE CITY OF SCRANTON'S
20 UPDATE FOR 2010 FOR THE CAPITAL BUDGET
21 IMPROVEMENT PLAN OF 2008, WHICH IS THE
22 SECOND-YEAR REVISION AND EXTENSION OF THE
23 2008 FIVE-YEAR PLAN.
24 MR. MCGOFF: At this time I'll
25 entertain a motion that Item 5-C be
150
1 introduced into it's proper committee.
2 MR. COURTRIGHT: So moved.
3 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
4 MR. MCGOFF: On the question?
5 MS. EVANS: Yes. As has been the
6 case so often throughout the years, the
7 capital budget presented by the mayor is in
8 violation of Section 904 of the Home Rule
9 Charter, so I will be voting "no" and I will
10 elaborate on that in the future as the
11 legislation proceeds through council orders.
12 MR. MCGOFF: All those in favor of
13 introduction signify by saying aye.
14 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
15 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
16 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
17 MR. MCGOFF: Aye. Opposed?
18 MS. EVANS: No.
19 MR. MCGOFF: The ayes have it and so
20 moved.
21 MS. GARVEY: 5-D. FOR INTRODUCTION -
22 AN ORDINANCE - AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND
23 OTHER APPROPRIATE OFFICIALS OF THE CITY OF
24 SCRANTON TO TAKE ALL NECESSARY ACTIONS TO
25 IMPLEMENT THE CONSOLIDATED SUBMISSION FOR
151
1 COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
2 TO BE FUNDED UNDER THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
3 BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM, HOME INVESTMENT
4 PARTNERSHIP (HOME) PROGRAM AND EMERGENCY
5 SHELTER GRANT (ESG) PROGRAM.
6 MR. MCGOFF: At this time I'll
7 entertain a motion that Item 5-D be
8 introduced into it's proper committee.
9 MR. COURTRIGHT: So moved.
10 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
11 MR. MCGOFF: On the question I would
12 just like to reiterate what Mrs. Evans said
13 before to one of the speakers that what has
14 been submitted to us will be reviewed and as
15 in the past I'm sure that there be revisions
16 made to the proposal and in the near future
17 those will be read into the minutes as an
18 amendment and I think the final -- there is
19 a 30-day waiting period on the final vote,
20 so that there is plenty of time for
21 revisions to be made in this program.
22 Anyone else on the question? All those in
23 favor of introduction signify by saying aye.
24 MS. EVANS: Aye.
25 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
152
1 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
2 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
3 MR. MCGOFF: Aye. Opposed? The
4 ayes have it and so moved.
5 MR. MINORA: We actually need two
6 motions for public hearing, one for 5-C and
7 one for 5-D.
8 MR. MCGOFF: I forget, I'm sorry. I
9 would like to make a motion to authorize the
10 city clerk to place an ad summarizing the
11 proposed capital budget and to identify
12 places where the copies of the capital
13 budget can be obtained and inspected.
14 MR. COURTRIGHT: Second.
15 MR. MCGOFF: On the question? All
16 in favor signify by saying aye.
17 MS. EVANS: Aye.
18 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
19 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
20 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
21 MR. MCGOFF: Aye. Opposed? The
22 ayes have it and so moved.
23 And the second motion I'd like to
24 move that we schedule a public hearing for
25 Tuesday, September 22, 2009, at 6:00 p.m.
153
1 MR. MINORA: This would be for the
2 capital budget.
3 MR. MCGOFF: For the capital budget,
4 I'm sorry. Let me change it, I'll revise
5 it. I move that we schedule a public
6 hearing for the capital budget for Tuesday,
7 September 22, 2009, at 6:00 p.m.
8 MR. COURTRIGHT: Second.
9 MR. MCGOFF: On the question? All
10 in favor signify by saying aye.
11 MS. EVANS: Aye.
12 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
13 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
14 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
15 MR. MCGOFF: Aye. Opposed? The
16 ayes have it and so moved.
17 MR. MINORA: One more for 5-D.
18 MR. MCGOFF: Okay, where are we at
19 here? I'd like to make a motion we schedule
20 a public hearing on the CDBG legislation for
21 Tuesday, September 15, 2009, at 6:00 p.m.
22 MR. COURTRIGHT: Second.
23 MR. MCGOFF: On the question? All
24 in favor signify by saying aye.
25 MS. EVANS: Aye.
154
1 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
2 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
3 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
4 MR. MCGOFF: Aye. Opposed? The
5 ayes have it and so moved.
6 MS. GARVEY: 5-E. FOR INTRODUCTION -
7 AN ORDINANCE - AMENDING FILE OF COUNCIL NO.
8 49, 2006 AS AMENDED ENTITLED, "AN ORDINANCE
9 AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND OTHER APPROPRIATE
10 OFFICIALS OF THE CITY OF SCRANTON TO TAKE
11 ALL NECESSARY ACTIONS TO IMPLEMENT THE
12 CONSOLIDATED SUBMISSION FOR COMMUNITY
13 PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS TO BE
14 FUNDED UNDER THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK
15 GRANT (CDBG) PROGRAM, HOME INVESTMENT
16 PARTNERSHIP (HOME) PROGRAM AND EMERGENCY
17 SHELTER GRANT (ESG) PROGRAM", BY
18 TRANSFERRING $241,000.00 FROM PROJECT 07-225
19 SLIBCO TO PROJECT 05-154 FRIENDSHIP HOUSE.
20 MR. MCGOFF: At this time I'll
21 entertain a motion that Item 5-E be
22 introduced into it's proper committee.
23 MR. COURTRIGHT: So moved.
24 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
25 MR. MCGOFF: On the question? All
155
1 in favor signify by saying aye.
2 MS. EVANS: Aye.
3 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
4 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
5 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
6 MR. MCGOFF: Aye. Opposed? The
7 ayes have it and so moved.
8 MS. GARVEY: 5-F. FOR INTRODUCTION -
9 AN ORDINANCE - CREATING AND ESTABLISHING
10 SPECIAL CITY ACCOUNT NO. 02.229594 ENTITLED
11 "BJA FY 09 RECOVERY ACT EDWARD BYRNE
12 MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM
13 LOCAL SOLICITATION".
14 MR. MCGOFF: At this time I'll
15 entertain a motion that Item 5-F be
16 introduced into it's proper committee.
17 MR. COURTRIGHT: So moved.
18 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
19 MR. MCGOFF: On the question? All
20 in favor signify by saying aye.
21 MS. EVANS: Aye.
22 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
23 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
24 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
25 MR. MCGOFF: Aye. Opposed? The
156
1 ayes have it and so moved.
2 MS. GARVEY: 5-G. FOR INTRODUCTION -
3 AN ORDINANCE - AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND
4 OTHER APPROPRIATE CITY OFFICIALS TO ACCEPT
5 FUNDS FROM THE BJA FY 09 RECOVERY ACT EDWARD
6 BYRNE MEMORIAL JUSTICE ASSISTANCE GRANT
7 (JAG) PROGRAM LOCAL SOLICITATION IN THE
8 AMOUNT OF $264,201.00 AND DISBURSE SAID
9 FUNDS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GRANT
10 APPLICATION.
11 MR. MCGOFF: At this time I'll
12 entertain a motion that Item 5-G be
13 introduced into it's proper committee.
14 MR. COURTRIGHT: So moved.
15 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
16 MR. MCGOFF: On the question? All
17 in favor signify by saying aye.
18 MS. EVANS: Aye.
19 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
20 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
21 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
22 MR. MCGOFF: Aye. Opposed? The
23 ayes have it and so moved.
24 MS. EVANS: Kay, prior to the reading
25 of Item 5-H, I move to table Item 5-H.
157
1 MR. COURTRIGHT: Second.
2 MR. MCGOFF: On the question?
3 MS. EVANS: I'm sorry, I don't want
4 to table Lackawanna County bridge, sorry.
5 Wrong one. I'm looking for the next one,
6 5-I. Mea Culpa.
7 MS. GARVEY: 5-H. FOR INTRODUCTION -
8 A RESOLUTION - AMENDING RESOLUTION 122, 2009
9 ENTITLED "AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND OTHER
10 APPROPRIATE CITY OFFICIALS TO EXECUTE AND
11 ENTER INTO SUPPLEMENTAL REIMBURSEMENT
12 AGREEMENT NO. 040809-F WITH THE COMMONWEALTH
13 OF PENNSYLVANIA, DEPARTMENT OF
14 TRANSPORTATION REGARDING THE LACKAWANNA
15 AVENUE BRIDGE PROJECT FOR THE PURPOSE OF
16 INCREASING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE OF THE
17 PROJECT DUE TO CONSTRUCTION COSTS OVER-RUNS"
18 TO REFLECT LOWER CONSTRUCTION COSTS AS SET
19 FORTH ON EXHIBIT "AAAAAAA" PROJECT COSTS
20 APPENDED TO SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT NO.
21 040809-F.
22 MR. MCGOFF: At this time I'll
23 entertain a motion that Item 5-H be
24 introduced into it's proper committee.
25 MR. COURTRIGHT: So moved.
158
1 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
2 MR. MCGOFF: On the question? All
3 in favor signify by saying aye.
4 MS. EVANS: Aye.
5 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
6 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
7 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
8 MR. MCGOFF: Aye. Opposed? The
9 ayes have it and so moved.
10 MS. EVANS: Now prior to reading Item
11 5-A, I move to table Item 5-A.
12 MR. COURTRIGHT: "I."
13 MR. MCGOFF: 5-I.
14 MS. EVANS: 5-I.
15 MR. COURTRIGHT: Second. We'll get
16 it.
17 MR. MCGOFF: On the question? I
18 would just like to say that I hope that
19 Mrs. Aebli comes soon to a meeting, at a
20 time when we sorely need community
21 development and economic development here we
22 are, you know, stagnating development again
23 and I don't think it's a good course to
24 take, but hopefully she will appear soon and
25 we can move on with the needed legislation.
159
1 MS. EVANS: And I just want to
2 reiterate, this is certainly not to say that
3 all of our loans are risky are have been bad
4 loans, and it's not a reflection on those
5 who are currently applying or the
6 individuals contained in this particular
7 piece of legislation, the problem lies with
8 the false information or lack of any
9 information provided by OECD, and so I'm
10 sure once that has been rectified the
11 legislation will come to council again and
12 move on.
13 MR. MCGOFF: The motion is to table
14 5-I, all in favor? All in favor signify by
15 saying aye.
16 MS. EVANS: Aye.
17 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
18 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
19 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
20 MR. MCGOFF: Opposed? No. The ayes
21 have it and so moved.
22 MS. GARVEY: 5-J. FOR INTRODUCTION -
23 A RESOLUTION - AUTHORIZING APPOINTMENT
24 OF THE CITY OF SCRANTON'S REPRESENTATIVES TO
25 THE TAX COLLECTION COMMITTEE ("TCC")
160
1 PURSUANT TO ACT 32 OF 2008.
2 MR. MCGOFF: At this time I'll
3 entertain a motion that Item 5-J be
4 introduced into it's proper committee.
5 MR. COURTRIGHT: So moved.
6 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
7 MR. MCGOFF: On the question? All
8 in favor signify by saying aye.
9 MS. EVANS: Aye.
10 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
11 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
12 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
13 MR. MCGOFF: Aye. Opposed? The
14 ayes have it and so moved.
15 MS. GARVEY: SIXTH ORDER. 6-A.
16 READING BY TITLE - FILE OF COUNCIL NO. 79,
17 2009 - AN ORDINANCE - CREATING AND
18 ESTABLISHING A NEW ACCOUNT FOR THE CITY OF
19 SCRANTON'S OFFICE OF ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY
20 DEVELOPMENT ("OECD") TITLED NEIGHBORHOOD
21 STABILIZATION PROGRAM ("NSP") ACCOUNT NO.
22 9A.0101 FOR THE RECEIPT AND DISBURSEMENT OF
23 GRANT FUNDS RECEIVED FROM THE COMMONWEALTH
24 OF PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AND
25 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ("DCED").
161
1 MR. MCGOFF: You have heard reading
2 by title of Item 6-A, what is your pleasure?
3 MR. COURTRIGHT: I move that Item 6-A
4 pass reading by title.
5 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
6 MR. MCGOFF: On the question? All
7 those in favor signify by saying aye.
8 MS. EVANS: Aye.
9 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
10 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
11 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
12 MR. MCGOFF: Aye. Opposed? The
13 ayes have it and so moved.
14 MS. GARVEY: 6-B. READING BY TITLE -
15 FILE OF COUNCIL NO. 80, 2009 - AN ORDINANCE
16 - CREATING AND ESTABLISHING A NEW ACCOUNT
17 FOR THE CITY OF SCRANTON'S OFFICE OF
18 ECONOMIC AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ("OECD")
19 TITLED ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION
20 BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM ACCOUNT NO. 10A.0101 FOR
21 THE RECEIPT AND DISBURSEMENT OF GRANT FUNDS
22 RECEIVED FROM THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT
23 OF ENERGY ("DOE").
24 MR. MCGOFF: You have heard reading
25 by title of Item 6-B, what is your pleasure.
162
1 MR. COURTRIGHT: I move that Item 6-B
2 pass reading by title.
3 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
4 MR. MCGOFF: On the question? All
5 those in favor signify by saying aye.
6 MS. EVANS: Aye.
7 MS. FANUCCI: Aye.
8 MS. GATELLI: Aye.
9 MR. COURTRIGHT: Aye.
10 MR. MCGOFF: Aye. Opposed? The
11 ayes have it and so moved.
12 MS. GARVEY: SEVENTH ORDER. 7-A.
13 FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE COMMITTEE ON RULES
14 - FOR ADOPTION - FILE OF COUNCIL NO. 78,
15 2009 - AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR AND OTHER
16 APPROPRIATE CITY OFFICIALS TO ENTER INTO AN
17 AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE MOST REVEREND JOSEPH
18 F. MARTINO, D.D., BISHOP OF THE DIOCESE OF
19 SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, TRUSTEE FOR THE
20 FORMER HOLY CROSS CONGREGATION, AND ITS
21 PRESENT SUCCESSOR CONGREGATION, ST.
22 PATRICK'S PARISH SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA AND
23 THE CITY OF SCRANTON, APPROVING AND
24 AUTHORIZING THE TRANSFER OF THE REAL ESTATE
25 AND IMPROVEMENTS LOCATED AT 5TH AVENUE AND
163
1 BROADWAY STREET IN THE CITY OF SCRANTON TO
2 THE CITY OF SCRANTON AND TO EXECUTE ANY AND
3 ALL OTHER DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR THE
4 CLOSING OF THIS TRANSACTION.
5 MR. MCGOFF: As Chair for the
6 Committee on Rules, I recommend final
7 passage of Item 7-A.
8 MS. FANUCCI: Second.
9 MR. MCGOFF: On the question? I
10 would just like to say that we have
11 discussed this repeatedly over the couple of
12 weeks that it's been on the agenda, during
13 caucus tonight it was said by members of the
14 Heritage Association that they were willing
15 to work with the Diocese to find a more
16 suitable use of the Holy Cross Church rather
17 than the demolition of it. With that said
18 and with the assurance that, you know,
19 something practical can be done and that
20 there is some type of plan for the use of
21 Holy Cross Church, I would think it's a
22 better option than what we have been
23 presented with as far as the demolition.
24 Perhaps in the future it may come back to
25 this, but at least I think we have some
164
1 assurances that over the course of time
2 something better will emerge. Roll call,
3 please?
4 MR. COOLICAN: Mrs. Evans.
5 MS. EVANS: No.
6 MR. COOLICAN: Mrs. Gatelli.
7 MS. GATELLI. No.
8 MR. COOLICAN: Ms. Fanucci.
9 MS. FANUCCI: No.
10 MR. COOLICAN: Mr. Courtright.
11 MR. COURTRIGHT: No.
12 MR. COOLICAN: Mr. McGoff.
13 MR. MCGOFF: No. Item 7-A is
14 defeated.
15 MR. COURTRIGHT: Motion to adjourn.
16 MS. FANUCCI: So moved.
17 MR. MCGOFF: Thank you for your
18 participation and see you next week.
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
165
1
2
3 C E R T I F I C A T E
4
5 I hereby certify that the proceedings and
6 evidence are contained fully and accurately in the
7 notes of testimony taken by me at the hearing of the
8 above-captioned matter and that the foregoing is a true
9 and correct transcript of the same to the best of my
10 ability.
11
12
13
CATHENE S. NARDOZZI, RPR
14 OFFICIAL COURT REPORTER
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25