Four witnesses slated to testify in front of Council Thursday

WILTSHIRE

Four witnesses are slated to testify Thursday night in the city Council’s ongoing probe of two controversial demolition projects.

 Mike Cristo, the owner of the company who demolished the buildings on King Street; Flora Carr, who was the contact person for when Bethel Baptist Church wanted to buy the lot behind Bombers Burrito; Jack Hanley, who is the backup city engineer and was going to examine the common wall between Bombers and the buildings that were demolished until he was called off; and Ryan Preston, who was described to me as the Troy Local Develop Corporation’s engineer.

Those witnesses are coming of their own volition and were not issued subpoenas.

Council President Rodney Wiltshire and his colleagues are holding the hearings to determine what, if any, improprieties took place on King Street of at the King Fuels site in South Troy.

KING STREET DEMO

The buildings on King Street were demolished last year after Fire Chief Tom Garrett declared the buildings unsafe and ordered an emergency demolition. Questions about asbestos, why it was declared an emergency and why patrons were allowed to stay in the adjacent Bombers arose practically before the buildings fell.

Bethel Baptist wanted to purchase the lot behind Bombers from the city to use as parking but the Council opted not to sell it along with a host of other city owned properties.

DUNNE

Last week Barbara Tozzi, an assistant to former City Engineer Russ Reeves, told the Council Hanley was set to inspect the walls but she was told to call him off shortly before the demolition commenced. Reeves resigned among the King Street controversy and when crews at the King Fuels site endangered life and limb by dumping debris on a natural gas main. Tozzi put in her retirement papers earlier this week.

The King Fuels demolition is currently on hold while state and federal officials investigate the discovery of asbestos scattered about the site. The LDC, headed up by the city Planning Commissioner Bill Dunne, owns the site and awarded the demolition contract to Casale Excavating.

The FBI is also investigating King Street, the sale of the Scolite property, which was squashed by the Council, and a controversial sidewalk installation in North Central. Dunne was suspended for five days following the sidewalks that were installed near the Sanctuary for Independent Media using federal money.

Dunne, Garrett, Deputy Mayor Pete Ryan and possibly even Mayor Lou Rosamilia could testify in front of the Council in the near future. It's unclear if they will come voluntarily or if they will require a subpoena.