The Council has to have an end game

WILTSHIRE

Now that the Council is wrapping up its investigation into questionable demolition projects in the city – as well as a couple other things – I can’t help but wonder what the end game is.

Of course, there are those who say the probe has already accomplished its goal – to embarrass the administration of Mayor Lou Rosamilia. But even if that’s the case, there has to be some sort of formal resolution in addition to scoring intangible political points.

KING STREET DEMO

I suppose it could come in a few ways: The Council, under President Rodney Wiltshire, could refer their findings to other agencies like the Department of Labor, the District Attorney or the FBI; it could write a report and make recommendations including any disciplinary action it would like to see taken against members of the administration; or it could take action on its own.

As far as I can tell, not much new came out of the hearing last night when the Council heard from Dave Sheeran, a long time code enforcement officer, Planning Commissioner Bill Dunne, Ben Brucato, who lives at 51 Third St. and Andrew Kreshick, who was overseeing the demolition at the King Fuels site.

As I wrote before, the Rosamilia’s administration is out of control and everyone seems to do as they please with little regard for protocol, the Charter or even the mayor. The latest two hearings didn’t do anything but reinforce that observation.

DUNNE

Much of last night’s marathon was spent talking about the city’s decision to shutter 51 Third St. for lack of a certificate of occupancy. The building, owned by Igor Vamos, a former member of the anti-establishment “Yes Men,” was used as a gathering place for some who were protesting the Troy police and how they handled a melee at Kokopelli’s Bar. The accusation is that the shuttering was an effort to discourage – or intimidate – the potential protesters from joining in an anti-police rally.

There is some validity to that concern given the fact Dunne and Sheeran used information garnered from this blog to investigate the building and then used Facebook and a computer program to determine the building did not have a CO, even though Vamos has owned it and it was occupied for more than a decade. Plus, I’m told the normal course of business – or at least one avenue available to the city in such situations – would be to issue a temporary CO and give the building owner time to get everything in order.

GARRETT

Anyway, back to the end game, my guess is the Council will write a report, outlining the already well known issues (in addition to forwarding its information to the Department of Labor, which has an open case about the King Street demo and has already requested such.)

Some recommendations the report could include:

-The Troy Local Development Corporation, which owns the King Fuels site, is out of control and needs more oversight.

-Fire Chief Tom Garrett acted beyond the scope of his duties by unilaterally ordering the demolition of the King Street buildings, and even negotiated with the owner for payment, and should be reprimanded

ROSAMILIA

-Order someone – be it the owner, attorney Don Boyajian, or the city – to at least clean up the lot and take that God-awful tarp off the building that wasn’t knocked down on King Street.

-Dunne acted beyond the scope of his duties by sticking his nose into the Code Department in shutting down 51 Third St. and should be reprimanded. Or, if he is terminated, it would make life a lot simpler for the administration and a whole bunch of Democrats.

-Lobby the state Legislature to enact initiative and referendum in this state to cut Rosamilia’s term short.