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King Street demo |
I’ve been around this town for a while now, and never have I
seen anything come close to the debacle that is the demolition on King Street.
State law was blatantly skirted, city code ignored, protocol brushed aside and
I have never seen anyone, under any circumstance, act with such a complete
sense of impunity.
Then Mayor Harry Tutunjian knocking down the old City Hall
on New Year’s Eve came close, but at least the city owned the building. It wasn’t
a privately held, long-vacant row of buildings that just happened to be
standing in the perfect spot for a parking lot.
It’s really no surprise that weeks later plans were
submitted to actually build a parking lot on the site. I was at the scene the
day the wrecking ball swung and I asked Fire Chief Tom Garrett how many free
meals he was getting for clearing the way for a parking lot for Bombers. I
asked in jest, but he didn’t respond. He did say something about being glad I
wasn’t writing anymore because I did have some fun after he unceremoniously had
the old Cinema Art marquis on River Street torn down a few years back.
Garrett, as we all know, was front and center and took full
responsibility for the demolition. Of course, he basically said the building was
deteriorating at such a rapid rate, and presented such an imminent threat to
public health and welfare that it had to be knocked down before the city
engineer, Russ Reeves, came back from vacation to give a professional assessment
of the situation.
Anyway, three months later, there is all sorts of finger
pointing going on. Who is going to pay for it? The city or the building’s
owner, Don Boyajian? Did Garrett act on his own or on behalf of someone in City
Hall? Will someone get fined or sanctioned for not properly removing the
asbestos before the building was knocked down and why were patrons allowed to
go in and out of the next door Bombers while the wrecking ball was swinging?
![](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OAUWt0udQnI/UozfN4v-kLI/AAAAAAAAAC0/ycIxiJYUirQ/s1600/garrett.png)
Someone should be taken to task because this is an
extraordinary debacle, even by Troy standards, and the logical person is Garrett.
But, the chief has been around a long time, knows how to play the game and more
importantly knows where the skeletons are buried.
Also, he is civil service, like Police Chief John Tedesco,
but unlike Tedesco, Garrett is still in a union so he has that layer of
protection too. And, by being part of a union, he gets overtime … lots of it.
In 2012 he made $35,012 in OT and when coupled with his base pay of $111,650
makes him the highest paid employee in the city. Overtime in the Fire
Department has recently become a hot button issue.
As of August, the department had already used up 90 percent
of the 2013 allocation of just over $1 million in overtime and asked for
another $250,000 be added for overtime in next year’s budget; a request that
was denied. Also, there is an undercurrent of grumbling by members of the United
Firefighters Association – Garrett is in the Command Officers Association –
about how the majority of the OT is going to those with a higher rank rather
than the rank and file.
Also, thanks to civil service, it will be impossible to
unilaterally get rid of Garrett and thanks to a solid union contract, it will
be impossible to get him out of the union even though that is the right thing
to do – department heads and managers should not be in a union and should not
make OT. Plus, as I said, he knows how to play the game. He did hire Deputy
Mayor Pete Ryan’s son as a firefighter even though Ryan Jr. scored an 80 on the
Civil Service exam and wasn’t within reach without pulling an archaic clause
out of the closet.
Garrett has been quiet as of late, and maybe under some fire
but that doesn’t mean he is going anywhere soon. My guess is he outlasts the
current administration, and probably the following one too.
what is the real story why Nina Nichols did not run again
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteNow there's a woman who can appreciate fine Corinthian leather.
ReplyDeleteNo where in the city charter does the Fire Chief have the authority to order demolition. Clearly this was done under the direction of the Mayor or the Deputy Mayor and I think it is terrible that Lou and Pete don't have the conviction to act like adults and accept their responsibility.
ReplyDeleteWhat does Nina Nichols have to do with this blog post?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteBull runs away from paying taxes like he ran away from the bid girl. Just ain't gonna happen. Get another pilot
ReplyDeletePlease the fire chief can take down buildings just like a former cop can take down pedestrians with his SUV
ReplyDeleteNina, Pete, Monica, Marion, Rabbit and the sex thirsty Dunne, it's a den of sin down there.
ReplyDeleteAny word on the HIPAA violations self investigation?
ReplyDeleteIt's not a "poof,just like that" and I'm sure it has been thought of, but
ReplyDeletecould a council member be appointed as an oversight dedicated to to Rensselaer County Fire Departments, as a collateral responsibility.
What the f*ck was that question? Renns. County Fire departments, collateral damage? Put down the pipe please!
ReplyDelete