“Fore” Investigation, Show Me The Money, FOIL’ed Again: Items on the Rye City Council Agenda for February 13, 2013

Rye Taxpayer Legal Eagles – your thoughts and commentary here would be helpful and appreciated. (Even if you feel the need to use a phony name.)

AGENDA ITEM #8:
Resolution to appropriate money to cover legal services for City personnel who have been requested to participate in the Council investigation of the Rye Golf Club pursuant to Article 6, Section C6-3 of the City Charter entitled Investigations.”

BACKGROUND:
The City Council of the City of Rye invoked its authority pursuant to Article 6, Section C6-3 of the City Charter entitled “Investigations” to declare itself the lead investigative body of the recent events at Rye Golf Club. Selected City staff has been requested to participate in the Council investigation. It is requested that the City Council appropriate money to fund legal services for these staff members.

RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council approve the appropriation.

Public Officers Law – §18. Defense and indemnification of officers and employees of public entities.

3.(a)Upon compliance by the employee with the provisions of subdivision five of this section, the public entity shall provide for the defense of the employee in any civil action or proceeding, state or federal, arising out of any alleged act or omission which occurred or allegedly occurred while the employee was acting within the scope of his public employment or duties. THIS DUTY TO PROVIDE FOR A DEFENSE SHALL NOT ARISE WHERE SUCH CIVIL ACTION OR PROCEEDING IS BROUGHT BY OR AT THE BEHEST OF THE PUBLIC ENTITY EMPLOYING SUCH EMPLOYEE.

CURRENT UNKNOWNS:

1. Have the personnel referenced here been requested to participate – or have they been ordered or subpoenaed to do so? Per above, personnel who have been requested to participate would not be entitled to taxpayer funded indemnification.

2. Alternatively, have the personnel referenced here been identified as suspects – or as possible suspects – of the investigation? Regrettably again, per above, personnel who may be suspects and requested to participate would not be entitled to taxpayer indemnification.

3. Naturally any citizen or employee of a public or private enterprise asked to or ordered or subpoenaed to participate in an investigation is entitled to legal representation, just not representation paid for by the City of Rye taxpayers. No?

UPDATE:

Legal Eagles – looks like LD10580 is of a like mind here. Please let readers know what you think.

“COST OF RGC INVESTIGATION TOPS $250,000–CITY MANAGER WANTS TAXPAYERS TO FUND HIS LEGAL BILLS”

http://www.lausdeo10580.com/lausdeo10580/2013/02/cost-of-rye-golf-club-investigation-tops-250000.html

INSIDE CITY HALL BOMBSHELL.

RYE CITY OFFICIAL MOCKS FOIL LAW–CHALLENGES JUDGES TO CHECK HER EMAILS & ANALYZE EVERYTHING

http://www.lausdeo10580.com/lausdeo10580/2013/02/rye-city-official-mocks-foil-lawchallenges-judges-to-go-after-her-emails-and-analyze-everthing.html

Yikes TedC! How timely. Lausdeo10580.com exposes more. I am looking forward to the FOIL discussion tomorrow…

It no longer amazes me the depth of corruption inside Rye City Hall. I can’t even begin to explain where it comes from. The man is a pathological liar. I suppose other employees follow his lead…

I bet Richard Filippi is going to keep his mouth shut from now on. It seems like ever since he attacked Leon Sculti the gloves are now off, and Mr. Sculti will continue to expose the unfortunate corruption in our City government.

Damn, there goes that Dapolite kid again trying to “shakedown” the City of Rye…..I’MMMMM FILIPPIOUTING!!!!!

Where is that “dimwit” when you need one, oh ya, that “dimwit” is wiping Pickup’s A**!!!!

Dear Lord! What is wrong with our government? Pickup must go. Please save our city further embarrassment from these ordeals.

Sorry tedc,

The City will have to “pickup” the bill. Congrats to Lostdeos.com and Joe Sack on the mountain of City money that is being spent on investigations.

WELL, WELL, WELL….

Last night:

Leon Sculti – “I bet many of you thought Suzanna Keith, who’s seat is now in the hands of Ms. Killian, had left Rye politics when she left Rye. Unfortunately that’s not the case. You see your “Change For Rye” team had to go way beyond Rye’s boundaries to support and promote Mr. Filippi’s speak that night. They had to go all the way to Texas. All the way back to – Suzanna Keith (holds up printed copy of Facebook page screen shot) -who posted this on Facebook the day of the meeting:”

Suzanna Keith Jan 23rd on Facebook – “Dear Rye Friends – At the Rye City Council meeting tonight Councilman Richard Filippi will call for an end to the personal attacks in meetings. Please attend the 8PM meeting if you can to show your support. These attacks need to end across America. Let’s make a good example for our children, especially our daughters.”

See residential reaction to Councilman Filippi’s supported and heavily promoted “statement” here – http://ryeny.swagit.com/play/01232013-790/#10

And elsewhere, in the World News Department:

“The pope’s Ash Wednesday homily underscored the persistent infighting in church ranks. The rivalries burst into public view a year ago when the Vatican confirmed the authenticity of letters to the pope, leaked to the Italian media, detailing the ouster of a top Vatican official who tried to blow the whistle on wasteful spending in the world’s smallest state.”

WSJ – “Church Puzzles Over Role of Ex-Pope” – http://on.wsj.com/12Az4Fs

And finally, about Yours Truly, and coming this weekend to a mailbox near you:

CITY APPEALS COSTLY TAX REFUND

http://www.hometwn.com/hometown-media-group/rye-sound-shore-review/city-appeals-costly-tax-refund/

(And please be sure to note the very last sentence. Rather full throated isn’t it?)

RYE RECORD – RONG RAGAIN.

(Leon Sculti)…”thanked several people who had come to his defense at the last Council meeting, where his actions were severely criticized in a now (and maybe forever) infamous speech by Councilman Richard Filippi. Then, he accused (without foundation as it turns out) Mayor Doug French of orchestrating the speech, and former Councilwoman Suzanna Keith of promoting it from her new home in Texas.”

http://www.ryerecord.com/news/city-council-scuffles-towards-november.html

(LD10580) “In his speech, Mr. Filippi introduced the term Schadenfreude: the pleasure derived from others misfortunes. And he attempted to assign that trait; again, to those he knows nothing about, who dare stand at this podium. Who would condone such a hypocritical, destructive attack? I say, your ‘Change of Rye’ team.”

FREEDOM, SUZANNA KEITH, AND THE POLITICS OF PERSONAL DESTRUCTION
http://www.lausdeo10580.com/lausdeo10580/2013/02/freedom-freedom-of-speech-freedom-of-association-and-yes-freedom-of-informationben-franklin-the-principal-author-of-the-1.html

Taken from this week’s Rye Sound Shore Review

To the Editor,
The meaning of my statements at the last Rye City Council meeting was completely lost in translation when reported [“Councilman’s speech draws community pushback,” Feb. 1.]

Those that know me know that I speak with my heart and am passionate about making Rye a better place to live. My message that evening was simply that things had become uncharacteristic of the Rye that we all know and love. I wanted to shed light on some very disturbing events in City Hall in order to highlight the need to get civility back into our dealings with city government and each other. I have been told by former council members that dealings in the city were never this vicious in their days. Are we going to allow this to continue and tear the fabric of Rye?

My heart is in the right place, but the venue for my message was not correct. Some people have told me my problem is always rushing to help someone.

We all need to respect each other and respect different opinions. People have the right to information and the right to ask questions, but is it too much to ask of these people to do so with a touch of civility?

You are correct that I am not verbose on the council. My main focus over the past three years on the council was to build consensus on very tough issues and craft solutions that make Rye a better place. I promoted the idea of creating emails for the members of Rye City Council in order to improve communication with Rye citizens and enable quick feedback to the council.

For those of you who believe that people are within their rights to behave and deal in any fashion with city government or council members, I hope your loved ones will have the benefit of feeling confident that their work environment is safe.

My greatest hope and wish is to have civility return to Rye. I have nothing further to say on this matter.
Richard Filippi
Rye City Councilman

Mr. Filippi,
Was Bob Schubert family feeling safe when the Rye City manager called the Westchester County Mental Health crises team in an attempt to commit him?
Are the Children of Rye that attend day camps at the clubs bordering Milton Harbor “safe” when they are subjected to West Nile Virus from the thousands of gallons of stagnant water you and the Mayor allow to be stored on Hen Island?
Do you think Andrew Dapolite had the benefit of feeling confident that his “work environment was safe”?
There was nothing “lost in translation” when you accused Andrew of “manipulating tapes”.
If you really wanted to “make Rye a better place to live” why didn’t you hold the Mayor responsible for his lies about his rental property and his illegal STAR tax deductions?
And if you wanted to “shed light on some very disturbing events in City Hall” why didn’t you shed it on Mr. Pickup for lying to the city council about taping the Fire Department meeting?
What “tears the fabric of Rye” is when councilpersons such as yourself , the City Manager and the Mayor attack residents that come to the meetings to be heard. I took notice of your statements of “civility” when you compared those that spoke at the podium to Cancer and those that came to power in Nazi Germany.
Lastly, if you are so interested in crafting “solutions that make Rye a better place” why don’t you start with requiring the building department to enforcing the law on Hen Island, stop the illegal water storage, remove the mosquito infestation, and require permitted and legal sewage disposal systems.

Are we having a duplicate agenda this week or is Jay Sears really as lost as I think he is??????