Rye Mayor Doug French released the following statement Wednesday afternoon:
While I agree the actions of the Golf Club Manager over at least a 6-year period are cause for the greatest concern, I think accelerating change in the enterprise model is where the City needs to make a difference. 50 years of a City Manager form of government has served the City well and would not suggest we change policies toward a strong Mayor-Council and administrator model as suggested that invite politics into business decisions.
Rather, lean governments need to ensure checks and balances and the Council and City Manager will formulate those as a take away. Items 2 and 6 are in practice already. The other recommendations have been reviewed with and we can do so again.
While the Golf Club members should have increased authority and representation on basic operating, it is a City asset of the taxpayers and so exclusive decision-making by members that do not have an equity stake is not advised. It is a public club.
Finally, I do not support a state of perpetual investigation. The Board of Ethics has served well as we have seen over the decades. We can review if we need to expand and empower.
Douglas French
Doug-
You say Item 2 (Allow all council members to request and obtain information and documents from the city manager at any time without having to go through the mayor) is in practice already ?!?!?! Really?!?!
You sent an email to Joe Sack when he inquired about RM Staffing: “staff will respond
based on the consensus of the Council.”
Please sir, do not piss on my leg and tell me it’s raining. You and everyone else who blogs here knows darn well what that sentence means.
Sack said, “Excuse me, the city manager reports to the council not to you. I expect to
receive a report from the city manager ASAP”.
You responded, “Joe — I do represent the City Council, I am the president of the Council as
the elected Mayor. Should you disagree, then get 3 other members of the Council to agree with your point of view.
You are a joke Mr. Mayor. And a liar.
Who cares what Mayor Stench thinks. He no longer represents what is best for Rye. He only cares about himself and Pickup. He is a disgrace as a Mayor and his off the field activities make him a disgrace as a person.
The City Manager form of government no longer works. We need an elected Supervisor who serves at the pleasure of the taxpayers in two year intervals. If they do a good job, we ere-elct them. If the Supervisor should screw up or lie to us taxpayers like Pickup and Stench have, they get voted out. It’s that simple.
For Stench to say that the City Manager form of government has worked after 15 years full of Novak, Shew and Pickup disasters, is disingenuous at best.
Stench has 9 months left in office. Lets not let him do any more damage to our great City on his way out. It is a given that Stench’s stooges Jovanosnitch and Filipuoff are going to do whatever Stench tells them to do. Parker, Brett, Killian and Joe Sack need to step up and put these three out of their misery for all of ours sake. Tonight would be a good time to start.
“Rather, lean governments need to ensure checks and balances and the Council and City Manager will formulate those as a take away.” lmao oh French you are funny. Those that do checks and balances on you have found you guilty on many occasions. I think a change to the form of govt needs to happen, and eliminate police commissioner position and back to a police chief thats from the ranks.
I also wanted to respond to Stench’s claim that the Board of No Ethics (When it comes to Stench and Pickup) has served well. Is Stench delusional?
The Board of No Ethics (When it comes to Pickup and Stench) has only served Stench and Pickup and nobody else. Jovanosnitch’s referrals to the Board of No Ethics (When it comes to Pickup and Stench) was a farce from the get go and everyone in Rye knows it.
I believe 2 of the 3 members of the Board of No Ethics (When it comes to Pickup and Stench) served on French’s campaign and the third is a political reject. To top it off the Board of No Ethics (When it comes to Pickup and Stench) hired the City of Rye’s labor attorney Vince Toomey, a very close ally of Pickup, as their attorney and then tried to conceal it from the public. Real ethical Beth!
Beth Griffin Matthews, the Chairman of the Board of No Ethics (When it Comes to Pickup and French) should go back to her cave, do not pass go and not come out ever again. Her Nazi like attitude towards the public during the Board of No Ethics (When it comes to Stench and Pickup) process I believe was deplorable and worthy of a Nuremburg hanging.
Jay:
Did Stench release this statement on City of Rye letterhead?
“Just Resign Already” – great name. I’ve been public ally calling for both Mr. French and Mr. Jovanovich to do just that for almost a year now. They refuse. Now they don’t have a leg to stand on.
But Just Resign Already is regrettably correct – French and Jovanovich lurched right from the 13 Richard Place cover-up to hatcheting Andrew Dapolite to obstructing and delaying the financial reckoning at Rye Golf. And they are still allowing documents to be hidden on Rye Golf.
What are they REALLY hiding?
Do we have Plunkett’s deposition yet? How about Shew? How about Otis?
BEHIND THE WALLS OF CITY HALL: RYE TV EMPLOYEES ANDREW DAPOLITE & NICOLE LEVITSKY STRUGGLE WITH BURDEN OF KNOWING CITY MANAGER’S LIE TO COUNCIL– RECORDED 02/09/13 AT RYE TV STUDIOS
Andrew: I know, but I’m also not comfortable being told, you know, ‘don’t tell Joe Sack’. In fact I did the exact opposite and I- it was awkward for me because you know, especially when you are new in a job you don’t want to disobey your boss or supervisor but I think that um… I just think that it just, it just pointed to so many ethical concerns that challenged my morals and, and uh… I can’t say I have complete faith that those audio levels were not manipulated because like I said there- that current state of the video on our website was consistent with what was said in the paper, which is that it was recorded as an audio backup I think the problem is it wasn’t released…
Nicole: Yes.
Read More…
http://www.lausdeo10580.com/lausdeo10580/2013/03/rye-tv-studio-recording-reveals-dapolite-was-asked-to-lie-pickup-concealed-public-record.html
BEHIND THE WALLS OF CITY HALL: RYE TV EMPLOYEES ANDREW DAPOLITE & NICOLE LEVITSKY STRUGGLE WITH BURDEN OF KNOWING CITY MANAGER’S LIE TO COUNCIL– RECORDED 02/09/13 AT RYE TV STUDIOS
Andrew: And you know, I don’t want to be in the middle of it. Um….and uh….also, uh you know, I’m sorry but you know, I gave an opportunity for Scott to respond to me, and he never responded. And days went by, and uh…. When I see someone being lied to, when, you know I’ve lived in this community a lot longer than I worked for this community, and when I see someone being lied to who has good intentions, such as Joe, you know, it bothers me and I just think it’s pure deception and you know what, Scott’s a really good politician. He has a really good at answering people. And I just have a problem lying to people and if I see him lying to people with good intentions… or bad intentions, whatever–it not my place to pass judgment but I think it’s something I need to speak up about. And, I’m sorry I’m just not fully convinced um… you know the other thing is I’ve asked- I was asked by you to tell people that we have no recording. I’m not comfortable doing that. I’m also not comfortable—
Nicole: Well I’m sorry about that.
Read & Hear More…
http://www.lausdeo10580.com/lausdeo10580/2013/03/rye-tv-studio-recording-reveals-dapolite-was-asked-to-lie-pickup-concealed-public-record.html
BEHIND THE WALLS OF CITY HALL: RYE TV EMPLOYEES ANDREW DAPOLITE & NICOLE LEVITSKY STRUGGLE WITH BURDEN OF KNOWING CITY MANAGER’S LIE TO COUNCIL– RECORDED 02/09/13 AT RYE TV STUDIOS
Andrew: … as you know I think it is absolutely- I just find it appalling that we need to resort to that. Nonetheless, there’s still a letter that was sent to Rye TV, the Cable Committee, and my name was mentioned in it and there was mention that its possible ethical violations and it’s interesting because if you read the ethical- Code of Ethics- it says very clearly and I was surprised to learn this that you know, you are responsible to the people. So, I’m sitting there in the control room, and my boss, the City Manager, is saying that he doesn’t have staff available yet no one was asked, and on top of that he’s saying that there was no recording. Now I trust him that if he says in the paper that there is no re…there is no- he was not aware of the recording at the time. But I would assume that when you told me two days later that he was aware of it-
Nicole: I told him that night [Jan. 25th] , when you came in.
Andrew: Yeah, so I would expect then that it is made available to the Council people who requested it-
Nicole: I don’t know why he didn’t make it available, he hasn’t shared that.
Read & Hear More…
http://www.lausdeo10580.com/lausdeo10580/2013/03/rye-tv-studio-recording-reveals-dapolite-was-asked-to-lie-pickup-concealed-public-record.html
BEHIND THE WALLS OF CITY HALL: RYE TV EMPLOYEES ANDREW DAPOLITE & NICOLE LEVITSKY STRUGGLE WITH BURDEN OF KNOWING CITY MANAGER’S LIE TO COUNCIL– RECORDED 02/09/13 AT RYE TV STUDIOS
Andrew: I just think that…Scott’s not being- again, we’re going back to the discussions during the City Council Meeting. I mean, I was sitting with you in the control room when you even told me that Scott is full of crap when he makes those statements and, you know, if he doesn’t want to pull you away from your child on a weekend, that is completely understandable, I wish he was a little more forthright with that information. Rather than saying we don’t have staff available rather than saying like I said, I wasn’t even asked and then I offered and then I said yeah I plan on going skiing, I might not, but I would do the meeting. And then on top of that, I don’t believe a single part timer was asked to do the meeting, and…
Nicole: No, they weren’t.
Andrew: And we have five of them. So I think that, the fact that you know, I don’t know what–
Nicole: He doesn’t want us to ask- he didn’t want us to shoot it.
Andrew: But I don’t think he’s aware, or (inaudible) takes me seriously when I send him an email and I don’t get a response first of all.
Nicole: Right.
Andrew: And then second of all, um… you know, because of the nature of my job, and we do the Eye on Rye shows, and the stuff with Joe Sack and Laura Brett and all, you know, I interact with these Council people, so when uh… It takes a selfless volunteer at 88 years old to go to a meeting and stand up for three hours to me, and I have so much respect for Mr. Carey–
Nicole: Silly
Read & Hear More…
http://www.lausdeo10580.com/lausdeo10580/2013/03/rye-tv-studio-recording-reveals-dapolite-was-asked-to-lie-pickup-concealed-public-record.html
BEHIND THE WALLS OF CITY HALL: RYE TV EMPLOYEES ANDREW DAPOLITE & NICOLE LEVITSKY STRUGGLE WITH BURDEN OF KNOWING CITY MANAGER’S LIE TO COUNCIL– RECORDED 01/27/12 AT RYE TV STUDIOS
**NOTE THE POSTED STUDIO RECORDING THAT FOLLOW ARE FROM 02/09/12, NOT 2013**
Andrew: Um, yeah I just wanted to mention that I got a lot of phone calls yesterday and uh…
Nicole: Yeah, I answered your- I answered your email. I don’t know if you saw.
Andrew: Ok. No, no uh, no I didn’t read it yet. Yeah, I just you know in light of…
Nicole: Scott knows that I recorded it. (PHONE BEEP) …right after the Council Meeting.
Andrew: Ok.
Nicole: Um, and not to mention that Dawn records every meeting. So there’s an audio– mine’s basically an audio recording because it’s a wide shot, you don’t wanna put that on the air. Um, so that’s Scott’s call. It’s not our call. I mean it’s unfortunate because the Council has asked for these workshops to be videotaped, and Scott for some reason doesn’t want them taped. So it puts us in a bad position so now we look like we’re, you know, avoiding work or something, you know?
Andrew: Right.
Nicole: Because, I feel like it should be recorded.
Andrew: Right.
Nicole: It really bothers me that it’s not recorded.
Read & Hear More…
http://www.lausdeo10580.com/lausdeo10580/2013/03/the-dapolite-tapes_phone-012712.html
To the lady who stood up lat night. I forget her name. She defended the city council and Mayor by stating Rye had the best government, best mayor and council and would put them up against any other government in the area- LMAO LOL. With the exception of Sack they have all failed lady. Wake up and smell the coffee. People who don’t even read this blog have had enough and want a major makeover with new city manager and City dept heads to change. I am not sure of what news you have been reading but wow I felt sorry and embarrassed for you standing up there saying that.
Need Change,
Her name is ANN DOOLEY, she made a real skeptical of herself.
I can’t help to wonder what rock she has been living under all these years.
She was so concerned with my use of the word “WE” – she used the word “WE” 12 times in her attempted rant on me.
Did you see how fast she bolted when I stood up and confronted her pathetic comments, that was hilarious, she bolted like her money was on fire, LMAO!!!
WHAT A CLUELESS INDIVIDUAL!!!
Mrs. Dooley is a smart, thoughtful and caring person and member of the community. As I commented at the council meeting, I agreed with much of what she said. However, I also believe that there are several very serious matters which the council has failed to address with regard to the city manager, thereby creating a crisis of confidence. This can be fixed, but the council must act very quickly in full public view and with complete openness and trasparency.
Joe Sack
I think Mrs. Dooley meant well. She’s just not fully informed.
Does everyone know that Leon just got lied to – again – for what, the tenth time by Mr. Pickup? His FOIL responses were blanks. 270 days and counting for Rye Golf Catering invoices, an in reconciled $1 million in RM Staffing invoices.
Nobody conceals or hides a public record for that amount of time and against the law unless the information is more damaging than the crime of withholding it.
Who is Mr. Pickup REALLY protecting and WHY? I think it’s Kevin – No Scheduled Deposition – Plunkett. Our former city lawyer. Now Rob Astorino’s Deputy and in the paper today for his huge County paychecks. And Mr. Pickup is shielding Steve – No Deposition Scheduled – Otis, Rye City’s former Mayor and new Albany Assemblyman. Both men knew all about the establishment of Scotty Y’s “new deal” when they were our fiduciaries.
What is Mr. Pickup REALLY sitting on here?
I’ll take a stab at it. Multiple serious Federal Felonies.
Mrs. Dooley may be a thoughtful, caring person but she clearly went to the Dickie Filippi School of Logic and Reasoning (say one thing and do another – like, demand civility while acting like a boar). As Jim said, her initial point was Jim shouldn’t say “we” and then she proceeded to “we, we, we” all the way home. “A crisis of confidence” is well-put but an understatement, Councilman Sack. In just the first few weeks of construction at the Central Ave Bridge, a sewer line was hit – apparently the City told the contractors it wasn’t in use but it was. My first thought was the City Manager has a friend in the sewage business. Also, I was awakened early Wednesday morning by a plow on Laurel St., a private street that I and my neighbors are responsible for plowing. Since the Bridge has been down, volunteer fireman have plowed the street. For 6 years, they’ve keept they’re plow high enough not to cause damage. The plow on Wednesday morning was large and tore Laurel St. to shreds. I’d like to ask our City Manager about both the sewer line and the now torn up street for which I’m partially responsible for re-paving. Will the busted sewer line cause delays? Cost more? Did the City plow Laurel St. because of construction on the Bridge. Insert Scott Pickup lies here. We have a crisis of confidence and an unsustainable situation.
Anne- the problems on your street go back to 1999. No? Alright fine. I admit it, I made that up to diffuse the blame and save Peter and Doug’s political reputations. We all know that they ran on the promise of stabilizing the city manager position and look what that’s gotten us. Even Paul Shew didn’t have half of these problems we are experiencing with Scott Pickup. But just try understanding Paper Boy Pete’s logic (it’s almost as dumb as Dickie Filippi’s): RGC was everyone’s fault so it’s no one’s fault, therefore Scott Pickup cannot be blamed for signing off on 70 percent of the invoices, or the lack of managerial oversight in his 8 years in City Management. Good luck Anne, but get ready for a bucket full of Pickup lies.
Anne, Councilman Sack,
Joe,
“Mrs. Dooley is a smart, thoughtful and caring person and member of the community. As I commented at the council meeting, I agreed with much of what she said.”
So, what does that make me Joe?
And your thoughts on my comments?
She is certainly entitled to her opinion, but I was not and did not address and certain individual, she made my comments something they were not with her slamming, I hardly call that “smart, thoughtful, & caring”!
She slammed my letter like I stole her first born, yet A Councilman slams a 23 year old “caring person of the community” and Ms. Dooley has no public statement for that??? Ya, she is a real “caring person of the community”!!!
Friends like that, who needs enemies!!!
Anne,
THANK YOU!!!
After reading my comment here a friend sent me a text to let me know who her husband is and what he does for a living….wow was I shaking in my boots, lol!
Like that means anything to me!!!
That seems to be the growing problem around here….too much fear and not enough honesty & doing what is right!!!
New:
The Golf Commission Votes.
Mr. Pickup does not survive.
http://www.lausdeo10580.com/lausdeo10580/2013/03/rye-golf-commission-issues-vote-of-no-confidence-in-city-mngr-pickup-as-he-continues-to-lie-publicly.html