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http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100917/NEWS/9170312/-1/NEWS06
SOUTHCOAST TODAY
By CHARIS ANDERSON
canderson@s-t.com
September 17, 2010 12:00 AM
UMD looks to choose biotech site this month
NEW BEDFORD — The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth could choose a location for a multimillion-dollar biomanufacturing facility by the end of the month, a university official said this week.
New Bedford and Fall River both submitted site proposals for the facility in July after the Fall River Redevelopment Authority agreed in principle earlier in the year to sell the original Fall River site to the Mashpee Wampanoag for development as a resort casino.
In addition to the cities' proposals, the university is considering building the $22 million facility on its Dartmouth campus, according to UMass Dartmouth spokesman John Hoey.
"We're in dialogue with the two cities ... as we continue to just get as much information as we possibly can to make the best decision, the decision that will be in the best interests of both the university and the region," he said.
"We're still planning to make a decision in September — that's our goal."
UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Jean MacCormack on Wednesday met with Mayor Scott W. Lang at City Hall to discuss the city's proposal, according to Lang.
Also present at the meeting were James Karam, vice chairman of the UMass Board of Trustees; Paul Vigeant, UMass Dartmouth assistant chancellor; Matthew Morrissey, the city's economic development director; and Tom Davis, executive director of the Greater New Bedford Industrial Foundation.
In the city's proposal, it offered the university a 5-acre site of the university's choosing in the New Bedford Business Park, a parcel that would be donated to UMass by the Greater New Bedford Industrial Foundation.
The park has 20 lots covering a total of 310 acres available for development, according to an Aug. 16 memo sent by Lang to the university.
The Standard-Times received the memo and other documents after submitting a public records request to the city for all correspondence related to the project.
In that memo, Lang detailed a number of other components to the city's proposal, including a commitment to provide $3 million in low interest finanacing to the university for the project through the New Bedford Economic Development Council.
Lang also committed to transferring ownership and control of the Naval Reserve Center property to the commonwealth for $1 when the funding for an expansion of SMAST on that site has been secured by the university, the memo stated.
The university's initial request for proposals listed a commitment by New Bedford to transfer ownership of the property as a required condition.
Lang further clarified his position in a Sept. 13 letter sent to the consultant hired by the university to evaluate the site proposals.
"It is our understanding from the University's Request for Proposals that the SMAST expansion is conditioned on the UMass Biomanufacturing being constructed at the New Bedford Business Park," he wrote.
"Therefore, when we receive a commitment for the siting of the Biomanufacturing Center in New Bedford, we will obtain and prepare all necessary documents for the SMAST expansion."
Hoey said the university was thrilled that the mayor had committed to transferring ownership of the Naval Reserve site once the project financing was finalized.
"The university doesn't have the cash on hand to build a $25 million expansion," he said.
But, Hoey continued, "There are a number of different options the university could pursue."
The Fall River proposal locates the UMass facility on a parcel that is part of 300 privately owned acres in Freetown next to the Stop & Shop distribution center, according to Kenneth Fiola.
Richard Baccari II, vice president of development for the site's current owner, has agreed to donate 4 acres to the Greater Fall River Development Corp., which will in turn donate that land to the university to build the biomanufacturing facility, according to Fall River's proposal.
The Fall River Office of Economic Development will also purchase an additional 50 acres of contiguous land, according to Fiola.
Fiola would not disclose how the Fall River Office of Economic Development would fund the purchase other than to state he was not worried about the financing.
The Fall River Herald News recently reported that Fall River Mayor William Flanagan said the city would likely seek the funding for the purchase from the Mashpee Wampanoag.
Fiola would not comment on the mayor's earlier statements; Flanagan did not return a call for comment Thursday
So, the negotiations with the Wampanoags to borrow cash to purchase land in Freetown from Bacarri the "Indicted One", if I'm not mistaken, are the very same "double secret probation" negotiations that Mayor Sylvanagan's folks stated could not be discussed before the City Council. So delicate and secret was this information that SOUTHCOAST TODAY managed to gain access to it!
Why are these facts being denied the City Council and the people of Fall River? Why cannot the Mayor let his own constituents know, directly from his own lying mouth, what he plans to do ? I mean, if he plans to borrow money from the Wampanoags to buy land from someone under indictment in Rhode Island (again, we believe) in a town not Fall River, doesn't that mean the taxpayers of Fall River are liable to repay the loan? Of course it does! And why are the citizens of Fall River purchasing land in another town ? And why from this shady character Baccarri?
Why? I think it's nothing more than some pre-arranged deal made more urgent because of the bad reaction Fall Riverites had when it looked like the Gambling Bill would not pass and that the City had probably lost it's chance to capture the Bio-Park Project from UMass/Dartmouth!
If you will recall, FROED let it be known that it wanted to consider making FROED a more regional organization, not just Fall River, but to include contiguous communities on it's immediate borders. The publicly stated reason for this was regional economic development which would aid in bringing jobs to the area for Fall Riverites. I think it really was done for the purpose of doing business with this man Baccarri, to arrange some sort of land purchase deal for his acreage in Freetown. Surely, it was no coincidence that the Route 24 cut-off improvement benefits Mr. Baccarri as much as it does the 300 acre parcel originally designated for use as the Bio-Park, now the proposed site for a destination casino.
No, this is no accident. At least that's my belief. And you must start to ask yourselves whether you think those working at the behest of FROED , the Board members and executive level employees and this mayoral administration are getting "other" considerations from a man already being investigated for bribing a Rhode Island member of the House of Representatives.
I'm sure it's all just a coincidence. Yeah, a CHRONIC coincidence.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
RDA...real or memorex?
More from our illustrious Redevelopment Authority!!!
FIND THIS COVERAGE AT : http://www.vimeo.com/15060357
" 2 months ago The Fall River Redevelopment Authority met to discuss the following: Route 79, Commerce Park, 300-acre bioreserve land (in executive session), and other matters. All members were present and FROED VP Ken Fiola gave the presentation and answered questions from the board. At the end of the meeting, the board voted to extend the contract without pay to FROED, until such time as they can determine if they can afford FROED, or sell an asset. "
Fall River Redevelopment Authority, September 16, 2010, 2PM from MondoLizzie on Vimeo.
Many thanks to MondoLizzie !
FIND THIS COVERAGE AT : http://www.vimeo.com/15060357
" 2 months ago The Fall River Redevelopment Authority met to discuss the following: Route 79, Commerce Park, 300-acre bioreserve land (in executive session), and other matters. All members were present and FROED VP Ken Fiola gave the presentation and answered questions from the board. At the end of the meeting, the board voted to extend the contract without pay to FROED, until such time as they can determine if they can afford FROED, or sell an asset. "
Fall River Redevelopment Authority, September 16, 2010, 2PM from MondoLizzie on Vimeo.
Many thanks to MondoLizzie !
Friday, September 17, 2010
Once again,LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!
Fired former Correia staffers
file lawsuit against city.
By Michael Holtzman
Herald News Staff Reporter
Posted Sep 16, 2010 @ 10:42 PM
Last update Sep 17, 2010 @ 07:14 AM
FALL RIVER — Fired eight months ago from well-paying government jobs with three-year contracts given by their longtime boss and outgoing mayor, Jeffrey Santos and Kathleen Edwards struck back this week with a lawsuit against the city.
Their Providence attorney Richard Peirce alleges their constitutional rights were violated because they were terminated “due to their political association with the former mayor” — Robert Correia — and they were fired without due process.
Mayor Will Flanagan, on his first full day in office, fired the two recently appointed Community Development Agency employees.
The 11-page complaint does not list monetary damages.
It seeks, however, reinstatement of Santos’ $85,000-a-year job as Community Development Agency executive director and for Edwards in her $55,000-a-year job of executive secretary/contracts compliance officer.
The suit seeks compensatory damages for the full length of the two contracts and for emotional distress, punitive damages if the city showed willful misconduct, attorney’s fees and other relief the court determines.
They seek a jury trial.
Santos and Edwards are longtime city residents who worked for Correia for the bulk of his 30 years as a state representative and two-year term as mayor.
Correia lost his re-election in the preliminary last September, after which Flanagan was elected in November.
Flanagan, joined by Corporation Counsel Steven Torres in his sixth-floor office, said he “deemed the lawsuit frivolous and without merit” — and worse.
“The lawsuit’s not worth even the paper it’s printed on,” Flanagan said Thursday after obtaining a copy from New Bedford Superior Court. Later, he took pleasure putting the document through a shredder at Government Center.
“I don’t believe they’re entitled to one red cent,” he said, stating that city lawyers would defend the suit and there’d be “no settlement.”
“They were not terminated due to their political affiliations. They were terminated because of contracts against public policy,” Flanagan said.
Torres said, “The contracts had provisions extended by the outgoing mayor that if the new mayor comes in he is responsible for the remainder of the contracts.”
He said the contracts “were written by a mayor that was not re-elected with the purpose of tying the hands of the administration. It’s what case law says it can’t do.”
The language says if the city terminates the agreement “for convenience,” it must pay out the cash value of the contracts, along with accrued time owed.
Torres has called that severance provision “unconscionable.”
The complaint Peirce assembled on behalf of Santos and Edwards included contentions that both were qualified for their jobs. It said Santos had “oversight” of the CDA since July 2008 after Robert Laughlin “resigned his position” as interim director and that neither of the two could be fired under their contracts unless they resigned, retired, died or for “just cause.”
The lawsuit claims no city official explained or justified their terminations or gave them opportunity to be heard prior to the firings. It also points to the three-year contracts for Torres and Assistant Corporation Counsel Elizabeth Sousa Pereira, which extend by about a year beyond Flanagan’s elected term, and by not including termination clauses would give his appointed full-time lawyers their salaries and benefits for the lengths of those contracts.
It would entitle them “to the same type of benefits provided for in the Edwards and Santos agreements,” the suit contends.
Peirce, contacted at his firm of RCF&P, said he was basically asserting a breach of contract and a breach of First Amendment rights.
“There is a contractual obligation to employ them,” Peirce said.
He said their severance under the contracts “should have no bearing on the city’s decision to discharge Edwards and Santos,” both of whom he said have been unemployed.
Peirce also said it made no difference that Correia had lost in the preliminary when he appointed Santos on Nov. 1 — the day before Election Day — and Edwards on Dec. 1, and gave both three-year contracts on Dec. 21, days before his term as mayor expired.
“I haven’t heard any representative of the city say Mayor Correia did not have the authority to enter into their contracts, other that they’re against public policy,” Peirce said.
The day he fired them, Flanagan said, “There was no search, no other candidate was considered, the appointments were open for years and, in the last 30 days (Correia) filled those appointments with key staffers. That would strengthen the case if it went to court.”
Edwards had been Correia’s chief of staff and Santos his longtime administrative assistant.
The lawsuit says Flanagan issued letters to them on Jan. 5 that said their CDA jobs “were not properly filled.”
Peirce had issued a “demand letter” to Torres on Feb. 26 to discuss the terminations, which he said did not result in any productive discussions.
While Peirce said he found it “ironic” that Torres found the contracts unconscionable while his contract term extends beyond Flanagan’s term, the city officials disputed the outcome would be the same on Torres’ extended contract if he were fired.
He agreed Santos’ contract lists the terms and is silent on any termination pay he could be owed. “There’s not a hammer clause,” he said, stating the city would have to pay long term severance.
Flanagan said his staff and legal counsels “are seen as part of the administrat
ion. The CDA is not part of the administration. They’re clouding the issue.
“It’s like Obama coming in and having to keep all of George Bush’s people in his cabinet. It just doesn’t happen,” Flanagan said.
He said what makes the Santos-Edwards provisions “against public policy is it makes the city liable for the full three years. No contracts have that.”
Other city contracts, however, have 60- and 90-day notice or severance, such as the one signed this spring for City Administrator Shawn Cadime, which lists both a 60- and 90-day notice that Flanagan said needs correcting.
Flanagan stated another factor he believes is relevant: that he retained Santos’ son as a member of the Licensing Board and Edwards’ husband, who was Correia’s campaign treasurer, as a member of the Planning Board.
“The sibling and spouse remain on the city’s payroll,” Flanagan said. “That diminishes their case. They have no case.”
“Our position is they’re bound by those contracts,” Peirce said.
Peirce said he planned to serve the suit on the city today. The city would have 20 days to issue its answer.
E-mail Michael Holtzman at mholtzman@heraldnews.com.
The worm does turn, doesn't it?! When Mayor Correia signed the "Contracts from Hell" for his primary water carrier Santos and long time secretary Edwards I was enraged like any reasonable Fall Riverite. Even in a political moral backwater like Fall River there is a line that should never be crossed, and Correia clearly did just that with these two contracts. This was simply an unacceptable reaction by an unpopular mayor and politician who clearly had misjudged the public perception of him and his administration. When these contracts were proposed, I had a very strong feeling they were granted, not just to personally reward these two long serving individuals, but to symbolize the giving of a huge middle finger to the City for rejecting Correia. It was an act of retribution by a spoiled child. I call this Act I.
Now comes Act II. From one bad contract outrage to a couple of others. It would appear the City's legal eagles have learned nothing with the change of administrations. While Sylvanagan decried the gifts handed over to Santos and Edwards, he gave a few out of his own, and continues to do so.
By any stretch of the imagination Sylvanagan and Torres have contrived to do exactly the same thing that Correia did. Yet they want the world outside of themselves to accept their tenuous explanation of the why's and how's of their own legal machinations in the manner and award of contracts for their own close and high ranking supporters. I just don't think this is going to end well for Fall River taxpayers, and that usually means carrying the cost for yet another legal screw-up!
This was supposed to be the low-cost legal administration. All we have witnessed since the election of Bag Boy Deluxe Sylvanagan is one legal bad opinion after another, and ALL of them are going to come home to roost on YOUR backs. Amazing.....I honestly never thought this clown would be smart enough to bamboozle the entire Fall River electorate, but, you know how bad I am at predicting politics in this City!
How utterly childish is it to have a photo taken of you putting a copy of the lawsuit filed against you through a paper shredder! Oh yes, I immediately thought of John Kennedy when I saw that picture! (HA!) More like Richard Nixon! And how embarrassed will this City then be if a settlement or judgement is eventually made against Fall River as a result of that lawsuit? Well, not me, actually. I'll just heave a mighty YUK towards City Hall! I'm sure I will not be alone.
Haven't you all had enough of the Titticut Follies this City has become under this selfish, sociopath fool of a mayor? This type of outrage will continue, it's clear and predictable. Opps, there I go again, predicting things...Let's just call it a feeling and leave it at that.
Act III. I wonder what that will be? Probably the next Mayor having to explain away the legal stupidity of Sylvanagan and Torres and the need for a take funds away from the City Budget to pay for a legal settlement. All I can say is "Oh...it's a lovely thing to be led by an childish idiot !!"
file lawsuit against city.
Oh...it's a lovely thing to be led by an childish idiot !!
By Michael Holtzman
Herald News Staff Reporter
Posted Sep 16, 2010 @ 10:42 PM
Last update Sep 17, 2010 @ 07:14 AM
FALL RIVER — Fired eight months ago from well-paying government jobs with three-year contracts given by their longtime boss and outgoing mayor, Jeffrey Santos and Kathleen Edwards struck back this week with a lawsuit against the city.
Their Providence attorney Richard Peirce alleges their constitutional rights were violated because they were terminated “due to their political association with the former mayor” — Robert Correia — and they were fired without due process.
Mayor Will Flanagan, on his first full day in office, fired the two recently appointed Community Development Agency employees.
The 11-page complaint does not list monetary damages.
It seeks, however, reinstatement of Santos’ $85,000-a-year job as Community Development Agency executive director and for Edwards in her $55,000-a-year job of executive secretary/contracts compliance officer.
The suit seeks compensatory damages for the full length of the two contracts and for emotional distress, punitive damages if the city showed willful misconduct, attorney’s fees and other relief the court determines.
They seek a jury trial.
Santos and Edwards are longtime city residents who worked for Correia for the bulk of his 30 years as a state representative and two-year term as mayor.
Correia lost his re-election in the preliminary last September, after which Flanagan was elected in November.
Flanagan, joined by Corporation Counsel Steven Torres in his sixth-floor office, said he “deemed the lawsuit frivolous and without merit” — and worse.
“The lawsuit’s not worth even the paper it’s printed on,” Flanagan said Thursday after obtaining a copy from New Bedford Superior Court. Later, he took pleasure putting the document through a shredder at Government Center.
“I don’t believe they’re entitled to one red cent,” he said, stating that city lawyers would defend the suit and there’d be “no settlement.”
“They were not terminated due to their political affiliations. They were terminated because of contracts against public policy,” Flanagan said.
Torres said, “The contracts had provisions extended by the outgoing mayor that if the new mayor comes in he is responsible for the remainder of the contracts.”
He said the contracts “were written by a mayor that was not re-elected with the purpose of tying the hands of the administration. It’s what case law says it can’t do.”
The language says if the city terminates the agreement “for convenience,” it must pay out the cash value of the contracts, along with accrued time owed.
Torres has called that severance provision “unconscionable.”
The complaint Peirce assembled on behalf of Santos and Edwards included contentions that both were qualified for their jobs. It said Santos had “oversight” of the CDA since July 2008 after Robert Laughlin “resigned his position” as interim director and that neither of the two could be fired under their contracts unless they resigned, retired, died or for “just cause.”
The lawsuit claims no city official explained or justified their terminations or gave them opportunity to be heard prior to the firings. It also points to the three-year contracts for Torres and Assistant Corporation Counsel Elizabeth Sousa Pereira, which extend by about a year beyond Flanagan’s elected term, and by not including termination clauses would give his appointed full-time lawyers their salaries and benefits for the lengths of those contracts.
It would entitle them “to the same type of benefits provided for in the Edwards and Santos agreements,” the suit contends.
Peirce, contacted at his firm of RCF&P, said he was basically asserting a breach of contract and a breach of First Amendment rights.
“There is a contractual obligation to employ them,” Peirce said.
He said their severance under the contracts “should have no bearing on the city’s decision to discharge Edwards and Santos,” both of whom he said have been unemployed.
Peirce also said it made no difference that Correia had lost in the preliminary when he appointed Santos on Nov. 1 — the day before Election Day — and Edwards on Dec. 1, and gave both three-year contracts on Dec. 21, days before his term as mayor expired.
“I haven’t heard any representative of the city say Mayor Correia did not have the authority to enter into their contracts, other that they’re against public policy,” Peirce said.
The day he fired them, Flanagan said, “There was no search, no other candidate was considered, the appointments were open for years and, in the last 30 days (Correia) filled those appointments with key staffers. That would strengthen the case if it went to court.”
Edwards had been Correia’s chief of staff and Santos his longtime administrative assistant.
The lawsuit says Flanagan issued letters to them on Jan. 5 that said their CDA jobs “were not properly filled.”
Peirce had issued a “demand letter” to Torres on Feb. 26 to discuss the terminations, which he said did not result in any productive discussions.
While Peirce said he found it “ironic” that Torres found the contracts unconscionable while his contract term extends beyond Flanagan’s term, the city officials disputed the outcome would be the same on Torres’ extended contract if he were fired.
He agreed Santos’ contract lists the terms and is silent on any termination pay he could be owed. “There’s not a hammer clause,” he said, stating the city would have to pay long term severance.
Flanagan said his staff and legal counsels “are seen as part of the administrat
ion. The CDA is not part of the administration. They’re clouding the issue.
“It’s like Obama coming in and having to keep all of George Bush’s people in his cabinet. It just doesn’t happen,” Flanagan said.
He said what makes the Santos-Edwards provisions “against public policy is it makes the city liable for the full three years. No contracts have that.”
Other city contracts, however, have 60- and 90-day notice or severance, such as the one signed this spring for City Administrator Shawn Cadime, which lists both a 60- and 90-day notice that Flanagan said needs correcting.
Flanagan stated another factor he believes is relevant: that he retained Santos’ son as a member of the Licensing Board and Edwards’ husband, who was Correia’s campaign treasurer, as a member of the Planning Board.
“The sibling and spouse remain on the city’s payroll,” Flanagan said. “That diminishes their case. They have no case.”
“Our position is they’re bound by those contracts,” Peirce said.
Peirce said he planned to serve the suit on the city today. The city would have 20 days to issue its answer.
E-mail Michael Holtzman at mholtzman@heraldnews.com.
The worm does turn, doesn't it?! When Mayor Correia signed the "Contracts from Hell" for his primary water carrier Santos and long time secretary Edwards I was enraged like any reasonable Fall Riverite. Even in a political moral backwater like Fall River there is a line that should never be crossed, and Correia clearly did just that with these two contracts. This was simply an unacceptable reaction by an unpopular mayor and politician who clearly had misjudged the public perception of him and his administration. When these contracts were proposed, I had a very strong feeling they were granted, not just to personally reward these two long serving individuals, but to symbolize the giving of a huge middle finger to the City for rejecting Correia. It was an act of retribution by a spoiled child. I call this Act I.
Now comes Act II. From one bad contract outrage to a couple of others. It would appear the City's legal eagles have learned nothing with the change of administrations. While Sylvanagan decried the gifts handed over to Santos and Edwards, he gave a few out of his own, and continues to do so.
By any stretch of the imagination Sylvanagan and Torres have contrived to do exactly the same thing that Correia did. Yet they want the world outside of themselves to accept their tenuous explanation of the why's and how's of their own legal machinations in the manner and award of contracts for their own close and high ranking supporters. I just don't think this is going to end well for Fall River taxpayers, and that usually means carrying the cost for yet another legal screw-up!
This was supposed to be the low-cost legal administration. All we have witnessed since the election of Bag Boy Deluxe Sylvanagan is one legal bad opinion after another, and ALL of them are going to come home to roost on YOUR backs. Amazing.....I honestly never thought this clown would be smart enough to bamboozle the entire Fall River electorate, but, you know how bad I am at predicting politics in this City!
How utterly childish is it to have a photo taken of you putting a copy of the lawsuit filed against you through a paper shredder! Oh yes, I immediately thought of John Kennedy when I saw that picture! (HA!) More like Richard Nixon! And how embarrassed will this City then be if a settlement or judgement is eventually made against Fall River as a result of that lawsuit? Well, not me, actually. I'll just heave a mighty YUK towards City Hall! I'm sure I will not be alone.
Haven't you all had enough of the Titticut Follies this City has become under this selfish, sociopath fool of a mayor? This type of outrage will continue, it's clear and predictable. Opps, there I go again, predicting things...Let's just call it a feeling and leave it at that.
Act III. I wonder what that will be? Probably the next Mayor having to explain away the legal stupidity of Sylvanagan and Torres and the need for a take funds away from the City Budget to pay for a legal settlement. All I can say is "Oh...it's a lovely thing to be led by an childish idiot !!"
No more prognostications!
First, let me say congratulations to Rep. Mike Rodrigues for winning the Democratic Party's primary election for the State Senate. I did not support you, will not support you, but you are destined to win because there is no real opposition from anyone on the Republican side. They are the only force more dreadful in their ineptitude than mine in picking electoral winners.
I think it's a good time to stop backing candidates for office. Being "0" for "3" tells me all I need to know.....I guess I back candidates with my heart and not enough with my head. So there ends a non- productive activity on my part.
Finally, let me say, "thanks Mike Coogan for running!" I mean that. He's a gentleman and a good, solid guy. He would have been an excellent state senator. I'm proud to have carried your banner for all to see.
Well, that's my political wrap up. Things look very muddled politically right now, locally, in the state,and in the nation. I fear things may not work out for this state come November. We'll have to wait and see.
I think it's a good time to stop backing candidates for office. Being "0" for "3" tells me all I need to know.....I guess I back candidates with my heart and not enough with my head. So there ends a non- productive activity on my part.
Finally, let me say, "thanks Mike Coogan for running!" I mean that. He's a gentleman and a good, solid guy. He would have been an excellent state senator. I'm proud to have carried your banner for all to see.
Well, that's my political wrap up. Things look very muddled politically right now, locally, in the state,and in the nation. I fear things may not work out for this state come November. We'll have to wait and see.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Yabba Dabba DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.......
Tax collector puts a stop
to online bank payments
By Michael Holtzman
Herald News Staff Reporter
Posted Sep 07, 2010 @ 08:30 PM
FALL RIVER — The city tax collector’s office has deleted the online bank payment system, effective immediately, citing backlogs caused by researching bills paid by that method.
Those wishing to pay online may only do so using a credit card option that includes a fee schedule based on amounts, City Collector Ida Geraldes said.
“It just takes too much research on what you’re trying to pay,” said Geraldes, a 25-year city employee promoted recently to department head.
Online banking started about seven years ago.
Many residents pay bills through a mailed check or come into the tax collector’s at Government Center to pay in person, she said.
While online banking is seen by many as improving efficiency, Geraldes said the opposite seems true for their office.
“I stopped it when I was processing the mail. The itemized bills just didn’t have enough information — such as the type of bill and quarter being paid — and didn’t allow our system to process them quickly,” Geraldes said.
“Everyone in the office agreed this is ridiculous,” she said. “It just takes too long to process the mail.”
She made the Flanagan administration aware of the change.
While online banking was used primarily for water/sewer bills and excise tax bills, Geraldes said such checks mailed from banks listed a disclaimer that they cannot be used to pay real estate taxes.
" But the system doesn’t have a way to stop you from doing it,” said Geraldes. She said the department had been accepting the limited number of online real estate bills that fell through, but will stop that.
On Aug. 26, the office mailed out roughly 7,500 letters to taxpayers about the change in online banking.
More than 5,000 of those went out with the latest water/sewer bills due next month.
Another 2,500 notices of the new policy went out with demand letters for those behind on the real estate quarterly taxes, she said.
Anyone paying those bills by online banking will have such payments returned, Geraldes said. “Up until today we were accepting them,” she said.
She noted the extra cost fee structure by using the relatively new credit card system with the city’s bank. Up to $100 of taxes is $2.50; $400 to $700 is $17.50; and $3,100 to $4,000 is $100 under the city’s UniPay system by UniBank.
She said the bank and credit card company makes the profit, not the city.
Further information is listed at the city website www.fallriverma.org and clicking “online bill pay.”
Geraldes said online banking did not comprise a large percentage of tax bills paid, but said the research needed contributed to the system falling behind and contributed to a public complaint and firing of the prior collector a few months ago.
There remain times the office is behind on processing collections and, therefore, being able to immediately deposit the funds, she said. She said the office could be a week, or even two, behind at times.
Geraldes said she does not find that acceptable and collections were processed up to date as of Tuesday.
The method to keep payment records straight is to bundle the payments and dates received each day until they can processed and deposited, Geraldes said.
“My biggest concern was processing the mail and doing it effectively and efficiently,” said the new collector. Her current salary is $63,600.
E-mail Michael Holtzman at mholtzman@heraldnews.com.
Well, lookey here. The Mayor has fired a slow, incompetent Tax Collector and has hired an utter stone aged moron to replace her. All I'm worried about right now is which member of the FROED Board of Directors has a close personal friend working at Unibank?! I keed, I keed! I've been following Fall River politics for too long!
to online bank payments
By Michael Holtzman
Herald News Staff Reporter
Posted Sep 07, 2010 @ 08:30 PM
FALL RIVER — The city tax collector’s office has deleted the online bank payment system, effective immediately, citing backlogs caused by researching bills paid by that method.
Those wishing to pay online may only do so using a credit card option that includes a fee schedule based on amounts, City Collector Ida Geraldes said.
“It just takes too much research on what you’re trying to pay,” said Geraldes, a 25-year city employee promoted recently to department head.
Online banking started about seven years ago.
Many residents pay bills through a mailed check or come into the tax collector’s at Government Center to pay in person, she said.
While online banking is seen by many as improving efficiency, Geraldes said the opposite seems true for their office.
“I stopped it when I was processing the mail. The itemized bills just didn’t have enough information — such as the type of bill and quarter being paid — and didn’t allow our system to process them quickly,” Geraldes said.
“Everyone in the office agreed this is ridiculous,” she said. “It just takes too long to process the mail.”
She made the Flanagan administration aware of the change.
While online banking was used primarily for water/sewer bills and excise tax bills, Geraldes said such checks mailed from banks listed a disclaimer that they cannot be used to pay real estate taxes.
" But the system doesn’t have a way to stop you from doing it,” said Geraldes. She said the department had been accepting the limited number of online real estate bills that fell through, but will stop that.
On Aug. 26, the office mailed out roughly 7,500 letters to taxpayers about the change in online banking.
More than 5,000 of those went out with the latest water/sewer bills due next month.
Another 2,500 notices of the new policy went out with demand letters for those behind on the real estate quarterly taxes, she said.
Anyone paying those bills by online banking will have such payments returned, Geraldes said. “Up until today we were accepting them,” she said.
She noted the extra cost fee structure by using the relatively new credit card system with the city’s bank. Up to $100 of taxes is $2.50; $400 to $700 is $17.50; and $3,100 to $4,000 is $100 under the city’s UniPay system by UniBank.
She said the bank and credit card company makes the profit, not the city.
Further information is listed at the city website www.fallriverma.org and clicking “online bill pay.”
Geraldes said online banking did not comprise a large percentage of tax bills paid, but said the research needed contributed to the system falling behind and contributed to a public complaint and firing of the prior collector a few months ago.
There remain times the office is behind on processing collections and, therefore, being able to immediately deposit the funds, she said. She said the office could be a week, or even two, behind at times.
Geraldes said she does not find that acceptable and collections were processed up to date as of Tuesday.
The method to keep payment records straight is to bundle the payments and dates received each day until they can processed and deposited, Geraldes said.
“My biggest concern was processing the mail and doing it effectively and efficiently,” said the new collector. Her current salary is $63,600.
E-mail Michael Holtzman at mholtzman@heraldnews.com.
Tax Collector's Office reconciling receivables
Well, lookey here. The Mayor has fired a slow, incompetent Tax Collector and has hired an utter stone aged moron to replace her. All I'm worried about right now is which member of the FROED Board of Directors has a close personal friend working at Unibank?! I keed, I keed! I've been following Fall River politics for too long!
No, this is one huge step for idiots, one huge leap backwards for mankind and the tax and rate payers of Fall River. Silly me, I always thought the objective of the Tax Collector's primary job was to make sure that all payments should be deposited into the bank as soon as possible so that the City could make some interest earnings on the quarter billion dollars that flows through it's accounts each year. How could I have been so wrong all those years (20) as a Municipal Finance Director? I guess you're never too old to learn new things!
First this idiot lawyer as mayor fires the IT manager. Then he promotes some lifetime slacker yes woman as the Tax Collector, someone who knows absolutely nothing about correct Tax Collector procedures or requirements. This is a typical "Fall River Pride" F-UP, and is the equivalent of going back into the stone age to suit the talents , or lack thereof, of the unqualified people toiling away in the Collector's office.
I just don't get it. This move is so atrocious it is an exhibition of a stupefying level of wrong! And while everyone is agreeing to the great leap backwards in the Sylvanagan regime, I can tell you right now the reconciliations between tax and fee payment receipts to taxes and fee payments committed and owed ledgers will never be known for certain. This means yet another embarrassing request by the City to DOR to certify a tax rate for accounts no one can verify. I mean, I am nearly speechless over the gross incompetence and mismanagement being displayed so proudly by this administration.. It boggles the mind of any thinking, caring person.
Fall River's Tax Collector hard at work!
I'll state it flatly...this woman, who ever she is, must be removed immediately. If there are problems with the payment system, don't stop it, FIX IT! What she is doing, with Mayor Bag Boy Deluxe Sylvanagan's blessing, is like starting a new checking account because you can't balance the current one! To place an unqualified, backwards thinking person in control of the City's cash flow is typical of Sylvanagan's woefully inadequate understanding of how to run a municipality. He's had ZERO prior experience in the day to day running of a municipality in this state. Being assistant legal counsel in Taunton, a City not known for it's public management excellence, does not count, no matter how many property liens he's taken to court. This guy, through his solely reactive firings and hirings is nothing but an administrative and management CLUSTER F*&@. How about some proactive administrative and financial management ideas Mayor Sylvanagan? Oh, and how's that Casino deal coming along? What a useless tool of a politician. He sickens me!
Too many idiotic photo ops, not enough proactive action with this fool as mayor. It's been the hallmark of the Sylvanagan administration from before Day 1 in office. He had no answers during the campaign, only glib statements and lies. It continues to this day. I am sure that's all we'll ever get from this Bag Boy.
But hey...you elected him, not me. What are YOU going to do to fix it? You'll get a chance next year. Better do it right, though, because I hear they are replacing the Tax Collector's office computers with carrier pigeons and an abacus for every desk.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Mike Coogan....The Only Candidate to Consider!
Ladies and gentlemen, I detest the kind of almost criminal way people decide to attack reasonable candidates, especially new candidates, just before elections by ginning up contrived controversies. Because that's exactly what we have before us right now.
Let me put it plainly to all of my readers. I know Mike Coogan. I trust Mike Coogan. I support Mike Coogan. Why? Because I had the privilege to get to know him over the course of the last two years as a result of the reign of terror of ex-mayor Bob Correia who was twisting certain budget figures around to his spending advantage, especially Group Health Insurance. I am a strong pro-union man, and Mike and I became friends, trading stories of all things government and all things Fall River. I know him to be intelligent and thoughtful. In short, he's a very capable man and a good man.
Is Mike capable of making mistakes? Of course he is - he's human! Every person ever born throughout the history of mankind has made mistakes. If your ideal candidate is one who is infallible in judgement, let me tell you now, that person is not running for the State Senate. And let me also tell you that of the three Democratic candidates running, Mike Coogan has, by leaps and bounds, made the fewest mistakes.
Has anyone reading this blog ever had work done on their home or office by a contractor who made mistakes? Was everything always done perfectly? Always? Have you ever hired a certain contractor for one thing, and it turned out great, then hired them for something else, and you were less than thrilled with the work product? I know I have! I'm sure most of you have as well. Sometimes , we, as customers, are a pain in the rear as well! Sometimes, we like some or most of the work done, but find fault with one particular room or item. Be honest. It happens everyday. No contractor is perfect. No customer is always reasonable.
I spoke to Mike Coogan about his side of things. Everyone is willing to take a muckraking "investigative reporter's" story as gospel truth. Let me walk into your home on your birthday in the middle of a celebration with a video cam and start peppering YOU with questions about something you did that had NOTHING to do with the festivities at hand, and in front of all your friends and supporters. I'm sure you'd have ready, full explanations for questions like, "Who was that woman you went to lunch with yesterday, does your wife know her as well?, or "Your expense reports show you entered a business trip to New Hampshire on your mileage for the 5th, but you called in sick that day, didn't you?", and see how you do!
The fact is Mike Coogan had a discussion with this attorney he did work for (and who may, in fact, have ties to Rodrigues), and they BOTH talked about the fact that for Coogan to work on his property in Rhode Island (RI) he was not in licensed in RI. Apparently, however, Coogan had previously worked for this attorney and the attorney liked the work completed, hence the request to do further work. There was an understanding that there would be no contract because Coogan was not licensed to work in RI! When the entire project was complete and the attorney was not pleased with the bathroom , Coogan agreed to pay the man the amount represented by the bathroom work and a check was sent.
Then the attorney decided to bring action against Coogan for the entire project amount in what the most casual observer would say was suspicious timing. Then the visit from the "investigative reporter". Curious timing indeed.
What you will not hear from other blog sites is that the results of some polling were floating around the statehouse recently and showed Mike Coogan trailed Rodrigues by only 4 points, with the other candidates trailing very, very far behind. It makes perfect sense to assume, in line with well established Fall River political tradition, for some vicious nonsense to be played out too close to the election without it probably being the work of individuals close to Rodrigues. To stay dancing on the gravy train makes you do BADDDDD THINGSSSS, the kind of things that have been reported and documented about against both John Mitchell and Mike Rodrigues. I mean, a bad home repair issue is peanuts when compared to attempting to essentially buy an election (Mitchell - State AG's annual report for FY 1996) and working as butt boy for a Speaker of the House that racked up 180 plus years in indictments (the nasty Sal DiMasi-Mike Rodrigues connection) , as well as being a total and complete whore for the MA Bio-Tech Industry. One thing I know is that Mike Coogan is his own man, and is owned by no one!
No, I don't like the smear politics that Fall River seems to wallow in without a thought, ever, to refrain from it again. Fall River paints itself as a backwards community at times, and this practice of sliming candidates just prior to election day is a hallowed tradition in Fall River more than any other community I've seen. It's disgusting and the entire City should hang their collective heads in shame for it. And people wonder why people in communities outside of Fall River shake their heads and laugh at the sons and daughters of "Lizzie Borden". Amazing.
The only candidate for State Senate I'd vote for is Mike Coogan. Period!
Let me put it plainly to all of my readers. I know Mike Coogan. I trust Mike Coogan. I support Mike Coogan. Why? Because I had the privilege to get to know him over the course of the last two years as a result of the reign of terror of ex-mayor Bob Correia who was twisting certain budget figures around to his spending advantage, especially Group Health Insurance. I am a strong pro-union man, and Mike and I became friends, trading stories of all things government and all things Fall River. I know him to be intelligent and thoughtful. In short, he's a very capable man and a good man.
Is Mike capable of making mistakes? Of course he is - he's human! Every person ever born throughout the history of mankind has made mistakes. If your ideal candidate is one who is infallible in judgement, let me tell you now, that person is not running for the State Senate. And let me also tell you that of the three Democratic candidates running, Mike Coogan has, by leaps and bounds, made the fewest mistakes.
Has anyone reading this blog ever had work done on their home or office by a contractor who made mistakes? Was everything always done perfectly? Always? Have you ever hired a certain contractor for one thing, and it turned out great, then hired them for something else, and you were less than thrilled with the work product? I know I have! I'm sure most of you have as well. Sometimes , we, as customers, are a pain in the rear as well! Sometimes, we like some or most of the work done, but find fault with one particular room or item. Be honest. It happens everyday. No contractor is perfect. No customer is always reasonable.
I spoke to Mike Coogan about his side of things. Everyone is willing to take a muckraking "investigative reporter's" story as gospel truth. Let me walk into your home on your birthday in the middle of a celebration with a video cam and start peppering YOU with questions about something you did that had NOTHING to do with the festivities at hand, and in front of all your friends and supporters. I'm sure you'd have ready, full explanations for questions like, "Who was that woman you went to lunch with yesterday, does your wife know her as well?, or "Your expense reports show you entered a business trip to New Hampshire on your mileage for the 5th, but you called in sick that day, didn't you?", and see how you do!
The fact is Mike Coogan had a discussion with this attorney he did work for (and who may, in fact, have ties to Rodrigues), and they BOTH talked about the fact that for Coogan to work on his property in Rhode Island (RI) he was not in licensed in RI. Apparently, however, Coogan had previously worked for this attorney and the attorney liked the work completed, hence the request to do further work. There was an understanding that there would be no contract because Coogan was not licensed to work in RI! When the entire project was complete and the attorney was not pleased with the bathroom , Coogan agreed to pay the man the amount represented by the bathroom work and a check was sent.
Then the attorney decided to bring action against Coogan for the entire project amount in what the most casual observer would say was suspicious timing. Then the visit from the "investigative reporter". Curious timing indeed.
What you will not hear from other blog sites is that the results of some polling were floating around the statehouse recently and showed Mike Coogan trailed Rodrigues by only 4 points, with the other candidates trailing very, very far behind. It makes perfect sense to assume, in line with well established Fall River political tradition, for some vicious nonsense to be played out too close to the election without it probably being the work of individuals close to Rodrigues. To stay dancing on the gravy train makes you do BADDDDD THINGSSSS, the kind of things that have been reported and documented about against both John Mitchell and Mike Rodrigues. I mean, a bad home repair issue is peanuts when compared to attempting to essentially buy an election (Mitchell - State AG's annual report for FY 1996) and working as butt boy for a Speaker of the House that racked up 180 plus years in indictments (the nasty Sal DiMasi-Mike Rodrigues connection) , as well as being a total and complete whore for the MA Bio-Tech Industry. One thing I know is that Mike Coogan is his own man, and is owned by no one!
No, I don't like the smear politics that Fall River seems to wallow in without a thought, ever, to refrain from it again. Fall River paints itself as a backwards community at times, and this practice of sliming candidates just prior to election day is a hallowed tradition in Fall River more than any other community I've seen. It's disgusting and the entire City should hang their collective heads in shame for it. And people wonder why people in communities outside of Fall River shake their heads and laugh at the sons and daughters of "Lizzie Borden". Amazing.
The only candidate for State Senate I'd vote for is Mike Coogan. Period!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
State Tax Reveues WEAK!!!!!
Mass. tax revenues in August
below expectations
September 3, 2010
Boston Herald
BOSTON—Massachusetts has collected $89 million more in taxes during August compared with the same month last year, but that still fell $70 Million below the estimate for the month.
Revenue Commissioner Navjeet Bal said preliminary collections for the month totaled about $1.38 billion, up about 6.9 percent from last August.
But that wasn't enough to match the monthly estimate the state needs for its current budget.
Since August is typically not a large month for tax collections, and because the state beat its July estimate by about $78 million, the state is still about $8 million ahead of its estimate for the year.
Bal said sales tax collections for August don't reflect the impact of the sales tax holiday on Aug. 14 and 15. That will be reflected in the September numbers.
The Fall River FY 2011 Revenue Death Watch has officially begun. I say this because Fall River is absolutely dependant upon state aid revenue to fund roughly 70% of it's annual operating budget. Any negative revenue trends will spell absolute devastation to overall budgets for the City.
What I find most ominous is that the September numbers will be far lower than expected because of the sales tax holiday. As we go into the Fall months , if tax revenues continue to fail to reach established revenue targets we could easily see yet another round of mid year reductions in Local Aid, all indications of Massachusetts economic growth to the contrary.
The situation of actual state tax revenues versus established projections will once again become the most important factor to follow when considering the state of Fall River's fiscal condition for FY's 2011 and 2012.
below expectations
September 3, 2010
Boston Herald
BOSTON—Massachusetts has collected $89 million more in taxes during August compared with the same month last year, but that still fell $70 Million below the estimate for the month.
Revenue Commissioner Navjeet Bal said preliminary collections for the month totaled about $1.38 billion, up about 6.9 percent from last August.
But that wasn't enough to match the monthly estimate the state needs for its current budget.
Since August is typically not a large month for tax collections, and because the state beat its July estimate by about $78 million, the state is still about $8 million ahead of its estimate for the year.
Bal said sales tax collections for August don't reflect the impact of the sales tax holiday on Aug. 14 and 15. That will be reflected in the September numbers.
The Fall River FY 2011 Revenue Death Watch has officially begun. I say this because Fall River is absolutely dependant upon state aid revenue to fund roughly 70% of it's annual operating budget. Any negative revenue trends will spell absolute devastation to overall budgets for the City.
What I find most ominous is that the September numbers will be far lower than expected because of the sales tax holiday. As we go into the Fall months , if tax revenues continue to fail to reach established revenue targets we could easily see yet another round of mid year reductions in Local Aid, all indications of Massachusetts economic growth to the contrary.
The situation of actual state tax revenues versus established projections will once again become the most important factor to follow when considering the state of Fall River's fiscal condition for FY's 2011 and 2012.
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