Tuesday, January 19, 2016

No, I have no idea.

The Daily Freeman is reporting that Mayor Noble has planned a press conference to announce big changes in the Fire Department.

I have been contacted by people looking for information.  They think that because I am on the Fire Commission and Mayor Noble has announced his position that personnel decisions must go through commissions, that I must have been briefed.

The answer is no.  The January Fire Commission meeting was canceled.  I have had no official contact from the Mayor or Fire Chief about whatever the upcoming announcement is about.

I am posting this so that politicos will stop asking me.


8 comments:

Anonymous said...

new mayor...new commission.

Richard T. Cahill Jr. said...

Wrong. Commissioners have an appointed term.

Anonymous said...

He can ask for your resignations. This is transparency?

Anonymous said...

Guess the BOFC has no say in hiring nor firing.

Anonymous said...

This whole debacle is leaving a foul taste. Wondering who is making the decisions for Mayor Noble. Has no experience dealing with personnel . Cannot raid the contingency fund with a failing infrastructure. He needs to "practice" being Mayor before making serious decisions.

Anonymous said...

I can't find any information on the city's website about the fire board.. when does your term end..where can find the minutes?

Anonymous said...

All Noble is doing is what 5 judges have said to do from the start of this debaclle. I see no other choice.

kerfuffle said...

Mayor Noble held his first press conference last week. He reinstated Chris Rea to the position of assistant fire chief, promoted from a vacant captain salary line. Gallo had eliminated the assistant chief position last year in his final budget. There will be a six figure settlement for back pay, negotiations pending. Rea rejoins KFD on Feb. 1st.

Noble also restored his old position of environmental educator, also axed by Gallo, with a new part time position.

Gregg Swanzey resigned from Economic Development the week earlier, Noble merged the office with Community Development and put Brenna L. Robinson in charge. Swanzey's old assistant Lisa Bruck willbe handling grants in that office, as a kind of co-director.

More recently, Hein's office began negotiations to take back all or some of the 1% sales tax extension from the city. Apparently that one percent was a sop thrown to Kingston in 2001 to offset the safety net costs, which were absorbed by the county over the last few years. Kind of makes you winder if Kevin Cahill was right all along by holding that money back two years ago.

Here is audio of ways & Means chairman Rich Gerentine discussing the latest sales tax matter, from Tuesday's meeting Jan. 26. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKQCjFwPoBw