Marc Odien, Chris Smith and I are at the Buffalo Common Council to watch and report on what everyone hopes to be the third of three Buffalo Common Council hearings on the Dan Derenda nomination to become the next Buffalo Police Commissioner.
Mickey Kearns states that the special session today is making a mockery of the legislative committee system. He repeats that the Karla Thomas, the city’s HR director, had 6 months to select a candidate and came up with Mr. Derenda alone. That’s fine, he says, but complains about the rule-gaming technicality that enabled Derenda’s name to be resubmitted for today’s session. He says that the item in committee should be before the body via discharge by committee chairman, and he finds today’s identical agenda item to be improperly before the council.
In the end, Kearns’ protestations are silly and petty. Derenda’s qualifications are beside the procedural point.
David Rivera repeats that Derenda’s nomination was tabled in committee for a variety of reasons, most prominently those having to do with the nationwide nature – or lack thereof – for H. McCarthy Gibson’s replacement. The problems – especially with Karla Thomas’ responses to councilmembers’ questions – that promoted the council to table the nomination still exist, and this circumventing of the rules may be in the Charter, but dilutes the power of the council. Now, any time the Mayor’s office disagrees with anything that the committee does, they can call a special meeting, which requires only a simple majority for passage of agenda items.
Haynes: No.
Kearns: No.
LoCurto: No.
Rivera: No.
Franczyk, Smith, Russell, Golombek, Fontana voted for Derenda.
In a press gaggle afterwards, Derenda said that he harbored no ill will towards any of the councilmembers who opposed his nomination, and understood that it wasn’t personal. He had been coached not to comment at all on the controversy surrounding the very localized national search that led to his selection.
5/4 vote, Dan Derenda is the Police Commissioner of Buffalo. Derenda thanks the council and “look[s] forward to the challenge.”
Bruce Fisher at Artvoicerecently wrote one of the most concise summaries of why the current redevelopment plans for Buffalo’s Erie Canal Harbor is a bloated hunk of rubbish that spits in the face of our city and region’s real needs and economic realities.
But as it stands today, 30 years worth of that $9 million-a-year settlement is about to get sunk into a retail, restaurant, and hotel complex in one of the most over-retailed, over-restrauranted, over-hoteled places in America. As hotelier David Hart points out, the structure once known as the Statler Hilton Hotel was a functioning hotel until a local investor convinced public officials to give him millions to turn the E. B. Green-designed Genesee Building into a Hyatt, which created more hotel inventory than has ever been needed. And now there’s more “free” money to build even more hotel inventory, despite a shrinking regional population and a flat demand for hotel space. Creating supply, as restaurateur Mark Goldman says, does not create demand.
Yet despite the well documented subsidy calamities and outright failures of the Bass Pro promise in other markets, Buffalo’s hometown newspaper editorializes endlessly in favor of this permanent misallocation of public funds. Instead of letting independent investors decide whether to put up a hot dog stand in Erie Canal harbor, or a condominium developer taking a shot at selling Lake Erie sunsets to suburb-weary empty-nesters, the current plan of the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation and of the Empire State Development Corporation that signs off on its work is to invest 30 years’ worth of our money in creating dozens of parking spaces for recreational vehicles, and another couple of thousand subsidized parking spaces for a downtown that has a huge existing supply of both surface and structured parking, and which has an office vacancy rate of well over 20 percent.
The mentality that drives this behavior is a poisonous combination of cynicism, despondency, and greed, all promoted by absentee-owned media that suck revenue out of the region while advancing an anti-government, anti-democratic message that strangely includes loud, repeated demands for public funds, but only for private interests these media endorse. The justification: “There’s nothing happening in Buffalo, so we have to do these big projects.”
The obvious absurdities of the Bass Pro strings aside, I’ve never been much of a fan of Canal Side’s physical plans. The rendered buildings look like half-ass attempts to appear historically-themed while throwing in some sort of lazy contemporary twist. Why not hire an architectural and planning firm that specialized in historic replica buildings and historic district restoration? The reconstruction of Dresden’s historic core (all-but-obliterated in that infamous WWII bombing orgy) is a great example of how replica architecture can actually create a place worth caring about.
If this projected had been carried out by a meritocratic organization untarnished by petty politics and special interests, it would have progressed something like this:
1. Contract a planning firm that specializes in historic district restorations.
2. Develop a rough plan that shows an area best resembling a historic city district.
3. Hire architectural firms that specialize in historic replicas.
4. No hinging the whole project Bass Pro or issuing any other type of “mega” handouts to large retailers.
5. Excavate canals and lay down cobblestone streets roughly corresponding to the historic Canal District street network.
6. Build an international festival marketplace resembling a row of old buildings, a-la Quincy Market in Boston. The market will have an interior “street” that can be covered and climate controlled when necessary due to Buffalo’s waterfront being pretty much inhospitable at least a third of the year. The market will be the Canal Harbor’s main draw, not a novelty-sized bait and tackle shop. This international market will be a regional draw and a successful counterpart to the epic fail known as the Broadway Market. Some of the vendors will be seasonal, many other year-round mainstays.
7. Divide street frontage tracts into developable parcels based on historic building lot dimensions.
8. Build a few “model buildings” that illustrate how these streets should be lined.
9. Sell off tracts to developers.
10. Provide financing schemes that will encourage small businesses to locate in the district.
11. Buy a container ship worth of popcorn and watch this district slowly sprout up out of the ground. If it takes 20 years for the whole damn thing to be built out, then so be it. Re-building the Canal District in a logical, incremental and methodical manner will make a great place that will have much lasting value rather than the project we have now which basically will shoot a giant wad of public cash into erecting yet-another gimmick attraction that will look dated in 10 years.
Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation Chairman Jordan Levy has issued the following statement regarding Bass Pro and the Canal Side project:
The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation is committed to the redevelopment of Buffalo's waterfront and the vision that Canal Side will be transformational for our region's history. We have been actively engaged with Bass Pro during the long and complicated process of bringing Canal Side to this stage of implementation. Bass Pro, along with the Western New York community, has contributed valuable input that has helped ECHDC create and shape the overall plan for the project. Although we always welcome the Congressman's input and appreciate the overwhelming assistance he has given to this important project, we do anticipate being able to resolve this frustration by bringing this process to a positive conclusion in the next few weeks.
It remains our sincere desire to bring Bass Pro Shops to Canal Side as our anchor tenant and we are working closely with the company's management in Springfield, Missouri. Our development partner, Benderson Development Company, is enthusiastically engaged in the development of Canal Side and continues to have substantive discussions with not only Bass Pro, but with several additional tenants for the project. We can appreciate that this arduous process has worn on everyone's patience; however, we do believe we are acting in the best interest of the community and for Buffalo's future.
Over the last three days, a few stories have come out that seem to be disconnected, but really aren’t once you connect the dots.
Three times during the Buffalo/ECHDC CDA announcement, Larry Quinn made a point to mention that the community needs to stop focusing on Bass Pro and start calling the development “Canalside”. Quinn said, “With or without Bass Pro, this is going to be a huge development”. During that same press conference, Mayor Brown, Rep. Higgins and ECHDC Chairman Jordan Levy echoed the same sentiment.
“We’re negotiating with Bass Pro. They have a lease (proposal). We’re optimistic. We’re moving forward with that.. Bass Pro is clearly sincere, but candidly the activity that is taking place in this community is in fact having a negative effect on those negotiations.”
The Mayor offered a compromise with his proposed Community Development Agreement between ECHDC and the City of Buffalo. Essentially lifting many of the provisions of the proposed CBA (minus the living wage provision) and transferring $10MM of ECHDC funds to council districts throughout the city. Or as Councilman Mike LoCurto calls it, “A Council Bribery Agreement”. The council tabled discussion of the Mayor’s CDA, perhaps until the end of their seven-week recess. As of right now, neither agreement (CBA/CDA) has the votes to pass.
Second story of note was the coordinated leak to numerous outlets that HSBC Bank is looking to relocate from 1 HSBC Center to a location either on the Webster Block in the ECHDC area or a campus like building in the Cobblestone district.
Third story of note is Rep. Brian Higgins’ letter to Bass Pro CEO Johnny Morris. In the letter, Higgins gave Bass Pro two weeks to make a final decision on the lease agreement with ECHDC.
There are a couple of possibilities why Higgins chose to release that letter.
1.) Bass Pro has already told ECHDC that they are out and everyone is rushing to save face. If Bass Pro is out, Higgins can claim he set a deadline and Bass Pro walked, making it look like he was tough and won a victory for the community.
2.) Bass Pro is in and Higgins can claim his no-nonsense deadline setting was the impetus for the final decision. See how there is no downside for the letter? Higgins is a pretty smart politician, ya know. Cynical, but smart.
3.) Bass Pro is waiting for the city to make a decision on the living wage provision and will not sign a lease until it’s been defeated. Higgins then forces the hand of the Common Council to make a decision on the CDA in a special session within the next two weeks. All signs point to the Bass Pro CDA not having the votes necessary unless Kearns or Franczyk can be swayed to yes votes with additional lulus for their districts.
Most likely, Bass Pro will not be the anchor in Canalside, which is why there is suddenly talk about moving HSBC 300 yards down the street to serve as a development anchor.
I suspect that unless this living wage provision is scrapped within 14 days, we’re going to stream another press conference at which Larry Quinn and Jordan Levy will pretend that Bass Pro was never crucial to the development.
For those of you who can't make it to the weekly Common Council
meeting, following is the edited briefing. We included the topics that
relate to larger segments of the community. From this week's meeting as
provided by the council, here is the summary:
IMPOUND VEHICLES FOR DRUG, DWI, WEAPONS, AND NOISE VIOLATIONS--The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Fillmore District Council Member David Franczyk supporting the establishment of a City of Buffalo Vehicle Impound Program ("VIP") for vehicles violating drug, weapons and stolen property laws, loud music violations and Driving While Intoxicated ("DWI") arrests. This action was in response to the many motor vehicle operators who utilize their vehicles as a mobile office for criminal activity, use their vehicles to transport illegal narcotics, carry weapons, play disturbingly loud music, or drive their vehicles while intoxicated. The Council has increased fines for noise violations in the past, but offenders can refuse to pay the summons with little or no consequence and offenders often continue to play excessively loud music within their vehicles with little or no repercussions. The Buffalo initiative is based in part by laws enacted by the City of Peoria, Illinois which in 2004, began a Drug Vehicle Impound Program, empowering the city to tow and impound motor vehicles transporting illegal drugs and to impose towing and storage fees amounting to $525. Peoria then instituted a DWI VIP with similar fines and fees and gave law enforcement the right to impound vehicles pulled over for loud music violations. This led to an enormous decrease in the blasting of loud music from motor vehicles. The Council is directing the City of Buffalo Law Department to research the Peoria ordinance with the intent to drawing up and filing a drug, DWI, gun, stolen property, and loud music Vehicle Impound Program for the City of Buffalo with the appropriate fines and penalties. OPENING A GIFT SHOP ON THE 25TH FLOOR OF CITY HALL--The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by South District Council Member Michael Kearns supporting the idea of opening a gift shop and tourist information center on the 25th floor of City Hall. The observation deck, which is located above the 25th floor, is a major attraction for visitors to City Hall, and Buffalo because of its spectacular view of the City, Western New York and Southern Ontario. Visitors have frequently inquired about the location of a retail outlet where they can purchase snacks, souvenirs and other Buffalo themed items to commemorate their visit; although tourists are generally accustomed to having access to such amenities on site, these items cannot be purchased within City Hall. The 25th floor of City Hall has been vacant and unused for many years, and fortunately there is ample space to locate a gift shop and tourist information center. By its action, the Council requested the City of Buffalo Comptroller and Departments of Public Works, Law, and Administration and Finance to explore the feasibility of opening a gift shop and tourist information center on the 25th floor of City Hall and identify what steps would need to be taken to bring this to a reality.
WAIVE DISPOSAL FEES FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY--The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Lovejoy District Council Member Richard Fontana requesting the City of Buffalo Department of Public Works, Parks and Streets to waive disposal fees at the South Ogden Transfer Station for Habitat for Humanity for the 2010-2011 fiscal year. Habitat for Humanity has an excellent reputation as a not-for-profit organization that provides decent and affordable housing for people in the City of Buffalo but their resources are limited. The Habitat for Humanity volunteer work force continues to rehabilitate older homes and build new ones to strengthen the City by increasing home ownership and creating additional property tax revenue. The City owns the transfer station located on South Ogden Street and allows private citizens and organizations to dump bulk trash for a fee thereby alleviating heavy trash pile-ups on City streets. By waiving fees for Habitat for Humanity, the City of Buffalo will be directly reducing Habitat for Humanity's building costs and freeing up construction dollars that can be used to complete additional projects.
AUDIT OF MARINE DRIVE APARTMENTS--The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Fillmore District Council Member David Franczyk requesting the City of Buffalo Comptroller to perform an audit of the management procedures and financial record of the Marine Drive Apartments. The purpose of this resolution is to fulfill a request reviewed by the Council on June 22, 2010 from the counsel of the Marine Drive Apartments Resident Council and Association to request the City Comptroller to perform a financial and management audit of the Marine Drive Apartments under the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority ("BMHA") and Erie Regional Housing Development Corp. from September 1, 2007 to the present.
JOINT COMMISSION TO EXAMINE POLICE REORGANIZATION--The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Council Members Kearns, LoCurto, Rivera, Fontana, Haynes, and Franczyk empowering a Joint Police Reorganization Commission ("JPRC") to review the organizational structure of the Buffalo Police Department, evaluate its strength and weaknesses, and develop a plan to reorganize the Buffalo Police Department in a way which balances the need to efficiently use personnel and equipment with the responsibility for keeping neighborhood residents safe and maximizing community policing. In February of 1991, the Common Council empowered a JPRC to develop a plan to reorganize the Buffalo Police Department. In December of that year, the JPRC released a Police Reorganization Commission Report which contained several recommendations for improving police precinct and patrol services, labor relations, community involvement and controlling costs. It was claimed that by following these recommendations, that the City would have more officers on its streets. One major recommendation for improving precinct and patrol services was to consolidate the City's 14 police precincts into five police districts. These police district boundaries were restructured based upon the number of calls for service, rather than upon population or Council District boundaries. While most of the recommendations of the 1991 JPRC report were ultimately followed by the City of Buffalo, over time the population and demographics of the City have changed and the field of law-enforcement has undergone major advances, particularly in terms of technology. For these reasons, the Council maintains that a new JPRC must be established in order to address these major changes.
REQUEST TO AMEND PUBLIC HOUSING LAW SECTION 404--The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Fillmore District Council Member David Franczyk requesting the New York State Legislature to change the Public Housing Law Section 404 to grant the Buffalo Common Council the power to appoint two commissioners to the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority ("BMHA") governing board, and that the law be further amended to reduce the Mayor's appointments to the BMHA governing board by two, the net result of these changes being that the seven member BMHA governing board would have two members elected by tenants, two members appointed by the Common Council, and three members appointed by the Mayor with the five appointed board members subject to confirmation by the Common Council. The BMHA Tenant Council influences and impacts not only the lives of housing authority residents, but also the lives of residents in the adjoining neighborhoods where BMHA housing developments are located. The Common Council maintains that as elected representatives of Buffalo taxpayers, it is the responsibility of the Common Council to make sure the BMHA Tenant Council has a board of commissioners that represent the diverse needs of the greater Buffalo area as well as those of the housing agency. Granting the Common Council the authority to appoint two housing commissioners would make the BMHA governing board more transparent, accountable and representative of the needs of the City of Buffalo. The Common Council anticipates adopting a home rule message in support of a legislative amendment to Public Housing Law Section 404.
BUFFALO ECONOMIC RENAISSANCE CORPORATION PROVIDING BONUSES--The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Council Members Michael LoCurto and Michael Kearns requesting the Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corporation ("BERC"), the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency ("BURA"), and the city administration to report the names and positions of BERC's and any other appointees or employees that received bonuses for the fiscal or calendar year 2009 (except for bonuses paid to individuals pursuant to the terms and conditions of a duly authorized collective bargaining agreement), the amounts paid to each employee and the rationale for providing these bonuses. BURA is a public benefit corporation that was designed to manage the various urban renewal programs. In 2009, BURA, BERC, and the City's handling of Community Development Block Grant ("CDBG") funds came under scrutiny and the focus of special monitoring performed by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD") who reported 19 findings and two concerns relating to operational shortcomings and ineligible expenses of over $5.8 million in the administration of federal funds. In that same year BERC paid bonuses to 19 employees as reported by the Authorities budget Office in its 2009 Supplemental Budget. The Council maintains that these bonus payments do not appear warranted given the agency's recent performance.
HOLD CITIZENS PLANNING COUNCIL MEETINGS IN COMMON COUNCIL CHAMBERS--The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by South District Council Member Michael Kearns requesting that the Citizens Planning Council ("CPC") conduct all of its upcoming meetings during the capital budget process in Common Council Chambers and have such meetings open to the public and recorded for public broadcasting on Cable Access Television ("CATV") government channels. The CPC is a public body that recommends to the Mayor a capital budget for the upcoming fiscal year and a capital improvement program for the next four calendar years thereafter. The recommended capital budget and capital improvement program respectively identify proposed capital improvements, their estimated costs, as well as the annual costs of debt services, operation and maintenance. The CPC's recommendations concern every citizen in the City of Buffalo; therefore residents should be given the opportunity to comprehend the rationale and process behind the CPC's Recommended Capital Budget and Program that directly affect their communities. The Council maintains that the CPC's meetings should be held in Common Council Chambers, recorded, and broadcast on CATV, in order to increase transparency.
ORDINANCE AMENDMENT--The Council approved an ordinance amendment to Chapter 511, Section 48 of the Code of the City of Buffalo prohibiting concrete crushing in the M2 Zoning Classification. Concrete crushing includes the cutting, grinding, pulverization or other destruction or breakdown of finished concrete or concrete slabs and has been found to be hazardous to nearby residents.
ACTION PLAN FOR 2010-2011--The Council adopted its Action Plan for 2010-2011. The Action Plan consists of programs and initiatives that Council Members intend to implement within the upcoming City fiscal year. These initiatives and programs relate to strengthening City of Buffalo operations, improving quality of life for City residents, and promoting sustainable economic growth.
BANNERS TO BE HUNG IN THE CITY OF BUFFALO
• The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Ellicott District Council Member Curtis Haynes, Jr. giving permission to the Puerto Rican Day Parade of Western New York Association, Inc. to hang banners on light poles along Niagara Street between South Elmwood Avenue, from Porter Avenue to Fourth Street. The banners will celebrate the 8th Annual Puerto Rican Day Parade and will be displayed from August 28, 2010 through September 25, 2010. • The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Masten District Council Member Demone Smith giving permission to Tri-Main Development to hang 14 permanent banners on light poles on Main Street, between Rodney and Jewett Avenues. The banners will be hung to promote the company's Tri-Main Center.
SALE OF CITY OWNED PROPERTY--The Council approved the sale of the following City owned properties:
The northerly portion of 127 Clare Street was sold to Mr. Michael Wanderlich for $700
The southerly portion of 127 Clare Street was sold to Mr. Ramon Rodriguez and Mrs. Iris Rodriguez for $700
25 Whitfield Avenue was sold to Mr. Matthew Knox for $4,500
APPOINTMENTS
• The Council confirmed the following individual to the position of Commissioner within the City of Buffalo Department of Parking:
-Kevin Helfer
Photo: South District Council Member Michael Kearns (Left) congratulates Kevin Helfer (Right) upon his confirmation as Commissioner of Parking for the City of Buffalo.
• The Council denied the confirmation of the following individual to the position of Corporation Counsel within the City of Buffalo Department of Law:
-David Rodriguez
The Council appointed the following individuals to the City of Buffalo Citizens Planning Council:
• The Council appointed the following individual to the position of Legislative Assistant within the Lovejoy District Council Office:
-Bryan Bollman
• The Council appointed the following individuals to the position of Assistant Legislative Aide within the Office of the City Clerk:
-Lydell Fortune -Kathleen Harrington
• The Council appointed the following individual to the position of Assistant Legislative Aide II within the Delaware District Common Council Office:
-Alyssa Weiss
• The Council appointed the following individual to the position of Assistant Legislative Aide II within the Office of the City Clerk:
-Roxanne Chase
• The Council accepted the appointment of the following individuals to positions within the City of Buffalo Department of Permit and Inspection Services:
-James Comerford, Jr. was appointed to the position of Commissioner
-Michael Marcy was appointed to the position of Senior Special Assistant to the Commissioner of Permit and Inspection Services
• The Council approved the appointment of the following individual to the position of Compensation and Benefits Specialist within the City of Buffalo Department of Human Resources at a step above the base salary:
-Heather Machin
• The Council appointed the following individuals to the position of Intern within the Office of the City Clerk and District Council Offices:
-Ismahan Farah -Vanessa Samuel -Daneshea Dantzler
• The Council accepted the appointment of the following individuals to positions within the City of Buffalo Department of Public Works, Parks & Streets at the flat salary: Senior First Class Stationary Engineer
-Timothy Keenan
Supervising Lifeguard
-Katherine Ryan -Masha Polk -Evan Middlebrooks
Lifeguard
-Catherine Wright -Adrienna DiCioccio
LICENSE AND PERMIT APPROVALS--Upon the recommendation of its Legislation Committee and the Department of Economic Development, Permit & Inspection Services, the Council approved the following license and permit applications:
Sidewalk Café License Blue Monk located at 727 Elmwood Avenue Victor's Bar & Grille located at 1503 Hertel Avenue 4 Play Nightclub located at 45 West Chippewa Avenue
Food Store License Family Dollar Store located at 1384 Main Street Sam's Express Mart located at 880 Fillmore Avenue Amherst Food Express Mart Inc. located at 72 East Amherst Street
Ajwani Market located at 1426 Fillmore Avenue African Market Center located at 355 Grant Street South Buffalo Trading Company located at 1005 Abbott Road Downtown Enterprises, A.H. Inc. located at 2756 Bailey Avenue
Permit to Erect a Cooler Addition to the Rear of a Restaurant W. Hovey, agent of property located at 1198 Hertel Avenue (Ristorante Lombardo)
Second Hand Dealer License Fred's Small Engine located at 819 East Ferry Street
Permit for an Outdoor Patio R. Eason, agent of property located at 502 Elmwood Avenue (former Avenue Pizza and Subs)
CLAIMS, CONTRACTS, CHANGE ORDERS & AGREEMENTS
• The Council approved the following contract change orders submitted by the City of Buffalo Department of Public Works ("DPW"):
The contract with Christa Construction for the Bailey Kensington Fire Station Construction Project was increased by $30,015 to furnish and install stainless steel end panels for the dishwasher, building identification numbers, a wood patio fence, and additional upgrades and modifications. The contract was initially awarded in the amount of $2,567,000 and with this and prior changes the contract will increase to $2,612,006.
The contract with John W. Danforth Co. for the Broadway Market Boiler Replacement Project was increased by $26,367 for asbestos abatement required in the basement main boiler room. The contract was initially awarded in the amount of $167,900 and with this and prior changes the contract will increase to $194,267.
The contract with R.W. Construction Co. for the Centennial Pool Alterations Project was increased by $23,037 for additional renovations and modifications. The contract was initially awarded in the amount of $2,263,660 and with this and prior changes the contract will increase to $2,335,054.
The contract with Kandey Company Inc. for the Water Systems Improvements at Various Locations #1 Project was increased by $88,915 due to the unexpected and unknown subsurface conditions encountered at the Marine Drive Apartments Complex. The contract was initially awarded in the amount of $1,391,733 and with this change the contract will increase to $1,480,648.
The contract with Tribal Construction for the Marcy Casino North Façade and Plaza Reconstruction Project was increased by $67,648 additional renovations and modifications. The contract was initially awarded in the amount of $415,000 and with this and prior changes the contract will increase to $482,786.
The contract with Visone Construction Inc. for the Water Systems Improvements at Various Locations #2 Project was increased by $210,808 due to the additional paving required and the installation of a new pipe in an existing water main trench. The contract was initially awarded in the amount of $1,399,092 and with this and prior changes the contract will increase to $1,749,810.
The contract with TVGA Architectural & Engineering Inc. for the Water Distributions at Various Locations #1 Project was increased by $108,750 for additional services related to the design and construction inspection of the presently ongoing contract work. The contract was initially awarded in the amount of $159,900 and with this and prior changes the contract will increase to $293,910.
The contract with Watts Architectural & Engineering Inc. for the Water Distributions at Various Locations #2 Project was increased by $169,395 for additional services related to the design and construction inspection of the presently ongoing contract work. The contract was initially awarded in the amount of $105,653 and with this and prior changes the contract will increase to $369,248.
Upon the request of the City of Buffalo Department of Strategic Planning the Council:
Authorized a renewed lease agreement between the City of Buffalo and the North Buffalo Community Development Corporation for operation of the Lafayette Ice Rink located at 124 Tacoma Avenue. The lease covers the period May 21, 2010 through May 20, 2011 and includes various terms and conditions.
Upon the request of the City of Buffalo Department of Administration, Finance, Policy and Urban Affairs, the Council:
Authorized the sale of junk vehicles to three licensed vehicle dismantlers. For the categories of, all vehicles picked up by the vendor, the contract was awarded to M&M U Pull It for $210 for each vehicle; for all vehicles delivered by the City to the vendor, the contract was awarded to South Buffalo Auto for $225 for each vehicle; for all heavy equipment picked up by the vendor and for all heavy equipment delivered by the City to the vendor, the contract was awarded to All Metal Inc. for $150 for each vehicle.
Upon the request of the City of Buffalo Department of Public Works ("DPW"), the Council:
Authorized a license agreement between the City of buffalo and Niagara Group LP for use of the city right-of-way on Staats Street to permit construction of secure parking, guard stations, and fencing to accommodate the Federal Bureau of Investigation ("FBI") building at 48-50 South Elmwood Avenue.
Authorized the extension of the agreement with New York State Industries for the Disabled, Inc. for janitorial services provided at the City Court Building. The agreement covers the period July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011.
Authorized DPW to purchase two New Holland T4020 2wd Tractors, four 9'6" fisher V-plows, and two Alamo 88 inch superdury rear flail, center mount Cutter Decks for the total amount of $75,580.
Authorized the hiring of Siemens Industry, Inc. to perform design, implementation, construction inspection and administration services for Buffalo Water Treatment Plant water pumping system upgrades and modernization.
Authorized the hiring of an engineering consultant to assist with the review of the Federal Emergency Management Agency ("FEMA") flood plain maps for the South Buffalo and Old First Ward areas. The engineering consultant will review the flood plain maps and check the maps for accuracy.
Authorized David Homes to manage the energy efficiency grant of $2,736,900 from the Federal Stimulus Grant awarded to the City of Buffalo for the Renewable Energy Upgrades to City Facilities Project.
Upon the request of the City of Buffalo Department of Police, the Council:
Authorized the purchase of up to 15 new marked Ford Crown Victorias to replace vehicles that have already been removed from the fleet because they were beyond their useful life.
Upon the request of the City of Buffalo Department of Law, the Council:
Authorized the contract with the Buffalo Municipal Housing Authority ("BMHA") permitting the Buffalo Police Department to provide supplemental police services at various BMHA housing developments. The contract will reimburse the City for expenses associated with a Buffalo Police Housing Unit consisting of 18 police officers and two lieutenants who will report to and work under the direction of a Buffalo Police Captain. The City will be paid at a rate of $63.96 per officer per hour with total compensation not to exceed $650,000, court time costs will be separately billed.
Upon the request of the City of Buffalo Office of Strategic Planning, the Council:
Authorized a renewed lease agreement between the City of Buffalo and the United States of America acting through the United States Coast Guard for the use of Strawberry Island. The Coast Guard maintains a light on Strawberry Island as a navigational aid for boaters. The lease covers the period October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011 with the Coast Guard being responsible for the maintenance, operation replacement and repairs of Strawberry Island.
Upon the request of the City of Buffalo Planning Board, the Council:
Authorized the City Planning Board to be the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act ("SEQR") lead agency for the purpose of analyzing the environmental impact of the following Projects:
Renovation of Building Project at 437 Broadway
Conference Space/ Building Renovation Project at 656 Genesee Street
Head Start Day Care Project at 1461 Main Street
The Council approved the reports of bids from the City of Buffalo Department of Public Works for the following projects:
Broadway MarketHVAC Unit Replacement Project. This project is for the HVAC unit replacement at the Broadway Market in the Fillmore District. Of the bids that were received, Greater Niagara Mechanical was the lowest with a bid of $94,700.
Broadway Market Roof Reconstruction Project. This project is for the reconstruction of the roof at the Broadway Market in the Fillmore District. Of the bids that were received, Grove Roofing Services was the lowest with a bid of $52,800.
South Basin Improvements Project. This project is for the south basin improvements at the Colonel Ward Pumping Station located in the Niagara and Ellicott Districts. Of the bids that were received, STC Construction Inc. was the lowest with a bid of $1,433,916.
Fargo Avenue Reconstruction Project. This project is for reconstruction and modifications to Fargo Avenue located in the Niagara District. Of the bids that were received, Mark Cerrone Construction Inc. was the lowest with a bid of $1,006,551.
Colvin Estates - Subdivision Development Phase I Project. This project is for the development of a roadway, a storm sewer, water lines, and a sanitary sewer in the Colvin Estates. Of the bids that were received, Milherst Construction was the lowest with a bid of $1,057,735.
PUSH Buffalo’s Aaron Bartley headed down to DC with National People’s Action to let federal regulators know that we need real investment in our backyards!
Orchard Park, NY – The Buffalo Bills announced Wednesday that tickets will be made available for the “Fan Appreciation Night” practice on Wednesday, August 4, 2010 during the Verizon Wireless Train...
Clunk... Clunk.... Clunk... That was the sound that we heard last evening while sitting out on Prospero's patio. When we looked to see what was making the sound, we were baffled when we saw two young guys flipping an oversized tractor tire down Orton Place. They were taking turns lifting the tire, over and over... Clunk! "Don't they know that the easiest way to move a tire is to roll it...", my friend pointed out. We all got a kick out of that, but at the same time our curiosity got the best of us and we got up from the table to go see what they were up to.
Not only did we discover that the two guys in question were flipping the tire as part of a workout regimen, we also discovered that someone from our own group (Rachel) was interested in attempting the feat. Now, by this time we had learned that Max (photo) was an instructor at KC's Fitness (just around the corner), and he was in the midst of training a client via one of the more unusual workout programs - one that had been designed to increase leg and upper body strength just like the strongman competitions. Rachel did accomplish the task at hand, yet admitted that it wasn't exactly easy. I'm sure that Drew (the student who was doing half of the lifting) was relieved to get a short break, since the tire exercise was to continue around the entire block!
If you want to join in on the fun, you can either stop by Prospero for a cocktail on the patio to witness the unusual program, or make an appointment at KC's Fitness... the choice is yours!
It’s a matter of black and white, says Ryan Murdough, Republican candidate for the State House in Grafton County’s 8th District.
No room for gray area. And no room for Asians or Hispanics or Jews or African-Americans or American Indians, either.
Just Americans. Real Americans. Plymouth Rock Americans. White Americans who bleed red, white and blue. Uncle Sam wants them. To anyone else, don’t let Lady Liberty hit you on the butt on your way out of New York Harbor.
You’re not welcome here.
“I would like to preserve what we have before it gets totally out of control,” Murdough, a 30-year-old father of two young boys, said last week. “The more it becomes non-white, the more it’s going to become a much different place to live, for white people especially.”
Just remember that he’s not a racist:
“I would ask you about your version of racist,” Murdough said. “The word does not have a specific definition. If someone says, ‘You seem to hate people who aren’t white,’ I say no, so I can’t really be a racist, because I don’t hate them. I just don’t want to live around areas that are heavily, predominantly non-white.”
Seems like an airtight defense to me!
Murdough reveres the founding fathers, but Abraham Lincoln? “One of the worst presidents ever. He waged war against the South.”
Slave owners good, Great Emancipator bad. Alrighty!
Martin Luther King Jr.? Don’t get him started. King was a prostitute-chasing communist who plagiarized his work in college, Murdough says. The heck with the civil rights movement King led. Murdough doesn’t believe in that cause anyway.
“He wasn’t out for civil rights,” Murdough said. “He was out for the black man. If you argue against something that’s politically correct, such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Jewish issues, you’re persona non grata.”
Ahh, the magic words: “politically correct.” Think about the kind of power that Murdough (and others on the right) invest in those words. Murdough calls for an end to non-white immigration, advocates a kind of soft ethnic cleansing and trashes MLK, yet he isn’t a racist — he’s just a victim of “political correctness.” Those words seem to have the power to excuse anything!
This is an extreme example, of course, but a very similar phenomenon exists within the more mainstream sections of the conservative movement. Sticking close to home, for example, Carl Paladino sought to excuse his racist emails as “politically incorrect.“ It takes a special kind of person to compare Obama to a blaxploitation pimp or an “uncivilized” African tribesman — to say nothing of the “Run, Niggers, Run!” picture — and then claim to be taking a brave stand against the liberal thought police. You have to hand it to conservatives — they’ve got chutzpah.
But here’s the thing — “political correctness” doesn’t exist. I know something of the Left and academia — those supposed hotbeds of “political correctness” — and I can tell you that it isn’t there. I’ve been in hundreds of meetings, dozens of protests, and who-knows-how-many offhand conversations, and I’ve never once heard an actual member of the Left accuse anyone of being “politically incorrect.” I’ve been in classrooms — on both sides of the desk — for a few years now, and the same holds true there, as well. Folks in both locales are concerned about racism, sexism and homophobia, of course, but “political correctness” isn’t even on the radar.
That’s because, for all intents and purposes, “political correctness” was invented by the right as a strawman that would help ease the expression of putrid ideas that had been effectively stigmatized and repudiated after decades of struggle and progress. Anytime someone mentions “political correctness” they are — knowingly or not — paving the way for racists and other assorted scum to move further into the mainstream of our political life. It’s one of the most powerful frames of the last several decades, and decent people should refuse to play along.
One of my favorite moments as a TV critic came when I visited a friend who used to be the TV critic for the Boston Globe.
One night, I sat down with him to watch the local news and instinctively criticized it. The criticism included some catty comments about the veteran anchor team, which at the time were husband and wife.
This shocked me. “Boy, he got the better of the deal,” I said.
Then I criticized just about everything about the newscast as my friend took mental notes.
He ended up writing a column about my criticism that didn’t please a female producer or director in Boston. The female called up a lawyer in Buffalo she knew and immediately asked: “Who is the a-hole TV critic in Buffalo?”
The lawyer’s deadpan response was: “That a-hole is my brother-in-law.”
Which brings me to a recent visit to Buffalo by a friend from Toronto who used to be a TV critic and grew up thinking all of Buffalo was on fire when Channel 7’s Irv Weinstein anchored the news.
The name of the critic is being withheld to save the a-hole comments. We watched the first 10 minutes of the news on Channel 2 and Channel 4 Tuesday.
Channel 2’s newscast included a Google earth shot of where one story happened.
“I loved the Google earth,” dryly noted my Toronto friend. “It is like they are saying, ‘yes, we have computers.’”
When anchor Maryalice Demler appeared, the Toronto critic was amused by her appearance.
“Anchors don’t look real people,” noted the critic. “They look like wives looked 15 years ago. She is wearing an orange shirt and has streaks in her hair. It isn’t her fault. That’s what they make you look like in TV news. They all look like robots.”
The critic was also amused by the people interviewed on the Channel 2 newscast, including a long-haired lawyer.
“This guy is his lawyer,” said the critic. “Holy crap! Seriously?”
The Congressman Brian Higgins appeared.
“That guy needs better hair,” noted the critic. “Does everyone in Buffalo need a haircut?”
I explained that Higgins is a very hard-working congressman.
After the coverage of a stabbing, a sex arrest and a few other less than big news stories, it was off to Channel 4 and anchors Don Postles and Jacquie Walker.
“These guys are like Greek gods,” noted the critic. “These guys are so much better. It is like we were watching a college station and graduated to a grown up station. Even the video looks better. Suddenly it is like watching real TV.”
The critic then noted something else about the people being interviewed in stories.
“There are a lot of fat people in Buffalo,” the critic noted.
Hey, pizza and chicken wings tend to do that.
Then there was amusing video of Jacquie Walker in her stocking feet in an open convertible waving to the crowd at Canal Fest.
“She looks like Malibu Barbie,” said the critic. “It is so Buffalo. I am a celebrity. I’m in the car but I don’t want to get the seats dirty.”
“In local news, people should look like family,” added the critic in approval. “It’s not like I’m standing up reading the news and looking so cool like they do on Channel 2… TV viewers don’t want anyone in local news to be cool.”
The critic also was impressed more by Channel 4’s presentation of a crime story than Channel 2’s. Then Channel 4’s Postles was standing up reading some news.
“But it’s in a more real way,” the critic noted. “Do you think Don Postles wants to be cool? No. Does the audience want him to be cool? No.”
Then she noted Postles’ complexion: “Do you not want your local newscaster to look orange and wise?”
With the quick critique over, the critic had one thing to add to hold off any a-hole remarks from blog readers: “Please tell people I really do love Buffalo.”
A Buffalo Common Council source told me their strategy for dealing with with Mayor Brown’s nominee for police commissioner is essentially, “Derenda delenda est“.
Later today, at a special session, Byron Brown will resubmit Dan Derenda’s name as his nominee to be Buffalo’s next police commissioner. This came after the council held up the nomination in committee last week and essentially tabled a vote on Derenda until the completion of the their seven-week summer break. Since that meeting to table Derenda’s nomination, we were treated to a special hearing with Buffalo Human Resources Commissioner Karla Thomas, at which she was unable to lend credibility to the Mayor’s claim that a national search for a commissioner was undertaken.
This supposed “national search” resulted in a nominee who lacks a college degree or extensive professional training, lacks command experience, may/may not live in the City of Buffalo and whose main qualification appears to be his resume submission to http://geocities.com/friends_of_steve_casey. As I said the other day, the issue isn’t necessarily Derenda’s qualifications (or lack thereof), but rather the ham-handed way the process was handled by the Brown administration.
There was no need to promise a national search for the job when they had no intention of actually conducting one. Not following through and not being transparent about the process only gave their political opponents the opportunity to debunk the Mayor’s story. Which they are doing with great enthusiasm.
The council did not take up the matter of Derenda’s nomination during their regularly scheduled meeting yesterday. There was debate as to whether or not the Mayor could legally resubmit Derenda’s nomination on short notice and rather than fight out the charter legalities on the floor, the Mayor pulled the nomination.
Today, he’ll resubmit and we’ll see some political fireworks from Councilmen Kearns, Rivera and LoCurto, the three staunchest members of the Derenda opposition camp. Derenda has support from Grassroots-affiliated Demone Smith, Bonnie Russell and Joe Golombek. Rich Fontana has also stated that he intends to vote in the affirmative, which means Mayor Brown only needs one more vote for confirmation. Ellicott Councilman Curtis Haynes has not given an indication of what he intends to do, but he voted to table last week and generally votes with the ECDC/Hoyt affiliated members of the Council.
This makes Council President Dave Franczyk the man of the hour. What will he do? I suspect Franczyk can be convinced that it’s in the interest of the city to fill the position and not wait two months for the Mayor to submit Derenda’s name again. The Council has extracted enough political blood from the Mayor at this point and it’s probably time to move on.
In other news at the council, Kevin Helfer got his patronage job as parking czar and the ECDC Democrats voted down Mayor Brown’s nomination of Grassroots-affiliated David Rodriguez to serve as Corporation Counsel to the City. They also tabled the Bass Pro Community Development Agreement, perhaps until after the recess.
