Yesterday’s SUN Column mentioned:
The Pawtucketville Citizens Council, which has urged both the city and state to get the CKBM to comply with the law, has referred to the CKBM as “serial violators” who “rather ask for forgiveness than permission
The Manager’s appointment, Mr. Khoeun downplayed his connection to and the temple project’s many violations of the law, saying he was brought on after many of them occurred.
It appears that Deb Forgione Chairman of the PCC isn’t just urging the Manager to reconsider, she is lobbying Lowell City Councilors trying to derail this appointment.
Being an Election year once has to wonder if the Council will try to appease a Neighborhood group or support the Manager’s choice.
Here’s a copy of the Letters sent to the City Councilors.
From: Pawtucketville Citizens
Date: Sun, Jan 6, 2013 at 7:12 AM
Subject: Important please read about 34 Building, Zoning and Conservation Violations
Councilors,
I am sending this information to you because it was brought to my attention that you may not know the applicant or his role as a project manager.
I have attached a spread sheet for your review and a copy of the email I sent to Adam Baacke.
I would encourage you to speak to Aaron Clausen to get the true account of what has happened to the project under the managers pick for LHA. 5 year appt. I have over 100 emails and 50 pictures of all the violations. You can also view Conservation Meetings and minutes with the applicant as the project manager.
I also have the DEP decision to deny the project which we received 1-3-13( I can send on request, but the City should have it for you to see). The decision sites their vioaltions as well. The DPD has all this information. Kendra is gone but she must have left behind all the emails we exchanged. Aaron has been involved and knows the man hours and effort that have gone into and it is still on going. We also have the documents we provided to the DEP to appeal the Conservation decision …which as we know now 1-3-13 DEP has denied the project.
John Hamblet Co-Chair and I would be glad to provide first hand accounts of the situation as well as provide emails and pictures if the City does not .
Thank you
Deb Forgione
Chairman of the PCC
———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Baacke, Adam
Date: Sat, Jan 5, 2013 at 8:07 AM
Subject: RE: 34 Building, Zoning and Conservation Violations
To: “pawtucketvillecitizens@gmail.com”
Cc: “Clausen, Aaron”
I have forwarded your email to him.
Adam Baacke, Assistant City Manager/DPD Director
Pawtucketville Citizens wrote:
Adam
Does the City Manager know that the suggested appointee for the LHA has been in charge of the project at 48 Townsend Ave?
1 year and 6 months later of almost weekly televised meetings and over 100 emails detailing the violations and 99.9% proved violations. You also have the list of the 34 violations on a spread sheet to detail the violations. He is a suggested LHA appointee?
You and your department have spent hours on this project and the suggested appointee is in charge of the project,…with 34 violations.
With Kendra gone, the detailed history may not have gotten to the City Manager. I have copies of then well over 100,plus anyone can view the Conservation Meetings or read the minutes.
I think it would be to the best interest of the administration and the City to make sure the City Manager has all this information when the vote comes up
Deb
___________________________________________________________________
Library Exit
I have been told of a A Library Asst. resigning last week, giving only a few days notice (and leaving in 1 or 2) and citing harassment by the Asst. Director and other supervisors as part of her reason for leaving. The fact that she has moved to Connecticut may also be a major factor.
She was brought over to the HR office where she was talked with in an exit interview and to be able to share her concerns (a common practise in most businesses) about how she felt so that HR can look into any serious allegations.
There is also another Sex offender in the Library viewing inappropriate material email making the rounds. Again accusing the Supervisor / Asst. Director of not acting on it (which I have found out is false.)
With over 1,000 City workers can we not expect some to be unhappy and not to like their boss or supervisors? I see that first hand as the GM of a company so in my view it is not a huge issue…wanna bet some people try to make it one?
Gerry,
As a member of the Executive Board of the PCC, I support our co-chair Ms Forgione and the letter sent on behalf of the neighborhood group. This was not a letter written solely by the co-chair but a letter from the PCC so call us all out on it vs. just our co-chair.
The facts are the facts on the project and those involved. Involved is involved. The project manager is the project manager. His name is on paperwork as far back as 2011. You are also welcome to read Conservation minutes and violations. ( yes, serial violations/ acts of irreverence or desecration, infringement of rules) We (P.C.C.) work hard to protect the best interest of our neighborhood and the city of Lowell. This would be an 5 yr appointment to the troubled LHA. It is in the city’s interest to know the facts about the managing skills/ mismanaging/ lack of skills of a candidate.
This is not a case of “appeasing” a neighborhood group, it’s a case of PROTECTING the city and it’s interest at large. WE, the citizens are who elect the people to represent our interest in our neighborhoods/city. It is not US against the manager. It is US, stating our concerns to our elected officials and the manager. We have facts to support our concerns. We’re not just spewing discord for the sake of discord. Our intentions are of the highest good, based on facts and history of disregard for rules and laws.
In reading your “derailment” terminology, I interpert it to mean that manager is railroading the appointment. Are you suggesting the manager is, indeed, railroading the appointment? I certainly hope that he is not.
Please feel free to attend any one of our monthly meetings held the 1st Mon of the month at 7pm, Wang School. Cover our neighborhood projects, our involvement in the city wide neighborhood group, our involvement in the City of Lowell Master Plan and the Pawtucketville Master Plan, our involvement with the schools and neighborhood gardens, or our neighborhood clean-ups, our community policing, the State Forest, our working with the University of Lowell, Lowell General Hospital and many other positive things everyday citizens are involved with to make our neighborhood and city thrive. How about a shout out for our 40th anniversay as a neighborhood group? 40 years of everyday people, who care about the integrity of our neighborhood and our city. 40 years of people trying to do the right thing, not for a paycheck, but for the love of community. We are the voice for those who affect our way of life, our love of Pawtucketville, our concern that the right thing is being done for the right reason. I speak up because if I don’t there will be noone to speak up for me. As you are aware, problems with my own homebuilding experience brought me to the P.C.C. People like Ann Welcome, Ray Hoag, Al Hebert and others were there to help. I, in turn, am paying it forward by being involved in keeping the integrity of our neighborhood and educating folks from other towns/cities and our own neighbors on what a great place Lowell is to live and work. This is why activism is different from politics, and why neighborhood groups are an integral part in what makes our city better.
As a sidenote~ The state has agreed with our concerns that the DEP laws on wetlands be enforced and the entire project rejected. The violations existed and our concerns were merited. No wonder Mr. Khoeun downplayed his connection. We, as lay people, were aware of the laws. Why weren’t the project managers aware, act irreverantly to repeated violations, and why would you appoint someone like that to LHA? Also, if the search was national, I’d be interested to know how many applicants there were/are, where they were from, and what experience they have. If it’s not my business, it should be the councils business. It is our job, as the voting public to hold our elected officials accountable. The councilors know that and have always, in my experience, been open to listening to concerns.
Regards
K J Nutter
Please note: I am not a blog reader. This was brought to my attention by someone who does read blogs. Since I am not aware of who other bloggers are, or which blogs they write, I’m responding to yours as a concerned, informed citizen and a P.C.C. executive board member.
( for those who will ask, I am Gerry’s sister. We agree to disagree, and both have made disclaimers when asked about each other! lol)
My older and wiser sister at that! Kathie is the Postal Clerk downtown and has had to put up with people asking Did you hear what your brother said or wrote?
Nice to have you on the BLOG and Best Wishes on your upcoming retirement!