The Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) held its final budget workshop on Friday, October 29. At that time, they decided that attorneys providing counsel to the Common Council, Planning Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Historic Preservation Commission would not receive a flat fee. Rather they would be paid by the hour and would be in attendance at meetings only when they were needed. Council president Tom DePietro opined that "maybe the Planning Board will be more efficient" if its legal counsel is being paid by the hour. In recent years, Planning Board meetings have been known to go on for four and sometimes as many as five hours.
The next step for the budget is a public hearing, which has yet to be scheduled.
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Sound like Tom has a problem with the Planning Board.
ReplyDeleteTom DePietro is taking a dig at the Planning Board because at last he's realized that the Common Council has NO AUTHORITY WHATSOEVER over the Board.
ReplyDeleteHe also realizes that if the Council is holding meetings about applications before the Planning Board hey should be public meetings, and that the only reason he's hiding behind "attorney-client privilege" is to help shield Cheryl Roberts from the stupid dilemma she created for herself, and of course now for Tom and the Council, too.
The Planning Board would be more 'efficient' if competent counsel was hired for the job.
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
DeleteYou said it.
ReplyDeleteTom DePietro was Chair of Plannuing Board , followed Walter Chatam who resigned to be GalVan's architect. Niether of them were
ReplyDeletecut out for that position.