Nea McKinney resigned as Commissioner of Senior Services in February 2025. Eight months later, no one has been appointed to take her place.
Last month, Maija Reed resigned as Youth Commissioner, and the position has already been filled.
In his report to the Common Council at its informal meeting on Tuesday, Calvin Lewis, director of the Youth Department, reported that Sonja Okun has been appointed to the position of Youth Commissioner.
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| Okun (center) with Lewis and Reed |
Okun was on the steering committee for the new comprehensive plan, serves on the board of Kite's Nest, and is currently running unopposed for Third Ward supervisor.
What exactly are the Youth Commissioner's duties and responsibilities? Does anyone know, including the commissioner and director? What can residents expect they do?
ReplyDeleteCarole, you should have noted the distinction between the Youth and Senior commissioner positions. The latter heads (headed) the department, the former does not. Correct?
According to the charter, Bill, both commissioners are considered heads of their departments. See C24-2 (Youth) and C27A-2 (Senior Services). Also the "Powers and Duties" of the two commissioners, as defined in the charter, are virtually the same. Compare C-24-8 and C27A-7.
DeleteAnd therein lies the problem, right? We all know that the youth commissioner does not act as the head of the department, but the Senior commissioner does, or did. The code/charter also says that the police Commissioner is the head of HPD. If that be true, then Kamal had better hurry and appointment a new permanent head of his police department.
DeleteIt's not rocket science: Bad things and stupid, regrettable, sometimes expensive mistakes and poor choices, even graft, tend to occur when organizations are poorly structured and there is confusion as to who is supposed to be doing what and who is accountable to who. Businesses and municipalities who don't steer clear of disorganization and structural dysfunction have one thing in common: they never succeed. In other words, they always fail. It's just a matter of when, not if.
Well put, Bill. But right now, the most dysfunctional BIG organization we have in our midst is the Hudson City School District. It manages to spend $30k per kid of taxpayer money but only educates (i.e. basic reading and writing) about a third of them. Feed those facts into your "not rocket science" analysis. --peter meyer
DeleteI can't even wrap my head around that dysfunction, Peter.
DeleteWhich commissioner roles are vacant, and which are filled?
ReplyDeleteShouldn’t there be consistency across the City?
Are commissioners meant to provide oversight for residents, or to shield departments from resident oversigh?
At present, it seems we have both, depending on the department.
Several years ago at a council meeting with Nick Zachos (?) and Maija Reed in attendance, I asked her if she would explain to me and the council what exactly her role was as the Youth Commissioner. She had no interest in saying anything, and Tommy D thought my question was inappropriate, shutting me down again. Talk about creepy!
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to note that Maija left her post soon after Calvin Lewis took over at the Youth Department. Coincidence or connection?
We are bad people for bringing this all up. We’re local politics nerds. Everything is being handled. Just shut up and pay your taxes! They got it. No need for Charter Reform! The Community™️ has it under control.
ReplyDelete