Gloversville committee report gives its ‘opinion’ Rowback was ‘untruthful’ | The Daily Gazette
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GLOVERSVILLE The Common Council on Wednesday night voted 5-2 to adopt the conclusions of the Special Investigation Committee report on the conduct of Councilman-at-large William Rowback Jr. including that he exceeded his authority in threatening to fire city employees, exposed the city to potential lawsuits and was “untruthful” to the committee when giving testimony under oath.
The report states that it is the committee’s “opinion that Rowback’s responses were untruthful and that the information provided by the other witnesses was credible.”
Although the report is based on sworn testimony, the investigation was not subject to the evidence standards of a criminal probe, and appears unlikely to result in criminal charges.
manich@leaderherald.com
GLOVERSVILLE The Common Council on Wednesday night voted 5-2 to adopt its Special Investigation Committee’s report on Councilman-At-Large William Rowback Jr., a document that accused him of “harassment” and “intimidation” against city employees.
The panel comprised of 6th Ward Councilman Wrandy Siarkowski, chairman, 2nd Ward Councilman Arthur Simonds, and 1st Ward Councilwoman Marcia Weiss called a special council meeting at City Hall to publicly air the report.
Siarkowski spent about 30 minutes reading the report, which was adopted 5-2. Voting yes were: Siarkowski, Simonds, Weiss, 5th Ward Councilman Jay Zarelli, and 3rd Ward Councilwoman Betsy Batchelor. Voting no were Rowback and 4th Ward Councilwoman Ellen Anadio.
BLM activist set to run against retired deputy for Gloversville council seat | The Daily Gazette
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On Saturday, Lashawn Hawkins, candidate for city councilperson-at-large, did one of the things she’s best known for in Fulton County, conducting a peaceful “SAY HER NAME Breonna Taylor” memorial protest at the Four Corners in Gloversville.
The event marked the one-year anniversary that Taylor, 26, an emergency room technician, was shot to death in her apartment in Louisville, Kentucky by police officers conducting what has been described as a botched drug raid. After forcing entry into her apartment, police exchanged gunfire with Taylor’s boyfriend, who survived and was not criminally charged, but she was killed by police in her bed. Her family has since settled a wrongful death lawsuit with the city of Louisville for $12 million, but her story did not initially receive the national attention it would gain later in the summer after the police killing of Ge
Garbage privatization will save Gloversville money, city public works director says | The Daily Gazette
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GLOVERSVILLE Department of Public Works Director Chris Perry said the city’s decision to hire a private garbage hauler will allow his department to eliminate four DPW jobs through attrition, saving the city $225,000 in salary and benefit costs every year going forward.
The Common Council voted 5-2 on Feb. 23 to contract with Clifton Park-based Twin Bridges Waste and Recycling to take over for the city’s six-man garbage collection service.
Mayor Vince DeSantis and the proponents of the deal have argued that converting the city to a private hauler will save the city at least $500,000 over the four years of the contract and city residents will see improved service with garbage pails provided to them by Twin Bridges and collection occurring five days per week instead of the current four-day system.
Gloversville will pay $25k to establish homeless shelter | The Daily Gazette
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GLOVERSVILLE The Common Council voted 7-0 Tuesday night to contribute $25,000 toward the establishment of a Code Blue temporary homeless shelter to operate between Jan. 15 and April 30 at 144 E. Fulton St.
Tuesday’s council vote came after months of wrangling over the issue of where a homeless shelter should be established in Gloversville.
“We’ve been working very hard on finding an alternative location that would be acceptable for the Code Blue shelter, other than the 33 Bleecker St. site,” Mayor Vince DeSantis told the council. “This is enabled by virtue of the change in the zoning law that we effectuated Jan. 1, which allowed Code Blue shelters in the commercial zone.”