ROTTERDAM — A discussion on whether Deputy Supervisor Wayne Calder acted unethically by influencing decisions related to ambulance service — when his son-in-law works for a competing for-profit ambulance company — turned ugly Wednesday night.
The meeting at Town Hall followed Rotterdam Emergency Medical Services Director of Operations Dean Romano’s complaint, filed with the town’s Ethics Board in December, which called for an investigation into the “public ethics violation and political corruption that exists within the town of Rotterdam government.”
Romano alleged that Calder’s involvement was an issue because his son-in-law works for Mohawk Ambulance, a for-profit group that has sought to be the town’s emergency service provider for more than a decade.
In the letter, Romano wrote that REMS, the town’s longtime nonprofit ambulance service provider, lost nearly $75,000 in revenue when Calder had emergency calls switched to Mohawk for nearly a month in fall of 2013, from Nov. 18 to Dec. 13. On Wednesday, Romano and Calder debated whether REMS was fully licensed to serve the town when Calder had Mohawk Ambulance set up in the town Senior Center and took over emergency services from REMS.
“You had certain medications you couldn’t carry, am I correct?” Calder asked.
“You are not correct,” Romano said.
“Well then the [Supervisor Harry Buffardi is] wrong,” Calder responded.
Stan Wilgocki, a paramedic for REMS who lives in Guilderland and grew up in Rotterdam, interjected.
“Perhaps if he had returned any of the calls he would have gotten that information,” he said.
“Well what do you have to do with this?” Calder asked.
“I’m a REMS employee,” Wilgocki responded.
“You’re a resident of the town of Guilderland, right?” Calder asked.
“Correct,” Wilgocki said.
“I know where you are,” Calder said.
Wilgocki: “I know where you are, too. That wasn’t a threat, was it?”
Calder: “No.”
Romano, in his complaint, also asked that Buffardi sign an emergency services contract as defined in a request for proposals issued by the Town Board in December 2013. The Town Board voted 3-2 to award the contract to REMS over Mohawk, but negotiations have been ongoing ever since. Calder and Buffardi voted against giving REMS the five-year contract.
Ethics Board member Cheryl Hill asked Romano if a signed contract would change his stance.
“If the contract was a signed contract, would we be here tonight?” she asked.
“We would be, because of the unethical behavior,” Romano said. “The fact that the contract is not signed is fruit of the unethical behavior.”
In defending Calder, his attorney, John Polster, referenced a letter submitted to the Ethics Board by Town Attorney Kate McGuirl last fall when Jennifer Secko filed a similar ethics complaint in advance of the December vote on emergency services — the complaint was eventually dismissed by the Ethics Board. The letter stated that Calder would need to receive a financial benefit from Mohawk, which he has not, for a conflict to exist.
“I don’t have it in front of me, but it’s my understanding that [McGuirl] submitted to this body a letter last year outlining some law with respect to what a conflict of interest is, that there were a number of cases sited, and it’s clear that there has to be some financial interest,” he said.
Calder, in defending himself, said he has had no role in negotiating the contract — that’s between REMS, Buffardi and McGuirl, he said.
“And I agree he should sign the contract,” Calder said. “We lost the vote; they won, they won. But he’s the only one that’s doing it. I had no part in it.”
Romano’s attorney, Terence Hannigan, said the Ethics Board should look to the Town Code for guidance in making its decision.
“All we’re looking for from you is a finding, an affirmative finding, I think the inevitable finding, that yeah, there was a conflict of interest, and he didn’t deal with it properly as a town official,” Hannigan said. “And I don’t think you can come to any other conclusion if you read the Town Code.”
Don DeAngelus, the Ethics Board’s attorney, opened the meeting by reading from the section of the Town Code that deals with ethics.
One purpose of the town ethics law, he read, was to “ensure that town officers and employees, whether elected or appointed, paid or unpaid, be independent, impartial and free from conflicts of interest in fulfilling their public responsibilities.”
Following the hour-long meeting, the board went into executive session. But first, DeAngelus said the board would not be voting on anything that night.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I don't have a horse in this race...and I could give a crap who gets the contract..... BUT....Mohawk was considered years before Calder was ever on the town board.
so realistically......rems is wrong is suggesting Mohawk was a consideration because of calder's relative. that's is actually laughable since ....and again.....Mohawk has been considered for years....long before anyone even knew who wayne calder was!!
rems=fail
imho
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I don't have a horse in this race...and I could give a crap who gets the contract..... BUT....Mohawk was considered years before Calder was ever on the town board.
so realistically......rems is wrong is suggesting Mohawk was a consideration because of calder's relative. that's is actually laughable since ....and again.....Mohawk has been considered for years....long before anyone even knew who wayne calder was!!
rems=fail
imho
Makes no difference if they were the incumbent or had been considered over the years or whatever... issue is, as stated "...whether Deputy Supervisor Wayne Calder acted unethically by influencing decisions ..." He is accused of attempting to influence the decision toward Mohawk, and the fact he has relation working for them is why. If this were a issue in a corporation, there is no doubt that Mr. Calder would have had to excuse himself completely from any discussion or influence on the topic because of ethical issues. Should be no different for the town...actually should be exactly the same! He was wrong, knows he was wrong, thought he could just let it slide under the radar, and HE GOT CAUGHT. He should be sanctioned!
JUST BECAUSE SISSY SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO...BUT HE THINKS IT DOES!!!!! JUST BECAUSE MC1 SAYS SO DOESN'T MAKE IT SO!!!!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
my thought is this......Mohawk may have been on the plate....for years....but there wasn't enough good food .to shoot down REMS....now,
this REGIME is biased, discriminatory, abusive, and out of line in carrying on their rule of government...
REMS is the choice of the residents....and that counts more than any vote from the Board....who is supposedly representative of the people..
isn't that what democracy is about???? the not words political DEMS which sounds more like a REGIME.
IT'S ABOUT CONSOLIDATION!!!!!
the person who gets control of that switch becomes the largest government paid stooge...simple....
Mohawk will become that stooge.....
just like police consolidation will turn into the sheriffs dept...no more LLC police forces.....although the government COULD go either way here....private or government.....
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
and don't forget....there's a 'windfall' of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ from the state/governor to municipalities to consolidate...not to sure where that all gets earmarked, but my guess is more for raises/COLA's etc.......
but remember, once that windfall has lost it's blow....the posterity left is still there with no further cost savings....
robbing peter to pay paul shell game...
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
... In defending Calder, his attorney, John Polster, referenced a letter ...
Ah city of Schenectady stooge of McThief, Schenectady attorney
Just sayin'
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
first i am clearly NO FAN OF WC!!!! but lets get real here folks!!!! it's just too funny that everyone was their panties in a twist cause WC has a relative that works for mohawk!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME???
Everyone is related or friends with someone, somewhere, somehow...duh! Just look at ROTTENdam town hall....they are either related to someone who works for the town, dating someone who works forthe town, married to someone who works for the town, friends with someone who works for the town, or is sleeping with someone who works for the town!!!! It is about as close to incest as you can get!!! Does the word...DELIVERANCE ring a bell!
again...no horse in the race....but it appears that rems will try anything to sway public opinion.
and hey....rems has their own little DELIVERANCE too!!!
it's just the way ROTTENdam turns!!!!
IMHO....OF COURSE!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
and the crooked and liars are the ones that are in...family is in....and that doesn't mean they qualify for the job.....
and just remember patchy.....your government is a reflection of it's citizens!!! SCARY, huh? small minds vote for small minds. dem or rep....don't matter. and that folks is how it works!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
so..you are out of the loop when it comes to voting.....or are u one of them.....seems like you hint about this and that...but really don't say nothing
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