PLANET EXCLUSIVE!! WE TAKE YOU INTO THE BOARD ROOM WHEN RSVP DOES THE MAYOR’S DIRTY DEALING
By DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI News and Commentary
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, TUESDAY, OCT. 7, 2014) — Yesterday, THE PLANET took you into the “what” of the mayor’s firing of RSVP executive director Deborah Sadowy Dargie. Today, we take you into the room at the moment of the “how.”
TIME: Noon-ish.
DATE: Thursday, Sept. 25, 2014
PLACE: RSVP conference room, lower level, Berkshire Athenaeum.
WHO: RSVP board: Carolyn Valli, president; Andy Perenick, immediate past president; Eric Wilder, VP; Rosemarie Gould, secretary; Vinny Marinaro, treasurer. Notably absent: Mayor Dan Bianchi, who, rumor has it, is hiding under his desk.
WHAT: Firing the executive director.
WHY: She had shown too much ability, independence, and wants to shake the cobwebs out of a tired organization. In The Bianchi Administration, such traits are highly suspect. If a woman happens to posses these characteristics, they become fatal. Bianchi only wants submissive females, for example, Kathy Degnan, the city solicitor, and Julia Sabourin, his chief assistant. In his dealings with women, the mayor has proven himself as anachronistic as town criers and typewriters.
‘I Wasn’t Hired to Perform Miracles’
On Sept. 25, Valli convened the board’s usual, going around the table for reports. When it became Sadowy’s turn, she gave a response that speaks of integrity, honesty, and transparency.
“I’m going to get the elephant out of the room,” Sadowy said, referring to the progress report submitted late to the feds. “Here’s what I’ve done. I’ve been working through the mayor to get this through via the congressman’s office [U.S. Rep. Richie Neal]. I am working to find other grant pieces. This includes working with the city solicitor. I have brought her in.”
“At that point, everything seemed fine,” Sadowy said, but Valli then convened an executive session.
“At that point,” Sadowy said, “I knew the handwriting was on the wall.”
At 1:30 p.m., the board came back into the room.
“You are irresponsible,” Valli lectured a shocked Sadowy. “You have let us down.” This is the blackboard calling licorice black. When Valli pointed the finger at Sadowy, her other four digits were pointingback at herself. The executioner had carried out The Empty Suit’s dirty work.
Thrown in the Deep End and Left to Drown
Here’s bottom line: Sadowy had no help. She was set up to fail. She nonetheless completed the grant, helped by an extended deadline of Sept. 9, given by RSVP’s federal contact in Worcester, Sherry McClintock.
“The performance measures and benchmarks, all my work plans, the performance history — all of it was totally done and entered into the [RSVP] system,” Sadowy said. “The system the federal government uses is called E-Grant. I had never worked with it before, but in the end, everything was in there. When I hit ‘submit,’ however, it wouldn’t go through, so I started problem solving. I worked on it all day and all night [Sept. 9]. I notified Carolyn Valli and Eric Wilder to let them know about the situation. The mayor’s office was closed, but I informed him with an e-mail. Neither Carolyn nor Eric got back to me.”
Finally, Sadowy said, Valli got back to her with the suggestion to call Marilyn Powers, a past director. “She was having personal issues,” Sadowy said, “so I understand why she didn’t answer. Sheila Pia [previous RSVP director] came in the next day to help me, but we couldn’t get it to work. The computer wouldn’t accept the information, we learned, because of a financial piece. I had everything balanced on paper, but the system wouldn’t accept it. I then called [city accountant] Ben Wax. He told me he could not help me. ‘I can’t get into department issues,’ he said. I told him, ‘This isn’t a department issue. I just want you to check my work.'”
No dice. Wax left Sadowy flailing in the deep end of the pool.
“Finally, I got the application and report to submit,” Sadowy said. “I can honestly tell you I don’t know how.”
She said she then wrote a letter to the feds, explaining why the report was late. She had receipt tickets from the hot line, and sent the letter on Sept. 10.
Story Gets Even More Interesting — and 2-faced; Cue Bianchi
“At that point, I got a phone call from the mayor,” Sadowy told THE PLANET. “He said, ‘Deborah, don’t beat yourself up over this. It’s not a big deal. It’s going to be fine.'”
Sadowy said she was relieved that the mayor was understanding and supportive — so it appeared.
“‘Oh mayor,” I told him, “‘I’m devastated about this. I just didn’t know the system. I needed to be trained, but I got no help.’ He told me, ‘No, don’t worry about it. You’re going to be fine.’ He then called me back shortly after. He told me he wanted me to inform congressman Neal’s office. So I did that, immediately [Sept. 10].”
The mayor’s “understanding and support” vanished, however, when Valli called the Gunfight at the Not-OK Corral meeting on Sept. 25. Then the mayor was nowhere to be found. His silence made it clear that Valli was acting on his behalf. He wanted Sadowy out. Period.
“I’ve never dealt with anything or anyone like this,” Sadowy said of the mayor. “One week, he’s telling me it’s OK, and he’s supporting me. Then the next thing I know, he’s standing by [as I get fired].”
She said she’s heard the mayor has privately bashed RSVP and senior programs, claiming they [seniors] are a “burden” on the city.
“Of course, Dan [Bianchi] is going to lie through his teeth and say that’s not true,” Sadowy said, “but if he can get rid of [RSVP], I think he would. He has made it so political, more than I ever realized.”
“To go through this is mind boggling,” she said. THE PLANET contacted the mayor, his assistant Julia Sabourin, and Valli for comment. None of them got back to us.
——– 000 ——–
It’s not Deb Sadowy’s reputation that has been sullied. She has too long a history of solid community service. She acted honorably and did the best she could. If we’re talking about reputations being dragged through the mud, we would cast our gaze at the corner office and the RSVP board.
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“All I have is my love of love, but ‘love’ is not ‘loving.'” — David Bowie, “Stoned Love,” from the Ziggy Stardust album, (1971).
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
Looks like Sheila Pia wasn’t liking her retirement to me and used the RSVP board to throw Debbie Sadowy under the bus, interesting how the mayor does his “ Topper “ impression when the heat is at a boiling point and then can’t make his mind up if he wants to be clueless or a ghost.
Axe yourself one question:
Is the mayor mentally ill?
Dan I think you should add Lisa Tully, Kathy Amuso, Mellissa Mazzeo and Pam Mulamphy to the list of weak minded woman the Mayor likes to surround himself with.
It would be interesting to know if any of these friends and supporters came to the aid of Sadowy or did they pull the old throw em under the bus move…you know like there good and close friend Roseanne Frieri
What a mess. Let’s just hope there’s some competition come election time. Me mayor just got a raise too! Good for him. We’ll all just work more hrs when our taxes go up, again…
I use my real name for two reasons, one I don’t need to hide because I have the truth and two because someone posted yesterday as Deb S and it wasn’t me. I will only post under my own name.
I would like to make a few points on the events that have happened over the past two months.
One, Ms. Valli has given emails to the Mayor’s office saying that she offered to give me help. I do recall one email on September 6th 3 days before the grant was due that she sent an email saying that her and Eric [VP] were here to help. This was also after they both handed in grant paperwork that was late to me. On September 5th I sent them both an email asking when could I expect their paperwork for the grant. Eric sent me an email complaining that I didn’t send him a form which was just a guideline wasn’t really necessary to have the form but I ended up sending it to him. On September 6th I received Carolyn paperwork and on September 8th I received Eric’s paperwork and the grant was due September 9th. Carolyn did ask me for my workplans on September 5thn and over the weekend she had minor changes and sent them back to me on Monday September 8th. Everything was completed and entered into the system by September 9th at 4:57 p.m. and it would not submit.
I keep trying to work it out. I emailed the Mayor’s office and informed the Executive Board. Carolyn called back around 8:30 I was still in the office, she said to call Ms. Powers I did and she didn’t answer but called me back the next day saying she couldn’t help because of a personal issue. Eric called a little after that and couldn’t help. I left the office at 10:00 that night distraught and sick to my stomach. Next morning I asked Shelia Pisa to come in and she helped for about an hour or so and we still couldn’t get it to submit.
I kept at it and made sure that all documentation was submitted to the Federal government on the application being late. There is a 24 hour deadline. As you have read the Mayor called told me not to beat myself up over it and gave me a contact in the Congressman’s office. I followed every instruction to the T.
Then, we come to my being fired. I have worked with employees before that I have had to speak with them on their performance. I have given them a performance review and put it all in writing and asked them what they needed to succeed and wrote everything that was discussed and reviewed them in 30 days. Usually because I had to give them more training or sit with them and go over priorities they turned out to be the best employees ever. They Mayor and Carolyn keep saying and “various other reasons” they never spoke with me or gave me in writing any other various reasons for my release.
Mind you I was still doing all this paperwork and overseeing all the daily operations as well as meeting with community leaders to insure that we still had partnerships with them to continue programs. You don’t just write someone in a grant and not connect with them to be sure that they are still a partner. I also had to work on some damage control over some communication issues that were had with a couple of programs. Plus looked at some programs that would appeal to the baby boomers.
Another point is that Shelia Pisa who is one of the finest women I know left the agencies because of the high level of stress and health issues. And now she is back until December 30th. I hope that she will be well and receives the support she needs as well as the staff that in two conversations with me board and directors spoke with me about either laying off or letting go staff. That is the poorest idea ever. They are amazing staff and I was working on empowering them to learn more about their jobs they are both very capable. Seems funny that one Director was view at as never letting the board know anything and upon my fire Carolyn was complaining to me about a budget that was sent through without board pre approval. I stand crucified for things no less done than previous directors.
Last point and now they will advertise the position again with a budget that is shaky at best, with an Executive board that is shaky and can get rid of you without any professional process and with a President that railroads the rest of the board to think her way instead of let’s stand back for a minute and see what this fallout can have on us. No structure for a performance review during probationary period. I wish them luck.
I would also like to set the record straight that on paper it still says that Ginny Marinara, Al Perenick and Rosemarie Gould have positions on the board but they were not present at the September 25th meeting. Well wishing to RSVP I hope that this ordeal can change for the better.
Thank you, DEB, for speaking out against an injustice. From what I was able to uncover and learn, your dismissal was not warranted at all by the facts. Unfortunately, RSVP, along with so many other city services and office, is political first, applicational second. You have a lot of support in the community.
Wonder what desk he was under? Corner office or the one at his other job. You would think with such a big raise for Mayor they might put some language in for the City to be your only employer.
Watch double dippin LOW suck up to the Mayoral Raise tonight! Guaranteed!
ain’t meeting tonight
First of all, my condolence on your firing. Second, thank you for sharing your opinions with the Planet. There seems to be a trend in the Tes administration, woman over sixty, getting canned, for no logical reasons. gain, thank you Deborah for your insight, you seem to know the job, but Tes probably has someone else in mind. Just curious, are you friends with Ruberto, Krol, or any anti Tes, that could be a reason for your removal.
Perhaps if we play connect the dots on the lineage of the new hire it might explain something.
Joe and Mary Jane Kapanski’s tax dollars go to more city government pay raises in Pittsfield politics.
NEWS ARTICLE:
“Pittsfield Ordinance and Rules Committee proposes $28,000 hike in mayor’s salary”
By Jim Therrien, Berkshire Eagle Staff, 10/07/2014
PITTSFIELD — A City Council committee is recommending an approximately $28,000 hike in the mayor’s yearly salary, and that School Committee members receive a $4,000 annual stipend.
The Ordinance and Rules Committee had previously reviewed a set of higher salaries for city government managers, which later won approval from the full council. The salaries of the mayor, School Committee members and councilors themselves were separated out to be reviewed alone.
Ward 4 Councilor Jonathan Lothrop on Monday renewed his previous recommendation that the subcommittee support a raise to $110,000 for the mayor [up from the current $87,700] and a $4,000 stipend for School Committee members, who had been barred from receiving any payment in the old Pittsfield government charter.
However, the option to pay those six elected officials was included in new city charter that was enacted by voters in November 2013.
Along with voting support for $4,000 payment, the subcommittee members approved an amendment specifying that the mayor — an ex-officio member of the School Committee — would not receive the stipend. And the councilors specified that no benefits are to included with the payment.
As with the mayor’s raise, the pay for committee members won’t kick in until after the next city election in November 2015.
The vote was 4-1 with Ward 2 Councilor Kevin Morandi opposed. He said he could not support adding six new paid positions when many residents are struggling with their tax bills.
In considering a hike in the mayor’s salary, councilors debated and eventually approved an amendment from Council President Melissa Mazzeo, who is a member of the Ordinance and Rules Committee, to link the mayor’s salary to those of the police and fire chiefs. Mazzeo recommended that the mayor be paid either $110,000 or 5 percent above the average of the chiefs salaries, whichever amount is higher.
That figure today would be about $116,000, based on the police and fire chief salaries, which were raised over the summer along with those of other city managers. It could decline as far as $110,000 if a new chief took office at a lower salary.
Mazzeo noted that the old city charter had a similar percentage differential of 5 percent, which ensured that the mayor was paid at least slightly more than top administrators.
In proposing the new managerial salary schedule earlier this year, Mayor Daniel L. Bianchi based it on a consultant’s study that compared city pay rates with those for similar positions in other communities in Massachusetts. It found that Pittsfield paid lower salaries for most positions, and the mayor said that was making it difficult to attract and retain department administrators.
In speaking about the need to raise the mayor’s salary, Lothrop pointed out that it was lower than that of many other communities and the city school superintendent. He said that anyone hired to oversee a budget in the private sector the size of Pittsfield’s with hundreds of employees would be paid much more.
The raise for the mayor’s position was approved unanimously. The council is expected to take up both salary changes at its Oct. 14 meeting.
Lothrop had previously proposed a $2,000 raise in the salary of councilors, who now receive $8,000 plus the option of health insurance. But that was not recommended by the subcommittee. Councilors last received a raise in 1995.
it does not seem to matter what we pay the mayor of Pittsfield. It is just a position of power and money grabbing. The job comes with built in kickbacks and does not warrant any pay raise. In fact the mayor could work for free and still put a good chunk of change in the bank each week.
Dan I think what was done was illegal. There are very specific rule to the Open Meeting Law and the use of executive session for employment issues.
1. Was the executive session posted as part of the meeting?
2. Was the employee that was the subject of the executive session given written notice at least 48 hours prior to the executive session?
I didn’t see the meeting notice so maybe it was posted. I don’t know if the employee was notified that there would be an executive session, in writing and at least 48 hours prior (I think they have to be business days) but if not… That’s one more OML violation and cause for a lawsuit.
http://www.mass.gov/ago/government-resources/open-meeting-law/attorney-generals-open-meeting-law-guide.html#Executive-Ten-Purposes
1. To discuss the reputation, character, physical condition or mental health, rather than professional competence, of an individual, or to discuss the discipline or dismissal of, or complaints or charges brought against, a public officer, employee, staff member or individual. The individual to be discussed in such executive session shall be notified in writing by the public body at least 48 hours prior to the proposed executive session; provided, however, that notification may be waived upon written agreement of the parties.
This Purpose is designed to protect the rights and reputation of individuals. Nevertheless, it appears that where a public body is discussing an employee evaluation, considering applicants for a position, or discussing the qualifications of any individual, these discussions should be held in open session to the extent that the discussion deals with issues other than the reputation, character, health, or any complaints or charges against the individual. An executive session called for this Purpose triggers certain rights on the part of an individual who is the subject of the discussion. The individual’s right to choose to have this discussion in an open meeting takes precedence over the right of the public body to go into executive session.
$110-116k for a part time job that just keeps costing taxpayers money on lawsuits is a pretty good gig !