Rye Considers Financial Disclosure for Officials and Key Staff

Tonight at the Rye City Council meeting, the group will consider requiring an annual financial disclosure from public officials and key city staff. The Corporation Counsel has drafted a proposed Financial Disclosure Statement which would be filed yearly by public officials and selected employees within the
City; the information would be confidential.

Here is a draft of the form. What questions would you ask that are not on the form? Leave a comment below.

ANNUAL STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
FOR THE CITY OF RYE – 2013
Instructions: Please answer each question legibly and with blue or black ink only. “Not Applicable” is not an acceptable answer for any question. “No” or “None” may be used to answer a question.
1a. Name: (Last Name, First Name, M.I.): __________________________________
1b. Home Address: _____________________________________________________
1c. Home Telephone No.: _______________________________________________
2a. Title of Position: __________________________ Salaried: Yes____ No _____
2b. Department, Board, or Commission: ____________________________________
3a. Married: Yes_____ No _____
3b. To the best of your knowledge, state the names of Relatives* who, within the past year, have received or solicited a Financial Benefit ** from the City of Rye or appeared before the City of Rye on behalf of another person. Attach additional paper if necessary.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
* A Relative is defined as a spouse, child, step-child, sibling, half-brother, halfsister,parent, step-father, step-mother, mother-in-law, father-in-law, brother-inlaw, sister-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, niece, nephew, and first cousin, and shall also include any person claimed as a dependent on the New York State individual tax return of the disclosing City officer or employee.
** Financial Benefit is defined as any pecuniary or material benefit including, but not limited to any money, stock, security, service, license, permit, contract, authorization, loan, travel, entertainment, discount not available to general public, real or personal property, or anything of value.
3c. Names of Household Members who are currently living with you. Attach additional paper if necessary. Name (First and Last) Relationship
__________________________ ______________________________
__________________________ ______________________________
__________________________ ______________________________
* A Household Member is defined as any person with whom a City officer or employee lives as a single household unit.
4a. Do you have an Outside Employer* or business? Yes_____ No _____
If “No”, skip to 4c.
If yes, state the name, address, and telephone number of your Outside Employer or business. Attach additional paper if necessary.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
* Outside Employer is defined as (1) any person from whom or from which a City officer or employee receives a financial benefit for services rendered or goods sold or produced; (2) any business in which the City officer or employee has an ownership interest of five percent (5%) or more; (3) any business in which the City officer or employee has a value in excess of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00); or (4) any business corporation for which the City officer or employee is an uncompensated member of the board of directors or is an uncompensated corporate officer.
4b. During the past year, has your Outside Employer or business solicited a financial benefit or appeared before the City of Rye on behalf of another person?
Yes_____ No _____
If yes, state the nature of such activities or matters. Attach additional paper if necessary.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4c. State the name of any Relative who is also a City officer or employee and the department within which he or she is employed. Attach additional paper if necessary. Name (First and Last) Relationship Department, Agency or Board
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4d. To the best of your knowledge, state the name, address and telephone number of any outside employer or business for each Close Relative* of the disclosing City Officer or Employee. Attach additional paper if necessary.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
* A Close Relative is defined as spouse, child, step-child, sibling, half-brother, half-sister, parent, step-father and step-mother. 4e. To the best of your knowledge, state the name, address and telephone number of any outside employer or business for each Household Member. Attach additional paper if necessary.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. Within the past year has any Close Relative or Household Member received or solicited a financial benefit from the City of Rye or appeared before the City of Rye on behalf of another person. Yes_____ No _____
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
6. Within the past year, has any Outside Employer or business disclosed in response to paragraphs 4a-4e, received or solicited a financial benefit from the City of Rye or appeared before the City of Rye on behalf of another person?
Yes_____ No _____
If yes, state the nature of such activities or matters. Attach additional paper if necessary.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
7. Has anyone agreed to hire you at the end of you service to the City or Rye? If Yes, please describe. Attach additional paper if necessary.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
8. List all real estate in the City of Rye owned by you, your spouse, Household Member(s) or Children. Attach additional paper if necessary.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
9a. While in your position with the City of Rye, have you received a gift valued in excess of seventy five dollars ($75.00) within the last year?
Yes_____ No _____
Is the person from whom you received the gift, your spouse, child, step-child, sibling, half-brother, half-sister, parent, step-father, or step-mother?
Yes_____ No _____
If “Yes”, stop HERE.
If “No”, please describe in the space provided. Attach additional paper if necessary.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
9b. While in your position with the City of Rye, have you received a gift valued in excess of two hundred dollars ($200.00) within the last year?
Yes_____ No _____
Is the person from whom you received the gift, your spouse, child, step-child, sibling, half-brother, half-sister, parent, step-father, or step-mother?
Yes_____ No _____
If “Yes”, stop HERE.
If “No”, please describe in the space provided. Attach additional paper if necessary.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
10. Identify any interest in any contract involving the City of Rye held by you, your Spouse, Household Member(s), or Children. Attach additional paper if necessary. Vendor Nature of Contract
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
11. During the past year, have you been an officer of any political party or political committee? Yes_____ No _____
If yes, please describe. Attach additional paper if necessary.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
12. Identify your customer or client, or customer or client of your Outside Employer or business, who is known to have received or solicited a financial benefit from the City of Rye within the past year, or appeared before the City of Rye on behalf of another person within the past year.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
I HEREBY CERTIFY UNDER THE PENALTY OF PERJURY THAT THE FOREGOING INFORMATION IS TRUE TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE.
____________________________________
Signature of Reporting Individual
Sworn before me this
___ day of ____, 2012.
_____________________________

Comments

[tedc]

Tuesday February 26th, 2013 at 1:30PM - Paging Rye Residents:

Dean Neeley
Albert Brunner
Charles Dorn
Doug Mello
& Al Vitiello

Heading over to Coveleigh tonight? Corporation Counsel Wilson is setting you up. The Rye Board of Ethic’s and The Rye Golf Commission are also local examples of appointed “advisory” boards.

These advisory boards follow http://www.dos.ny.gov/coog/openmeetlaw.html

Ms. Wilson - and probably Mr. French - are needlessly compromising the credibility of your advisory board. It is really worth it?

Just say no.

Background - 10/24/2012 City Council meeting:

“Resolution to establish a Temporary Committee to develop an RFP for the operation of Whitby Castle. Mayor French made a motion, seconded by Councilman Jovanovich, to adopt the following Resolution:

WHEREAS, the Rye City Council has decided to appoint an independent, seven-member temporary Committee to develop a Request for Proposal (RFP) on operating the restaurant and catering facility at Whitby Castle; and
WHEREAS, it is expected that the Committee will report back to the City Manager and City Council by December 15, 2012; and
WHEREAS, the Committee will develop strategic recommendations for the long-term use and operation of Rye Golf Club for review by members, residents, Mayor and Council;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Rye Temporary Committee to develop an RFP for the operation of Whitby Castle is hereby established; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the Committee is temporary in nature and shall function and report to the Council independently; and be it further
RESOLVED, that the members of the Temporary Committee shall be appointed by the Mayor with approval of the City Council. Dean Neeley, Albert Brunner, Charles Dorn, Doug Mello, and Al Vitiello are appointed to serve on the Temporary Committee, with Dean Neeley serving as the Chairman. The Committee members were appointed subject to confirmation that they do not have a financial or other appearance of a conflict of interest with the Golf Club. The remaining two members are yet to be determined.

ROLL CALL:
AYES: Mayor French, Councilmembers Brett, Filippi, Jovanovich, Killian, Parker and Sack
NAYS: None
ABSENT: None
The Resolution was adopted by a 7-0 vote

[Jim Amico]

@ Investigate - aka...LOSER, COWARD, A**HOLE, DIMWIT,

What do you know about humans...you sign in under the death of a respected employee, father, husband, friend!!!

Ya, you are quite the human being!!

You don't have the B***S to put your face to your anonymous BS!!!

YOU ARE A JOKE!!!

[TheWryRecord]

I agree with Franco on this.

This is just another means for French and other elected and appointed Rye officials like Pickup and Wilson to hide and conceal more documents and information from the public.

Transparency from French, Jovanovich, Filippi, Pickup, Nodarse and Wilson? Not a chance.

Sack, Parker, Brett and Killian have an opportunity to step up and do what's right for all of Rye. Will they?

Tune in to Rye TV unless French, Pickup and Levitsky don't want you to see it and take steps to obstruct the public from seeing it.

[Investigate Vinnie's Death]

When is the next City employee going to drop dead from the needless stress of Mr. Flotie's agenda?????? Quick, everyone get a lawyer! We'll settle this the old fashion way, by making lawyer rich and ourselves poor.

[Investigate Vinnie's Death]

"My questions are who will be following up to make sure the employee answered truthfully and accurately? "

Let's make sure that our public employees spend all their time fulfilling FOIL requests and answering questionaires with no time left over to do what we elected them to do. Franco, you are falling for Mr. Flotie's agenda.

[Investigate Vinnie's Death]

Jim Amico is now giving lessons on how to properly speak to other human beings. ROFLMAO! You can't make this sh*t up.

[Investigate Vinnie's Death]

Is lostdeos.com being run by a resident of Purchase with a never ending agenda to harass our public officials until they finally give in and give him what he wants because they just don't want to listen to him anymore.?????????? Why does Mr. Flotie bring a lawyer to every Council meeting and now everyone wonders why Rye is in perpetual lawsuits????

[Investigate Vinnie's Death]

Mr. Flotie shows up every City Council meeting with his lawyer in tow and now people are wondering WHY our City Officials need lawyers????? The people of this town get what they deserve. For supposedly well educated people, I've seen sharper knives in drawer. The only person in this town with guts is Richard Fillippi, he speaks the truth.

If this town wants Mr. Flotie, who doesn't even live in this town, running Rye, or want to spend more money on lawyers for investigations then vote Joe "Truth and Justice" Sack for Mayor in November.

[tedc]

Right Ray.

Rye’s fully bi-partisan political class has been making the most of their secret municipal privileges back since Mr. Culross’s first retirement. Speaking of which, I don’t think I need highlight a certain paragraph from yesterday’s LD10580 bombshell – but I will anyway:

“For the many of you who have been asking, this audio is nothing compared to the recordings made of Nicole Levitsky and City Manager Scott Pickup regarding the orchestrated concealment of a Rye Fire Department Workshop video, as reported by the Journal News. “

So if this “In Rye we don’t do FOIL’s” audio recording of a department head is “nothing,” then I expect there could be huge consequences for those voting to use taxpayer funds to buy lawyers for city managerial employee’s tonight.

If an employee is honest (as most surly are) then no lawyer would be appropriate. Look at Andrew Dapolite going in for questioning by the Board of Ethics with John Carey relegated to the waiting room outside their closed door. Who told Judge Carey he had to wait outside?

If there is an employee integrity question – even a little one - then wouldn’t there be a conflict not only IN LAW (as I have posted elsewhere) but in appearance. An example would be that organized crime families always provide their member’s lawyers because of the mutual “alignment of interests” involved. Here why would either the municipality - or the employee - want the potential conflicts of interest of an employee using a city bought and paid for lawyer?

Finally, now hearing the audio recording from yesterday and KNOWING the city manager is soon to have a featured role in them I am reminded of my own days at Rye High School when we sat transfixed in social studies class to the content of live broadcasts from committee rooms in Washington. All triggered by “a two bit break- in” followed up diligently by “punk reporters.” Nobody at one time gave them a snowballs chance in hell either.

“Once the "smoking gun" tape was made public on August 5, Nixon's political support evaporated.”

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon_White_House_tapes#section_2

[Ray Tartaglione]

In the case of Mayor French and his personal friends and neighbor's on Meadow Place (the Volpe's) who's family also control the Board of Directors on Hen Island. The Volpe's would not be considered a relative as defined in the questionnaire, although they are receiving financial benefits as the Mayor has saved them hundreds of thousands of dollars by not enforcing health, building and safety codes. (Example; Every home on the Island (34) was required to installed a new composting toilet and not one permit was necessary. The building department classified them as appliances) The Mayor is also saving them thousands in tax revenues yearly that they have been avoiding by not being compliant to current codes. Rye taxpayers get the bill once again!

BTW, Hen Island is not the only parcel in Rye getting tax reductions and avoiding building department permit fees due to the Mayor's influence for his friends. We can deal with the others after Doug Madoff moment French get's done with the RGC scandal.

That gets you another atta boy, Doug. Atta boy!