This is in response to city Councilor Kevin McCauley's letter to the editor in today's Press:
Councilman McCauley,
First, I find it very intriguing that you have not been able to find the time to respond to or acknowledge the letter I sent to you in July with my concerns regarding Public Works, but you were quick to write a four paragraph letter to the editor in Ellen’s defense. How very loyal of you.
My July letter with regards to a Public Works project, wasn’t to Ellen Zoppo, Councilwoman, it was to Ellen Zoppo, Council Liaison to the Board of Public Works. The same letter was sent to you as an additional Council Liaison to the Board of Pubic Works and the initiator of the project. The letter was sent to every member of the board. To this date the only people who have responded were Councilman Rimcoski, Councilman Ward and Commissioner Laviero. I will not dignify Ellen’s reply as a response. It was a hand off.
The point to my letter to the editor was that I was not comfortable giving Ellen the power to give Public Works more money in their budget if she didn’t find a $54,000 mistake something that should be investigated personally.
While defending Ellen you accused me of making the issue a political one. It is a political issue, a taxpayer issue, a fiscal responsibility issue and an accountability issue. Something that you and Councilwoman Zoppo campaign yourselves as being experts at while ignoring each one of these points relevant to the project.
$54,186.40 is a lot of money wasted on a mistake that didn’t need to happen. As Council Liaisons these are questions that you and Ellen should have asked immediately:
How did the problem get that far without anyone noticing it was being done wrong?
Who is being held accountable for this mistake?
When will it be rectified?
How much will the repair cost?
What changes have been made to Public Works to ensure that this kind of expensive mistake doesn’t happen again?
Councilmen Ward and Rimcoski put together an onsite visit with Walter Veselka, Public Works Director and City Engineer Ray Rogoniski. They confirmed that the project was done without an engineering plan, and that it had taken longer to complete than expected. It was also noted that a number of mistakes were made on this project that need to be rectified before winter.
This issue of the drainage problem on this street was mentioned by you at a Public Works meeting. Yet you can’t seem to find the time to respond to my request for information regarding the cost of the project gone wrong and when this neighborhood can expect the repair construction to begin again. I am a taxpayer and a constituent, even though I do not live in your district or Councilwoman Zoppo’s district.
In closing, I am looking forward to the opportunity to compare the history and facts of this project with you and anyone else interested. You may find that discussing this project with more than just one resident of this area might be helpful.
Jeff Achilli
Achilli is a former Board of Education member. His wife, Donna Achilli, was former Mayor Gerard Couture's secretary. She also did the Ward campaign website.
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Contact Steve Collins at scollins@bristolpress.com
27 comments:
The reader should be aware that Jeff and Donna Achilli are inner circle supporters of Art Ward, that they have given and maintained Art Ward's campaign website, and that Donna Achilli was former mayor Couture's secretary and would likely be Ward's secretary should he win the election.
Jeff, don't insult the public by pretending this is just a constituent complaint. This is clearly a campaign scheme.
I should have mentioned Donna's connection & will add it right now. Thanks, anonymous poster!
STEVE, Ask puppet Kevin if he also remembers that Donna and Jeff are two more good people of Bristol that Ellen has slandered. I`ll bet the Puppet master will fail to remember that chapter in her council career.
You think a mistake of $56,000 with Ellen and Kevin at the helm is bad check out the over $300,000 Public Works is in the hole!!
Ellen works for herself and makes promises she cannot fulfill. Kevin and Craig come to her defense like two little puppies to the master.
How pathetic this trio is.
Just to clear matters, Jeff Achillit is not the only one who has not heard from Kevin or Ellen on issues you have problems with.
If your problem is going to cause some riff or more involement - they both will pass it to someone else.
The editorial page in the paper with Zoppo's scripted letters for people to sign, is getting so negative. Ellen is grasping at anything to discredit Ward - talk about mud throwing - something Ellen said she wouldn't do. Well, one thing is true - she is a true liar.
K.C.
Does political connection or past political roles exempt residents from receiving appropriate constituent service?
Do Ellen and Kevin's supporters not receive return phone calls and emails from Ellen and Kevin when they run into a situation with the City?
This is obviously a big mistake that PW made. Why does the fact that the complaintants are Ward supporters automatically make this a campaign scheme?
Why is it Kevin and Craig come to the "Den Mothers" defense. Do they fear if she goes, they do to? GOOD!
Kevin and Craig are known around town as the "Lap Boys" and they are to blind to know it.
I like the loyal part. Kevin feels the need to stand up and play body guard to Ellen but he can't be bothered with answering a citizen concern.
FROM DONNA ACHILLi
I will be VERY VERY clear.
I have absolutely NO INTEREST in working in the Mayor's Office.
My 2 year experience was more than enough to last a life time.
Kevin is wrapped around Ellen's finger and she is proud of it!
IF ELLEN IS ELECTED AND SHE WOULD BE THE BACKSTABBING MAYOR. SHE MIGHT GET RID OF THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR AND ANY DEPARTMENT HEADS WILL BE GET RID OF. WE DON'T WANT TO SEE THAT HAPPENING. ART WARD KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING. LET THEY VOTE FOR HIM AS A MAYOR ON SEPT. 11TH.
Art Ward obviously has the illiterate vote all locked up.
I AGREE ELLEN IS A TRAIN WRECK - WAITING TO HAPPEN!
Kevin McCauley & Craig Minor are puppets for Ellen. She says speak and they obey so well.
Mr. McCauley is in my district and he is not getting my VOTE.
I called him about an issue also and he never took care of it, and I only called him because I cannot stand talking to Ms. Zoppo.
"Art Ward has the illiterate vote all locked up"...how Zoppo-ish. If you don't agree with Ellen, you must be illiterate? Stick to the issues and stop the name calling.
this is why we need to clean the plate and get new people in town! We can all see what the past politican's have brought to Bristol!
You get a better response talking to the backend of a horse then you do Kevin. All he does is hand you his card and says call me. Good luck on that one!
Cedar lake lady.
Seems to me that Bristol has plenty of illiterate votes to go around... on all sides.
"Ellen is grasping at anything to discredit Ward - talk about mud throwing - something Ellen said she wouldn't do. Well, one thing is true - she is a true liar."
You can pretend that this is mud throwing all you want, but saying it is doesn't make it so. If Art Ward serves two terms as mayor, he will be able to retire from the State with a pension that is based entirely on his $100,000 mayoral salary. This is the infamous "Leone Bill" that all Bristolites remember, named after former Mayor John Leone. Call it mud throwing all you want, but the facts are the facts.
Is this the same lady who worked for Mayor Couture, who thought she was Mayor during his tenure as Mayor. She has left a ever lasting impression on city hall.
This is the exact reason why Ken Johnson is right when he advocates for an At large council. Zoppo and McCauley handed this off to Rimcoski and Ward b/c it wasn't in thier district.
If they were elected at large or city wide than every area of town would be important for them.
Donna's past role in the Mayor's office and Jeff's past role on the BOE have nothing to do with the fact that Ellen, Kevin and the rest of the PW Board CHOSE to drop the ball on this project therefore they didn't catch that there was a problem until it was too late. Now they are back tracking and trying to call the mistake that was brought to light a political move.
I've worked for the city for over 20 years and the impression Mrs. Achilli left on us was that she was the most competent secretary the Mayor's Office has ever seen. The people that didn't like her were the ones that either didn't do their jobs or didn't care. They were also the ones that felt threatened by her intelligence and compentence.
Ellen feels threatened by any woman who will stand up to her! Then Ellen's claws come out to discredit them. Rather then communicate and listen, Ellen chooses to bash. Ellen has a lot of growing up to do. Until then, she needs to learn how to treat people with respect.
Well, he's another couple that has a large network of friends and a very big local family that Ellen and Kevin just angered. Not to mention the neighborhood of people that are mad about the PW issue to begin with.
Ellen and her followers are doing a very good job of sabotaging her campaign all on their own. They don't need anyone from other camps to do it for them.
Keep up the good work boys!
Why are people attacking Donna and Jeff when Kevin and Ellen are the two people that obviously dropped the ball here? Now they are just trying to turn it into a political ploy.
Donna and Jeff didn't dismiss the expensive mistake made by PW. But Ellen and Kevin are doing a very good job at ignoring it.
Because that is what Ellen and her boys do best, discredit those who bring up issues she and her gang should have solved.
Guess if you have a compliant you are suppose to be an "average not involved citizen?"
Lets ask Ellen, why PW is in the red, why take the money from peter to pay paul?
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