2-11-08 letter to Mayor Sandy Green

February 11, 2008

Gennaro A. Marino P.E.

409 W. Main St.

Kutztown, Pa 19530

610-683-7977

WEB SITE www.marinoreport.com

Mayor Sandy Green

Kutztown Borough Hall

45 Railroad St.

Kutztown, Pa 19530

Madam Mayor,

Parking Citations were not issued for vehicles illegally parked during street cleaning Friday 2-8-08. You, as the head of the Police Department, are responsible for this duty. You should admonish Police Chief Cole, whose salary is $73,059.93 and has a personal Borough vehicle to cover his department’s efficiency, for his ineptness. Chief Cole has expanded the coverage of the Parking Enforcement Officers. He attempted to increase the enforcement in 2004, but he was ordered not to do so. The Borough Council, with your approval, has also increased the parking violation fine from $20 to $25. Why did we need an increase in fines when the revenue from Parking Citations was $90,000 last year. All the above actions confirm my opinion that the Borough is desperate for funds and on the verge of bankruptcy. Along with this action the Borough Council has increased all utility rates, all taxes, all fees, permits and has even created new charges and fees.

You know by my letters to you and the Borough Council, to which I never receive a reply, that there is no budget for 2006 and 2007 available to the public which is a Borough Code violation. Borough Manager\Treasurer Vettraino stated in the January 3, 2008 Reading Eagle that the proposed 2008 Budget has revenue of $19.1 million and expenses $17.5. Normally a Budget should be balanced where revenue is equal to expenses.

If the budget is $19.1 million, why is the Budget for the Police Department, the last time I saw it, only about $1 million or about 5% of the Budget?

You also know from my letters that the Borough debt is about $14 million not counting the $6 million borrowed by Telecom, and will be $15.35 million after the latest loan for Telecom. The actual total debt of the Borough, including the loan to Telecom, will be over $21 million

What have you, the Borough Council and Chief Cole done positively since the murder of a student on our street? Has Chief Cole increased foot patrol or prowl cars on our streets? Has Chief Cole left his desk to go out to investigate the situation and get some feed back from our residents?

Recently you made a speech at Kutztown University condemning the Kutztown University Administration, you did this to draw attention away from yours and the Borough’s shortcomings. You, as the highest elected official in the Borough, and the Borough Council should run the Borough and let the University Administration run the University. For starters you should look into the Borough finances and hire more Police Officers.

You have not vetoed or even discussed one spending ordinance and you watch Borough Manager\Treasurer Vettraino, with the approval of the Borough Council, put us into an insurmountable debt. How will the Borough ever recover from this dangerous financial situation where the total Borough debt is more than $21 million when the Borough Loan of $6 million for Hometown Utilicom, a BUSINESS VENTURE,, is included?

Sincerely,

Gennaro A. MarinoP.E.

A Concerned Borough Resident

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