2006 and 2007 Budgets still unavailable

3-25-08 2006 and 2007 Budgets Still Unavailable
Tuesday March 11, 2008 I was at the Borough Hall and asked to see the 2006 and 2007 Budgets and was told by Director of Marketing Communications and Customer Relations/Assistant Secretary/Office Manager Gina Wiand and Finance Director/Assistant Treasurer Russ Samilo that they were unavailable and I was again offered the 2008 Budget. I stated that a comment on my website www.marinoreport.com stated that a party received copies of both Budgets yesterday at the Borough Hall in 60 seconds. They did not respond. I then asked if the 2006 Budget was ever advertised in a newspaper they both stated it was but would not tell me the newspaper or the date. Mr. Samilo then asked if I wanted the Budget or the financial report and I stated you know what I want to see, I want to see the revenue and expenses for HU in 2006 and 2007. I received no response. Again I repeat this is a violation of the Borough Code and I have brought this to the attention of:
Governor Rendell
Attorney Generals
Auditor Generals
District Attorneys
State Senator Mike O’Pake
State Representative Carl Mantz
The Borough’s Independent Auditor Long & Barrell
Borough Solicitors Dietrich and Mooney
The U.S. Attorney in Philadelphia
The Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Reading Eagle Editor
The Morning Call Editor
I might add that the above mentioned agencies and offices have also been notified that the Kutztown Budget is falsified and the Borough has published many fraudulent reports.
I think the Borough Council, Mayor Green, Borough Manager\Treasurer Vettraino and Borough Employees that are responsible for the above violations should either answer me and defend themselves or resign. There is no doubt in my mind that Mr. Vettraino resigned and is leaving because the Borough’s finances are hopeless and on the verge of bankruptcy. I think the Borough has lost its (AAA) triple A credit rating.
Jerry
Website www.marinoreport.com
e-mail kmayor@ptd.net 610-683-7977

Request Budget and Police are Called

Request Budget & Police Are Called

Gennaro A. Marino P.E.

Website www.marinoreport .com

e-mail kmayor@ptd.net

Mayor Green, Borough Council &

Everyone Involved with the Borough Finances

Hi,

Recently I went to the desk at the Borough Hall and asked to see the 2006 or 2007 Budget and there was complete Panic. Below ( Kutztown Police Called to Protect the Borough) is a brief accounting of what took place.

This episode clearly explains, with complete disregard of the Borough Code, that your position is that you do not want the Budget to be available for public scrutiny. Mr. Long, of the Borough’s Independent Auditor Long & Barrell, stated that he has nothing to do with whether there is a Budget available for the public. I asked him if the 2006 Budget was audited and appeared in a newspaper, as per the Borough Code, and he responded he thought so. In the past Mr. Long has told me that in the Mandatory Borough Annual Audit his firm only notes funds coming into the Borough and leaving the Borough. Why don’t Mr. Long or Borough Solicitors Dietrich and Mooney tell you that not having a Budget available at the Borough Hall is a Borough Code violation? Why don’t they tell you to publish statistics and a financial report on Hometown Utilicom before we retain an outside Consultant. Why not let the public see the information the Consultant is going see? Will the information embarrass you?

I am sure that if you show a copy of the Budget to anyone you will make sure they are unable to read it. If they can read it they will see that more revenue comes into HU from within the Borough through your financial schemes, fabricated rentals and services, and illegal transfers of funds then comes from the HU subscribers. I think the last time I saw the budget was 2005 it showed the total revenue for the year from HU customers was about $500,000 and the total revenue in HU for the year was about $1,200,000 which means about $700,000 came illegally from within the Borough. Didn’t our HU experts Vettraino and Caruso tell you before hand that our equipment was outdated and had to be updated in 2009 to comply with Federal Law that was passed at least 2 years ago.

I notice that you do not have many supporters at our Council Meetings. I think they now know as Councilman Strasser knows that HU is a losing proposition and has no future.

I think it is about time that you answer my accusations, comments and questions and open our financial books and records. I stand behind my statements that the Budget is falsified and that the Borough publishes fraudulent reports. Jerry

Kutztown Police Called to Protect the Borough

Kutztown Police Called to Protect the Borough

On Friday March 7, 2008 I delivered my usual letter to the Borough Hall for distribution and while I was there asked to see the 2006 or 2007 Budget. The clerk at the counter said she would go and get Borough Manager\Treasurer Vettraino and found he was not in his office. Assistant Treasurer Samilo came to the counter and gave me the Proposed 2008 Budget. I stated the 2008 has estimated figures and I want to see the actual figures from 2006 and 2007. Council President Malcolm Eidle was standing at the counter and I asked him to see either of the Budgets. He stated Mr. Vettraino wasn’t in and therefore it was not available. I told Mr. Eidle the Borough Code states the Budget shall be available to the public during normal office hours and he stated he could not go behind the counter to get it. I told Mr. Long of the Borough’s independent Auditor Firm of Long and Barrell who was present that the Budget should be available and he stated he had nothing to do with it. Mr. Long later on laughed because he thought my asking for the Budget was funny. Mr. Eidle raised his voice and I raised my voice and a secretary called the Police. Requesting the finances of the Borough strikes fear in the hearts of our Borough Officials. The Borough Police were called to protect the Borough from a 78 year old heart patient who had a heart bypass operation in 1983 (4 arteries) and another heart bypass operation in 2000 (6 arteries) and in between had 2 heart attacks and 6 angioplasties including a stent. By the way I WAS NEVER SHOWN THE BUDGET.

Calling the Police was just another attempt to silence me and therefore not reveal the true finances of the Borough. I asked if the 2006 Budget was audited and advertised and did not receive an answer. This is a concerted effort by the Borough Council, Mayor Green, Manager\Treasurer Vettraino, ITD Caruso, Solicitors Mooney and Dietrich and Independent Auditor Long & Barrell to keep the Borough’s Finances, especially Hometown Utilicom, from the public in every way they can.

I will continue to demand open books and records. In fact my website

www.marinoreport.com will be advertised in the Patriot and The Merchandiser for the next two weeks. Jerry

Hometown Utilicom "Business PLan" another Scheme

Hometown Utilicom “Business Plan” Another Scheme

The Borough is now desperately searching for a firm to develop a “Business Plan” for Hometown Utilicom. What will the plan be based on? Borough Manager\Treasurer Vettraino and head of HU Information Technology Director Caruso have not published any Financial Reports or Statistics on the venture for 2006 and 2007. When this information is presented how can it be verified when there are no Annual Budgets for 2006 and 2007. The financial records will also be tainted because the Borough Council, Mr. Vettraino and Mr. Caruso have illegally intertwined the finances of Hometown Utilicom and the Electric Fund with the approval of Borough Solicitors Tim Dietrich and Keith Mooney.

If the revenue, expenses and statistics of HU were published periodically as per the Borough Code the residents of the Borough would know Hometown Utilicom loses about $1 million a year, the Budget is falsified and financial reports are fraudulent.

The Business Plan came about because Mayor Green decided not to veto the $1.3 million loan ordinance and opted for an unnecessary and useless Business Plan. What is going to happen to the loan and the finances of Hometown Utilicom in the meantime? The Business Plan idea is just another scheme set up by the Borough to buy time and put off shutting down Hometown Utilicom. One resident said it would be a shame to sell HU, what makes him think there is a buyer for an outdated system that needs a $1 million updating loan.

More Kutztown Borough Council Finances

More Borough Council Finances 2-5-08

Upon reviewing the structure of the Committees of the Borough I discovered that there are six committees and they are:

Community Development Committee

Public Safety Committee

Public Works committee

Personnel Committee

Water and Wastewater Committee

Finance, Electric and Telecommunications Committee

I noticed Telecommunications, a business venture that loses about $1 million a year, is conveniently tucked in between Finance and Electric in one committee. Finance is the General Fund and Electric is the Electric Fund and between them they generate and control almost all of the revenue and funds that can be transferred to all departments of the Borough without restrictions. Telecommunications (Hometown Utilicom) is grouped with Finance and Electric to allow Borough Manager\Treasurer Vettraino to intermingle revenue and funds of the three departments and illegally conceal the finances of Hometown Utilicom. This coupled with the item on the Consent Agenda which usually reads “move funds from any fund or agency to any other fund or agency to pay the monthly bills” allows Mr. Vettraino to transfer funds secretly without making them public. These illegal transfers and fund movements are all done under the direction and the approval of the Borough Council, Mayor Sandra Green, ITD Caruso and Borough Solicitors Dietrich and Mooney and auditors Long & Barrell.

To complete the scheme and keep the finances of Hometown Utilicom a secret, there are no 2006 and 2007 Budgets available at the Borough Hall.

Veto Threat on $1.3Million Loan

Veto threat on $1.3 million loan

Gennaro A. Marino

409 W. Main St.

Kutztown, Pa 19530

610-683-7977

Mayor Sandra K. Green

Kutztown Borough Council

Borough Manager\Treasurer Vettraino

Information Technology Director Caruso

Kutztown Borough Hall

45 Railroad St.

Kutztown, Pa 19530

Madam Mayor and Gentlemen,

The Reading Eagle article, dated February 27,2008 by Michelle Park in reference to $1.3 million loan for Hometown Utilicom states that the Borough Council voted for a Business Plan for Hometown Utilicom after a veto threat by Mayor Green for the loan. The Business Plan for HU will be drawn up by an outside firm.

(1) How long will this Business Plan take to complete?

(2) How much will this Business Plan cost?

(3) Why doesn’t the Borough have a Business Plan?

(4) Why does the Borough need an outside firm? Can’t Borough Manager\Treasurer Vettraino and ITD Caruso, who have directed HU since 2003 make up a Business Plan?

The Borough does not need a Business Plan. All the Borough needs is the following.

(1) The number of customers for TV, Internet and telephone each month separately for at least the last 5 years.

(2) The revenue from each of these services each month separately for at least the last 5 years.

(3) The total revenue for each of the last 5 years for HU from the Budget.

(4) The total expenditures for each of the last 5 years for HU from the Budget.

(5) The total amount of funds borrowed internally and externally, separately, by HU since its inception in 2002.

(6) The total amount of funds moved into HU such as transfers, rentals, services, subsidies or others.

(7) The total amount of funds transferred out of HU and where the funds were transferred to.

The amounts, figures and information from (1) through (7) can be charted, graphed and analyzed to show the past trends and direction of HU and utilized in projecting the future of HU which amounts to a Business Plan. For example if the number of subscribers and revenue from subscribers has increased substantially monthly for the past 5 years it would indicate a positive trend. If subscribers and revenue decreased or stayed the same for the same period that would indicate a negative trend.

This whole process is not very complicated and all the information from (1) through (7) exists and is readily available from the Borough Records.

If Borough personnel can finance, direct and manage the every day operation of Hometown Utilicom shouldn’t they be able to produce a Business Plan. By voting to have an outside firm produce a Business Plan you are admitting Borough Personnel can not produce a Business Plan. Coupled with the fact that HU loses about $1million a year it should be put up for sale and if no buyer is found should be shut down immediately.

Sincerely,

Gennaro A. Marino P.E.