Comments on 12-3-08 HU Special Meeting Gennaro A. Marino P.E.
www.marinoreport.com
Kutztown Borough Council
Dear Elected Officials,
As you can see the post previous to this post is a copy of the minutes of the 12-3-08 HU Special Council Meeting from the Borough website which was published almost 2 months after the meeting. Before reading this post please read the minutes of the meeting. The minutes were witnessed by Assistant Secretary Wiand and were reviewed and accepted by you unanimously at the January 20, 2009 Council Meeting. My repeat post of 12-22-08 points out all the false profitability and engineering statements by Mr. Dawson and I also point out Mr. Dawson did not show any hard facts or figures to back up his statements.
The reason I am commenting on these minutes is that after Mr. Dawson completed his presentation several residents commented and questioned Mr. Dawson and the minutes state “and lengthy conversations ensued and all questions and comments were addressed by Mr. Dawson, Borough Council, Borough staff and Solicitor Mooney”.
THE MINUTES DO NOT CONTAIN ONE QUESTION OR COMMENT FROM THE LENGTHY CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN THE CONCERNED RESIDENTS, MR. DAWSON, BOROUGH COUNCIL, BOROUGH STAFF AND SOLICITOR MOONEY. The questions and comments were deliberately omitted from the minutes on your orders because you disagreed with them.
This again confirms that under your orders and direction the Borough is deliberately withholding the facts and finances about Hometown Utilicom. How can the comments and questions on Hometown Utilicom be withheld at a meeting that was advertised as a Special Meeting on Hometown Utilicom?
This post in conjunction with my 2 previous posts exposes you for what you are and what you are doing. How much longer are you going to hide the fact that Hometown Utilicom loses about $1 million a year. If you read Mr. Dawson’s report carefully you will see that HU is not a viable venture and should be shut down.
Sincerely, Gennaro A. Marino P.E.
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18 comments:
Marino, once again you are a failure to report information properly. The CCG report does not support your claims nor the current Mayor who demanded the report, and this is why you are attacking the results. The report TOTALLY CONTRADICTS your million dollar loss claims. The Hometown system is saving the community thousands of dollars every month. Just being their as a competitive product to Verizon and Service Electric STOPPED THE BLEEDING other communities are experiencing. Nowhere in Pennsylvania will you find customers paying less for Internet and Television. You are not speaking for me or any other resident enjoying the product and savings, SO GET LOST!. You fail to recognize the value for both the HU and those RESIDENTS NOT ON HU, yes even they have a significant discount because of competition. Both homes are paying almost 1/2 what the surrounding area is paying.
As far technology is concerned, you are too old to appreciate what Kutztown residents have and you have no children or family living with you to have to worry about in-home expenses. You have no clue what is coming to Kutztown in the next few months because you are to ignorant to recognize the progress. I don't see any other community having a reduced priced service for television or internet, do you?
You are attacking something that is having a positive effect on EVERY RESIDENT AND BUSINESS residing in Kutztown, including those that can only afford the lowest cost service. Tell me Marino where can a home purchase television for $22 and Internet for $20 anywhere else except Kutztown?
You will fail because you do not need the reduced prices and you do not need the advanced technology.
I encourage every KUTZTOWN RESIDENT NOT ON THE HU SYSTEM TO JOIN ME and keep the system in place and growing. We have the luxury of no expensive set top boxes for each television, we enjoy paying 1/2 that of the Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas yet SE offers the same product to our neighbors at a much higher cost. We enjoy the ability to call for whatever service issue we have and someone answers the phone and from my experience, within a couple of minutes they are at my home.
I stopped by Borough Hall and spoke to Mr Caruso about HU and he told me about HU launching a new product where those homes that cannot afford or do not have an interest in the Internet will have the ability to purchase movies from the Internet and watch them on their Television, no set top needed, no internet service required. He also told me about the HD changes and more importantly he explained to me how we can use our existing televisions and not have to throw them away because HU is configuring their system to handle all types of television formats. This is the new technology available only in Kutztown.
Take the time to stop by to speak to Mr Caruso about HU and the changes they are making. As far as Marino’s comment about the system being outdated he is correct that technology is constantly changing and to keep pace upgrades are required or you cannot receive the newest options available, like watching movies in your home without a required internet connection. As far as his comment that the Internet is overloaded, it is not overloaded as Marino claims either, the Borough has the capability to grow the Internet speed by 100 times its current offering, its all about cost and the ability to purchase more. The more customers, the more requirements, the more the Borough can purchase to grow the Internet Service.
Keep the HU system alive and growing. Marino does not need the system and he speaks as if he is some authority, he is not. The CCG report proved him wrong and once again he can’t handle this because he did not get the answer he was looking for. Shut this guy down and support the HU system by joining if you are not a current customer.
You do not speak for me or a number of other HU supporters so stop pretending to be Abby Hoffman.
I notice the CCG report speaks in favor of Hometown. I know this report was requested to inform the public. It clearly shows Hometown is good for this or any other community struggling to keep costs low.
Mr Marino will you ever be satisfied?
Mr Marino: Can you explain to me how the CCG report supports your claims? Sure seems like the opposite to me.
Hey loser you never did respond to the article about you being kicked off the Weis Market property.
Whats up???????????
Apr. 24--Some Kutztown officials want to hire an attorney to take up the investigation of employee complaints against Mayor Gennaro A. Marino.
"It is a better situation for us not to be the investigator," said Jan M. Crooker, borough council president. "We want to hire an outside attorney to come in and look at the facts."
Four borough employees filed grievances accusing Marino of verbally abusive conduct in 2002, and Kutztown's
MARINO, GENNARO A
Age: 79
Corona, NY
Elmont, NY
Floral Park, NY
Kutztown, PA MARINO, MICHAEL A
MARINO, PATRICIA A
MARINO, GERALD SUSAN
FOUND UNDER PUBLIC RECORDS
MARINO, MICHAEL A (age 49)
MARINO, PATRICIA A (age 69)
MARINO, GERALD SUSAN (age 47)
Hey Marino, hows come your daughters middle name is GERALD? were you in a state of confusion?
GENNARO A MARINO
Criminal Records Search
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Department of Corrections, Sex Offenders/Megan's Law, Nationwide Wants and Warrants, Administration of Courts, Patriot Act Database, Department of Public Safety, CA Criminal Filings, and LA Municipal Criminal Filings.
P23.
Marino's conduct and behavior nevertheless continued. He told the Chief of Police that he "would
make life difficult for him as a means to get him to resign as chief." P37. Further, he behaved in a hostile
and intimidating manner toward several other Borough employees, each of whom approached Hill
and told him about this treatment at the hands of the Mayor. PP24-27, 30-35.
In addition to his threats to "get rid of" -- and his hostile treatment of -- Borough employees, Mayor
Marino also made several false accusations against Hill. At a meeting of the Borough Council on April
23, 2002, Mayor Marino "demanded [Hill's] resignation, purportedly because of his involvement in
certain appointments by [the] Council which the Mayor described as a 'plot' that was corrupt and
criminal." P22. Mayor Marino also told Borough employee Frank Caruso that Hill was "illegally moving
funds to confuse everyone." P28.
"[A]s part of his duties as Manager," Hill [*5] reported Mayor Marino's conduct towards him and
towards the other Borough employees to the Borough Council. P36.
Apparently at the same time that all of the above was occurring, Mayor Marino began "to attack the
Borough's telecommunications project," with which Hill was identified, and which had traditionally
enjoyed the support of the Borough Council. The Mayor "made clear his utter distaste" for the project.
In response, Hill "advocated for [the project's] continuation." PP39-41.
As retaliation (1) for Hill's reporting the Mayor's conduct to the Borough Council, (2) for Hill's advocacy
in support of the telecommunications project, and (3) for Hill's support of other unspecified positions
that were associated with the previous mayor, Mayor Marino continued his persecution of Hill.
PP43, 110. Specifically, the Mayor engaged in a series of "harassing, intimidating and oppressive confrontations
with [Hill] at his workplace and at Council meetings," and defamed Hill to Borough employees,
and to consultants present at Hill's workplace, and to the public. P44.
Hill sent a number of letters to the Borough Solicitor and had multiple conversations with the Personnel
Committee of the [*6] Borough Council, asking each to "remedy the course of conduct by Defendant
Marino." P45. In July 2002, Hill made oral complaints to the Pennsylvania Human Relations
Commission ("PHRC") and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ("EEOC"). He subsequently
filed a written complaint with the PHRC. PP48-49.
The Mayor's conduct nevertheless persisted. On August 22, 2002, Mayor Marino published a
"newspaper commentary" in which he accused Hill of "irregular or illegal" allocations of funds, and of
"recklessly handling our money." P50. This accusation was false. The Borough of Kutztown actually
possessed a AAA credit rating. Moreover, a bond attorney, a bond underwriter and Borough auditors
had verified the Borough's solid financial condition and its efficient management. P51.
Prior to Mayor Marino's public attacks on him, Hill had enjoyed a reputation for honesty, integrity
and professionalism. P52. After Marino's attacks, Hill was "subjected to scorn and ridicule," including
one incident where Hill's son's employer confronted Hill and Hill's wife and told them that he, the employer,
had heard the Mayor "was pursuing [Hill] concerning corruption." P54.
Hill v. Borough of Kutztown, No. 05-1356, 2006 U.S. App. LEXIS 18708 (3rd Cir. July 26, 2006).
Page 4 of 21
The Mayor's conduct, and the [*7] Borough Council's failure to stop it, made life so intolerable for
Hill that he eventually had no choice but to resign. P55. n3 Hill submitted a letter of resignation on
August 29, 2002, which stated that he would cease work on October 12, 2002. P57. n4
n3 The Mayor apparently acknowledged the connection between the Mayor's conduct and
Hill's resignation. At a September 17, 2002 meeting of the Borough Council, Mayor Marino
stated that he deserved "credit" for Hill's departure. P62.
n4 Hill's brief makes reference to an August 2004 report that the Borough Council commissioned
a Special Counsel to write. The report apparently corroborates and adds further detail to
Hill's allegations about the way Mayor Marino behaved toward him.
The Borough Council continued to be upset about Mayor Marino's conduct, and the effect it was
having. n5 It asked Hill to reconsider and stay on as Borough Manager. Hill refused, but did agree to
postpone his departure until October 27, 2002. PP66-67.
n5 Two newspaper articles from September 2002 report Council President Ely as saying that
"the false accusations made (by Marino) are detrimental to residents and the borough as a
whole," and "[f]or the council the biggest thing is the misinformation given out by [Mayor Marino]
. . . It's hard to deal with. I've been on (council) for 27 years and I've never seen anything
like it." PP63-64.
[*8]
Hill then accepted a position with "the engineering consulting firm that had for years served in the
role of Borough engineer." The Borough Council (by unanimous vote) initiated and worked out a parttime
emergency "consulting" arrangement with that firm so that Hill could be made available to assist
with certain urgent Borough tasks, such as budget preparation, in the period of transition to the new
Manager. PP68-73. Hill worked in this capacity, without receiving any additional salary for it, until
January 2003, when the Borough hired a replacement. PP74-76. The replacement was twenty-seven
years old, P76, some fifteen or sixteen years younger than Hill, who was over 40 years of age when he
left the Borough's employ. P4. n6
n6 The complaint alleges that Marino continued to harass and defame Hill even after he had
ceased to be Borough Manager. It alleges that the Mayor filed complaints with two state agencies
based on Hill's transitional service to the Borough, and wrote letters to various governmental
agencies and officials -- as well as private individuals and media organizations -- in which he
implied that Hill had mishandled funds. These allegations are irrelevant to this appeal -- which is
based on claims arising out of Hill's constructive discharge -- as they detail events that occurred
after the constructive discharge.
[*9]
Hill brought this lawsuit against Mayor Marino (in his individual and official capacities) and the
Borough of Kutztown. The complaint alleged that the Mayor's campaign of harassment, defamation
and retaliation deprived Hill of his job (through constructive discharge n7), and did damage to his
reputation and his ability to earn a living as a licensed professional engineer and a public servant See,
e.g., PP14, 58, 106. He further alleged that the Borough Council "did not halt, reverse or lessen or otherwise
materially affect the alleged offending conduct of the Mayor." See, e.g., P16
donuts are so expensive in kutztown.
is there any way the borough could start selling donuts to drive the costs down?
this way we all would benefit. even those who don't buy the new hometown brand chocolate glazed crullers. the new HU bakery will save EVERYONE money -- even if you buy Entenmann’s.
Marino, you neglect to inform your readers that you are now able to do all of your grocery shopping at the HU food mart. Only one condition: You must conduct yourself in an orderly fashion. Another option is to shop at the Service Electric. They don`t give a rats ass what you do.
We could use a donut shop. As long as it controls cost, employs people, brings customers to Kutzown, revenues from the venture stay in kutztown working for the kutztown community, its a win for the community.
We need more efforts like Hometown to stimulate the economy, paid for and used by the citizens of the community. Why should we send our payments to Allentown, or Dallas Texas, or Mahoney City? The money should stay in Kutztown working for us, not some other town.
Why pay gluten owners and investors that prefer to gauge the public, take the money and run when convenient for them?
To the annonymous writer that has no financial worries in their home and condones over paying for monoplized services.
I don't see Verizon, Service Electric, COMCAST, RCN jumping to build a corporate office in Kutztown, do you?
Full of hot air is what most of thes comments are. Jerry, you have them thinking for sure! Keep up the "good" work!
P.S. Don't let their flase claims get you down either! So what there is cheap cable in Kutztown while everything else they "sell" is higher then everywhere else. BIG DEAL!
What is a "flase claim"?
Funny but not only did Hometwown create a competitive affordable market, but as ironic as it may seem, they improved Service Electrics system by LESSONING THE BURDEN OF CUSTOMERS. Instead of 50 users per NODE it down to 40.
HU actually helped SE improve its andtiquated 100 year old system.
Nice job!
Yep Kutztown is higher in electric rates, TODAY, look out in the very near future, the PPL and MetEd's of the world have sly smile on their face. 60% increases are on the way. Oh yes, if you chose you can FINANCE This with them as well.
Very smart thinking annonymous moron.
The water department and services, did you read about North Whitehall? You are clueless what you have.
If you are so opposed, MOVE YOUR ASS AWAY and ENHJOY THE HIGHER PRICES AND 3-5 day service time.
Dear Mr. Shop-Rite. Now i find out you have also been told not to darken the door of the Mr. Food. store. If this keeps up, you will end up starving to death. Oh well, it`s been said there is some good in every bad situation.
Yo Marino:
Were you a MAYTAG repair man in your many professions?
You keep getting kicked out of establishments. You are turning yourself into the loneliest man in town.
Congratulations to Mr Food for taking up the fight against your bullshit.
You are driving business away from the downtown business sector, you really are crazy.
I will, once again, return to Mr Food as a customer.
Most of these posting are FOS! And by the way, most of you (including the one who points out musspelling) can't spell or type either. Why don't you just leave mr. Marino alone? Hmm, he must be on the right track after all.
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