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Friday, March 13, 2015

Easton's New Code Inspector Accused of Playing Favorites in Forty Fort

Easton City Council has just rubber-stamped two new city administrators. Mayor Sal Panto calls them "great candidates," but has declined to identify them. Well, let me tell you about the City's new codes administrator, who is starting at a whopping $87,000 salary. His name is Stephen Nowroski, and he is currently the codes guy and IT Director in Pittston. Prior to that, he was the code guy in Forty Fort.

He'll be right at home in Sal Panto's Easton, where who you know takes priority over everything else, including the law.

I say this because Nowroski left Forty Fort in the wake of allegations that his code enforcement department was playing the retaliation and political favorite game. A subsequent investigation by the state Department of Labor and Industry revealed that Nowroski only bothered inspecting about 25% of the properties for which permits had been issued.

A few months after resigning in Forty Fort, Nowroski popped up in Pittston, where he was hired at a $56,000 salary as the building code enforcement officer. In Pittston, permit fees have rise substantially since Nowroski's arrival as part of a beefed-up force.

Nowroski also has his own inspection biz, Rocksteady Inspections.

54 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is this a joke? Does Uncle Sal have relatives in Pittston who convinced him to hire this creep?

Bernie O'Hare said...

No joke. Based on a one-minute google search, I would not call this a great candidate. Did Easton City Council, which rubber-stamped a ridiculously high salary, do any kind of due diligence at all?

Anonymous said...

Now you will pull down more people because Panto is on your hate list. How many people must you destroy?

Anonymous said...

This dept has LONG been a disaster.

Anonymous said...

Looking at his resume, he is not ready for this jump and seems quite young in age and experience. While having a bunch of certifications, no where near having the experience required in Easton.

Anonymous said...

Poor little bozo Bernie, can't find a woman to pick on so he has to fabricate trash. It's his sole purpose in his meaningless sad life.

Anonymous said...

You used to be one of Sal's most loyal supporters. You also used to rip Callahan. Your shit list is an ever evolving document. I predict Sal will be back to a hero on this blog in the next two years.

Anonymous said...

$87K is "whopping"?

I think you've lost perspective, man.

Anonymous said...

Blind in one eye and can't see out the other, perfect candidate.

Anonymous said...

Does this pinto pawn nitwit tell floppers extraordinair that said home owner is calling them too¿ Than the administrational manipulational retaleation is an inevidable fact of life¿ Hence, causing the trickle down effect of hostel living environment¿ This is a administrational tool locally on a Hole¿ This is a fact that ignorance will allways be claimed too¿

redd
patent pending

Bernie O'Hare said...

8:36, If you don't think that is a very high starting salary for a code guy in a city of just 26,000 people, you're nutz. It's how Easton ends up in the mess it is in.

Bill Coker said...

Speaking of compensation in a town of 26,000, start with council and go from there. The cost of this government for a small town is amazing. Would fit better in NYC.

Anonymous said...

This is typical government. Hire someone that will further your agenda, and pay them with taxpayer dollars. Then ignore complaints that you hired an incompetent/corrupt employee.

Good research, Bernie. It's as easy as finding out the truth about TM - Google is your friend. It's a shame they didn't want to.

Anonymous said...

@1:32AM You've been destroyed by your own hand and mouth. Bernie is just reporting, the same way he did during your fall from grace. Don't blame the messenger. Buy a mirror.

The truth is liberating - it appears you have been battered by it.

Anonymous said...

He's a shady, damaged job-hopper whose putrid past Panto can leverage to do his bidding (Constitutional or not) and collect more parking revenue. This city is a breath away from state receivership, according to fiscal whiz kid, Sal. It's all about collecting every dime possible because the law says he can't jack taxes any higher. Moravian should demand their degree back. He's barely literate and can't keep a checkbook.

Anonymous said...

8:36, If you don't think that is a very high starting salary for a code guy in a city of just 26,000 people, you're nutz. It's how Easton ends up in the mess it is in.

His previous title was "Director of Code Enforcement" which leads me to believe he runs a department. If you run a department, $87K is not outrageous. (You neglected to publish is Easton title or his job responsibilities.)

Bernie O'Hare said...

I am saying it is an outrageous starting salary for a city of Eastpn's size for someone like this guy, who has had issues.

Anonymous said...

Doubt he has ever been accused of "moral turpitude", just sayin...

Bernie O'Hare said...

When we're interested in what an anonymous coward thinks about morality, we'll let you know.

Peter J.Cochran said...

Bernie ,Forty Fort is not Easton. Give this man a chance , he may surprise and supervise properly here. Just because you drew a permit to add the Maytag dishwasher does not mean it needs to be inspected. Wait.

Peter J.Cochran said...

Bernie, if I may add , Here in Easton we have a lot of older buildings and some are very close to each other physically. This man private website makes lite of a lot of things we are aware of in the fire service . I will stick my neck out now - I'm going to say that this bright young man will transpire and inspire the department he will assume.I have never seen him, and I will say that here.

Anonymous said...

Did you see all of this guys credentials and certificates? This guy is worth every penny! Welcome to the City Of Easton! You will be working around some great people. I know because I deal with the codes office often. Haters will hate

Matt M. said...

When the mean income of Easton is $37,314, $87k is a pretty large sum. I'm not calling anyone's character into question, just proving a point that hiring anyone in a public position at 2.5x the median income of the city is going to raise a few eyebrows. If he was hired in the 50's, no one would bat an eye.

Anonymous said...

Hey, previous mayor gave a woman running the Main Street program a contract that allowed her to quit a few months in. She then was able to receive the rest of that salary by contract and ran for judge in Stroudsburg. Anzini

Business as usual in Easton. And as usual in NEPA. Luzerne County being the worst of all NEPA counties. That would be where the subject of this piece hails from. Just like the Kids for Cash scandal.

Anonymous said...

Another example of how non resident workers are paying the tab through a special tax.....fiscal irresponsibile

Anonymous said...

If Uncle Sal is soooo upset, why doesn't he come public with his findings and put an end to his bitching? It is the public sector isn't it?

Anonymous said...

Dear Matt M.
The mean salary of Easton is less significant than the median salary for the Easton area which is $56,318 (www.payscale.com). Salary.com shows the median salary for entry level building inspector for the Easton area to $50K, and that of a Sr. building inspector in the Easton area to $60K. Assuming that the Chief Inspector has additional certifications in mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire inspection, and plans review, etc.; along with supervisory & management duties which require him to sign off on everything code oriented that takes place in the City; a salary in excess of $80k does not seen unreasonable. Anyone who has hired people knows that the pool of qualified candidates can be quite small, and competition for the individuals in the pool can be high. Easton is not just competing against current employers and other governments, but also private industry. When any company sets their salaries too low they become a revolving door for below average employees just gaining experience before moving on to better paying jobs. There is a cost to hire a person and those costs just keep adding up when an employer creates such a revolving door environment. So sometime it make sense in the long run to pay a little more to get the right person. As a Director he may not be in the union and not in the union pension plan. This reduces the total cost of compensation. The saving in pension costs may offset the expense of higher salary. Please try to do a better cost analysis before suggesting a Director's position be paid an entry level salary.

Bernie O'Hare said...

What this means is that this newbie should receive about $60k. All those certifications come with being a senior guy. I personally find it outrageous that Easton City Council would vote to increase this guy's salary without even telling the public who he is, and his Hizzoner's explanation of the dude's past is sho full of holes I can drive a Mack truck through it.

Anonymous said...

What about all the High end NORCO salaries that Brown has handed out to non-qualified people who should have never been confirmed?

county matters said...

The guy that Bangor recently hired as borough manager started at $80K !! After a couple months on the job, he appointed himself treasurer AND ZONING OFFICER! Not sure of pay increase. Bangor's population is around 5K. Upper Mt. Bethel pays their township manager/zoning office around $65k.

Anonymous said...

Mayor Panto has posted a great response to this smear piece on Facebook. He points out how this "blogger" uses his blog to attack and harass innocent people. A great read and many people have praised the Mayor and commented that Mayor Panto has finally had the guts to say publically what many have been saying privately for years.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I will be addressing Panto's thin-skinned response, as well as the comments made by his sycophants.

Anonymous said...

He called you for what you are. Will you be attacking the innocent civilians who commented in his favor.

How sad!

Bernie O'Hare said...

I'll agree with him on one point. Anonymous cowards like you are sad. Unfortunately, the people who attacked me on Panto's screed had to say who they are, and I will say what they are.

Anonymous said...

Greeting nailed it, this blog is like a dirty adult bookstore bathroom in it's level of depravity. On a side note it is very brave of him to admit to frequenting such establishments.

NorCo Twink

Bernie O'Hare said...

Twink, I'm sure he only does that for academic reasons.

Anonymous said...

If you read the article from citizensvoice.com, which is the paper in Wilkes Barre, this new hire looks really bad. He hasn't worked in a government capacity since 2013 and his organization skills look really bad. He blamed everything on the people taking the permits. So where is his follow up? Doesn't seem like he was working too hard. And this is what they found at random. Imagine how much more they would have found if they pulled all the permits? And Panto seems to lie in his latest remarks. He says no one was disciplined? One of the strongest things that the Bureau of the Dept of Labor can do to a government entity is write a strong letter of warning, exactly what they did. Bernie, you hit a bulls-eye with this.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I stand by my story.

Anonymous said...

Talk about shitty, didn't Panto collude with the Blog Mentor to voice his opinion about how he dislikes you?

Anonymous said...

If you read LV Live's comment section on the latest, doesn't seem that Panto's form of government is well liked. Amazing the difference from Facebook to LV Live.

Bernie O'Hare said...

It certainly is different there.

Anonymous said...

Easton's salaries are much higher then Northampton County employees. Perhaps if he kept his salaries lower he wouldn't have to keep increasing that ridiculous commuter tax that pays for all the lawsuits the city pays out because of poor administration. No worries Sal everyone will keep kicking in to pay for your mistakes.

Bernie O'Hare said...

He actually taunted me about the commuter tax. Very classy on his part.

Unknown said...

This makes me feel nostalgic for the city council appointee, public job interview.

Anonymous said...

When the mean income of Easton is $37,314, $87k is a pretty large sum. I'm not calling anyone's character into question, just proving a point that hiring anyone in a public position at 2.5x the median income of the city is going to raise a few eyebrows. If he was hired in the 50's, no one would bat an eye.

Since when are salaries of public employees based on median incomes of the city in which they work? That is absurd.

Matt M. said...

Anonymous said...
When the mean income of Easton is $37,314, $87k is a pretty large sum. I'm not calling anyone's character into question, just proving a point that hiring anyone in a public position at 2.5x the median income of the city is going to raise a few eyebrows. If he was hired in the 50's, no one would bat an eye.

Since when are salaries of public employees based on median incomes of the city in which they work? That is absurd.

9:35 AM

When the brunt of the tax payers are at a lower income than the folks being hired, it matters. Punch all of the anonymous holes you want in my "cost-analysis" but when Joe Q Taxpayer, making much less than 87k sees a hire like this, it's going to piss them off.

Anonymous said...

When the brunt of the tax payers are at a lower income than the folks being hired, it matters. Punch all of the anonymous holes you want in my "cost-analysis" but when Joe Q Taxpayer, making much less than 87k sees a hire like this, it's going to piss them off.

Life isn't fair. If Joe Q. Taxpayer lacks the skills or credentials to do a job, that means he doesn't get paid to do the job. People are willing to take a modest haircut on salary to work certain places but not enough that it would be ill-advised.

patches said...

Being a neighbor of Steve Nowroski and having dealings with him, I can honestly say that Steve is corrupt. Many residents living within the bourgh of Forty-Fort and Swoyersville can attest to this. When violations occur within the community and Steve is contacted he has on several occassions, (if he were friends of the people complaining) would side with the people that the complaint was against, then proceed to harrass and cite the people doing the complaining. Steve had worked for Swoyersville, while working for Forty Fort. He DID idenify himself as the Code Enforcement Officer to myself. He was also idenified as the Code Enforcer by the Zoning Officer in Swoyersville who placed a call to him and arrived on the property accompied by Steve on more than one occassion. A complaint was filed with the Dept of Labor and Industry against Steve in 2009 by myself. At that time Labor and Industry did come here to investagate. Due to the nature of the complaint and the trouble that Steve would have gotten into Swoyersvile Borough signed a sworn statement that Steve did not nor ever did work for Swoyersville. (Corruption at its finest) Due to the dispute we have, proper surveys etc, it was dismissed by Steve. Steve stated that the property lines must have shifted. Currently several lawsuits are pending due to Steves expertise and favortism. He is not to be trusted (my opinion)but shared by many.

patches said...

The news paper article about Stephen Nowroski (code enforcement officer), just hit our news stands today 3-16-15 in Wilkes-Barre, PA. We are contacting people who would be very interested in the article. Stay tuned!! Hat's off to Bernie O'Hare he has his facts straight, keep up the good work!! Boy, we really could use someone like you around here to speak up. We can't do it alone.






Anonymous said...

BOH - Allowing an anonymous personal attack when it fits your agenda?

patches said...

Steve Nowroski did not resign from Forty-Fort just to move on to bigger and better things. He resigned in the middle of a controversy. If there were no wrong doings with Steve Nowroski, Forty-Fort and the Dept of Labor and Industry, then why was a STERN WARNING issued to Steven Nowroski by the Dept of Labor and Industry. WARNINGS ARE NOT ISSUED IF THE PERSON IN QUESTION WAS FOUND TO HAVE DONE NOTHING WRONG. Please use some common sense and intellegence when reading the mans Bio. Sal Panto claims that Steve Nowroski Disclosed the fact that he was issued the warning, but it was someone else that did wrong. LOL please read Sals statement again. Sal Panto said Steve nor the Forty-Fort was punished. What then was the Warning for???

patches said...

Stephen Nowroski owns and operates Rocksteady Inspections; question--When does he conduct inspections for his business? If they are done during his working hours as a Code Enforcer, then he is not only getting paid by the tax payers, but is also able to charge a fee for the same hours through his business. Is he double dipping? Most pre-sale inspections etc are done by inspections during normal business hours. I am not accusing him of doing this, but I am wondering if he is??

Anonymous said...

This guy moved into our neighborhood eight years ago as a very cocky, arrogant 23 year old who acted like he was going to take over and try to gain as much political power in the neighborhood as possible. Quite a lot of nerve for a young kid. To a few of us who were astute enough to detect it, his arrogance did not mask for us his lack of experience, and those of us who felt this way realized he didn't know even a quarter of what he acted like he knew. Anyone can go online and get a whole pile of certificates. It doesn't replace experience and knowledge. We are happy he left the neighborhood.

Thomas Taylor said...

We finally get a competent guy in Easton, yet it looks like the same jackassedness out of our citizens.

Just the reason why we have the problems we do. I should have listened to my friends and moved out of here long ago. No fixing stupid.