After weeks of needless review, Allentown Mayor Ray O'Connell has finally signed a release accepting Nat Hyman's payment of $132,363 as full settlement of city expenses incurred in the a vacant Franklin Street factory that Hyman had hoped to rehabilitate. Unfortunately, the property went up in flames late last year.
Though Allentown is in financial distress, O'Connell sat on the release for weeks before signing it, likely because it vindicates Hyman.
This is far below $1.25 million demolition cost originally projected by city officials. The sole council member to voice any concern about this cost is Julio Guridy. City officials reluctantly agreed to allow Hyman to renegotiate the cost, and he managed to shrink it about 90 per cent.
Imagine what he could have done with a city budget.
"Now if only I can get Pat Browne to return my calls and letters and save the taxpayers another $15,000,000 on the state Hospital!" said Hyman.
Today's one-liner: "The shortest way to the distinguishing excellence of any writer is through his hostile critics." Richard LeGallienne
Local Government TV
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Monday, February 11, 2019
22 comments:
You own views are appreciated, especially if they differ from mine. But remember, commenting is a privilege, not a right. I will delete personal attacks or off-topic remarks at my discretion. Comments that play into the tribalism that has consumed this nation will be declined. So will comments alleging voter fraud unless backed up by concrete evidence. If you attack someone personally, I expect you to identify yourself. I will delete criticisms of my comment policy, vulgarities, cut-and-paste jobs from other sources and any suggestion of violence towards anyone. I will also delete sweeping generalizations about mainstream parties or ideologies, i.e. identity politics. My decisions on these matters are made on a case by case basis, and may be affected by my mood that day, my access to the blog at the time the comment was made or other information that isn’t readily apparent.
O'Connell is a sneak always was and always will be
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI no longer will permit tribalism. Try something else, if you still remember how to think.
ReplyDeletethe people of Allentown are in trouble with O'Connell as your leaderrr
ReplyDeleteI am a bit unclear on the 1.25 million to the 135K from Hyman. Did the City contract and is obligated for the 1.25 million less the 135k? Or did council throw that figure out there without actual knowledge of the cost and the total amount was 135k
ReplyDeleteThere all going to play dumb in the farce after covering the facts saying it was in the public interest. The people behind it are in on and skim from catastrophes under cover under colour keeping it all in howse.
ReplyDeleteControlled burn?
Anon 8:29: O'Connell was going to pay $1.25M and started grandstanding saying how Hyman was going to have pay the City every penny of the $1.25m. Then Hyman got involved and renegotiated with the contractor and did some of the work with his own contractors and got the total price down from $1.25M to $135k. The City ended up paying zero and Hyman got the whole job done for $135k. Shows you what a businessman can do. Imagine how much money the city would have saved if Hyman were Mayor!
ReplyDeleteThe place is circling the drain.
ReplyDeleteCity Council could have voted Hyman in as Mayor but instead they put their crony O'Connell in. As a result, the taxpayers have a 27% tax increase and O'Connell has already said that he won't rule out a tax increase next year. We would NOT have a 27% tax increase if Hyman were Mayor! So every taxpayer can thank O'Connell AND City Council when they pay their taxes. In addition, the water rates are going up, the city legal bills have ran over budget and the health insurance is $3m over budget. None of this would have happened if City Council had put Hyman in as Mayor.
ReplyDelete11:37 you are so correct O'Connell will continue to hurt the city even if Bernie likes the 2nd string point guard
ReplyDeleteAnyone notice that the Pawjowski apologists have disappeared?
ReplyDeleteWhat happened?
Hyman For Mayor! I heard he isn't running. Anyone know why?
ReplyDeleteHyman has decided not to wade into that cesspool.
ReplyDeleteI got this information from a council person.
ReplyDeleteThe 135,000 was only for the demolition and fencing, nothing else.
Hyman took over the rest of the job after that.
So how much did he pay for the remainder of the job,
That would be to dispose of the rumble, backfill, etc,
The city did not charge him for the Fire and Police overtime.
HYMAN DID PAY EVERY PENNY FOR THE DEMOLITION AND FENCING.
He did not get the whole job done for 135,000.
sell Allentown to the russians
ReplyDeleteHey Bernie,
ReplyDeleteDo a story on the guy who died at the Adelaine Mills site that Hyman owns??
You have a man crush on Hyman.
Hyman for mayor o.connell for retirement
ReplyDeleteNo call for worry.
ReplyDeleteJenn Mann and her posse have everything under control.
12:02 pm they were on council than and now they all are covering for there knowledge of theft of services by the plump one. That in fact was the least of thefts from the public trough that they also have knowledge of, and yes it's all just a conspiracy theory that will soon be bankrupting the city. Just keep them there faked factual numbers spreadsheets comming with all the signators?
ReplyDeleteWho will run the cities State of affairs when other actors are carted to the plump ones new accommodations! lol hahaha
Wasn't there a incident the year before on Liberty and Fulton that a house was misplaced with the help of codes and inside operatives? This one was sure to be handled in howse tootoo!
ReplyDeleteIt was an attempt at corruption as usual, so they didnt get away with this time, they will make up for it somewhere else.
ReplyDelete"Franklin Street factory that Hyman had hoped to rehabilitate. Unfortunately, the property went up in flames late last year."
ReplyDeleteIt has been reported that the building had no fire insurance however, sometimes construction/rehabilitation projects are insured by the contractor against such disruptions.
It would be interesting to know: Who was the contractor and was the project's construction/rehabilitation contract insured against disruption/delay/cancellation?