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The city’s branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has been suffering from some internal leadership troubles involving finances, as chronicled here by the Connecticut Post and here by the Only in Bridgeport website.

It hasn’t been a great couple of months for the organization, whose members are supposed to be fighting other battles in Connecticut’s largest city over education, the economy, the city budget, crime and quality-of-life issues, rather than wasting that energy on internal feuds.

As a result it’s time for a forced shake-up. The re-organization meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 22, 7 p.m. at Messiah Baptist Church, 2010 Congress St.

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…Councilwoman Susan Brannelly, D-130, a new co-chairman of the City Council’s Budget and Appropriations Committee.

Here’s Brannelly emphasizing the all-Democrat council has the authority to cut/alter Democratic Mayor Bill Finch’s proposed 2013-14 budget after members wrap up several weeks of meetings with department heads. Critics view the Council as a same-party rubber stamp.

“I’m not wasting a month of my life to ‘drink  the Kool-Aid,’” Brannelly said.

Oh yeaahh!!!

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I’ve covered government long enough to know elected leaders go out of their way to trumpet a change in department heads when they think it’s good news, and don’t when they don’t want to draw too much attention to the shift.

Need an example of a quiet shift in department chiefs? Take Mayor Bill Finch’s decision to, after five years, relieve Charlie Carroll of double-duty running the Public Facilities and Parks departments. Carroll, a City Hall veteran, will go back to focusing just on parks and the administration will find a replacement to helm Public Facilities.

Yes, the pending change was reflected in Finch’s proposed 2013-14 budget, if you knew where to look. But the administration has not gone out of its way to point it out or offer explanations. Even when the Connecticut Post sat with the mayor and his finance staff two weeks ago for a budget briefing, the decision to fully fund a parks director was mentioned as an afterthought.

Yes there was a lot to talk about that day. But in retrospect it was odd, considering Bridgeport is the Park City and Finch loves his parks. Just check Twitter:

———-

Bill Finch ‏@MayorBillFinch 14 Apr

Busy day at beautiful Beardsley Park @CityofBptCT @BGreenBPT Parks r worth every tax dollar r government invests!

———-

Why hasn’t the administration made the case from jump it was time to have a full-time department head and Carroll is the best man for the job?

Instead the change in Carroll’s duties finally came up Tuesday during his meeting with the Council’s Budgets and Appropriations Committee when, as Public Facilities head, Carroll and his deputies gathered to defend their agency from cuts.

Carroll did not mention he was going back to just focusing on the parks until a committee member asked what was up with Finch’s proposal for a full time parks head?

“I’m returning to parks full time,” Carroll said.

And with that the matter was dropped. No one on the budget committee asked the follow up questions about what that meant for Public Facilities.

But the topic had been broached, leading to the mayor’s office Wednesday issuing the following statement to the Connecticut Post and the Only in Bridgeport website:

“It has always been understood, between the mayor and Charlie, that he will be returning full time to the position of parks director at some point in the future since he began serving in the dual position capacity.  The mayor appointed him at the beginning of his administration to double-duty after Charlie volunteered to do this on a temporary basis. Five years later, residents have been well-served by his serving in both capacities – saving the taxpayers money and accomplishing great things.  At some point later this year, Charlie will be transitioning back full-time as parks director, and the city will be selecting a public facilities director, which is a position that serves at the appointment of the mayor. The mayor will continue his past practice of hiring the best and brightest available person to fill this extremely important position.”

What’s still missing is the rationale for “un-consolidating” a job during a tough budget year when Finch has proposed a tax increase and the Council is trying to avoid it. The mayor himself in his budget message to constituents bragged about his administration’s efforts “to take measures to save taxpayers money and expand efforts to create a leaner, more efficient work force.”

“Will it improve services at a savings to the taxpayer?” he said.

Questions that could have been asked of Carroll directly by the budget committee while he was sitting in front of them Tuesday. Still, council members have time to get to the bottom of this.

“We could say, ‘No.’ That is an option,” Brannelly said Wednesday.

Wednesday night via email I asked the mayor’s office to further explain, “Why is it a good thing, during the 2013-14 fiscal year, to return to having a new full time department head in parks?”

Here’s the response from Thursday: “There is only so long you can ask someone to do two major jobs at once, and the mayor is thankful that Charlie was able to serve in this capacity for that amount of time … The Mayor may choose to appoint someone from current staff, thereby not needing to fund a ‘new’ position.”

Carroll was Chief-of-Staff to Finch’s predecessor, ex-Mayor John Fabrizi, and the two remain close. Fabrizi Thursday offered his own theory – Carroll is the fall guy for what critics say was the Finch administration’s mishandling of February’s blizzard.

“Charlie has demonstrated over his many years with the city he is a very capable individual in carrying out his duties and tasks,” Fabrizi said. “I’m surprised at this latest move and, quite frankly, in my opinion the administration is looking to blame someone for the challenges with the recent storm.”

While saying the city could always work to improve, the Finch administration has repeatedly defended its response to the blizzard, arguing Bridgeport was blanketed beneath an historic 30 inches of snow and citizens did not follow the mayor’s emergency declaration to get their cars off of plow routes.

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The City Council’s Budget and Appropriations Committee Wednesday sat down with Police Chief Joseph Gaudett and members of his staff to pick apart the proposed 2013-14 cop budget.

The group is trying to find ways to cut Mayor Bill Finch’s average, $400 tax hike.

Weighty topics, such as police staffing, overtime and sick leave were discussed at length Wednesday with Gaudett. But the council scrutiny inevitably always leads to interesting discussions with various department heads on quirkier areas of the budget as well.

At one point Wednesday Councilman John Olson, D-132, suggested perhaps the police force no longer needs seven horses.

“I love the horses (but) is this something we can afford to do?” Olson said.

Gaudett left no doubt how he feels about the horses, the six officers who take care of and ride the animals, and the unit’s contributions to law enforcement.

“Our mounted unit is not ceremonial,” Gaudett said.

From handing out speeding tickets (yes, it happened, said Gaudett) to crowd management (“Nobody talks back to a horse”) the chief insisted the mounted cops are invaluable to his department.

At another point in the discussion, Gaudett suggested another potential area for cost savings – his $50,000 budget for the sandwiches and milk fed to prisoners.

Turns out that for years the department put the contract out to bid and, for years, only one restaurant came forward – Frankie’s Diner.

Gaudett said his staff has suggested instead using the public schools’ in-house food service, which could halve the $50,000 price. However the department would need to invest in a refrigerator.

The council appeared interested.

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A student at Fairfield University lost a relative in the Boston Marathon bombing, University President Jeffrey P. von Arx, S.J. confirmed on Wednesday.

Von Arx, speaking after a noon mass on campus that included references to the bombing that killed three, wouldn’t say who the student was and who the relative was out of respect for the student’s privacy.

The three killed in the explosion included Richard Martin, 8, Krystle Campbell, 29 and a 23-year-old college student from China.

Tuesday evening, Fairfield University held a special prayer vigil honoring the victims in Egan Chapel. Wednesday, at the noon mass, with about 50 people in attendance, Rev. George Collins, the university chaplain, said it was understandable to feel confused, fearful and even angry by what happened. He asked them to focus the individuals on the scene who tore down fences to reach the injured, who pulled off shirts and belts to use as tourniquets.

“It doesn’t deny the reality of what happened but it offers us all what we need,” Collins said, on an altar filled with memorial candles.

 Later, Collins said the noontime mass drew about double the normal amount of participants, which he called understandable.

Von Arx also sent out a message to the university community that included the following:

While at this point all of the facts are unclear, we do know that the family of one member of our community suffered a loss yesterday. Our prayers go out to them at this time. These tragedies so close to home remind us of how fortunate we are to live and work together within a community of compassion and solidarity, and I am grateful to you all for your sensitivity and fellowship in these circumstances. May God bless you all.

 This is not the first act of terror to impact the Fairfield University community. The university lost 14 alumni in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.

 

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The Bridgeport Police Department issued a news release Wednesday warning of potential online scams latching onto the sympathy and concern aroused by the bombings at the Boston Marathon on Monday.

Police warn that some online domain names registered in the wake of Monday’s bombings could be intended to “take advantage of those interested in learning more details about the explosions.”

“Others will likely target individuals looking to contribute to fundraising efforts,” the release read.

Bridgeport Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett Jr. likened the effort to that of online scammers who cropped up after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14.

“I saw firsthand the generosity of our region and of our country after Sandy Hook,” Gaudett said in the statement. “It is impossible to know how many of these new domains were created with bad intent but we ask people, after this terrible incident, to act both with their hearts and their heads.”

The full text of the release, from police spokesman William Kaempffer, follows:

Boston Marathon Bombing Is Being Used to Disseminate Malware and Conduct Financial Fraud

Individuals wasted no time in registering online domain names related to Monday’s fatal explosions at the Boston Marathon.

Some of the domains are likely to take advantage of those interested in learning more details about the explosions. Others will likely target individuals looking to contribute to fundraising efforts.

It is unclear what each registrant’s intent may be, but historically, scammers, spammers and other malicious actors capitalize on major news events by registering such domains.

“I saw firsthand the generosity of our region and of our country after Sandy Hook,” said Bridgeport Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett Jr. “It is impossible to know how many of these new domains were created with bad intent but we ask people, after this terrible incident, to act both with their hearts and their heads.”

Mayor Bill Finch described people who try to fraudulently profit from tragedy as “despicable.”
“I am always in awe at how people come together after tragedy,” said Mayor Finch. “But I am dismayed by the people who would seek to take advantage.”

The Risk: The bombing of the Boston Marathon, 15 April 2013, does not just mean an increased threat level across the country and globe, but includes new and recycled Internet scams. Major events tend to attract malicious individuals who use the event for their gain.

The Threats: Internet watch groups and cyber security experts have already identified multiple fake domains/websites, and charity efforts taking advantage of the Boston Marathon bombing. Based on previous tragedies, more scams will follow in the coming days. Internet users need to apply a critical eye and conduct due diligence before clicking links, visiting websites, or making donations.

Actors with unknown intentions registered over 125 domain names associated with the Boston Marathon bombings and victims, in the hours after the incident. The majority of these new domains use a combination of the words “Boston,” “Marathon,” “2013,” “bomb,” “explosions,” “attack,” “victims,” and “donate” and should be viewed with caution. More domains are likely to follow.

Malicious actors are using social networking websites to spread hoaxes, including information regarding the purported death of several child runners (children are not allowed to participate in the Boston Marathon), and injured runners purportedly running for a variety of charities and causes.

Phishing emails may provide links to malicious websites purporting to contain information, pictures, and video, or may contain attachments with embedded malware. Clicking on the links or opening the attachments can infect the victim’s computer to further malicious activity.

Multiple fake charities were created on social networking websites within minutes of the explosions purporting to collect funds for victims. Traditionally, these websites are scams.

The Action: Users should adhere to the following guidelines when reacting to large news events, including news associated with the Boston Marathon bombing, and solicitations for donations:

• Be cautious of emails/websites that claim to provide information because they may contain viruses.

• Do not open unsolicited (spam) emails, or click on the links/attachments contained in those messages.

• Never reveal personal or financial information in email.

• Do not go to untrusted or unfamiliar websites to view the event or information regarding it.

• Never send sensitive information over the Internet before checking a website’s security and confirming its legitimacy. Malicious websites may look identical to a legitimate site, but the URL may use a variation in spelling or a different domain (e.g., .com vs. .net)

For more information regarding potential cyber threats please visit the Center for Internet Security website at CISecurity.org.

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Press release from the City of Bridgeport:

BRIDGEPORT – The City has put illegal dumpers on notice: If you choose to dump your debris in our neighborhoods, it might hit you where it hurts.

The city recently contracted with a private investigation firm to stake out illegal dumping hotspots. Within an hour this weekend, the effort paid off.  The suspects fled. The City seized the car.

“We don’t want to seize people’s vehicles but we have an obligation to our residents. If you use our neighborhoods as a dumping ground, you may pay a steep price,” said Mayor Bill Finch. “We work very hard every day to make Bridgeport the cleanest and greenest city it can be and sometimes, like in the case of illegal dumpers, we have to take strong action.”

The City has contracted with Infidelity Investigations of Bridgeport to conduct the stake outs. The private investigators will go out several times a week and stake out  some of the dozen or so known illegal dumping problem areas. When they spot someone in the act, they have a direct line to police who respond immediately.

Catching illegal dumpers might not be the company’s primary source of business but the investigators have experience in stake outs.

On the first night of the operations, a private investigator was stationed at Wood Avenue and Grove Street, a known trouble stop. Within an hour, a 1993 Toyota Camry pulled up and started dumping garbage bags, household goods, furniture and other items on the sidewalk next to 224 Grove St.

The private investigator called police and as he approached the suspects they ran off in opposite directions leaving the car behind.

Fighting illegal dumping has been an ongoing challenge for the City. According to Christopher Rosario, the director of Anti-Blight & Illegal Dumping in the City’s Office of Neighborhood Revitalization, the offenders can vary. Some are people who choose not to drive to the City’s Transfer Station to throw out garbage as they clean out a rental apartment or finish spring cleaning. Others might be contractors who dump construction debris to save on the tipping fee.

“We spend tens of thousands of dollars to clean this up. It’s not fair to taxpayers and it’s not fair to residents who wake up to a pile of garbage bags near their house,” he said.

The City has employed different strategies to address the problem. A challenge is the dumping often happens in the early morning hours or in remote locations.

“We needed to try something different. Even before, people who got caught might receive an infraction and a court date,” Rosario said. “We need to send a message to people, a message with real consequence, that this won’t be tolerated in Bridgeport.”