They also are expected to claim that the authority violated the state open meetings law by failing to give proper public notice of the meeting at which the vote was taken. The board approved the sales in 3-1 vote. (P-G, Mark Belko)This is not so ticky-tack.
Following Mayor Ravenstahl's dismissal of council member Bill Peduto from that board and a restorative four-month hiatus between board meetings, the Stadium Authority announced this most recent meeting regarding the Continental Real Estate Cos. land deal and other accumulated business with no more than 48 hours notice.
While running the session, board chair Debbie Lestitian claimed that she had not received her own briefing packet until that very afternoon. Lestitian was the lone no vote on the deal with Continental.
SOME BACKGROUND: Burgh Report, Char; Trib, Jeremy Boren; Trib, Jeremy Boren; P-G, Mark Belko; P-G, Diana Nelson Jones; City Watcher 1, 2, 3
From Char:
But just in the space of one very complicated land deal, Lil Lukie will have gifted the Steelers millions, spit once again in the faces of North Side citizens, cut his political nemesis Bill Peduto off at the knees, amassed tons of backroom political capital, and handed the taxpayer a multi-million dollar bill to boot! Not bad for a day’s work, huh?
Isn't Wayne Fontana, D, PA Senate, on that board?
ReplyDeleteGuys like him are killing this region.
I have no trust in Wayne Fontana doing anything well nor properly. Zero confidence.
Hold the phone. I was wrong. Wayne Fontana isn't on the 'stadium authority.' Nope. His seat is with the sports and exhibition authority. The stadium authority is, as per the recent city web site:
* 5 members
o All appointed by the Mayor of Pittsburgh
Board Members:
* Debbie Lestitian, Chair
o Term expires 12.31.2007
* Robert Ewanco, Vice Chair
o Term expires 1.1.2011
* Sophie Masloff, Secretary
o Term expires 1.1.2009
* Councilman William Peduto, Assistant Secretary
o Term expires 1.1.2008
* Jake Wheatley, Treasurer
o Term expires 1.1.2010
So.... This is the Three Rivers Stadium Authority board taking these actions.
All the more reason to NUKE all the authorities.
Bram, were you just appointed to the Sky Bus Authority Board?
Char, I heard you were on the short list for the Candy-ram-a Board and Clark Bar Board??
PS: Burgher, when you have your lunch date at the Allegheny Club next week with Myron Cope, set an extra space for Fats Holms.
We're getting screwed in the present by the ghost of authorities past.
Excuse me now as I gotta watch a re-run of the Gov. Tom Ridge speech without the lingering taste of tear-gas. Thank goodness I could program the VHS.
Robert Ewanco said at that Stadium Authority meeting that if we aren't liking the outcomes, blame the elected officials. That's paraphrasing, but not by much. I guess in his view the board is only there to make sure the elected officials' will is being carried out efficiently.
ReplyDeleteIt's ironic because we're supposed to have another elected official sitting on that board as kind of a watchdog ... but we've covered this to death.