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VanDenVouver questions vacant positions, overtime

Paul VanDenVouver

Positions in public works are still empty and member of Common Council would like to see them filled as soon as possible.

At the city of Dunkirk’s Personnel Committee meeting, Councilman-at-large Paul VanDenVouver, along with Fourth Ward Councilwoman Nancy Nichols and First Ward Councilman Don Williams discussed the vacant positions still plaguing the city with City Attorney Richard Morrisroe, Chief Steward of the Local 912 Union Steve Zatorski and other members of the union present.

“There’s a lot of positions out there that need to be filled and we’ve been waiting sometime to fill them and they’re already shorthanded,” Williams said. “I think we should be filling the positions at least that are open and ready to be filled.”

“I agree completely with that, but we need qualified, capable, willing to work people filling those positions,” Nichols added.

“I want to fill these positions as soon as possible, I think that they have waited long enough,” VanDenVouver agreed. “For the next two years I’m going to be in your guys corner. That’s priority number one, is you guys.”

VanDenVouver stated that he will be suggesting to the mayor and the council in upcoming meetings that during the interview process several people will be included in the process including a council member and union representatives to make sure the right fit is made overall.

“These people (union employees)need to be involved,” VanDenVouver pointed out. “First they know the quality of the people around here looking for jobs, they’re going to be working with these people, they are the best asset the city has for hiring the most qualified person for tax payers in the city of Dunkirk.”

Another area heavily discussed is accountability in city hall and one method being looked at is the implementation of a finger print time clock.

“Everyone does a great job with the overtime sheets each week. My big problem is that development has no accountability for the overtime,” VanDenvouver stated.

“Every week I get two hours overtime for Hector (Rosas, special events and festivals coordinator). I don’t see Hector anywhere, people drive by his house, they say he doesn’t leave his house,” VanDenVouver continued. “I called Rebecca (Wurster, planning and development director) and said ‘I want something in writing for what he does for 40 hours and why he’s getting overtime.’ Supposedly I’m getting told that he works on the internet.”

According to Morrisroe, Rosas is still under the 912 contract and per the contract’s guidelines, anytime anyone in that union gets called on off-hours, it’s an automatic two-hours overtime.

“Anytime Hector is responding to anything, emails, inquiries, Facebook, even if it’s five minutes, per that contract, he has to clock in for two hours,” Morrisroe said. “That’s why it’s a consistent two hours.”

VanDenVouver also was angered that in reviewing employees, he found six individuals tied to the Rosas family that work for the city, Hector Rosas at $73,245; Robert Rosas as Hector’s assistant who makes $19,845; Jordan Rosas at $8,363; Gabriel Rosas at $3,574; Jonah Rosas at $2,863 and Brayden Manzella at $29,421. What’s more, VanDenVouver was displeased in the fact that Hector pulled in $14,624 in overtime last year.

“We can put that money into public works, I get kind of irritated when I see these guys breaking their back out there and they’re working hard and we got this wasted money, it doesn’t make sense to me,” VanDenVouver stated. “I know we have a contract up this year and it’s not a hidden secret that you’d be doing a great justice to the city taxpayers if we remove that special evens coordinator job and put something back in parks or over in public works. We can get by having concerts on Thursdays without billing over $100,000 to the city tax payers. It’s been tough so far for everybody, hopefully everything will smooth out and we can go forward. We’re going to do what’s best for the city of Dunkirk and our residents.”

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