To the Editor:
At the Forestport Town Board Meeting at the New Otter Lake Fire Station, Supervisor Parker Snead stated he wanted give Ted Daktor, an employee of the town, the older of the 2 Town owned zero-turn riding lawn mowers. Mr. Snead stated that it was in poor repair as the reason to give it away. This was the same meeting that revealed Ritter Lawn Care was hired to cut the grass for the town in place of our own employees. Town Board Member Nancy Kardash asked who and what Ritter Lawn Care was charging the Town for.
Two Board Members and others including myself recommended to Mr. Snead that he not give the Zero-turn lawnmower away and recommended that it be sold on eBay or at the Woodsmen’s Field Days. This is the same way that other Town owned items have been disposed of. I also mentioned keeping it for a spare. Utilizing eBay or the Woodsmen’s Field Days to sell the equipment would allow a paper trail and show no favoritism or impropriety. Mr. Snead disregarded the advice stating that as Supervisor, he could do that, it is within his rights. To the best of my knowledge this is not something he can do, I believe this violates State laws. At the very least it seems unethical.
Since then Ted Daktor has been seen using that lawnmower at his house and it has been stored at his house as well. Using the Freedom of Informa-tion Act, I found that there is no documentation on the disposal of this piece of equipment as required by law. I just want to add that if it was given to Ted as scrap, how is it that it still works well enough for Ted? I believe it would be a good backup for the main mower should it breakdown. You be the judge. Is this a way to further contract more to Ritter Lawn Care? Or, Is Mr. Snead giving Town property to Ted Daktor? Ted said in the paper that Parker has given him scrap in the past, (not necessarily since he took office) it looks to me like he is still giving stuff to Ted, but this is not scrap and wasn’t his to give away. This equipment belongs to the tax payers of Forestport.
I know Ted has the means to dispose of scrap since he worked for Empire (the scrap yard in Utica) years ago and owns equipment to lift such things. I remember reading Mr. Snead’s statement that he has no means to have removed the stolen Town owned property from Mr. Snead’s private land. Now I find out that a working lawnmower was either given to Ted Daktor or Mr. Snead didn’t learn the first time when town owned pipe supplies where reportedly stolen from Mr. Snead’s private property and he continues to store Town property somewhere other than on, or in a town owned facility.
Now Mr. Snead said that the theft of the pipe and fittings was done to discredit him. I suppose he will blame me for this as a way to discredit him as well. I am not doing anything here except stating the factual truth. If Mr. Snead would stop creating news, the news of would stop.
I am not accusing Ted Daktor of the theft of the supplies or the lawn mower; in fact, at this time I would bet he didn’t steal anything.
One more concern, Supervisor Parker Snead stated in the paper that the Town Board Members took a 5% pay cut. This is not true; they took a 20% pay cut and also forfeited a 3% raise. Let’s give them the credit they deserve. Thank you!
Dave Ultsch
Forestport
