GOODBYE, BUD. Council Dismisses Nicoletti, DPW COMMISSIONER FOR 30 YEARS. NICOLETTI WATCHES. 4 WHO VOTED TO DISMISS DO NOT SAY A WORD ABOUT HIS 30 YEARS OF SERVICE

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Former Commissioner of Public Works, “Bud” Nicoletti talking with citizens and Peter Katz (right) of WHITE PLAINS WEEK,on his dismissal Wednesday evening.

WPCNR COMMON COUNCIL CHRONICLE-EXAMINER. bY JOHN F. BAILEY, MAY 27, 2015 UPDATED 11:45 A.M. E.D.T.

COMMISSIONER JOSEPH “BUD” NICOLETTI, JR. WAS REMOVED AS COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS THIS EVENING BY THE WHITE PLAINS COMMON COUNCIL IN A SPECIAL MEETING THAT LASTED ABOUT 6 MINUTES.

MR. NICOLETTI ATTENDED AND WATCHED HIS OWN DISMISSAL HAPPEN BEFORE HIS EYES.

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Bud Nicoletti enters his own firing. Mr. Nicoletti is in the center of the photo, in his trademark double-breasted blazer.

MR. NICOLETTI UNEXPECTEDLY SHOWED UP ABOUT 20 MINUTES AFTER NINE.

HE WAS GIVEN AN OVATION BY A CROWD OF APPROXIMATELY 60 PERSONS. AND SHOOK HANDS ALL AROUND BEFORE HIS DENOUEMENT UNFOLDED.

AFTERWARDS HE TOLD WPCNR’S JOHN BAILEY HE WAS TOLD THERE WOULD BE A THE MEETING TONIGHT TO REMOVE HIM FROM OFFICE   AT 12 NOON wEDNESDAY.

HE SAID HE HAD NO INKLING HE WAS ABOUT TO BE REMOVED. HE SAID THAT A FEW MEMBERS OF THE COMMON COUNCIL HAD EXPRESSED DISMAY THAT SOME PROJECTS HAD NOT BEEN COMPLETED, AND MAYBE THAT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH IT.

COUNCILWOMAN MILAGROS LECUONA AND COUNCILMAN DENNIS KROLIAN EACH EXPRESSED SHOCK ON HEARING THEY WERE ASKED TO VOTE ON DISMISSING NICOLETTI–AND EMPHASIZED THAT THEY HAD HEARD OF NO IMPROPRIETY OR REASONS WHY HE SHOULD BE REMOVED. THEY VOTED AGAINST HIS REMOVAL.

COUNCILMAN JOHN KIRKPATRICK, COUNCILMAN JOHN MARTIN, COUNCILWOMAN BETH SMAYDA AND NEW COUNCILWOMAN NADINE HUNT-ROBINSON VOTED TO OUST MR. NICOLETTI.

NONE OF THE COUNCILPERSONS VOTING TO REMOVE MADE ANY COMMENTS AS TO WHY THEY DID SO WHEN ASKED BY THE MAYOR IF THEY HAD ANY COMMENT.

MAYOR TOM ROACH’S “YES” VOTE WAS DROWNED OUT BY THE UPROAR OF SHOCK FROM THE CROWD AND UPON REVIEW OF THE WPCNR TAPE RECORDING OF THE PROCEEDINGS, HE DID VOTE  ‘YES” AT FIRST BELIEVEDBY THIS REPORTER TO BE AN  “ABSTAIN,”. HE  JOINED IN THE OUSTER.

THE MAYOR ALONE  REMARKED  ON MR. NICOLETTI’S OVER 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE WITH THE CITY,

NICOLETTI SAID HE IS TAKING RETIREMENT AND ACCUMULATED VACATION TIME AS HE LEAVES THE CITY EMPLOY EFFECTIVE AS OF 9:36 PM WEDNESDAY EVENING.

WHEN THE VOTE WAS TAKEN. THE CROWD BURST INTO AN UPROAR, SAYING THIS IS “A DISGRACE, A DISGRACE.”

MR. NICOLETTI IS THE SECOND COMMISSIONER TO BE REMOVED BY THE ROACH ADMINISTRATION IN FIVE MONTHS. THE FIRST WAS MR. ROACH’S FIRST COMMISSIONER HIRE, FORMER PLANNING COMMISSIONER ELIZABETH CHETENY.

THE COMMISSIONER OF PLANNING ELIZABETH CHETENY WAS REMOVED IN MID JANUARY, WHICH WAS EXPLAINED BY THE MAYOR, AS  “WE WANTED TO GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.”

IT TOOK THE COUNCIL 7 MINUTES TO DISMISS A PERSON WHO HAS GAINED RECOGNITION FOR HIS EXPERTISE. STATEWIDE

HE  IS RENOWNED FOR HIS ABILITY TO REMOVE SNOW THE MOST EFFICIENTLY OF ANY OTHER MUNICIPALITY IN THE COUNTY AND HAS FOUGHT TO DO THINGS RIGHT, MOST NOTABLY REFUSING TO APPROVE THE ORIGINAL RITZ CARLTON SEWAGE MANAGEMENT PLAN BECAUSE HE THOUGHT THE CITY MAIN STREET SEWER COULD NOT HANDLE THE OVERFLOW. BECAUSE MR. NICOLETTI WOULD NOT SIGN OFF ON THAT RITZ PLAN, THE BUILDER OF THE HOTEL WAS FORCED TO BUILD A SEPARATE BYPASS, DUBBED BY THIS REPORTER, “THE NICOLETTI BYPASS.”

NICOLETTI IS RENOWNED FOR HIS “NICOLETTITINI” mixture he treats roads with in anticipation of a snowstorm, that enables the streets to be plowed more effectively.

HE HAS BROUGHT ONE-ARM GARBAGE TRUCKS TO THE CITY THAT EXECUTE MORE EFFICIENT USE OF DPW PERSONNEL.

HE HAS BROUGHT LED, ENERGY SAVING LIGHT TO CITY STREETS AND GARAGES.

THE COMMON COUNCIL MEMBERS LEFT THE CHAMBERS QUICKLY AND DID NOT LINGER TO BE INTERVIEWED.

THE MAYOR’S OFFICE DID NOT ANSWER THE BUZZER OF THE MAYOR’S OFFICE DOOR, WHEN THIS REPORTER ATTEMPTED TO GET THEIR COMMENTS ON THE NICOLETTI DECISION.

IT THE COUNCIL 7 MINUTES TO REMOVE A MAN, WITH NO WORD OF PRAISE OR THANKS FROM THE 4 WHO VOTED TO REMOVE HIM — A MAN WHO HAS BEEN COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC WORKS FOR 30 YEARS, HAVING BEEN APPOINTED TO THE POSITION BY MAYOR ALFRED DEL VECCHIO IN 1985.

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