http://www.zimbio.com/City+of+Plattsburgh+News/polls/4?add=True

Susie Bouyea who is the wife of City of Plattsburgh Mayor Donald Kasprzak – is part of the Bouyea family who owned Bouyea Baking Company in Plattsburgh.

  Sources have confirmed — the former Bakery was granted tax exempt status when it was in operation.  The exempt status meant the former Plattsburgh company did not have to pay the city any property or school tax.

 Following its closer the bakery was sold for several million dollars.  The proceeds from the sale were split among family members – which included Mayor Donald Kasprzaks wife – Susie Bouyea. An unconfirmed report estimates that Susie Kasprzak (Bouyea) received $6 million dollars as a result of the sale.  Another Bouyea family owned business – Lake Side Container is reported to have tax exempt status as well.

Mayor Kasprzak has been outspoken in his quest to get the Lake Forest retirement community on the tax rolls.  Kasprzak says the retirement community is operating more like a business and is making significant profits which he believes should be taxed.

Many residents of Lake Forest showed up at a public hearing at City Hall last week to object to the attempt to make the retirement home taxable.

Mayor Donald Kasprzak says that if Lake Forest really is a charitable, non-profit organization, it should be doing more to help seniors live there.

“I am shocked to receive information that they have $2.1 million in profits and only have $45,000 in charitable accounts,” he said.

“I have no problem with any entity making a profit, but I am confused as to how they can amass $2.1 million and still claim they are charitable.”

The mayor says that if Lake Forest were truly looking out for its residents’ best interests, the fees would be reduced.

“And they (Lake Forest) would pay taxes, as it looks like they certainly have the assets to do so.”

Kasprzak pointed out that 182 senior citizens who live in the city earn less than $26,000 per year and still pay taxes.

“I am looking out for these people as well as every other citizen of this city.”

www.zimbio.com/City+of+Plattsburgh+News

A recent ruling by an arbitrator nets a City of Plattsburgh union – yet another win.

Sources close to City Hall say the union that represents City of Plattsburgh firefighters received word late last week – that an arbitrator ruled in their favor over a grievance that was filed because firefighters were being denied leave time that was granted to them under their current union contract.

Edmund Sanderson, who is a city Firefighter and the point-man on the grievance writing committee for the City Fire Department, is believed to have written the grievance that netted the union their win against the city.

Sanderson, a Democrat, became a target of Republican Mayor Donald Kasprzak when he took office in 2007.  Kasprzak demoted Sanderson from his position as Day Officer as part of the budget cuts in 2007.  Sanderson, who filed a grievance – to fight the demotion - acted as his own legal counsel when the grievance went to an arbitration hearing.  At the hearing Sanderson’s own Union President testified against him – but to no avail.  The arbitrator ruled in Sanderson’s favor and reinstated him to the position of Day-Officer.  The arbitrator also awarded Sanderson full back pay and benefits that were lost during the period he was demoted.

Kasprzak has repeatedly made public statements about petty grievances filed by City of Plattsburgh labor unions.  However, he has been unsuccessful at wining a single arbitration since he took office in 2007 – despite his hiring of high-powered out-of-town law firms to defend the city. 

In the early 1990′s Kasprzak was a city Councilor known for his hot-headed outbursts at Common Council meetings and his personal desire to single-handedly break-up city unions and dismantle the Fire Department.  Cynthia Lasher-Graham on the other hand –was the city’s Chief Fiscal officer who had a disdain for men in positions of power.  Some describe her as maniacal and manipulative.

In looking back at the layoffs that occurred in the City of Plattsburgh in 1990 and comparing them to the lay-offs of 2007 one striking similarity sticks out like a sore thumb — Kasprzak was a City Councilor during the 1990 layoffs and then Mayor during the 2007 layoffs — Lasher-Graham was the city’s Chief Fiscal Officer in 1990 and was again serving in the capacity as Chief Fiscal Officer on an interim basis during the 2007 lay-offs.  Some say the combination of the two  together was double double toil and trouble — for city taxpayers that is.

During both lay-offs 1990 and 2007 the Common Council held illegal executive sessions to discuss who would have their positions abolished.  The NYS Open Meetings Law prohibits governing bodies from entering executive sessions to discuss layoffs — as the law states the issue of lay-offs is a matter of public concern as it deals directly with how taxpayer money will be spent.

Click on the link below to read an article appearing in a 1990 edition of the Press Republican which details the under-handed approach the City Council took in 1990 when selecting positions for layoff – which was the same approach taken in 2007 under the direction of Kasprzak and Lasher-Graham.

http://cityofplattsburgh.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/pr-1990personnelcuts.pdf

http://cityofplattsburgh.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/press1991.pdf

 Click on the link below to read the Arbitrator’s ruling:

http://cityofplattsburgh.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/decisionaward.doc

 http://osc.state.ny.us/localgov/audits/swr/08creditcards/plattsburgh_c.pdf

Regional state parks chief replaced

Author: LEE COLEMAN; Gazette Reporter

Edition: Schenectady Albany; Final
Section: Regional
Page: B-04

Article Text:

SARATOGA SPRINGS – Donald Kasprzak, the director of the Saratoga-Capital District state parks region for more than five years, has been replaced with an acting regional director, parks officials said Wednesday.

Warren Holliday, most recently capital project manager at the state parks Capital Bureau in Albany, was named acting regional director late last month, said Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation spokeswoman Wendy Gibson.

She said that Kasprzak is currently working out of the Point Au Roche state park, just north of Plattsburgh, where Kasprzak lives.

“He’s still with the agency at a facility closer to his home and family,” Gibson said.

In announcing the change on Sept. 22, state parks Commissioner Bernadette Castro said in a staff memo that Holliday “has extensive private sector experience in design and construction and has been in public service for the past 20 years.”

“For more than five years, it has been a tremendous personal sacrifice for Don Kasprzak to have his home office so far from his family,” Castro said in the memo.

“Our hope is to very soon locate Don in a facility in the Champlain Valley where he can continue! to serve our agency’s interest,” Castro said.

In early September, Castro said she was disappointed with the condition of the Victoria swimming pool in the Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs.

As regional director of the Saratoga-Capital District region, Kasprzak was responsible for the Spa State Park, along with 11 other state parks, 10 historic sites and a number of boat launches in the nine-county state parks region.

Gibson said she had no comment on whether Kasprzak was transferred because of the condition of the aging Victoria pool. Kasprzak has not returned reporters’ calls in recent weeks.

Castro said in early September that she has moved the renovation of the 70-year-old Victoria pool to the top of state parks’ capital projects priority list.

She called the Spa State Park “one of my personal favorites.”

Parks officials had already budgeted $170,000 this year for masonry work, roof repair and electrical work at the Victoria! pool. Parks officials said last month that work was scheduled to be c ompleted this fall. Reach Gazette reporter Lee Coleman at 587-1780 or colemangazette@yahoo.com.