Building Inspector Resignation and Video of Alleged Police Misconduct
Hello Greenburgh,
Summer is over and Fall is here. I hope everyone made out as best they could with all of the flooding damage from Hurricane Ida. I know it was certainly eye popping for me to see the destructive power of water on the local roads where the pavement was torn up. If you do have severe damage there is the possibility of FEMA reimbursement or support. Click here for an update from Supervisor Feiner about possible assistance. If there are potholes that are on Town Roads you are encouraged to notify Public Works regarding the incident. Two main updates in today's newsletter:
The Town Board passed a resolution at tonight's Special Meeting accepting the resignation of longtime building inspector Steven Fraietta. His last day will be 9/20 and Robert Dam, current Assistant Building Inspector was appointed Interim Building inspector effective 9/21. Mr. Fraietta has been the Building Inspector since 2016 and was an Assistant Building inspector for the Town prior to that. His sudden resignation is a surprise to me. One can only speculate if this is related to the 9/8 resolution passed by the Town Board to bring formal disciplinary charges against an unnamed employee. We do not know who that employee is, what the charges were, or what discipline was imposed but the timing is curious.
The other update I have is regarding the allegations by Kristen Stein against Greenburgh Police Officers for sexual harassment, sexual assault and a violation of her civil rights. You can read my previous update about the allegations here and the full complaint here. There are no updates on the litigation at this time but I have obtained the bodycam footage that partially captures one of the allegations against officers of the Town. Click here to view it. At the time of the footage, Stein accuses Officer Cerone "of grabbing her shoulders and forcefully pushing his genital area into her buttocks, toppling over her" when she had turned around to retrieve booklets from a desk as directed. The incident occurs approximately 1 minute into the video. The actual physical contact is off camera, but you can hear the physical contact occur and Supervisor Lt. Desmond Martin clear the room of officers after the incident.
I spoke to Police Chief McNerney about the case and he said "We can't defend ourselves in the media, but we are anxious to defend ourselves in court. We look forward to opportunity to disprove these allegations." The Town has hired the Law Office of Vincent Toomey as council to defend the lawsuit for a preliminary amount not to exceed $50k. Is this the incident related to the Town Board resolution for disciplinary action against a Town Employee? Maybe but at this time we cannot know for sure. Will be following this case closely for all updates.
Other News:
Colonial Day at Odell House- Saturday 9/18/2021 Advance registration is required due to Covid. There are two sessions: Noon to 2:30 p.m., with a performance at 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., with a performance at 3:15 p.m. The event is free, though a donation is greatly appreciated. This event is brought to you by Friends of Odell House Rochambeau Headquarters with the support of the Town of Greenburgh and the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. Register here.
Hopefully you have found this informative. Please forward to your friends and neighbors. If you have questions about any of the above, please email me at Eric@ericzinger.com
Eric Zinger
www.ericzinger.com