No answers provided. Capone stonewalled by mayor’s city solicitor and chief of staff
By JOSH RESNEK
Councilor Fred Capone and John Hanlon both complained to the mayor’s chief of staff about not being notified about a lawsuit filed by the Attorney General against a local contractor for illegal asbestos removal that occurred in 2018.
Neither official was told what exactly the city had done to the contractor as a result of the lawsuit – if anything.
Hanlon in the first instance wondered why Capone’s question about what has been done, if anything, was not answered.
Their questions went entirely unanswered.
What was the delay in learning about this Attorney General’s lawsuit?” Capone wanted to know.
“Why weren’t we notified?” Capone asked City Solicitor Colleen Mejia.
The contract in question was given in 2018. Lawsuit commenced in 2021 for non response from the contractor.
“What did we do as a city?” he asked.
“What did we do when we found out?”
“Was any action taken?”
Capone was getting into it when the broadcast of the council meeting failed.
That was 8 p.m.
According to city hall sources, the only action taken on the contractor who illegally disposed asbestos was to get another multi-million dollar contract about three weeks ago.
“It is my ward,” Capone complained.
“I didn’t find out for three years.”
“When there is a potential hazard, asbestos exposure. I want to know. I can’t understand why we weren’t told?”
Colleen Mejia said there was no cause for alarm.