file photo by Boyd Loving
So let me get this story straight and see if I have it right. PSEG schedules major work on Broad Street to commence in late September and run through the Christmas season. This is done when Roberta is still employed. The summer comes and goes, and Roberta goes…and goes. Then last week Tony Damiano gets up at a meeting and states that this is the worst possible time for the merchants, as they make most of their money in the 4th quarter. This makes sense, but it is hard to hear the sense in his message since he is all but accusing Mayor Knudsen of doing this on purpose to screw the merchants. As if she would do anything remotely like that, honestly, Damiano is insane. But I digress.
So the meeting ends at midnight or whenever, and Susan goes right to work the next day setting up a meeting with PSEG to see if they will change the time frame away from the Christmas season. In a text exchange with Damiano, she tells him she will be meeting with PSEG and encourages him to give her any input or insights before she meets with them. He does not do so.
On Monday morning at 10:00 she meets with PSEG, along with Rutishauser and (in the absence of Heather who was off) Janet Fricke. Mayor Knudsen manages to accomplish a major victory, because she gets the giant utility company to change their dates. This happens because Susan is very pleasant and diplomatic. We know that the PSEG folks DESPISED Aronsohn because he was such an Atilla the Hun with them, bossing them around through the hurricane aftermath.But now we have a mayor who is pleasant, polite, professional, and easy to get along with.
Mayor Knudsen immediately composes a press release to let everyone know that the dates have been changed, but before she can send it Mr. Damiano in his great arrogance sends out a victory letter taking full credit for accomplishing the date change. Un-effing-believable. He was NOT in the meeting, but he takes full credit for this. He does not acknowledge Mayor Knudsen, he does not thank Mayor Knudsen, and in fact he goes on to write some very snarky and sarcastic comments about her. He accuses the Mayor of trying to stick it to the merchants, instead of thanking her for solving the problem. And then he goes on to posture that he will be doing direct negotiations with PSEG moving forward for any work they want to schedule. What???? Damiano is not an elected official, he is not an employee of the Village. He has ZERO authority to schedule any utility work in this town.
In the end, Mayor Knudsen took the right approach, solved the problem, and took the high road in the face of incredible invective from Tony Damiano as well as Troll Halaby.
We are all so grateful for Mayor Knudsen. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
In the end Damiano proves himself to be an utterly useless a-hole
Damian’s is a proven liar. I would never shop at a store where the proprietor is openly dishonest.
Thank you Susan. In less than three months as mayor you have proven yourself to be head and shoulders above your creepy predecessor.
Crazy shit. Good outcome.
I agree. Susan is a breath of fresh air! The last administration left a stench that still lingers.
Yup…be transparent at all times….that’s not how the 3 Amigos operated and it hurt them.
The three amigos were such an incredibly low water mark in the history of this time. Evaporated pond scum, that about describes them. And their breath of rank air Sonenfeld, too.
Tony is a phony!
Tony pure baloney
Thank you Mayor Knudsen! You’re doing a great job. And thanks for summarily squashing Ordinance 3066.
Let’s slow down. It’s the Mayor and Council that are making the changes. However, this is a positive result.
And thank you for overturning the stupid videotaping rule.
And thank you for extending the public comments.
And thank you for being polite to everyone, even those who spit at you. Aronsohn and Roberta and Albert and Gwenn never ever tolerated those who disagreed with them.
And thank you for saving Schedler.
And thank you for reducing the lights at Habernickel.
And oh….thank you for accepting the RESIGNATION of Roberta.
Now maybe you could fix that stupid Wilsey Square underpass bike lane mess?????