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Archives for July 2017

Ramapo ex-inspector Anthony Mallia gets no jail time, won’t pay restitution in plea deal

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Judge David Zuckerman Photo/The Journal News

“Anthony Mallia, the former Ramapo building inspector charged with 188 counts of undercharging contractors for permits and shortchanging taxpayers by $150,000 in the process, won’t serve jail time and won’t have to make restitution, a judge decided today.

Mallia, 53, pleaded guilty to two counts. He pleaded guilty to first-degree tampering with public records, a felony, and was promised by the judge a sentence of five years probation. He also pleaded guilty to official misconduct and will received three years probation. The sentences will be be served concurrently when Mallia is sentenced Oct.  31. He waived his right to appeal. [Read more…]

Mallia trial postponed until July 31

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Anthony Mallia Ramapo Director of Building and Planning

Anthony Mallia arrest photo

Anthony Mallia, former Director of the Ramapo Building Department, was scheduled to appear before Judge David Zuckerman this morning at the County Courthouse. At the hearing, Mallia’s attorney, David Goldstein, asked for and received an adjournment until 9:30 am, July 31. Mallia is facing 188 felony and misdemeanor counts.

Weidel banked nearly $400k in 2016

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Ramapo Chief of Police Brad Weidel

The Rockland County Times reported Ramapo Police Chief Brad Weidel’s base salary in 2016 as $225,000. This puts him ahead of some very high-profile law-enforcement officials. The Police Commissioner in New York City gets $219,775. The Director of the FBI gets only $172,000. For that matter, the Governor of New York State is paid only $179,000. Now this sounds seriously unbalanced.

However, when you add in the overtime Weidel accumulated last year, also reported in the RC Times story, that generous $225,000 jumped to a shocking $397,411.75. That’s just $2,588.25 short of what the base salary was in 2016 for the President of the United States! Who is negotiating this salary for the Town? [Read more…]

Important CUPON Meeting Thursday July 20–Development of Minisceongo Golf Course

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CUPON members of New Hempstead, Pomona, Hillcrest, New City, Chestnut Ridge, Airmont, Monsey, and all Rockland County residents:

The New Hempstead CUPON meeting this Thursday is VERY important. A main topic will be the proposed development of the Miniscengo Park/golf course in New Hempstead off Pomona Road. The developer is proposing several hundred new units on this property. He submitted a request for a Waiver of a Public Hearing and Re-Approval of Final Site Plan to the Ramapo Planning Board for a July 20th hearing, which has been rescheduled to July25th. If this project is successful, it will stifle traffic, water, sewage, and the suburban lifestyle for all of the surrounding communities. [Read more…]

Neighbors force builder to close potential illegal apartments at Viola Estates

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Construction on Viola Road

Photo: John Meore/The Journal News

“Neighbors of the massive Viola Estates housing complex have beaten back a developer’s stealth inclusion of basement space for potential illegal apartments at the Viola Road development across from Ramapo High School.

The agreement reached limited the number of condominiums to the town-approved 44, sealed off outside entrances to basements and removed electrical panels, boilers and other items that could support apartments. [Read more…]

Rockland lawmaker wants local governments to report suspicious financial activities

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Rockland Legislator Charles Falciglia

This story by Lanning Taliaferro first appeared on New City Patch on June 29, 2017

“Rockland Legislator Charles Falciglia is calling on the federal government to force local governments to report questionable financial activities — something he says local officials are often unwilling to do. Many think it’s not their job, many are afraid of political retaliation, others succumb to the “re-election factor,” he said.

He said monitoring property tax collection, for example, could be useful for fighting money laundering. [Read more…]

Viola Gardens litigation ends with restoration to single-family units

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The following story first appeared on Matzav.com

“No sign of the controversy that has swirled around Monsey’s embattled Viola Gardens condominium development was in evidence at the last Town of Ramapo Planning Board meeting when the complex’s new owner, veteran local builder Yossi Herskowitz, submitted a revised site-plan for the 44-unit project which had morphed under its prior owner into a behemoth potentially 5 times its approved size. [Read more…]