HomeMy WebLinkAbout02/12/2008February 12, 2008
For Discussion
NFAWL Contract
Caroin A. Geiss
2155 Long Creek Drive
Southold, New Yurk 11971-53t3
(631) ?6S-~aSS
E-mM: caf~optonline.net
SUPERViSOR'S OFFICE
TOWN OF SOUTHOLD
Mr. ~Incent Odancin
Mr. V~aam Rulaed
Ueml)a~ Soatl~ld Town Boan:l
Town Halt
53095 Main Road
P.O. Box 1179
Southatd, New Yod[ 11971
February 4, 2008
Dear Councilman Kn,-psld, ~ Orlando, and Councilman Ruland:
Since you am the new Tovm Board members, and negotiaUons fur a new contract with the North
Furk Animei Lque, Inc., are ongeing, I f~ei compelled to UlXtate you on a p~blem that Itas
been festering in our Tmvn for yoars--opemtion of our Animei Shelter.
accept, ed as fulflihsent of the cO~uaCt with om'Town. But, 'sa~ is nof good eflongh fer
animals that am housed, by choice, fur months and, somntbnes, yearn. When the new shelter is
operating, modern shelter practices Mil be needed: behavior mocliflcalion for dogs that Mon't
show wea,' (like 2 3~-year-eid Dodger, alhactive, healthy, and sheltered for the past 3 months),
While I understaed that the Town does nM want to gat involved in the intentai affairs of NFAWL,
the o~anizatinn's business practices are reflected in the operation of the shelter, and affect our
I volunteered at the shatter during 2001. For eight summer weeks, I attended dng-treining classes
one evening cech week in East Hampton, but I was at the shelter every day, wurldng with Max
of ring feces in gmbnge cans altracted flies becaese lids were nat properly replaced. I ceuid go
owner, and a veteflna~ e:~am, revealed that the dog was 13 yearn old and stone deaf. Surely, not
a good match.
Over time, shelter staff and votunteem were more vocal in their complaints, u~ging and
encouraging changes in NFAWL leadership and policies. In response, seven local citizens
pe61inned NFAWt. fur rmmination to the Board of D~entors. Our patitio~ was denied. My husband
NFAWL's attorney (Pamela Mann) kept us in court for five months with her 'shenanigans,' at a
cost of $147,000 to the League, when our attorney finally subpoenaed the Board and the financial
records. NFAWL settled.
Perhaps it will interest you to know that Ms. Mann was the chief of the Charities Bureau for
thirteen (13) years.
Our naivet6 lost us the election (February 2003), two votes to one, the ballot box filled with
proxies (from members recruited while we were in court) from as far away as British Columbia.
Two local attorneys deemed the pmcoeding, chaired by Ms. Mann, illegal. We were not permitted
to see the ballots. (This unethical behavior from a lawyer, who when asked by the Judge, 'Do you
believe that a promise made before the Court is an obligation?" replied, 'No.')
In 2004, NFAWL filed a fraudulent Certificate of Incorporation with the new contract. In addition,
then-Vice-President Therese Mc'Guinness wrote to then-Supervisor Horton, thanking him for the
extended 4-year contract, and for promising that there would be no oversight committee, which
had been requested by a number of residents speaking before the Town Board. By the way, the
Town also took over payment of ufilities and maintenance, which effectively added another
$9,000 to the contract.
In 2005, apparently, the membership, by proxy, voted to disband membership (many did not vote
for the change). Incorporated as a membership organization, NFAWL still has not filed an
Amended Certificate of Incorporation to reflect that change in status.
NFAWL leaders know that the Town does not pay attention to the documents it files with the
Town Clerk's office. When the chief of the Charities Bureau contacted Ms. Mann regarding the
fraudulent Certificate of Incorporation, Ms. Mann called it an "incomplete' or "incorrect' document,
and Ms. Neville's staff was blamed for the filing "error.' In September of 2007, a copy of the
original document was finally sent to the Town Clerk.
NFAWL has a history of thumbing noses at our Town's leaders, and for public displays of verbal
abuse of the Town Board. When they were Town Board members, Ruth Oliva and Alice Hussie
had asked for financial reports, to vedfy shelter operation expenses, but their requests were
ignored.
For years, the League blamed the Town for not maintaining the shelter, even hired a shelter
architect to document all the problems. Actually, for years, the contracts stipulated that the
League was responsible for everything but structural failures.
There were times when the relationship between the Town and NFAWL were so strained, that
Bide-a-Wee and Kent, when asked, agreed to step in to operate our animal shelter.
In June of 2006, NFAVVL received a bequest from the estate of Mrs. Toner-Troxel, with the
understanding that the money would be used to build a shelter of its own on League-owned land,
or add a wing to an existing Leegue-owned shelter. NFAWL has until June of 2008 to satis~ that
stipulation. Would NFAWL be able to handle the operations of two shelters, much less maintain
our new shelter so that it remains "new" for the next 20 years?
The face of NFAWL has changed: most officers, board of directors, staff and volunteers are new.
Except for Giilian Wood Pultz, Therese McGuinness, and the Sawastynowitz sisters, no one at
the shelter shares this history.
Al LaFrence, president of S.A.V.E.S. (Spay, Alter, Vaccinate Every Stray, Inc.), a cat rescue
organization, is now NFAWL's secretary. NFAWL has been working closely with S.A.V.E.S. for
quite a while.
In the January 31, 2008 edition of The Suffolk Times, the Real Estate section listed a transfer of
the property at 2875 Horton Lane from D. Cichanowicz to S.A.V.E.S. There are probably many
possible reasons for this purchase: office space, shelter for cats, etc. Could it affect the Town's
contract and/or relationship with NFAWL?
I am offended that a vendor contracting with our Town, forso many years, would offer a
fraudulent document for filing and then excuse it by blaming Town employees for losing the
one; and I am offended that the Town apparently does not call NFAWL to task for it.
Realizing that this is not the most important issue on your agenda, I thank you for coming this far
with me. If you have any questions, or would like more information, please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Carele A. Geiss
Cc: Supervisor Russell; Justice Evans; Councilman Wickham; Town Attomey Finnegan