From city Communications Director Av Harris:
Mayor Joe Ganim today announced that pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes 8-40 and 8-41 he has appointed three individuals to the board of directors of Park City Communities (formerly the Bridgeport Housing Authority) to serve out the remaining terms of board members who recently resigned. The three new members of the board of Park City Communities are all Bridgeport residents. Specifically, Mayor Ganim has made the following appointments:
Cowlis Andrews is a former city of Bridgeport Community Development Planner who has served as a Finance and Community Development Specialist for the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) for nearly 20 years. Andrews has managed teams at DECD in the Offices of Housing Finance, Brownfield Redevelopment, Municipal Development and Business and Industry Development. In addition, he has managed complex projects involving state, federal and municipal agencies with total budgets in excess of $1 Billion. Andrews will serve the remainder of the term recently vacated by the Reverend Sulton Stack. The term runs through December 31, 2020.
Theresa Ramos holds a Masters in Social Work from Sacred Heart University and has 13 years experience as a social worker and case manager for the Connecticut Department of Children and Families based in Bridgeport. In this role Ramos has dealt with many sensitive issues related to children and families. These include: direct clinical counseling and interventions for families in crisis, coordination of family case plans and home visits to check on welfare of children in distressed families, and preparation of assessments used in court filings related to adoptions, termination of parental rights. Ramos will serve the remainder of the term recently vacated by former board member Janet Ortiz. That term runs through December 31, 2018.
Richard Garcia has served as a Housing Manager and Assistant Manager for the Housing Authority of New Haven since 2012 and prior to that served as a maintenance worker for the authority. In his current capacity Garcia has supervised all maintenance staff, as well as monitored all accounts receivable and collection for unpaid rent, as well as managed the delivery of housing authority services to ensure compliance with finance, operations, residential and procurement regulations at the local, state and federal level. Garcia will serve the remainder of the term recently vacated by former board member Dulce Nieves. That term runs through December 31, 2019.
“These new members of the Park City Communities board of directors are consummate professionals, have strong ties to the community and know the residential population, and have significant experience in matters of housing management and finance,” said Mayor Ganim. “My administration has responded thoroughly to last month’s request by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development to replace the former mayoral appointees to the board with individuals who possessed more professional background and expertise in issues related to housing management and public authority financing. Each of the new directors has been vetted and approved by our federal partners. Each is a resident of our city and I am sure they will serve our community and the 12,000 residents of public housing with distinction. I am happy to make these appointments because there is much work to be done to improve the quality of life for our residents and move public housing in Bridgeport into the 21st century.”
In a letter dated August 25, 2016, federal officials with the Department of Housing and Urban Development requested that Mayor Ganim use his statutory authority to replace the four mayoral appointees on the public housing authority board of directors within 30 days, citing numerous lapses in management and abrogation of fiduciary responsibility. The housing authority board members subsequently submitted their resignations to the Mayor’s office. Mayor Ganim expects to name one more new member to the Park City Communities board of directors in the near future to bring board membership to full strength.
I don’t know the other two but Cowlis will make an excellent board member. At the risk of torpedoing his nomination, Cowlis once won the Democratic nomination for City Council running with Sen. Gomes. Not only does this demonstrate his independence but after he won the state told him he would have to resign his state job or take another position in another region in order to avoid a conflict of interest.
Since politics isn’t all that important to Cowlis he simply walked away from the council.
I hope Joe had performed his due diligence on this appointment and realizes he simply won’t play follow the leader.
Congrats Cowlis.
Well, you just scuttled this appointment.
Bob, I agree with you and hopefully he will and do what is right when the pressure comes from Mayor Ganim and it will, to do something and to say something when he sees something that’s not in the best interest of the Park City Communities and to Bridgeport.
Credit where credit is due. These folks seem like dramatic improvements.
I have always found Cowlis Andrews to be principled and independent as well. He is intelligent, articulate and independent.
Terrycloth Ramos is Raul Laffitte’s stepdaughter, hmmm.
Richard Garcia is Detective Ray Garcia’s (Ganim’s driver) son, hmmm.
Terry Ramos is a DCF worker related to Raul Laffitte whom I personally like and respect. She volunteered on Ganim’s campaign.
If the entire basis of removing the existing Housing Board members was to replace them with highly qualified individuals who understand finance and public housing, how does a DCF worker in any way meet those qualifications?
Then we have Detective Ray Garcia’s son who repeatedly DJs at Ganim’s events.
They are being placed on the Housing Board because they will do exactly as told. Nothing more, nothing less.
This is disgusting.
When will Ganim appoint people he can’t control? He’s scared he won’t win in three years.
Never. This is why we need more elected positions and less appointed positions. Appointed individuals on boards/commissions are loyal to those who appointed them because the appointing authority holds the appointee’s future in their hands.
If these individuals are elected, they must be loyal to the electorate or face the consequences of being removed at the ballot box.
I would love to see an elected Zoning, Zoning Board of Appeals, and Finance Board. Having appointees on these boards is bad for Bridgeport and accountability.
BOE is elected. How’s that working out???
Democracy is working well, Bob. Dave Hennessey and Andre Baker would have never been re-elected to the BOE.
ALL Finch’s BOE members lost including incumbent Illingsworth. If we didn’t have elections every single BOE member would be in Ganim’s back pocket. Right now he only has three.
H
Looks like these aren’t the only appointments to a board being announced today. LOL!
Yep, new BOE member named today. He is a good man and was a one-time friend of yours. Great choice.
Andy,
Rafael Fonseca was never a friend of mine. I have never done a social thing with him in my life.
I found out from a member of Ganim’s administration this was in the works last Thursday. I received some additional information on Friday.
I will bet now that Ganim, Bradley, Larcheveque, McSpirit and Negron believe they have five votes, the Board will suddenly begin meeting again. Let’s see if I’m right.
I believe both Ms. Negron and Mr. Fonseca will be off the BOE by the end of October.
How long does it take to do background screening? HUD’s notice to the City concerning certain issues and concerns regarding appointed Park City Community Board members was only weeks ago it seems, but the City got down to business, it appears. I do not know any of the members personally, but they truly represent the residents of a large number of housing units in the City. Tens of millions of Federal dollars come to the City because of housing arrangements and watchdogs need to observe the big picture to see programs stay on track and without submitting to conflicts of interest or micromanagement. Are there other Boards and Commissions with positions vacant or terms expired thus compromising best efforts? Time will tell.
JML, no one knows better than JG not to fool around with an agency that’s now under the microscope. They’ll move in at the speed of light if any games are played this time. Maria’s reference to two of the appointees is confusing, and in my view unwise given the connection to the administration, but I’m not questioning their qualifications.
I want to congratulate my District 138th town committee friend and colleague Rafael Fonseca who was sworn in to the board of Education. Between Mr. Bradley and Mr. Fonseca it’s a win-win for the Board of Education for the better, we need people who represent our children and communities. Mr. Fonseca has a stern history with Education and as a active police officer there is experience, dedication and authority now in place, no more rambling and wasting community time with angry outburst, we need professionalism and composure, as elected BOE members we need to lead by example. Mr. Anthony Paoletto, Dollie Fonseca, and myself are going to be a part of a lot of new changes happening soon, with a mind-blowing announcement coming soon.
Where were the calls for Kenneth Moales’ resignation from the BOE? His conduct as a former BOE member then and now continues to be an issue.
www .ctpost.com/local/article/Bishop-disrupts-sex-assault-sentencing-9378309.php
The mortgage holder filed a foreclosure against Prayer Tabernacle of Love and ALL its properties on July 10, 2013.
He has multiple WPCA liens on the property, again, and now the mortgage holder is trying to appoint a receiver of rents so all the money collected goes directly from the renters to a property manager/law firm and Moales is doing everything in his power to block it.
Looks like a “trial” is scheduled to begin on October 5th. Hmmm.
Again congrats to Rafael Fonseca, for his position on the board of Education. Mr. Fonseca has a history on Education that enables him to be a huge factor and great asset to this board alongside Mr. Dennis Bradley, Annette Segarra, Fran Rabowitz who all have COLLEGE DEGREES, Bachelors and Masters enabling them to carry a professional stature and represent the BOE in a more profound manner that reflects on our communities and children who look up to these members as leaders. It is vital that we bring to the BOE people of influence, people without an educational background. I’m proud to say Rafael Fonseca is a team member in my town committee district, someone who represents in a positive factor so we can progress and prevail. Thank you.
HUD specified “To achieve this mission, the BHA requires a Board of Commissioners, to govern the agency, that are ready, willing, able and ethical.”
Looks like HUD forgot to include the requirement that new commissioners must have ties to Bridgeport Democrat party politics and/or Ganim’s election campaign.
These look like good, qualified people who deserve a chance to play into a renewed BHA agenda.
Very highly qualified. Relevant backgrounds. Bridgeport residents. Maybe we’re seeing a hint of light at the end of the tunnel. What would be nice at this point would be interviews of these appointees by the CT Post to try to gain a sense of what they would hope to accomplish for Bridgeport public housing as part of a reconstituted BHA.
Good point, Jeff!
Thanks, Lisa. I should have added an interview by OIB for the three new BHA members is also indicated. Perhaps they would want to submit essays for publication to OIB in regard to their hopes for their tenures on the BHA. (We have to be mindful of the fact OIB is on track to overtake the Post in regard to readership seeking local, politically related news.)