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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

HUMAN RELATIONS DIRECTOR'S POSITION TERMINATED





In the continuing effort to clean out City Hall, another resignation has been accepted by Mayor Pedro Segarra. Lillian Ruiz, Hartford's Director of Human Relations was shown the door yesterday and escorted out of Hartford City Hall.

Ruiz's department played a large part in the Perez corruption scandal according to testimony at former Mayor Perez's trial. Contractor Carlos Costa had testified that he was not in compliance with contract requirements and had reached out to at least one employee in Ruiz's office as well as Mayor Perez and Councilwoman Veronica Airey-Wilson to intervene on his behalf.

Ruiz is another one of the "Perez Allies" who is being purged from City Hall. In more changes announced today by Mayor Segarra it seems that several programs that drew criticism are being jettisoned. Aside from Dora, I mean Lillian Ruiz, her entire Department of Human Relations will now be under the Office of Corporation Counsel. Another sensible choice since the majority of what Human Relations does is deal with compliance in City Contracts and federal equal opportunity requirements.

Another change that definitely makes sense is the re-assignment of the Office of Capital Assets, also known as James Keaney and Charles Crocini, to be under the supervision of the Department of Public Works. That is where it should have been all along, not in the Mayor's Office. The only difficulty here is that James Keaney is most likely making close to $50,000 more than the Director of Public Works.

This could be an interesting match up since the DPW Director Kevin Burnham took away Keaney's SUV with the heated leather seats and assigned him a smaller vehicle shortly after Burnham became Director. I noticed last week that Keaney's city vehicle is now also adorned with the City of Hartford seal on it's doors now. So much for the stealth missions in the City's car. Maybe he has them on with Velcro.

The "311 Center" is also being moved to come under the Office of Policy and Management rather than directly under the Mayor's Office. This could be a problem at election time since "311" was also believed to be the unofficial polling operation for Perez.

City Hall sources are telling me that more changes may be coming in the near future, but my "hit" list for City Hall removals I posted earlier this year is getting smaller by the day. These changes are not only removing problems from the Perez administration but they are also removing a lot of the "fat" from a top heavy City Hall that we can not afford.

The official version :

MAYOR SEGARRA OUTLINES STRATEGY OF RESPONSIBILITY

FOR CITY OF HARTFORD GOVERNMENT

ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL STAFFING CHANGES/REORGANIZATION



---NEWS RELEASE---



(August 31, 2010)--- Today, Mayor Pedro E. Segarra made a 45 minute presentation to Department Heads to demonstrate how his administration is focused on four key goals that will move the City of Hartford forward during his tenure. He outlined the role of his Cabinet and announced that staffing changes and structural reorganizations are underway in order to reduce the cost of government and to achieve an increase in efficiency and effectiveness.



“Changes need to be made for the betterment of the organization. By clearly stating goals and objectives and the means of achieving these results, Hartford will be able to be proactive and progress towards common goals. The City Charter does allow for experimentation by the CEO of the City during the fiscal year in order to meet new demands and goals,” said Mayor Segarra.



By strategically working with all levels of governments, businesses, and community entities, the City of Hartford will address long-standing issues and opportunities to create sustainable changes that improve the City.

1. Ensure that each City office and department is held accountable for operating in a fiscally accountable manner and for getting results that advance the City’s interest.

2. Safeguard the health, cleanliness and safety of the community in ways that reflect the wants and needs of the people who live, work and visit Hartford

3. Create jobs and improve the quality of education and for Hartford’s children and adults

4. Pursue opportunities to accelerate and expand the economic vitality of Hartford’s business community and neighborhoods.



Internally, the size of the Mayor’s Office will be reduced, returning operations to departments where possible while holding them accountable for results.

1. The Office of Capital Assets will be merged with the Department of Public Works.

2. The Office of Human Relations will be merged into Corporation Counsel, eliminating the position of Director of Human Relations

3. Workforce and Minority and Women Business Enterprises certification moves to Procurement, to be overseen by the Chief Operating Officer.

4. The Office of Management and Budget will oversee 311.



“Change for the better is already underway and the Segarra administration intends to expand and accelerate it. A new standard for effectiveness and success is being established,” said COO David Panagore.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Brookman,

be careful what you celebrate and for what, The office of Human Relations has provided accessibility to Afro Americans, Latinos and White Women businesses many opportunities for the last 30 years,

I'm sure the HR staff if proud of their record. Mr. Brookmam are you proud of yours ???? -

Nene, Be careful where you spit.

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

Please let me know where in that posting I said anything negative about the Office of Human Realtions itself. I am very critical of Lillian Ruiz and welcome her termination from city employment. The people in the office may have done some very good work, but monitoring contract compliance , especially on the Park Street project, has not been a strong point.

If in fact they have done the good work you claim, I have every confidence they will continue to do that under the guidance and direction of the Corporation Counsel's office.

Another $110,000 a year plus "manager" is gone, not soon enough for me.

Anonymous said...

An other episode of an urban Anglo kiss ass blogger who thinks he is special.

A pendejo, who thinks we care about his political judgment.

Papi,

at the end of the afternoon, Segarra,council members and internal operatives really don't give a shirt about you or what you think. You are as crazy as that women who ran for office at the six and that felon friend/papi of your who ran at the 4th.

KEVIN BROOKMAN said...

For someone who could care less about what I say, you seem to keep coming back. For no one to pay attention I find it interesting that the hit counter will pass 130,000 any day now.

Since you don't appear to be the brightest person, let me point something out, in the upper right corner of your screen is a red "X", click on that and you can leave the blog anytime you have had enough.

In the meantime, thanks for your comments, even the opinion of an idiot is important

Anonymous said...

Sounds like some of the frauds @ 550 Main St. who've been living off the city are getting a little nervous that their free ride may be over.

Keep it up Kevin.

peter brush said...

I have nothing against Doctor Ruiz, how about getting rid of the whole dept.?
-----------------------------------
City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co., 488 U.S. 469 (1989) was a case in which the United States Supreme Court held that the city council of Richmond's minority set-aside program, giving preference to minority business enterprises (MBE) in the awarding of municipal contracts, was unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause. The Court found that the city failed to identify both the need for remedial action and that other non-discriminatory remedies would be insufficient.

Anonymous said...

Maybe Keaney could lease Angel Morales' lincoln continental.

Anonymous said...

Kevin the term used by some spineless anonymous poster " urban white kiss ass" is racist....what a city of spineless losers who are afraid to post their real names.

Bruce Rubenstein said...

This is a very logical re-organization and shows Pedro's thoughfullness.I do agree that Ms Ruiz should have been fired as she was at the center of alot of the Perez problems and to the best of my knowledge and belief, never came forward to warn the public or to go to the authorities on her own,especially about the Park Street compliance issues.

Anonymous said...

"a very logical re-organization"?

I agree with the decision on Lillian and the move of personnel to DPW, but 311 to OMB!? Makes no sense whatsoever.

peter brush said...

The office of Human Relations has provided accessibility to Afro Americans, Latinos and White Women businesses many opportunities for the last 30 years...
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Progress towards perpetually unattainable goal of social justice more important than observance of mere laws and constitution. Also, nice for Democratic Machine; vote for them because they will hand out jobs to minorities and cloak themselves in mantle of moral superiority even as they institute racial discrimination. Oh, but if a contractor fixes the bathrooms of Chief Machine Operators he may be relieved of the burden of racial mandates. Fire Ruiz, but also end the whole race spoil system run out of her office.

Anonymous said...

keep dreaming peter. move somewhere where white privilege is acceptable.

Diego said...

I'm sure "Dr." Ruiz will have no problem finding herself a new job. Perhaps she could contact the career counseling center @ the online "institution" where she procured (yes, procured, not earned) her "doctorate". Buena suerte y hasta luego, Doctora. P.S. Maybe "Dr." Rojano could hook you up with something down south...

peter brush said...

Maybe "Dr." Rojano could hook you up with something down south...
-----------------------------------
I love it. Or, as they say on them internets, LMAO. I guess I missed the Dr.Rojano episode at the time. pb
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http://articles.courant.com/2004-12-07/news/0412070751_1_license-doctor-public-health

Rojano moved to Hartford in 1986, but never got a license to practice medicine in Connecticut--and says he never wanted to.

``Doctors [here] practice more biological psychiatry and I'm not interested in that conceptually,'' he said. ``It's different. It's more medically oriented and I'm into social issues.''

His focus instead is what he refers to as ``community family therapy,'' a specialty--which he says he pioneered--that addresses psychological problems by tending to sociological problems like joblessness and poverty.
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Get rid of the Dept. of Health, etc., too. pb
Our Mission Statement:

Working toward a healthy capital city through the application of best practices, promotion of collaboration with our community-based partners, commitment to the improvement of our living environment and being a resource for healthier lifestyles.

Pedro Almodovar said...

Here's another new career possibility for Dr. Ruiz. She can become a full-time consultant. She currently manages her daughter's beauty pageant career, maybe she could manage other's as well. Afterall, she herself is a former beauty queen. Too bad her seamstress is being transferred to corp counsel. Yes, that's right, she hired her seamstress to work with her in the former Office of Human Relations.

Anonymous said...

Good that she is gone!! What a Ph.D. degree…haahaa yak she doesn't have even an associate degree and she worked as a director?? She should be ashamed of her lies….and all her staff was so unprofessional and they should live the city too..Those bunch of “degree liars”

Anonymous said...

I'm sure "Dr." Ruiz will have no problem finding herself a new job. Perhaps she could contact the career counseling center @ the online "institution" where she procured (yes, procured, not earned) her "doctorate". Buena suerte y hasta luego, Doctora. P.S. Maybe "Dr." Rojano could hook you up with something down south...

Anonymous said...

This is a very logical re-organization and shows Pedro's thoughfullness.I do agree that Ms Ruiz should have been fired as she was at the center of a lot of the Perez problems!!!

Ernie said...

Here's another career suggestion for Lilly (no, not Cotto's term for her skin color, that's what she likes to be called as a nickname for Lillian): She can go back to the state DECD to her old secretarial job. One of her primary functions was to wear tight, low cut blouses and high heels while she delivered important reports to the Fed.

Anonymous said...

Hartford has been named a dead city, given up years ago by those who work downtown and live in the suburbs. Will firing a few on the city payroll make a difference and bring industry and jobs back to Hartford and bring small business back to Main Street and Farmington Ave and the South End? As a child back in the 1960s growing up outside the city, my grandparents would tell me to lock the car doors entering the city limits, and that is difficult to put behind you. When will Hartford get serious about crime and the illegal drugs that flow from the streets to the suburbs and clubs? If a city like New York City can get serious and clean up the streets why not Hartford? Too many friends tried to make Hartford a home and destination only to be thrown a bone and punched in the gut.