Tuckahoe Appoints Two New THA Commissioners after Four Resign

Two new members of the Tuckahoe Housing Authority joined its advisory board at a meeting Wednesday night that followed the surprise resignation of four members in the past 10 days. 

The session, attended by four commissioners including the two who had been appointed the night before, listened to residents complain about physical conditions and the THA staff, particularly Executive Director Irina Malveevskii, who had attempted to cancel the meeting and was not there.

The fifth current member of the 7-person board, Donald Wauchope, did not attend.

Mayor John Fitzpatrick, who was present, told the audience of about 25 people that the Village Board had held a special meeting the day before to appoint Andrew Seney and Jeff Zuckerman to the THA.

Zuckerman is chair of the Tuckahoe Democratic Party and married to Tuckahoe Village trustee Clare Gorman. Seney is a former resident of Jefferson Gardens and works as a painter and carpenter.

The appointments came after the joint resignation of three commissioners: Chairman John DiSisto, Janette Hayes and John Lee. A fourth board member, Cheryl Floyd, resigned separately.

DiSisto, Hayes and Lee cited accomplishments of the THA and said the agency had made great progress in finances, operations and renovation and maintenance. They said they thought their time and efforts could be better spent elsewhere in the community.

Their joint resignation came two weeks after DiSisto sent a registered letter to the village citing what he described as an abusive pattern of behavior by another commissioner and requesting a meeting about it with village officials.

"My prime concern is that the residents of Sanford and Jefferson Gardens are taken care of, so obviously I need to get a new board as quick as possible," Fitzpatrick said.

Tuckahoe Housing Authority oversees Tuckahoe's 150 public housing units and its Section 8 rent subsidy program. Its board includes two tenant members elected by the tenants and five volunteers appointed by the village. Turnover is an ongoing issue -- six other board members have left in the past two years, including commissioners Phil White and Kevin McBride, whom Fitzpatrick ousted after allegations of mismanagement and misuse of THA funds. They have sued for reinstatement. Former chair Peter Costa resigned in April citing "overwhelming personal and work commitments."    

Before the Wednesday meeting, Fitzpatrick expressed frustration with DiSisto.

"I don't understand why he lobbied to be chair," Fitzpatrick said in a phone conversation Wednesday. "The only thing he was successful at [during his tenure] was leading an exodus. What we ask of our volunteers is a commitment. He showed absolutely no commitment to the board or to the community."

DiSisto could not be reached for comment.

Fitzpatrick had kinder words for Hayes and Lee. Hayes, who also resigned after serving less than one year, "was really productive." Fitzpatrick continued, "I'm sad she left."

Fitzpatrick said he has not been able to speak with John Lee since his departure, after having served on the THA for less than two months. Fitzpatrick said he would be willing to have him back and hopes they will speak soon.

Attempts to reach Hayes and John Lee were unsuccessful.  

In a statement emailed to The Journal News, Hayes said the THA had several accomplishments to be proud of, including getting off the federal watch list of troubled public housing; thanked several village officials for their support; and warned against micro-managing the staff, whom he praised highly. He called for respect to be shown to all parties, including tenants, staff and commissioners.

However, the residents who spoke at the meeting had nothing but complaints.
Several brought up physical issues, describing broken windows, unsafe playground equipment, peeling building paint and uneven adherence to procedures, including not being given rent receipts at the time they made payment.

Others focused on personnel, complaining of rude treatment from Malveevskii and staff members.

Longtime resident Terry Penenpede said, "The director doesn't seem to care, she's not for us."

In response, Zuckerman and Fitzpatrick said they hoped that under new direction from the commissioners the "attitude problems" residents had experienced would change.

Fitzpatrick said, "Any kind of hostility is absolutely against what I'm about. The bad vibe, the attitude is unacceptable."  

He said during the meeting that he and Malveevskii "did not see eye to eye" and that he was aware of some of the interaction issues residents brought up. He said her attempt to call off the evening's meeting was improper.

"The executive director was wrong in cancelling the meeting. The vice chair [Gunther] asked her not to. The executive director apparently feels she does not have to listen to the board. No quorum doesn't mean no meeting. The public is still entitled to come out," he said.

During a phone conversation Thursday, Malveevskii defended her actions.
"It was according to procedure," she said. "I cancelled the meeting based on procedure and consultation with ... [THA attorney Mark] Kamensky. I can't comment."

Malveevskii would not comment on the resignations or new appointments.

During the meeting, newly appointed board member Zuckerman told residents, "There will be no more cancelled meetings during my time on the board."

He said he would to try to forge a new relationship with tenants.

"I'm retired," he said, "I have plenty of time to come down here and see what is going on."

Zuckerman offered to work with Penenpede and other residents to do physical walk-throughs of the apartments and then follow up to make sure any issues were appropriately addressed. He invited residents to come back on July 28 for the next regularly scheduled meeting and said Malveevskii would be informed of her responsibility to attend.

Before the meeting, the mayor and commissioners John Smith and Gertrude Gunther, the board vice-chair, described tense relations between Smith, Gunther and Lee, Hayes, and particularly DiSisto, as well as between the THA staff and the Sanford and Jefferson Gardens residents.

Smith, a tenant commissioner, said he had confronted DiSisto. "He had a dictatorial air," Smith said. "He talked down to the residents." 

DiSisto in a registered letter to the village June 9 said Smith cursed and threatened him, Hayes and Malveevksii during a June 2 site visit, and described his behavior as part of a pattern that the board had been unable to check and village officials seemed to disregard.

Gunther, also a resident, said of DiSisto, "It was not a good fit."

During a phone conversation Thursday, Smith said of Zuckerman and Seney, "I'm pleased with what I see so far."

To read DiSisto's letter and the joint resignation letter from Hayes, Lee and DiSisto, please go to our photo display.