Has anyone else reviewed the agenda for the 1/25 Town Board agenda meeting?   Looks like an oops instead of the actual agenda!

Asset forfeiture in the United States

There are two types of forfeiture cases, criminal and civil. Almost all forfeiture cases practiced today are civil. In civil forfeiture cases, the US Government sues the item of property, not the person; the owner is effectively a third party claimant. Once the government establishes probable cause that the property is subject to forfeiture, the owner must prove on a "preponderance of the evidence" that it is not. The owner need not be judged guilty of any crime. In contrast, criminal forfeiture is usually carried out in a sentence following a conviction and is a punitive act against the offender. Since the government can choose the type of case, a civil case is almost always chosen. The costs of such cases is high for the owner, usually totaling around $10,000 and can take up to three years.

The United States Marshals Service is responsible for managing and disposing of properties seized and forfeited by Department of Justice agencies. It currently manages around $1 billion worth of property. The United States Treasury Department is responsible for managing and disposing of properties seized by Treasury agencies. The goal of both programs is to maximize the net return from seized property by selling at auctions and to the private sector and then using the property and proceeds for law enforcement purposes.

A form of asset forfeiture is roadside forfeiture during a vehicle stop. Usually enforcing State policies by Highway police, local law enforcement have built up seized funds and spent them with oversight only from local judges who sometimes benefit from the expenditures of such funds. The presumption is that travelers hiding large amounts of cash are transporting drug money. Often, the vehicle occupants are required to simply sign a waiver that they will leave the State and not return, thus also not attempt to retrieve their funds. Some complain that this is law enforcement action requires more oversight in order to minimize the impact on travelers who are not involved in drug money but who simply wish to avoid further involvement with law enforcement agents and sign the waiver anyway. Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, chair of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee is investigating the Tenaha, Texas Police seizures scandal.

The number of federal statutes giving the government the right to confiscate citizens’ assets has nearly doubled since the 1990s, by one count. More than 400 federal statutes allow for forfeiture for a wide range of reasons, including violations of the Northern Pacific Halibut Act.

ROTTERDAM TOWN BOARD
JANUARY 25, 2012
AGENDA
7:00 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
SUPERVISOR’S REPORT
PROCLAMATIONS/PRESENTATIONS:
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
NONE
PUBLIC COMMENT/PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR
(Those members of the public wishing to address the Town Board will be asked to sign in before
the meeting is called to order on the sign-in sheets being provided. Speakers will be called to the
podium in the order of their signing in. Persons recognized by the Chair to speak during privilege
of the floor shall direct his/her comments to the Town Supervisor as Chair of the meeting.
Persons granted the privilege of the floor shall first clearly state his/her name and address for the
record. Persons so addressing the Chair through the use of a prepared written statement shall
submit a copy of the same to the Town Clerk for the purpose of maintaining clear and accurate
official minutes of the Town Board meeting.)
INTRODUCTION OF RESOLUTIONS AND MOTIONS:
Res. No.
70.12 Authorize the payment of a stipend in the amount of $5,000.00 to James Longo, as
Deputy Department of Public Works Coordinator, for overseeing the daily operations
of the Water/Sewer Maintenance Department, for the year 2012.
71.12 Amend Resolution No. 39.12 adopted on January 1, 2012, to reflect the proper meeting
dates for the Town of Rotterdam’s Parks & Recreation Commission.
72.12 Call for public hearing to be held on Wednesday, February 8, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. at the
John F. Kirvin Government Center, Town Hall, 1100 Sunrise Boulevard, Rotterdam,
New York 12306 for the following purpose:
Request by Daniel Karl to allow for the construction of a 16’x30’ open canopy
onto an existing 1,600 square foot motor vehicle repair facility located at 360
Gardinier Street in Rotterdam Junction, New York 12306.
CONSENT ITEMS:
Res. No
NONE
COMMITTEE REPORTS
MISCELLANEOUS
ADJOURNMENT
HARRY C. BUFFARDI, Supervisor

DVOR is a member.

71.12      this commission is a joke....people who want to join and volunteer for their community are prevented from doing so

and only those in the "click" are allowed to participate.....it was said that someone who is not on the commission was asked to

sit in another part of the room.....are these meetings not PUBLIC  for everyone.....and being allowed to sit with the commission

is a privilege and all others are discriminated against??   everything is a joke.....and tightly ruled by the new REGIME

also, heard....HB joined the Sr Assoc of Rotterdam......another why...

HEARD THIS IN THE DONUT SHOP....

Interesting, how many meetings have they had that aren't on the official schedule, and where is it posted?  Also, does our Town Clerk think that all of Rotterdam is on Zip Code, or does she just not care enough to pay attention?  RotterdamJunction is not the same zip code as Rotterdam.

Quoted from Patches

DVOR is a member.

71.12      this commission is a joke....people who want to join and volunteer for their community are prevented from doing so

and only those in the "click" are allowed to participate.....it was said that someone who is not on the commission was asked to

sit in another part of the room.....are these meetings not PUBLIC  for everyone.....and being allowed to sit with the commission

is a privilege and all others are discriminated against??   everything is a joke.....and tightly ruled by the new REGIME

also, heard....HB joined the Sr Assoc of Rotterdam......another why...

HEARD THIS IN THE DONUT SHOP....

ALL Parks and Recreation Commission meetings are open to the public --- the  9 voting MEMBERS of the commission are appointed by the town board to 3 year terms and ex-officio members representing various community organizations have been duly recognized by the commission.

The general public HAS ALWAYS been welcome to attend meetings of the commission but are asked to sit in the general seating area ----- much the same way that residents sit in the general seating area for Town Board meetings or meetings of any of the other commissions or boards of the town.   A person who is not a member of the town board can not just sit in the area reserved for town board members.

The only person to INSIST that she had to sit with the actual commission members -- is the same person who ripped the microphone out of the wall at a town board meeting when another resident was speaking and who before the January Parks & Recreation Commission meeting insisted on rifling through the private property of a member of the commission.    Disruptive  behavior, violations of individual's personal property rights and refusal to abide by simple rules such as sitting in the area reserved for the general public will simply not be tolerated.

And for the record -- no one has ever been turned away who has wanted to volunteer at Parks Commission events --- but the person who complains the most and says she has been turned away has actually never shown up to actually help out at these events .. even though she was given the same notice of the event as EVERYONE else.

So, Mr. Parks and Recreations, when is the next meeting that is open to all those in town?

have to wait for the person sitting on the throne to answer that.....and we all know who that is....

secondly, it has to be passed by the TB and put into a resolution to find out this very important/top priority info.

Come on...it's only a commission...not the freakin' congress...

PUBLIC COMMENT/PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR
(Those members of the public wishing to address the Town Board will be asked to sign in before
the meeting is called to order on the sign-in sheets being provided. Speakers will be called to the
podium in the order of their signing in. Persons recognized by the Chair to speak during privilege
of the floor shall direct his/her comments to the Town Supervisor as Chair of the meeting.
Persons granted the privilege of the floor shall first clearly state his/her name and address for the
record. Persons so addressing the Chair through the use of a prepared written statement shall
submit a copy of the same to the Town Clerk for the purpose of maintaining clear and accurate
official minutes of the Town Board meeting.)Like hell!! I'd write notes on my arm and hand and read from that. Folks/spectators here have given a blow by blow, word for word statement of rotterdam meetings in the past right here on this blog.  Not to mention it is recorded. Get the video and watch it again for God's sake. Looks like rotterdam has ANOTHER bunch who don't know squat!!!! VIVA REVITALIZE AKA REUNITE ROTTERDAM!!!

Quoted from bumblethru

PUBLIC COMMENT/PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR
Persons so addressing the Chair through the use of a prepared written statement shall
submit a copy of the same to the Town Clerk for the purpose of maintaining clear and accurate
official minutes of the Town Board meeting

Next thing they will be requesting is a thumb drive containing the file of your statement so they don't need to transcribe it.

Bullcrap!! Let the TC earn her taxpaid $50K!! Perhaps she's not qualified.

Hell, when Eunie got canned, the 'fill in' did an outstanding job....yes?

[quote=6Hell, when Eunie got canned, the 'fill in' did an outstanding job....yes?[/quote]

Absolutely!   But the "party" promised the TC job to DM.  

The 'fill in' TC did an outstanding job right from day ONE. It appears that rotterdam's new TC is in over her head this time!! LikeI said.....another rotterdam bunch who don't have a freakin' clue!! Aren't there any smart, qualified people left in rotterdam? It is beginning to mirror the sh!thole city government!

Are they going to have the police confiscate the notes?

You have the right to remain silent....if you can't afford a lawyer, you will have one appointed...

that's what will happen when they confiscate the notes......but if it's written on your hands or arms.....golleeee geeeeee....