Sandra Emerson, Staff Writer
Created: 09/29/2011 02:33:16 PM PDT
UPLAND – The city’s Fire Department is facing some changes in personnel.
Fire Chief Michael Antonucci is retiring today, but will remain on the payroll for a while longer to help manage the department, which could face the potential of three fire captains retiring as well as a temporary loss of a fire captain due to injury.
The City Council, with the exception of Councilwoman Debbie Stone, this week agreed to keep Fire Chief Michael Antonucci on board for no more than six months past his retirement in order to help manage the department during its transition to new leadership.
His contract is not to exceed $90,000.
Antonucci will continue on as chief and will aid in recruiting his replacement, which should begin in November, City Manager Stephen Dunn said.
Dunn initially was going to wait until January to begin recruiting for a new chief, but, in order to cut down on costs, the council asked that he move up the process.
“One thing wasn’t communicated (Monday) was the contract will actually save the city money, because, right now, the city pays just over $23,000 a month for him with compensation, retirement and benefits,” Dunn said. “It’s going to go to $15,000, so we’re saving over $8,000 a month going to this.”
Stone was the only council member to cast a vote against the contract.
“I think we need a change and I think that there’s enough people in the Fire Department who could have stepped up to
the plate instead of spending an additional $90,000 to keep him on,” she said.
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Will the city of upland ever wake up?
“According to MTC’s original complaint, on January 7, 2002, MTC entered into a contract with City in which MTC agreed to provide air ambulance services for a specified fee. A basic purpose of the contract was to facilitate continuous helicopter ambulance service for patients within the general region of City. Prior to entering into the agreement, false representations were allegedly made to MTC by City’s fire chief, Michael Antonucci (Chief Antonucci), regarding the estimated number of times that air ambulance services would be utilized per year (call volumes). MTC allegedly relied on these representations as to call volumes when it decided to enter into the contract with City. The complaint further alleged that City breached the contract by, among other things, failing to timely provide necessary licenses and permits required to operate the air ambulance services in Kern County fn. 1 and a failure to provide adequate infrastructure to dispatch calls. Under these facts, the original complaint included causes of action for fraud and breach of contract. Later, a Fourth Amended Complaint provided greater specificity regarding the misrepresentations as to call volumes that were allegedly made by Chief Antonucci.”
“On February 10, 2006, MTC sought leave to file a Fifth Amended Complaint. The purpose of the amendment was to add a new cause of action entitled “Fraud in the Inducement – Intentional Misrepresentation re: Permit.” The proposed new cause of action was based, in part, on the premise that in a prior meeting with MTC’s representative, Attorney Anton, City had been informed of the difficulty of obtaining ambulance permits in Kern County. Specifically, the Fifth Amended Complaint alleged, “[n]either City nor [Chief] Antonucci relayed to MTC, during any point of the contract negotiations … that City and its representative, [Chief] Antonucci [,] before November 2001, met with representatives of the [Golden Empire] in the Federal Court case and discussed the pitfalls and hazards the City would face from the County of Kern … if it pursued a permit to operate any ambulance or provide paramedic services to its citizens.”
“We conclude as a matter of law that City failed to establish that confidential information was imparted in the prior meeting. First, according to Chief Antonucci’s declaration, aside from a discussion of the federal lawsuit against Kern County relating to its alleged improper permit practices, the only relevant information shared at the meeting was City’s plan to hire MTC and apply for an ambulance permit. Whether or not this fact was generally known [156 Cal.App.4th 669] at the time of the meeting, on the record before us there is no reason to infer that City’s objective to hire an ambulance company and seek a permit would be considered a confidential matter. Second, the circumstances of the meeting confirm a lack of confidentiality.”
Man am I glad I dont live in Upland ,the city run by the crooks in the police and fire depts. They will steal the taxpayers blind!
At least the new City Councilmember got it right. Guess we will see how much damage can be done before he leaves, and then I wonder how many law suits and hidden items will come to light after his departure? Can’t deny we didn’t tell you so!
How stupid can the city of Upland be? Let a weazel like this retire with full medical benefits and then pay him another $90,000 to help look for his replacement! Idiots and morons? In 7 months I’ll be telling you “I told you so”.
@Bob Roober – Weazel is a very kind word for Antonucci! I wonder what his boys are going to do after he finally leaves?
Almost forgot. So Dunn, $23,000 per month? $276,000 per year for a negligent, unprofessional and mismanagement Fire Chief? So we should all feel better now, because it is only $15,000 per month for the same negligence, unprofessionalism and mismanagement! Thanks!
In general I support Dunn..However, this decision is absolutely stupid! It would seem to me that the Fire Dept. and Chief Antonucci, with his many years of service would have qualified people with-in the department, trained and capable of stepping into that position! If not permanent, then at least temporally while a search is conducted for a replacement. What better way to view a possible candidate then while on the job. Gosh! That’s how Dunn got his job…and our police chief too..This speaks at lot about Antonucci, it would appear he nevercross trained and/or developed people under him? or maybe that was his way of self protection and his own job security!!
Smart Ass – you only have a part of it. Everyone that knew what they were doing was forced out. He only kept the inept surrounding him. He has his little group of chronies that don’t know what they are doing and go along with whatever he says. Kind of like JP and the council! This guy is worthless and detrimental to the City.
It’s interesting that the police department and the fire department both played a part in Pomerski’s extortion scheme. Now both chief’s are given vary generous retirements and contracts by the team Pomerski city consul. I wonder if they were wearing their team Pomerski Letterman jackets out of respect when the vote was taken.
Dunn initially was going to wait until January to begin recruiting for a new fire chief, but, in order to cut down on costs, the council (Brandt and Filippi) asked that he move up the process. Mayor Barney (Musser) wanted to push the vote button like a chimp in the NASA test center.
The Fire Union aka Corruptland thugs wasted no time, rapidly hammering Stone who favors chief Suzanne Cable for the top spot in corruptland.
“One thing wasn’t communicated (Monday) was the contract will actually save the city money, because, right now, the city pays just over $23,000 a month for him with compensation, retirement and benefits,” Dunn said. “It’s going to go to $15,000, so we’re saving over $8,000 a month going to this.”
Wait… thats not fair to the Nasa chimp. Sorry!
Repairman – Adams’ exit was a planned medical leave – not excessive or generous. Not honorable either. He made the walk of shame all alone.
Upland made a few changes because they had to as a result of the obvious corruption and cover ups. But it’s clear they don’t want anything to really change internally, and lose power or influence by hiring anyone who does not fit their agenda. OUTSIDE leadership.
They appointed Mendenhall the Chief of Police, even though his wife is also high in the management chain. Now we see their hanging onto the Fire Chief for awhile.
Interesting after all the scandal, they still want to operate the “good ol boys” club to the best of their ability.
They will never wake up.
The good thing is they know people are watching and if their caught again with their hand in the cookie jar, the public will be on them again. Hopefully the FBI will again come in and take those responsible to jail.
It’s be quite a wake up call for the public these last several years. What we have learned is just about 90% of the politicians and public officials are self serving crooks.
Unfortunately Antonucci is another one of Quncey’s “boys” that Dunn inherited when he became CM.
The sooner Dunn is able to complete the sweep of Q and Pomerski loyalists, the better. A new mayor (who can read and write) will help in the effort to move the city forward to something more respectable. November 2012 should be a doozie!
ACU – FBI has the former mayor wrapped up. IRS keeps the fire hot on Q and others. Good old boys? That song has been sung over and over. Willis is leaving his throne in November, the appointed and chosen one mayor musser may have another stroke with newly elected councilwoman Stone on the scene. Councilmen Brandt and Filippi will not play ball with musser and he is in desperation mode seeking a method by which to gain control from the CM to run the empire of Upland.
Mayor- Yea it was planned, about 15 seconds after the FBI raided city hall. But is what your trying to say is he was planning to go out on medical leave before the raid?
Just working through a life threatening medical condition just because of his duty to work? Or possibly he just wanting to guard the secret file in his drawer? And as far as the fire department is concerned wasn’t one of the reasons the owners of the Chronic Canteena building could not occupy or rent the building was because of the need for fire sprinklers that was demanded by the fire department, until the owners hired (or made their pay off through Crebs and his consulting company who was able to get the king his beef) his consulting company. Then at that point they were able to go with just one fire extinguisher. Mayor how do you think that was able to happen I mean going from needing a complete sprinkler fire suppression system to one fire extinguisher? Without a payoff? that must have been quite a piece of equipment.
From Sentinel newspaper…
Musser characterized the dissenters as “bullies,” provoking many to cry foul and assert that it was city employees, with their enforcement authority over businesses and residents, who were the real bullies. With his council colleagues Ken Willis, Brendan Brandt and Gino Filippi, Musser voted to approve the contract with Antonucci, seeking to have the last, and most definitive, word on the matter. Stone, in one of her first votes as councilwoman, opposed providing the contract to Antonucci.
I wonder if Musser read what he was signing this time. When asked how Quincy got such a generous contract as City manger Musser said that he had not read the entire 15 page package he said they hid it in the middle of boring reading, Evidently too technical for him. He seems to want to be thought of as a daddy and friend to the city employees instead of what he was elected to do which is to oversee and watch out for the citizens of Upland. And now anyone that doesn’t vote his way is a Bully? We need more Debbie Stones. It would be interesting to know how many hundreds of thousand of dollars Musser has cost Upland, who knows how many reports and the like were to much for him to read.
Repair – You are on target. Barney is no leader. He wants to run the City without the City Manager and Council. This is a idiot who voted for himself to be appointed. Amazing. Hopefully Stone will be strong enough to keep Barney in his place. Barney is a vindictive small-minded man who hides behind the church. The running joke around Upland is “Which church is he attending this Sunday?”
Repair – did someone say racist ray?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zX_5Ew8npGU
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/01/upland-city-cou.html
Repair – Barney has no stones! LOL!
Mayor – LOL! You hit the bullseye!
Lifetime health benefits? GMAFB!l
Several current city employees who were eligible for the benefit will no longer receive it. They include Dunn, City Clerk and Administrative Services Director Stephanie Mendenhall, Development Director Jeff Zwack as well as Councilman Brendan Brandt, Councilman Ken Willis and Mayor Ray Musser.
Indicted former mayor Pomierski, Robin Robb Quincey and Tom Thomas chose to keep their lifetime health benefits courtesy of Upland taxpayers!
@ Repair – No leaving before raid. And no real heart condition. Adams knows what he did. In his defense… I don’t think his wallet gained from the Chronic, G3, car wash, Upland marketplace, etc… as JP.
Mayor- I don’t believe that , not for a second. Is he so out of touch that he didn’t know those policemen were lying about the calls to the chronic? That the calls were fabricated? If he wasn’t completely out of touch how do you think that happened? and if it wasn’t him who was it? who else had the rank and authority to fabricate police reports or hide them for that matter? And how do you explain that once the consulting fee’s were paid all opposition was dropped? How was he able to change his mind so quickly, so easily?
FedUp; Why did you steal my handle ?
Hey Chief Antonucci, how’s things going? The truth catching up to you? What goes around, comes around! Maybe if you didn’t lie about everything you would be a good Chief! But none the less, your lies are catching up to you, how does it feel to be caught in so many lies? What lies are you going to make up to get out of this one? By now the City sees threw you.
@My2Cents – Did you know our group put in an official complaint of misconduct against Antonucci and his fire inspector? Fraudulent misrepresentation! But yet the City ignores the facts and so far has continued business as usual. Same old Upland! But this time if they don’t do anything, it is going to bite them in the rear! Kind of like JP. Can you say DA and FBI if nothing is done by the City! They need to do something to get ahead of this. They no longer have plausible deniablity!
@My2Cents – It was not a list of demands. It is just required actions if you go by the policies and procedures already in place within the City of Upland. Cable is the only one qualified to step up to Chief. So it is just the natural progression of things that Cable would move to Fire Chief. Our group could really care less who the Fire Chief is, as long as he/she is honest and knows what they are doing. Antonucci has to go, that is what we have been advocating. We don’t really care who takes the Chief’s position as long as they are qualified, honest and does the right things for Upland.
@Mcnutjob – You are the problem not the solutuion. Just because we remain anonymous, does that make our complaints and the facts any less viable? The truth is the truth. How does the truth change because we wish to remain anonymous? Here is the thing, I personally like the “Honorable Ray Musser”, but he needs to pull his head out of the sand on this issue. Ray needs to quit playing politics and start doing what is best for Upland. This corruption that has been exposed about Antonucci and the fire inspector is very serious and needs to be dealt with, not ignored. You call it badgering, we call it illuminating! Now that the light has finally been turned on, all the cockroaches are trying to scurry back into the dark! Mcnutjob, become part of the solution not remain part of the problem! Denial, denial, denial, ignore, ignore, ignore! The Upland way! But as Debbie Stone said, “Things are changing” Here Upland try something new: Acknowledge, correct and press on. Integrity, integrity, integrity!
Why all the hate here? The Chief is leaving. Move on!
@Lutz – So as long as it’s all just suggestions and recomendations, here is what should be done. Cables wife needs to retire as she planned. Just sayin. Bring in an outside hired gun to be the axe man, clean up all the dissent and fire all the unhappy mugs breeding low moral and get them back to work. That would be a better course of action.
In fact, Dunn would go a long way if he did that in every department.