Rose Kennedy Greenway

I will admit to being very happy it is going to rain the next few days. The stench of dog urine on the block has gotten so strong in the past week, even with the cold weather, it's awful.
 
Lurker said:
I will admit to being very happy it is going to rain the next few days. The stench of dog urine on the block has gotten so strong in the past week, even with the cold weather, it's awful.
Click to expand...

Are you sure it's DOG urine?
 
Ice Chimes

6505927745_307a879948_b.jpg


http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmack24/6505927745/in/photostream
 
Greed run amuck!!!
ttp://www.bostonherald.com/news/politics/view/20220125email_putsgreenwayon_hot_seat_chiefs_message_revealsstrategy_behind_salary_info/srvc=home&position=0

Fire the bunch of them.
 
That's the one.
Not crazy, just frustrated.
 
Like I said before.........Sell-off the parcels to the private industry and never look back.

Get the taxpayers off the hook.

I actually would give Chiofaro the greenlight according to the FAA Height Regs for his garage and with a deal that would maintain half the Greenway. I believe Chiofaro can rally the other Landlords which all have more at stake then city does since their properties are bordering the Greenway.

Way too much politics in this state to get anything done these days.

It's extremely frustrating to see millionaire developers reaping over 50 million in tax incentives to build shitty box developments on PRIME REALESTATE for the city aka (Fan Pier) What could have been in the Seaport District and what is evolving is pathetic.

But what do I know I'm just blogger that has no substance.
I'm still wondering about the vision for North Station. It's absolutely a disaster on Causeway Street. Thank god I saw that BIG CVS, It's not like their isn't one on every other block in the city.
 
That level of compensation is typical for all non-profits is Massachusetts. It's the Brahmin Full Employment rule. All Boston Brahmin are entitled to high paying jobs at the head of a charity. Look at the Wang Center, they have had to resort to holding mixed martial arts to get people in and yet Spaulding is still the head and still has the highest pay of any performing arts center in the country.
 
This front page article is such nonsense...Heavens! She has a PR consultant and discussed how to provide information to a tabloid journalist! (Because it might be slapped salaciously across the front page...seems like her instinct to tread carefully was well placed).

Two people out of a team of 26 make over $100k? This is outrageous?? There are THOUSANDS of city of Boston employees who crack the $100k threshold, and two on a park conservancy is cause for outrage? Really?
 
It is outrageous. What does this woman do exactly, other than pay too much to have the landscaping done and give herself bonuses? She can't even manage her email client. Spending more on fundraising that is actually fund-raised? $1.8 million in payroll for the "conservancy"? This entire conservancy could be replaced by one guy making $80k + a secretary with an office at city hall and the rest of the public funding could go to hiring how many teachers?
 
I love how people criticize people who manage things they just assume are "simple". What's so simple about managing a 14 acre piece of property with absolutely endless issues and a 4.7 million dollar budget? So you'd rather them fire this person and post a job for 80k and get some under qualified person who's over their head? That should be interesting to see. This person isn't just "telling people where to put bushes" I realize that's hyperbole to a degree but it also really shows people have no freaking idea what it takes to run something like that.
 
^Suffolk

I tend to agree with your point of view. I also think the Conservancy has done a reasonably good job so far.

But, contrary to the Conservancy's public statements, it seems to be supported largely by tax dollars -- not private fundraising. And the Conservancy is the steward of public property. So my issue is that the Conservancy appears to be insulated from elected officials while those officials are actually at the wheel. As BostonObserver suggests, quasi-public entities have a long history of cronyism on Boards and staff.

I'd prefer the Herald concentrate on who is on the Board, what their qualifications are, and evidence that they maintain an arms-length relationship with City Hall and the Director.
 
Suffolk 83 said:
I love how people criticize people who manage things they just assume are "simple". What's so simple about managing a 14 acre piece of property with absolutely endless issues and a 4.7 million dollar budget? So you'd rather them fire this person and post a job for 80k and get some under qualified person who's over their head? That should be interesting to see. This person isn't just "telling people where to put bushes" I realize that's hyperbole to a degree but it also really shows people have no freaking idea what it takes to run something like that.
Click to expand...

I hope your joking right? Have you seen the Greenway? The total cost of upkeep and maintaince should be under 300K Max for the entire strip. 4.7Million dollar budget is a little extreme for what we have.

So after 5 years with a 4.7 Million dollar budget.
Thats 23.5 Million dollar in 5 years

This state has no concept for the taxpayers money.

"FIRE" They should be investigated on possible criminal charges why are these people make more than most teachers with master degrees. The Greenway is nothing more than an overhyped Median strip. Here is solution and I'm a taxpayer.

#1 Form a Board of Directors between land owners /NIMBYS In the area.
#2 Sell off the parcels to the Commercial Real Estate Owners
#3 The Commercial Real Estate owners would need to hire an outside design Landscape firm to help the Board design the future of the parcels.

Cut Spending by 4.7 Million dollars of hardworking taxpayers funds who getting screwed by these political hacks.

The taxpayers pay nothing and there are no issues about the Greenway anymore. Let the Boston Private sector design the Greenway. The state had it's shot and it sucks.
 
Last edited:
Email puts Greenway on hot seat
Chief’s message reveals strategy behind salary info


An errant email sent to a Herald reporter probing six-figure salaries and hefty bonuses at the Rose Kennedy Greenway shows the director of the taxpayer-funded nonprofit sought public relations advice on whether to “ignore,” “write her (the reporter) now,” or “respond after deadline later tonight” with information about her actual pay.

In the email with the subject “Need Advice ASAP,” Greenway Conservancy Director Nancy Brennan sought help from her public relations consultant, Lisa Quackenbush, who confirmed the email was intended for her.

The email was instead received by a Herald reporter who had asked about Brennan’s salary. It states:

“What do you think about: 1. My writing her with the FY12 salary of 185,000 as of July 1,” Brennan wrote, noting that the documents now publicly available date only to 2010. Those documents show her base salary at $162,000. Brennan suggested: “a. Ignore; b. Write her now; c. Respond after deadline later tonight.”

Brennan later emailed the Herald reporter and declined to provide current salaries for herself or her staff, citing staff privacy, and directed the reporter to the group’s most recent 990 nonprofit corporation tax forms, which cover calendar year 2010.

Brennan did not return repeated calls for comment through Quackenbush.

The Herald review of the conservancy, which oversees the 15-acre downtown park, found:

• Brennan has racked up a total of $160,000 in executive bonuses since 2006. They have bumped her total compensation as high as $225,000 annually.
• The conservancy, which originally was formed to maintain the Greenway without public funding, has received more than $15 million in state funds since 2005, including more than $2.5 million for last year’s $4.7 million budget.

• The Greenway’s maintenance costs ran to more than $300,000 per acre last year. By contrast, it costs about $50,300 per acre to maintain New York City’s Central Park, which also is run by a conservancy.

• The conservancy spent more on fund-raising — $584,000 — than the $554,000 the group took in through cash donations and fund-raisers in fiscal 2010. Conservancy officials, who said the poor economy affected donations, still awarded Brennan $25,000 annual bonuses in both 2009 and 2010.

• At least two other conservancy employees have six-figure salaries — on a staff of 29 full and part-timers, plus nine paid “apprentices,” for a total $1.8 million payroll. Contractors perform maintenance for about $514,000 annually.

State Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, who’s sponsoring a Greenway funding bill, said after learning about the bonuses from the Herald: “I think we should look very closely at these types of compensation packages... (and) make sure they are in line with what other public private partnerships compensate.”

Brennan received the bonuses “because her performance was simply spectacular,” said Maryann Suydam, vice chairwoman of the conservancy’s board.

Suydam, who also defends the costs and the pitch for taxpayer funds, said, “She’s more than worth the money.” Suydam also defended the cost of the park’s maintenance, saying the “startup” conservancy operates on a “tight budget.”

A Department of Transportation spokeswoman said the state pays only for maintenance and has no say over the nonprofit’s bonuses, though she said MassDOT is aware of them.
Click to expand...

After reading this statement:
Then why is the state & city of Boston pressuring businesses around the area to invest in another form of a tax. Called the Greenway Tax like BID?

The conversancy doesnt even make sense.

This is NUTS
 
Rifleman, you have no freaking clue what your talking about. Your just pulling numbers out of thin air. 300k? For a block. Due some research before you say things.
 
Suffolk 83 said:
Rifleman, you have no freaking clue what your talking about. Your just pulling numbers out of thin air. 300k? For a block. Due some research before you say things.
Click to expand...

15 acres x $20,000 per acre a year= $300,000
Thats on the high end.

Half the Greenway is cement. Maybe you know something I dont.:confused:
 
Snow removal, trash removal, water, fertilizers, pesticides, equipment, a place to keep the equipment, materials, replacing vandalized and broken things (benches, lights, trash barrels, signs) money to pay the laborers, paying the management people (and if you think you can cheap out of that your crazy) etc etc etc. This assuming that the city doesn't do any of those things for them, that I don't know about I'm assuming it runs 100% on its own.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top