Commissioner Zimmermann’s Christmas Presents: Forced Retirements

Written By: Talk of the Sound News

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The Commissioner of Parks and Recreation in New Rochelle, William Zimmermann, after high pressuring some employees to retire early, was at on December 16. These employees were given a rose and poinsettia in appreciation of their services. Lucy Ortiz :(whose 2009 salary was listed at $35,944) and an hourly employee, Sister Joan, were pushed into retirement. Another employee (2009 salary listed as $47,066) who wished to remained unnamed, had hours cut from full lime to part time.Talk of the Sound learned that one City Hall employee was going to be transferred to the Senior Center and a new employee was hired to work at City Hall. The salary of the new person hired has not been disclosed. But it is apparent these forced retirements have cleared $80,000 or more in the budget. During the City Council budget sessions, Zimmermann made no mention of these changes.

Two Councilmen said they know nothing about these changes when contacted on Friday. Councilman Al Tarantino said he would check with the City Manager’s office. Councilman Lou Trangucci said the Council had not been informed of these changes, especially the hiring of a new employee, and he will check on why this happened. Commissioner Zimmermann did not respond to phone calls made to him Friday and today.

UPDATE: Zimmerman responded shortly after publication. He said his department is making a lot of positive movement to improve services and moving people around to accomplish that. He said he was asked during the City Council budget meeting about the budget line but a review of the video recording of the meeting shows no discussion about the creation of a new position or the forced retirements in the Department of Aging.

6 thoughts on “Commissioner Zimmermann’s Christmas Presents: Forced Retirements”

  1. Fat Cats Get Raises
    I hear Mr. Z and Murphy got big raises from Chuck because they were considering the retirement buyout. Nice that the city axes employees and turns full time positions into part time positions for those living week to week while the fat cat commissioners get fat raises.

    1. Raises? Are you kidding me?
      No offense to either of these guys but are you kidding? What constitutes a “big raise”? Are you sure about this. When did this happen. The retirement buyout was August 31, right? Or September 30? Something like that.

      It cannot be true that in the middle of the worst economy in 80 years when even the City School District of New Rochelle is cutting jobs that ANYONE would be getting a “big” raise. Wasn’t the whole point of the buy out to LOWER costs by getting rid of expensive employees?

      Say it ain’t so.

  2. wrong person
    They got the wrong person. If anyone should leave, it should be Mr. Zimmerman.

    People – take a walk down memory lane. Things were better with fewer employees. Parks were cleaner.
    In the 15 years or so Mr. Z. has been here. Our softball industry and been reduced to a handful of teams. It is restrictive and EXPENSIVE, we must be playing with gold balls.
    Mr. Z. only returns phone calls – if pushed or you leave 27 messages.
    Is he arrogant? Only people who have met him
    should decide. All in all – just a pathetic bureaucrat.

    1. Let’s hope they hire some tallent.
      Let’s hope this time they hire som people
      with some tallent.
      Let’s face it ,our parks dept is being run by dinosaurs.

      We need some tallent with up to date ideas!!
      We need to utilize our Baseball , Basket ball, tennis , cricket ,football,Soccer fields, in a better way.

      Our water front park’s are totaly underutilized.
      Five Island park has great potential, that for a longtime has never been taken advantage of.

      How about this idea!

      a Queen city of the sound festival of music.
      Jazz ,Rock ,country?

      ( every year ) like the one in Conn ,The oyster fest.

      But you see that takes enrgy and a little tallent.

      It has happenend in the past at five islands, and alot of New Rochelle residents and there friends
      enjoyed it .

      The park can handle it too ,it has bathrooms , and Electric that can handle a consert level sound system .
      Oh And by the way it was profitable enough to raise money to start up the Thanksgiving day parade that
      was scancelld years earlyer because of lack of funds in the early 80’s.

      All done by the locale resturant and tavern association ,NOT THE PARKS OR CHAMBER.
      there was a large turn out of people there , both
      year’s ,and it was run very nicely.

      So lets take this idea a bit further with idea of
      it acually being done .

      What would it intale??
      #1 Talk to locale radio and music promoters to
      set it up like small concert.( THEY ARE ALL WAY’S LOOKING FOR VENUES LIKE THIS IDEA )
      OOH YEA!!! AND THEY PAY!!

      #2Pick a type venue that ALL would like to attend .

      Jazz ,Rock ,country, Whatever

      # 3 have only LOCALE food vendores rent booth’s

      # 4 have arts and crafts vendor’s

      #5 Have a beer tent.

      The park can handle it ,it has before !

      Here you go anther FREE idea from me!!!!

      I know if I were getting paid to do it ,
      IT WOULD HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
      Especially after a big raise!!

      It can be done it was done before !!!
      Just get the right people in the parks dept , and it will be done!
      Now that there are some empty seats in the dept you might want to think out side YOUR BOX, and into the 21st century…

      Merry Christmas eveyone, and a happy and
      safe new year!!!!!

      From the South side mann!!!!!

    2. namenda is right.
      Our other great resource is soccer players. We don’t have enough fields to play so most of our best players got elsewhere. Look at the teams in White Plains, Eastern FC, FC Westchester etc – manyof the best players there are from New Rochelle. The City and the Parks Dept could care less about these kids.

    3. We need to get rid of/retire
      We need to get rid of/retire chiefs (like Zimmerman) that make a lot of money and keep the Indians (like Ortiz & Sister Joan) that don’t make a lot and probably do most of the work.

      Anyone know what Zimmerman makes? I makes sense to get rid of 1 highly compensated employee to keep 2 or 3 less compensated employees.

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