Did it ever occur to you that Mazzone did the work because she has the ability to vet this stuff through the process, that it makes sense to use existing County employees, rather than having to reinvent the wheel or go outside to hire a consultant to do the same work for ECC? That Mazzone does not work for Collins she works for the County, see her title, that means this is her line of work. If you take the time and look into it you will see a lot of things go through several departments in the County to help with matters at ECC. See the key here is take the time and don't just make head scratching statements out your poop hole.

As you correctly pointed out the final selection was made by the Trustees of ECC as they are tasked to do. And frankly I have no problem with a local firm over an outside of the area firm if they are capable of doing as good of a job, as you also pointed out they appear to be capable.

As far as building the site at the North Campus, did you get any input from Quinn why this site was selected? Does it make sense to have students traveling all over the place if they have multiple classes to take in multiple areas of the school. It is usually called a campus for a reason and unless it is like a med or law school, you need to go to more than one building to get to your classes.

You really need to friggin stick to articles on music, food and cultural events, did it ever occur to you that you are just in way over your head for hard news issues? Dingus Day is almost upon us, so fluff me up on a happy story while wearing a red tie.

Goeff
Good article..Those of us in the constrution business know you hit the nail right on the head. Those of us who know about politic also know you once again hit the nail square in the head.
Fred needs to have another glass of the "kool Aid"..........

Just wait till he gets reelected and they have an "Emergency" and they have to sell off ECC to balance Collins bad budget at a loss. I'm sure they will find one of Collins buddies to buy it a tenth of it's value.

Screw You Fred! GEOFF KELLY RULZ!!!

But there is no news here. There is only innuendo and nothing more.
Screw me?, okay, just asking if you want to write news, why don't you do more than just make hypothetical comments and actually dig for the answers to all the above maybes.

You in the e construction business, what you hammer the nails in? By the way this is about architecture, not the process of bidding the building of the structure, but given your obvious lack of detail maybe this kind of writing is perfect for you. I understand this guy knows his audience, but that should mean more than Fox News like sound bites that are completely one sided and fed to a population that simply wants to hear its own views puked back up on them. Yes, I am comparing you to Fox News, because it is the same thing.

Now please write something about a new garage band that I might find interesting or useful.

Fred
Architecture contracts for public work are generally bid out in similar fashion to construction contract bids for public work, with the contract going to the lowest responsible bidder. Apparently this was no the case with regards to this contract. I wont even go into Kideneys ties with Mr Collins. So Fred, having been in the construction business for many years, and no i dont swing the hammer anymore, although I did for years back in the day, I do have an excellent understanding of how the business works.
Having grown up in a family , some of which are involved in politics, I also have an understanding of how things work in that world as well.
You make reference to the location of the new building and you imply that it is a good location because the kids dont need to be traveling all over town to classes. Your point would tend to make sense where it not for the fact that the count college is already spread all over the county and kids already travel between the 3 campuses.
Your defense of the county and the proccess by which it has chosen the architect is baseless and your need to denegrate the discusiion into name calling just furthers the fact that it is you that does not know what you are talking about..

But hey ...the kool aids tastin' pretty good these days...Huh?

John -that's so cute, cool aid. But cute is weak. So let's talk reality; My point about the campus goes to the fact that you can go to each campus and pursue a degree, with other requirements. Look into it my friend you need not travel to all or two in a semester if you want. Second, the structure of the Community College system in NY is such that it is controlled by the county in which it sits, very different from the university or colleges, take some time and look up the enabling laws. I repeat take some time and look into the issue.

Also, where does it say the lowest responsible bidder did not receive this contract in the article above? Where? Where? Did you even read the article we are discussing? You just jumped to that conclusion based on a few statements. It does not say that, what it says is that the author does not like the process of going through Mazzone verse, well I am not sure what the verses is because he did not offer an alternative. My point is Mazzone is the person to go through, and the final vetting was done by the trustees – AS PRESENETD IN THE ARTICLE- (again read it) all the rest is just innuendo.

This is all superficial crap without any substance reread my posts and you will see that is my point. The author of this story could have done more to get your gushing shortsighted praise than just take shots and call Mazzone “Collin's employee”, he could have explored her relationship between ECC and county projects, and in this case how bids were received and if in fact there was an issue here.

It is called investigative reporting and you need to investigate to get to the bottom of the issue. Again you don't care because you heard what you wanted to hear - some fluff - and your all amped up to dismiss anyone and everyone involved.

This is just irresponsible reporting. So get the hook out of your mouth and try to be a little more attentive, it will make a more informed and likely a more interesting person.

GEOFF KELLY ROOOOLLLLZZZZ!!!

Screw You Fred!

Alright Ms. Kelly, no one doubts you love your son, regardless of his skill set.

Yo Fred!

Yo Mama!

GEOFF KELLY ROOOOOOLLLLLZZZZZ!!!!

Fred..the project is being funded with tax money and is therefore public. By law that means the bids are supposed to be opened publically for all to see. Unfortunately here in Buffalo that is more times than not, a proccess that is pushed under the table by the powers that be. I would reference the Buffalo Public Schools project run by Ciminelli (subject of another interesting article in this paper)in which none of the results are made public. Given that I work in the business I am aware that the results were never made public on this bid.
If you knew anything about ECC, you would also know that travel is neccessary as not each campus make certain classes available every semester or every year for that matter(something you might be aware of if you ever investigated yoursef)
It is clear that you are a shill for these people or maybe you actually work for them, but at any rate your post contain nothing but your conclusions on what you think went on with absolutely no back up other than your shortsightedness......
Drink up my friend.......

I can't help you, it's called reading comprehension, that is what you do after you read the above article, you read it and try to comprehend what it says then respond. I haven't jump to conclusions, what conclusions do you see in my posts? What I am doing is I am asking questions of this article, the writer, and it’s content.

But again have missed my point, not surprised, that this not a full story. If there is a real story here, than the writer should do some investigative reporting and tell us what the deal is and how it was done wrong. If you have some insider information on how this was an illegal bid than please by-all-means share it with us, better yet share it with Geoff and let him further investigate your claims. That is how hard news is handled, not all this what-if and I think I smell a rat crap. Or even better "I know cause I know so that is more than you know and just trust me cause I know." What do you know John? Please tell us. I am friggin' begging you to tell us how this bid was not properly handled, because the above article does not explain in any detail that it was not handled that way. What day was scheduled for the opening of architects' bids, what time and who attended? What is the opinion of those architects that were there? And if it was handled improperly will there be a law suit based on that failure to follow proper bidding procedures?

How about just a little Journalism 101; who, what, why, where, when. It is a formula as old as the news itself.

Not to seem rude or anything, but isn't Michele Mazzone an ECC Trustee? Isn't the former chair of the Conservative Party a Trustee? Apologies if I just made the entire article irrelevant.

oh here is the real story, you guys must have missed it:

Five current or former trustees of Erie Community College are criticizing fellow board member Hormoz Mansouri's efforts to win a major construction project at the North Campus while serving on the institution's governing body.

They say he should choose between seeking a now-delayed $30 million project and his position on the board to avoid any perception of conflict of interest.

"I don't think he should be in the process at all; he should resign from the board," said one trustee, who, like all interviewed for this story, asked not to be identified.

Several board members said Mansouri's EI Team submitted an admirable plan for the $30 million academic building proposed for the college's Amherst campus. The work the firm put in on the project has cost it a significant amount of money.

"But we couldn't give it to Hormoz," one board member said. "It would have killed the whole project because of public perception. How could we justify to the public that one of our own board members got a $30 million project?"

Mansouri, who burst on the local scene a decade ago as a major contributor to political candidates, insists his company has the right to seek such work as long as he abstains from voting as a board member. He further maintains that EI Team is governed by a corporate structure that prevents him from personally profiting in a project from which he separates himself.

"I would not have benefited from it," he said. "In the same manner that a law firm has associates or partners working on projects, that does not preclude other partners from serving."

Though the project is now delayed, ECC trustees in March voted to award the job to Kideney Architects of Amherst, rendering moot any current objections. But Mansouri's fellow trustees still point to an appearance of conflict.

State records show Mansouri has contributed more than $15,000 to Assemblywoman Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes, D-Buffalo, who also was criticized last week for failing to join all other majority members of the local Assembly delegation in supporting the new academic building. As a result, the proposal is at least temporarily dead after passing the Senate budget process last month but failing to make it through the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.

Mansouri, president of EI Team, an architectural and engineering firm headquartered on Sheridan Drive in the Town of Tonawanda, is a registered Democrat and a major political player who has donated more than $400,000 to candidates since 1999, according to state and federal records. He was appointed to the ECC board in 2005 by former Republican County Executive Joel A. Giambra.

Meanwhile, sources familiar with ethics requirements of trustees serving in the State University of New York system say the Public Officers Law prohibits the appearance of impropriety and giving undue benefits. They also say the general rule is that when a trustee's personal, business or professional activities could pose a conflict with their SUNY responsibilities, they must disclose the conflict to the chairman and general counsel of the board and then recuse themselves from conflicting matters.

The sources added that on rare occasions, counsel has advised the trustee not to undertake the private activity since the conflict would be too great.

Mansouri reiterated that he has abided by all rules outlined in state codes of ethics.

Nevertheless, County Comptroller Mark C. Poloncarz said enough questions have been posed to him about the entire process that he has launched an official inquiry into how the bid was awarded.

Assemblyman Robin L. Schimminger, D-Kenmore, had been shepherding legislation to fund the ECC project through the budget process but noted that Ways and Means officials were not satisfied that the county and ECC portions of the project (amounting to $15 million) were properly appropriated. He also said officials pointed to the lack of unanimous support among local members of the Assembly.

Peoples-Stokes countered that while she preferred such a major project be built at the college's City Campus, she would not stand in its way. She insisted, however, that the project's death stemmed from county and ECC officials failing to properly prepare for the budget process.

Mansouri's contributions, meanwhile, have benefited both Democrats and Republicans, as well as local theater and opera groups. He said that while his company made a presentation for the ECC project, as a trustee he does not see it as necessary.

"That building is a good symbol, but there are other items needed at that campus," Mansouri said, adding that predictions of flat enrollment might make the building unnecessary by the time it was slated for completion in 2015.

The businessman denied exerting any influence in killing the project but said he could not in "good conscience" support it, despite his firm's efforts to win the work.

"Other needs need to be addressed," he said.

Neither ECC President Jack F. Quinn Jr. nor board Chairwoman Patricia A. Krzesinski would comment on the situation. But others on the board said the college has worked hard to rid itself of any perception that it is governed by political appointees.

One trustee who also asked not to be identified pointed out that the college -- through its foundation -- faced the difficult task of raising $7.5 million as its share of the project. He said the task would prove even more daunting should a firm headed by one of its own trustees receive such a lucrative contract.

"There's a fundraising aspect to this project, and if a trustee gets the bid, how are you going to fund-raise?" the board member asked. "That would be the top story on the evening news and in your newspaper.

"The board has a reputation as an old-time political board," the member added. "But this is the first time something has come up that would make me say: 'I've got to take a shower.'"

Mansouri has just been appointed to another board with a potential to award major contracts: In March, he was named to the board of directors of Roswell Park Cancer Institute by Senate Minority Leader John L. Sampson, D-Brooklyn

I can see the strings are starting to unravel for Collins. A fool will ultimately hang himself, and he seems to be doing so. Delicious to watch.