On Sunday, July 3, 2016, Eagle-Tribune reporter Keith Eddings talked about Councilor Estela Reyes: her Conflict of Interest, Possible Ethics Violations, and the use of Insider Information to directly benefit in the purchase of properties, among others, city properties.
Since the printing of an article on Rumbo by writer and owner Dalia Diaz three to four weeks ago about the sale of City properties to Councilor Estela Reyes, and now Keith Eddings articles in the Eagle-Tribune a lot of questions are being asked about these transactions. I for one, as usual, have a lot of questions and opinion on this matter.
At the Housing Committee meeting of January 25, 2016, the Committee voted to sell Junior Rozón a lot at 92 Oak St. for the sum of $3,300. According to the minutes of this meeting, Councilor Estela Reyes excused herself from the meeting citing a “sudden family emergency”. I will like the readers to look at what really happened here.
On Tuesday, February 2, the City Council voted to sell Junior Rozón a City lot located at 92 Oak St., for the amount of $3,300 dollars. At least to some councilors, the sale of this lot was just another sale of City properties to interested abutters. It should be noted that Mr. Rozón lives in Haverhill and is not an abutter.
The Housing Committee is composed of four members: Chairman Jeovanny Rodriguez, Mark Laplante, Nilka Alvarez-Rodriguez, and Estela Reyes. Since Councilor Nilka Alvarez-Rodriguez has been ill and not present at the meeting, the Committee only has three members to conduct business. With Councilor Reyes excusing herself from the meeting, the Committee would have no quorum to continue the meeting and the sale of the property would not have taken place. But conveniently, our Council President Kendrys Vasquez was there to substitute Councilor Estela Reyes and rescue the situation. How convenient!
I believe that Councilor Estela Reyes made up the “sudden family emergency”. She knew that she couldn’t vote on the sale of this property because it would benefit her business associate and her directly causing an Ethics Violation. Since taking this matter out of committee at the full council level requires 6 votes and an explanation, (disclosure on the part of Councilor Reyes), it was more convenient to have the Council President replace Councilor Reyes at the meeting and make the sale possible. Does this smell like a conspiracy and cover-up?
If it smells like a conspiracy and cover-up is because “it is”. I believe that Council President Vasquez knew that the sale of the City Property would benefit directly Councilor Estela Reyes. Suddenly, all the players involved in this matter are running and hiding under a rock: Abel Vargas claims that he had no knowledge about a $45 million project to improve the Oliver School. How can this be? A person responsible for bringing jobs to the City being kept out of the loop on a $45 million project that would generate many jobs?; I don’t believe it. The Mayor, Danny Rivera is also claiming ignorance on the sale of this City lot; “a missed opportunity”. Would the Mayor keep his most confident supporter Councilor Reyes out of the loop in the renovation of the Oliver School? I don’t think so.
So, what do we have here? We have a conspiracy to cover-up the sale of a City property that should have never taken place. First, Councilor Estela Reyes should have disclosed to the full council that she would benefit directly from the sale of the City lot.
Second, the Council President should have disclosed to the full Council the interest and benefit on the part of Councilor Reyes. Did the Council president have first-hand knowledge of the situation? Definitely. Otherwise, why would he be so conveniently present at the right moment, and the right time to substitute Councilor Estela Reyes?
The Mayor shouldn’t have signed the sale of the lot, because I believe, he also had first-hand knowledge on this matter.
I also believe that “Righteous” Committee member Mark Laplante had first-hand knowledge of this matter and chose to keep silent and not disclose at the full Council level.
Committee member and chair Jeovanny Rodriguez admitted to me that he had “somewhat” knowledge of the fact that Councilor Estela Reyes would benefit from the sale of this lot to Junior Rozón. “Somewhat”?
In conclusion, there was and still remains a conspiracy and cover-up on the part of the Mayor, Abel Vargas, the Council President, Councilor Estela Reyes, and the other members of the Housing Committee to directly benefit a member of the City Council. Why? The payment of political debt.
Respectfully,
Councilor Modesto Maldonado
Lawrence, MA
