Halloran Won't Name Names

Half the Department of Sanitation supervisors designated for demotion in the new year were not ultimately demoted, following what some believe was a work slowdown within their ranks this past week, according to Councilman Dan Halloran, R-Whitestone.

Hallorantold an interviewer on WNYC Radio Monday morning that of the 100 agency supervisors who were slated for demotion, only 50 following the protracted snow clearing period were downgraded in pay.

The Department of Sanitation did not respond to an inquiry asking if Halloran's allegations were on the mark, and if so, why the personnel reorganization had been less drastic than expected before the blizzard struck on Dec. 26.

Halloran last week went public with allegations that DSNY supervisors deliberately staved snow removal following the storm on Queens and Brooklyn streets.

The City's Department of Investigation, as well as the US Attorney's Office, are both investigating the alleged slowdown, according to Halloran's office.

He says he will not revealed the names of the DSNY and Department of Transportation employees involved in snow clearing who he says came to him personally to blow the whistle on the attempted sabotage of the city's plowing operation.

"My decision is one of principle. The sources asked for confidence. I agreed, and I am a man of my word," Halloran said in a statement sent this afternoon.

According to Halloran, at least five Sanitation workers, as well as two Department of Transportation employees assigned to work crews for snow removal duty, approached him with information regarding an intentional work slowdown initiated by DSNY supervisors in Queens.

In an appearance on "Good Day NY" this morning, Uniformed Sanitationmen's Association head Harry Nespoli denied allegations of a systemic slowdown in snow removal efforts.

The two DOT employees are talking to investigators, according to Halloran, who added that he hoped DOI staffers would heed his call to keep the names of those workers confidential as well.

"Would anyone, especially in the media, ask questions about a reporter keeping a vulnerable source confidential?" he said. 

Halloran has been vaulted into the national spotlight in recent days, including appearances on CNN and Fox News to speak about the slowdown allegations.

Reached this evening, state Sen. Tony Avella said he found speculation of a systemic slowdown "hard to believe" — instead focusing his criticism over the delayed snow removal response on what he called the Bloomberg administration's "failure" to declare a snow emergency as the blizzard hit.

"I would put the slowdown on the bottom of the list of possible reasons for the delayed response," said Avella, D-Whitestone.

Avella initiated several Freedom of Information requests on Thursday to the Mayor's office, Sanitation and other city agencies on the city's snow removal response.

By state law, the parties have several weeks to acknowledge and then respond to the information requests.