Councilman Questions Oil Tank Removal Job at Holland Sporting Club in 2007

Yorktown councilman Vishnu Patel is placing highway superintendent Eric DiBartolo under scrutiny again this time for the removal of two oil tanks at the Holland Sporting Club in 2007. 

"How was the payment done so promptly and where were the papers?" said Patel, who expressed concerns that the work was done "out of the blue."

The two oil tanks at the Holland Sporting Club property, , were removed on Dec. 28, 2007, for $1,100 each (or a total of $2,200), according to town of Yorktown parks and recreation department records. 

"I had no clue," DiBartolo said. "I had no involvement. It was done through Jen Fava [the former department of parks and recreation superintendent]. It's what the board decided."

The work was performed by Envirostar Corporation, which was owned by DiBartolo's late brother Frank. The company submitted the lowest bid, beating the two other companies – Northeast Environmental and Dutchess Environmental Construction. 

"I don't understand what [Patel]'s problem is," DiBartolo said. "I had no idea until the other day when Michael [Grace] called me."

DiBartolo said Patel, who recently of the Holland Sporting Club, had not called him to express any of his concerns. 

"I don't understand his motivation," Yorktown supervisor Michael Grace said of Patel's concerns. "Whoever had to do the [demolition] understood [the oil tanks] had to have been removed."

Patel said a town employee had recently told him the two tanks at the Holland Sporting Club were removed years ago but when Patel asked DiBartolo about them , he was told to check in with acting engineer consultant Sharon Robinson. 

Since the town does not have an engineering department, Robinson did not know about the oil tank removal, Grace said. 

"That sent us looking for the documents," said Grace, who added they were on file with the town's park and recreation department. 

Patel is also questioning why the work with Envirostar wasn't reported in the , which was critical of town practices and questioned DiBartolo's work with a project done by Envirostar. 

Released last year, the report was the focus of the state's year-long investigation. Titled “Ethics and Internal Controls over Purchasing Practices and Computer Use,” it covered the time period from Jan. 1, 2007 to May 13, 2010.

"When the state audit report was requested initially, it asked for any work done by Envirostar," Patel said. "Was this one included in there? The answer is No."

DiBartolo took over the position of director of labor operations for the town on Jan. 1, 2008. He was responsible for purchasing for the environmental conservation, central garage, and parks and recreation departments. According to records, the oil tanks were removed on Dec. 28, 2007.

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