By KIMBERLY ACEVEDO
In January, Long Beach contractor Matthew Adamo was awarded a bid to reconstruct the Long Beach Historical Society building, which some say is a conflict of interest since Adamo's wife, Karen, was actively involved in fundraising for the Historical Society and is currently its president.
Former trustee Ronald Paganini filed a petition on Sept. 3 to remove trustees Karen Adamo, Liz Allerhand, Carole Shadah Geraci and Roberta Fiore, citing "gross misconduct" on their part before and after the controversial bid was awarded.
The Historical Society Charter requires elected officials who have served two consecutive terms to sit out one year before returning to the board, Paganini said. Adamo fell just short of a year, he said, since she resigned on Feb. 13, 2001 and was re-elected on Jan. 27, during their annual meeting. Though Paganini objected, Fiore, Allerhand and Geraci ignored the charter rules and named Adamo president, according to the petition.
But Adamo refutes Paganini's claim that she retired in February. Adamo said it was during the Jan. 28, 2001 annual meeting that she turned in a letter of resignation to then president Roberta Fiore.
Paganini also contends that in Dec. 2001 Matthew Adamo proposed a change in the project, which would cost the society more money and benefit the contractor. Despite his objections, Karen Adamo, Fiore, Allerhand and Geraci accepted the change of order, Paganini said.
"I feel the laws were broken...I'm not the authority, the State Board of Education will determine who is right and who is wrong," said Paganini. "I think the members of the society and the people of the City of Long Beach should know what's going on."
State Board of Education spokesperson Tom Dunn confirmed that a petition was filed and they are waiting for a response from the trustees. The petition, he added, will then be considered for its merits.
Meanwhile, a Nassau County investigation began two weeks ago, looking into any improprieties on the work and bid award, said Long Beach Corporation Counsel William Holst. The renovation project was funded through the Community Development Block Grant, which is distributed by Nassau County from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Karen Adamo said the Long Beach Historical Society has never received official notice of any on-going investigations from the city, county or state.
"As far as I'm concerned," Adamo said, "it's a non-issue...everything was done out in the open [and] above-board according to Hoyle, and the City of Long Beach can vouch for the process being done correctly."
The Historical Society's $49,500 restoration project bid went out in Oct. 2000, Holst said, and there were no bidders. Then, two additional bids were put out in April and July 2001, Holst said. Matthew Adamo was the sole bidder, he added. The Historical Society builiding is located at 226 W. Penn St.
According to former Long Beach City Manager Edwin Eatonduring a January interview with the Herald, the initial bid went unanswered and the city "actively solicited" contractors for the job. Adamo, whose wife was to be named president of the society, was awarded the bid on Jan. 15. But when the bid was awarded, residents at the City Council meeting voiced their concerns about the City's selection, citing a conflict of interest.
Eaton completely disputed the charge.
"It's not that [Adamo] was jumping head over heels for the job, either, because he is a busy guy," Eaton said in January. "The Historical Society wanted it done and money had been allocated for it."
According to an Oct. 3 letter from the City in response to the county investigation, "the City of Long Beach has no knowledge or reason to believe any such allegations regarding the Historical Society Board or its members."
Meanwhile, the City is cooperating fully with county officials during the investigation, Holst said.
"We've responded to the county and that's the end of it," Holst said. "People are trying to look for something that is a dead end."
