Tulimieri
Joseph F. Tulimieri of Arlington is in the eye of a storm in Cambridge in the light of reports that the finances of city’s Redevelopment Authority are under investigation.
Cambridge Day has reported that Tulimieri gave himself almost $17,000 in raises as well as thousands more sick and part-time pay.
In a follow-up, The Boston Globe reported Friday, Oct. 19, that some of these actions occurred when the board lacked a quorum.
“In addition to the $6,000 raise in July 2010,” The Globe reported, “Tulimieri received two others that were not properly authorized, because a vote on the raises was taken without a board quorum.” At least three of five board members must be present for the vote to count.
Tulimieri is chairman of the Arlington Zoning Board of Appeals, but his role on the town’s board is not in question.
Tulimieri resigned from the Cambridge board he long served Sept. 27. A finance officer and administrative assistant have also resigned.
The reports are based on minutes of four closed-door meetings starting in June. They were posted online Monday, Oct. 15, and first reported by The Cambridge Chronicle. The minutes showed that during 32 months there was no active board at the agency overseeing development in Kendall Square.
Cambridge Day reported praise from two activists. “You have indeed set the standard for doing it right, and I want to commend you,” said Heather Hoffman, an East Cambridge resident who long has sought more transparent government.
“It’s the way it should be,” the website reported Tom Stohlman, a recent City Council candidate, as saying.
The agency, which is not subject to City Council oversight, has been responsible for overseeing the redevelopment of Kendall Square for decades.
At the Oct. 17 board meeting, residents questioned how Tulimieri was able to act with so little oversight for so long.
“I do think there is a real question about the decisions that were made during that period,” James Williamson, a former council candidate, said, according to The Globe.
This story was first reported here on Friday, Oct. 19, 2012. For more background, see Cambridge Day.
