Erie County Legislator Chris Greene has submitted a FOIL request to the Mark Poloncarz Administration, calling for the release of the report analyzing Erie County’s response to last December’s deadly blizzard.
“It is necessary for Erie County legislators to gain a full understanding of what mistakes were made. Dozens of our neighbors and friends lost their lives in the storm. There needs to be an all-hands-on-deck response to ensure that never happens again. The Administration’s response deserves scrutiny. We need to put the safety and well-being of our constituents first,” said Legislator Greene.
Both New York State and the City of Buffalo have released their reports, providing analysis as to where they fell short in responding to the deadly blizzard. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz says he has no plans to release the Erie County report to the public.
“This storm was historic. At least 47 people died. The response was mismanaged. The public has every right to know where and how the Administration failed them. By his unwillingness to release the report the question has to be asked, ‘what is Mark Poloncarz hiding’?”
Legislator Greene says that by making the report available, lawmakers can provide answers to many questions their constituents still have, provide input to the Administration, and assist in working towards improved action plans and responses for the future.
“The safety and well-being of our residents should be all that matters in planning out how our community responds to devastating storms. We have to do everything in our power to make sure past failures don’t repeat themselves. The public deserves that. By analyzing and evaluating the report, we can best provide solutions going forward,” concluded Legislator Greene.
