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Corbin Talk At City Council

By Jeffrey B. Cohen

August 10, 2009

8:20 p.m. UPDATE -- Corbin resolution passes with no discussion.

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It's been four months since Mayor Eddie A. Perez fired then Public Works Director Clarence Corbin because he disobeyed a city directive, hired political lobbyists when the city already had them, and "attempted to conceal the payments to a lobbying firm by routing them through an engineering firm."

Since then, the issue hasn't gone away, as Corbin's supporters on the council and in the community have made his termination a frequent matter of public debate. Also, the engineering firm Corbin hired is still seeking payment from the city.

Tonight, the Corbin debate will continue at the city council's meeting. Councilman Luis Cotto has introduced a resolution that is an "appreciation" of Corbin and his work.

"In the same way that city employees receive some sort of recognition for the 5, 10, 15 years of service - this is my way of trying to recognize his service to a city [in which] he was born and raised," Cotto said today.

Democratic Majority Leader rJo Winch said she'd gladly give Corbin a personal reference. But she doesn't think one should come from the city council.

"I'm not willing to get into that," Winch said. "That's a management issue...I'm not trying to pit the legislative branch against the executive branch of municipal government."