My Valentine’s Day letter to the Boston Water and Sewer Commission

Here’s a letter I wrote to Boston Water & Sewer Commission about the hackerama there. I’m requesting answers under the state Public Records law, the local equivalent of FOIA.

Now the hacks are on the clock… tick… tick… tick. Not that Michelle Wu cares about public-records laws….

To whom it may concern:

I am a reporter for the Boston Herald.

Under the provisions of the Public Records laws of Massachusetts, known federally as the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), I am seeking answers to the following questions about the payroll of the Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC).

According to recent BWSC payroll records, the executive director/treasurer of the agency is Henry F. Vitale. His salary is $228,466.68 a year.

Muna H. Vitale is listed on the payroll as “director of IT support and communications systems” for $159,884.42 a year. My question is, is Muna H. Vitale Henry Vitale’s sister-in-law? Is she married to Henry Vitale’s twin brother?

Cynthia Woolcock is listed as “manager of communications” for $128,750.44 a year. My question is, is Woolcock the sister of Henry Vitale’s wife, that is, is she Henry Vitale’s sister-in-law?

Dante Shire is listed as “facilities representative” for $52,000 a year. My question is, is Dante Shire the son of Henry’s wife’s sister, that is, is he the nephew of Mrs. Henry Vitale?

Alie Attar is listed as “manager of fleet” for $118,726.68 a year. My question is, is Alie Attar the brother of Muna Vitale?

John P. Sullivan Jr. is listed as “chief engineer and operations officer” for $261,565.20 a year.

Anna T. Sullivan is listed as “manager of accounts payable” for $128,750.21 a year. My question is, is Anna T. Sullivan the wife of John P. Sullivan, Jr.?

John F. Sullivan is listed as “deputy superintendent of enforcement and compliance” for $120,200.28 a year. My question is, is John F. Sullivan the son of John P. Sullivan Jr., and does he work directly for John P. Sullivan Jr.?

Did John P. Sullivan Jr. have two brothers who were at one time employed by the BWSC? Are they collecting pensions now? What are their names? I believe one of them to be named Richard, known as “Dicky?” Please confirm or deny their employment or prior employment.

Peter Hunt is listed as “chief operating officer” for $225,000.36 a year. Was his wife Nina employed at BWSC as a lawyer from 2021 until last year, when Michael Flaherty was appointed general counsel? Is she currently applying for the vacant job of general counsel?

I believe that in many of the above cases, letters may have been filed detailing what might have been considered as possible conflicts of interest in the hiring process. I would like to have copies of all such correspondence that are in your files, which should be publicly available under FOIA. That way, if I have confused any of the familial connections listed above, I will be able to detail the correct relationships before any story is printed in the newspaper.

Thanks for your prompt attention to this matter. I will be tweeting out these questions this morning, so I would appreciate answers to all my inquiries by the end of business today.

Please send all replies to [redacted]. My telephone number should you have any questions is [redacted].

Have a nice day.

Howie Carr