TELEPHONE: (212) ~1 FAX NUMBER: (212) 669-8484 Joseph Trapani BUREAU CHIEF THE CITY OF NEW YORK OFFICE OF THE COMPTROLLER BUREAU OF MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS 1 CENTRE STREET - AM 1005 NEW YOAK, N.Y. 10007-2341 AU\N G. HEVESI COMPTROLLER September 21, 1995 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCeRN: Sarah Wenig worked for me for four years, from 1974 to 1978, at the height of the Boston Little City Hail program. I was the program's Deputy Director during Sarah's employment there. The program operated a total of 24 Little City Halls (LCH), one in each of the City's nelghborhoods, During this difficult period, the program was service oriented, dynamic, veryhighly regarded and demonstrably effective. A high proportion of LCH employees went on to become members of the City of Boston's senior staff and managers. Sarah worked initially in the Fenway LCH and then, as a direct report to me in the central office. On a neighborhood level, Sarah quickly established herself as a very effective advocate for Fenway residents by successfully addressing community needs. Sarah's unique ability to create relationships between disparate groups was apparent as she brokered a program between Fenway elderly residents and the City's major corporate citizens. The Fenway Elderly Lunch Program was a great success and was successfully extended citywide. Sarah was almost singlehandedly responsible for the lunch program's creation and expansion. Her winning a pathbreaking case on area crime protection before the Boston Housing Court is another example of her effectiveness. She contributed strongly to efforts in acquiring non-tax-Ievy funds for neighborhood anti-crime efforts, in fostering local input in neighborhood development plans, and in internal administrative matters involving employee training and development of service delivery methods. Sarah was consistently able to achieve improved public services for neighborhood residents through negotiation with, cajoling of, skillful navigation with, and truly effective persuasion of the overworked civil servants in the various departments of Boston's government. She was also well respected in the LCH program itself and by the neighborhoods.