CLARKS GREEN – During March’s Council meeting, Council Ppresident Bill Egan announced an opening on Council since the passing of Councilman Bill Toms.
He said that the position needs to be filled by April 15.
“It’s important to us that we want to first of all put somebody on here that’s qualified what I think we can find,” he said. “I think another thing that’s important is that we want to put someone on here we can work with. We’re to do what’s right for the borough.”
Solicitor Al Weinschenk suggested that anyone interested in becoming a council person to submit a resume to the Borough Manager Joanne Culbertson.
Councilwoman Olga Trushina made a suggestion in engaging the community to find another council person.
“There’s more volunteers when a position opens,” she said. “Because that’s one of the reasons why there is not that many volunteers is because people don’t know what’s going on. So, by engaging the community, you will get more people interested.”
In his mayor’s report, Joe Barrasse mentioned that he received a memo from John Earley, Esq., about Council candidate Dave Rinaldi possibly being appointed to the zoning hearing board. According to Earley’s letter, Rinaldi lost the election on Council to Trushina by a vote of 249 to 139 (64.18% to 35,83%). Barrasse said that the letter wasn’t sent to Ron Leas, the current chair of the zoning hearing board.
“I feel like that’s almost like an insult,” he said.
Barrasse encouraged Council to advertise and receive resumes to fill the open position on council.
“One person doesn’t get to make this decision or two people do not get to make this decision,” he said. “It’s a council of seven, and the council in its entirety, the majority of council, gets to make that decision.”
Weinschenk added that if the council doesn’t fill the vacancy, then the decision goes to the vacancy board.
Trushina commented that Rinaldi didn’t receive an email with his interest in the zoning hearing board. She said that Rinaldi deliberately didn’t contact her, but contacted a certain council member. She said that she spoke with Leas, whom she said was shocked for not being notified about the decision.
“If we’re going to function as a community, we’re going to have to be transparent with residents,” she said.
Trushina said that Leas will resign if Rinaldi is elected to the zoning hearing board.
“I want to remind Council that they’re being watched closely by the voters who will be voting in the next election, who will remember who tried to get Rinaldi reinstated in a backdoor manner,” she said.
Council voted to table the appointment of Rinaldi in the zoning hearing board.
In her borough manager’s report, Culbertson said that Council received the 2022 performance recycling grant, which was $1,341.19.
Also, Culbertson said that DPW (Department of Public Works) did a whole list of machinery including three to four pages of hand tools. She announced that she made website updates of the Shade Tree Commission. She said that she placed an order of salt for the 2024-25 year. She also said that she talked with engineers about a pollution reduction plan. She said that Council received a liquid fuels fund of $47,560.44. She also said that the clock across from the municipal building has been serviced by the Verdin Company.
In his financial report, Egan announced the following checking accounts: general fund checking, $396,803.53; general fund, $255,724.82; state fund, $216,668.51.
