Borough Council makes annual appointments / By Martha Knight

The Port Allegany Borough Council mustered a bare quorum of four, Monday night, to hold its annual reorganization meeting.

Council member Kate Kysor presided in the absence of president Andrew Johnson, vice-president Sam Dynda and chairman pro tempore Judy Taylor. The members present were Kysor, Lynn Farber, Eric Button and Dave Fair.

Routine annual designations were handled with an omnibus motion, adopted 3 to 1, Fair voting Nay.

Howell and Company, Inc. continues as auditing firm. Taylor continues as chairman pro tempore. First National Bank of Port Allegany, Citizens Trust, Hamlin Bank and PLGIT will continue to be depositories.

Richard Kallenborn continues as borough manager and treasurer for now. Karen Reed was reappointed borough secretary. Christa Schott was reappointed solicitor.

Committee appointments and representatives appointed by the president were listed on the agenda, but left for the president to handle.

Schott attended the meeting to report on work she has been performing as borough solicitor.

One item was a contract between the borough and Kallenborn under which he will continue to handle borough manager duties as an independent contractor.

The agreement, as read aloud by Schott prior to passing around the single copy, embodies what Borough Council had voted on last month, but with added provisions concerning possible 30-day extensions should the council fail to hire a new borough manager by then.

As it is, Kallenborn has agreed to perform borough manager duties for a period not to exceed 90 days, averaging two days a week, with hours to be at his discretion. His compensation will be $1,200 a month.

Kallenborn will obtain the necessary bond at borough expense, and be covered by insurance.

The borough may request extensions of 30 days of service, if necessary, but in no event would Kallenborn’s service continue past a total of 150 days.

Council members voted unanimously to ratify the agreement. Kallenborn had worked with Schott in drafting it.

Council voted to appoint Sandra Kinney deputy tax collector to Mary Lashway. Kinney is Liberty Township tax collector. A reciprocal appointment had been made by Liberty Township supervisors earlier Monday night.

In the public comments portion of the meeting Brad Greenman asked why applicants had not been notified “until three days (later)” of council’s decision to reject all applicants for the borough manager position and re-advertise the position. “I was lied to in three different ways,” Greenman said of his experience in making inquiries after reading of council’s decision. “It was handled pretty unprofessionally.”

Kysor and Farber both extended apologies to Greenman on behalf of the borough. Kallenborn also hastened to clarify the matter.

“I want to make sure the blame doesn’t go on the borough secretary,” Kallenborn said. Reed had been prepared to direct the appropriate letters to the candidates. Personnel committee chairman Dynda would have been involved. But council president Johnson had said he would handle the notifications, according to the account provided in response to Greenman’s remarks.

Also wondering why she had not heard from Johnson concerning a sluice replacement at her property was Becky Mingo. Kysor offered an apology and said Johnson would be told that Mingo awaits an answer.

Pat Bodamer reported on the Christmas on the Square event he had spearheaded. He said comments have been nearly all positive. Plans are for the event to be repeated this year, with meetings to organize things starting in the fall.

Bodamer also spoke of some ideas concerning use of the Square, including playing volleyball, and having some outdoor movies there in the summer. As for the downtown banners on street light poles, Bodamer said plans are to continue changing them with the seasons. Funds are still needed toward the cost of new banners being designed by Brenda Freeman.

In his monthly report Kallenborn told council Cory Thomas has assumed sewer plant operator duties. Retiring plant operator Neil Binder had helped with the transition.

Borough residents may discard natural Christmas trees by placing them by the curb for pickup by the borough crew.

Street lights along Edison Bates Drive will be equipped with new, energy-efficient fixtures. The borough’s share of the cost will be $1,750.

Kallenborn said mayor George Riley had helped obtain a grant to cover $7,000 of the cost of the new lights. Riley clarified that Sherri Geary, McKean County Director of Economic Development, had done much of the work, and McKean County Commissioners chairman Joe DeMott had been instrumental in arrangements.

The borough long has paid for electricity for the street lights along the street, which is the approach to the Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center., and to Community Park.