Council members seek resignation of absent colleague
BROWNSVILLE – Two council members Tuesday asked for the resignation of one of their colleagues who has missed the past six meetings. Councilman Edward “Tuck” Rohrer has been out since December due to an on-going medical condition and surgeries.
“I make a motion to have Mr. Rohrer resign as a councilman,” said Councilman Charles “Russ” McMaster.
“That’s not up to us,” said council president Jack Lawver.
“We’d like to send him a letter and ask him to resign,” clarified Councilman John Hosler. “He’s done a great job, but it’s been six months now.”
“He still expresses an interest and he keeps up day to day, but we can ask him,” Lawver said.
“I know when I didn’t show up a few times and I had notes from a doctor that I was sick, people were ready to have my head on the chopping block,” McMaster said.
Lawver noted that the section of the borough code allowing council to declare a seat open for failure to attend meetings was found unconstitutional in December 2003 and has been struck down. Sickness was an allowable absence under the old code.
The March 2006 Pennsylvania Borough News question and answer feature also addressed the issue, noting that the right to remove a councilman from office now rests with the courts and only in the case of an official convicted of embezzlement of public moneys, a felony, perjury or infamous crime.
In other matters, council voted to advertise for additional part-time officers.
“With vacations and the death of Lt. Jablonsky’s father, we’ve had to rely on state police a little more than usual,” reported Councilman Robert Pritts, who chairs the public safety committee.
“We have a hard time manning all the shifts for the police department,” said Mayor Lewis Hosler. “You hate to call the state police in, but overtime is a big issue too.
Hosler said the police contract is still open and there’s been only one negotiating session.
“It’s hard to keep good people at $9 an hour when they can go elsewhere for $10 to $12 an hour, even part-time,” Lewis Hosler said.
Councilwoman Tracy Sheehan Zivkovich reported that two code enforcement hearings resulted in fines, one of which was more than $6,500 for dilapidated conditions at the Brownsville Hotel. She also reported that 102 of the 129 parcels in the Project BRIGHT blight designation area have had both interior and exterior inspections completed. Zivkovich said 79 of the buildings are occupied and include 25 private businesses. The BRIGHT office is currently staffed 30 hours per week, Zivkovich said.
Zivkovich said 30 properties in the designated area were cited for non-compliance. A hearing is scheduled on those properties May 18 before Magisterial District Judge Ronald Haggerty.
Residents were urged to clean up their properties this weekend in preparation for the National Pike Festival May 19-21. Lawver said the borough crew would be around to collect yard waste left at the curbside. He said the crews cannot take trash or items other than yard waste.
The county is sponsoring a hard to recycle day Saturday, May 27 from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Fayette County Fairgrounds. The event will accept used motor oil, used tires, large steel appliances and old electronic items. There is a fee of $1 per tire and $2 per appliance or electronic item. For more information, contact the Fayette County recycling hotline at 724-430-4884 or 724-437-9877.