Uniontown tables hiring code enforcement officer due to interview process
UNIONTOWN — City council’s search for a part-time code enforcement officer continues.
Council tabled hiring Edward King to fill that position at a rate of $12 per hour up to 29 hours per week at its Oct. 4 meeting after Councilman Jared Billy objected to the interview process.
“I actually think Mr. King is good at what he does and would be a great asset to the city,” Billy said after reviewing copies of the application supplied by Councilman Ron Metros, who conducted the interview process the morning of council’s meeting at city hall. “But what I have a problem with is the fact that the person that did the interview is also the person that was on as a reference. So you can see where the conflict is.”
Metros replied that that was why city Treasurer Joseph Giachetti sat in on applicant interviews, with Mayor Bernie Kasievich “in and out.”
“Mayor, did you catch that?” Billy asked Kasievich. “Did you look at the application? We have a problem with not looking at things before we vote on them.”
Kasievich replied that he had walked into city hall that morning unaware that interviews for the position were taking place.
“When you don’t work as a team, these things happen,” Billy told Metros. ” … I am so over saying the same exact words every time. Policies. Procedures. There’s a proper way you do things.”
“That is correct,” Metros replied, seconding Kasievich’s motion to table hiring King so that the mayor could interview applicants himself.
Kasievich’s motion to table passed, with Metros and Councilman Joby Palumbo supporting the motion while Billy passed on voting. Councilman Blair Jones was absent from the meeting.
Prior to the vote, Metros said upon that King had close to 40 years of construction and supervisor experience, was a certified electrician and plumber and “very qualified to walk into a place and say, ‘Yes, there’s a problem,’ ‘No, there isn’t.'”
Metros also told Kasievich he had notified him that City Clerk Shannon Wood was calling applicants to set up appointments.
“True, but I was never notified that that was actually going to take place,” Kasievich said. “Or I would have been here.”
Former Councilman Phil Michael was appointed the city’s code enforcement officer in May following the resignation of Scott Chapple from that role, but the city voted to advertise for a replacement for Michael in July after he stepped away from the role due to other commitments.