Charleroi parts ways with solicitor in motion that wasn’t part of meeting agenda
CHARLEROI – The borough has a new solicitor after council voted to part ways with Sean Logue in a move that was not part of the meeting’s agenda.
Councilman Larry Celaschi expressed frustration with the move at Wednesday’s meeting, contending it violated the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act.
“They didn’t make the proper motions to do what they did,” he said. “You’ve got people wanting to fire people and push employees out the door. These people who are creating this damage don’t lift a finger for the borough. Where are they for anything of substance to help the borough? I am frustrated that the track record of certain members of council has been to chase good employees out the door.”
On Friday, Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association, said the agenda should have been amended to add the motion before council voted.
“There’s also the argument that you can’t add substantial issues to an agenda at a meeting,” Melewsky said. “That issue is a separate issue that’s before the Commonwealth Court right now. Even if they were allowed to add significant things and act on them, they would still have to be added at a public meeting before they could be acted on.”
Still, Melewsky said, the move to dismiss Logue will stand unless it’s challenged within 30 days.
“Either someone raises the issue with the court or the district attorney, or they don’t,” Melewsky explained.
Councilman Randy DiPiazza, who made the motion, said he felt that Logue’s full schedule, which includes his role as chairman of the Washington County Republican Party, has not made him as accessible as the borough needs him to be.
“It’s not just myself, but other council members have tried to call him, text him or email and he never got back to any of us,” DiPiazza said. “This has been going on for six to eight weeks. As a borough, we have needs and with everything going on around us, a lot of uncertain things, (and) me and some of my fellow council people felt we needed a change.”
Council members who voted in favor of dismissing Logue included DiPiazza, Nancy Ellis, Jerry Jericho, Paul Pivovarnik and council President Frank Paterra. Celaschi and Councilman Joe Smith voted against the move.
Paterra has long opposed Logue’s recommendation to bring in the Philadelphia-based firm of Obermayer, Rebmann, Maxwell & Hippel to handle negotiations with Authority of the Borough of Charleroi (ABC). That firm’s involvement was terminated when the borough and the authority reached an agreement in which the borough accepted an offer from ABC to purchase the sanitary sewage collection system, sewer lines and all sewer property for $3.75 million.
“(Logue) has given us bad advice all the way down the line,” Paterra said, criticizing the cost of the Philadelphia law firm. “We don’t have that kind of money. Sean was part of all that. Nothing against him personally. It was time to separate our relationship with him.”
The vote to remove Logue was followed by one to appoint Dennis Paluso, the solicitor of the ABC, to serve as the borough’s solicitor on an interim basis. Paluso formerly served as the solicitor for the borough.
Paluso was approved to handle the job through the end of the year by a 4-3 vote. Paterra, DiPiazza, Ellis and Jericho approved the motion. Celaschi, Smith and Pivovarnik voted against it. A new council will be in place once the calendar flips to 2024, and will have its say on a permanent solicitor.
“Being that Charleroi owns the authority, I thought it would be a good fit,” DiPiazza said of bringing in Paluso. “He’s a block away from the borough building. He’s always there for us. I thought he would be a great choice. He’s a hometown guy and is familiar with both the authority and council.”
Paluso said once he was approached about possibly filling the role if it became vacant, he expressed his willingness to do so.
“Having grown up in Charleroi and still being a property owner in Charleroi, I said I’d be willing to help out in that short period of time,” Paluso said.
Logue, meanwhile, said he was “grateful” for the chance to serve as borough solicitor.
“During my time there, we accomplished a lot,” he said. “When I came here, the borough was $400,000 in the red. We sold some problematic sewage lines for millions of dollars. The borough is now financially solvent for the foreseeable future.”