GIRARDVILLE — The borough council voted to open the code enforcement officer position at its Feb. 11 meeting before making an appointment to the position.
The position has been held by Jeffrey Wilson, but due to a non-job-related injury, he has been off for about three months. During the reorganization meeting in January, Wilson was not reappointed, and the council tabled the matter until the February meeting, which Wilson attended.
When the floor was opened to the public for comments on agenda items, Sandy Wilson walked to the podium to speak on what she believes is unfair treatment by the borough against her husband in not reappointing him and having him reapply for his position. During the last three months of 2015, Jeffrey Wilson was drawing his part-time salary while he was unable to work, but it was stopped in January when he was not reappointed.
During the past three months, the code enforcement duties have been covered by Councilman Rick Miller and borough Fire Chief Frank Zangari. Neither have been paid a salary, but have received $20 for each code enforcement citation issued.
“Who is getting the salary now?” Sandy Wilson asked the council.
“No one is,” Miller said.
Sandy Wilson asked Councilman Daniel Heiser if her husband’s position had been put on hold at the reorganization meeting.
“I was under the impression that we were not going to reappoint Jeff because of his injuries, but I didn’t know if it was official,” Heiser said.
At the Jan. 4 reorganization, no nomination for code enforcement officer was made. Council President Charles Marquardt requested that an alternate be appointed to cover the code enforcement officer’s duties. Councilman Joseph Kessler motioned to appoint Miller as the alternate, seconded by Marquardt. The vote was 3-2, with Marquardt, Kessler and Miller voting in favor, and Heiser and Robert Krick voting against. Marquardt said the move was temporary until Jeffrey Wilson’s status could be determined.
Sandy Wilson asked about a meeting called by Miller to discuss her husband’s position. Miller called the meeting as the code enforcement committee chairman and included Zangari and Jeffrey Wilson. Marquardt also attended the meeting. Sandy Wilson asked borough solicitor Christopher Riedlinger if there were any violations of the Sunshine Law since Krick and Heiser were unaware of the meeting.
“Under the Sunshine Law, no,” Riedlinger said. “Members of council can get together for executive session to deal with personnel matters outside of a regular meeting.”
Miller said, “I called this meeting with Frank Zangari and your husband to discuss code enforcement and to discuss landlords. That’s what the original meeting was for. Charlie (Marquardt) walked in on it.”
Riedlinger added that no official action could be taken unless there was majority of council members present at an advertised meeting.
Sandy Wilson also questioned another agenda item about adopting a revised duties of a code enforcement officer list.
“How can they be ‘revised’ when he (Jeffrey Wilson) never got a list of duties?” she asked.
Marquardt said, “When Jeff was hired, like anybody else who is hired for a position, they were interviewed, they were told what their responsibilities would be. It was never put in writing.”
“It does not necessarily have to be revised from something that was in writing,” Riedlinger said. “It might be revised from something said orally.”
Heiser read from the minutes of the reorganization meeting about the vote to appoint Miller and no decision was made on Jeffrey Wilson’s status at that time.
“Nowhere in that does it say that Jeff is basically fired,” Heiser said.
“We never said he was,” Marquardt said.
“That’s the point she’s trying to make. He was told he was (fired) and that he needs to reapply for the position,” Heiser said.
“Who told him he was fired?” Marquardt asked.
“At the workshop, he was told that he had to reapply,” Sandy Wilson said.
Heiser said a request to Jeffrey Wilson was made to get a letter from his physician that he could return to work, and the letter was received by the borough the next day.
“I think this was handled wrong,” Heiser said.
“And Mr. Miller, if you thought he was doing something wrong, why didn’t you open your big mouth and say at that time?” Sandy Wilson asked.
“Let me tell you a little secret,” Miller said, “I’m going to tell you that for months I got crap from this council about complaints about Jeff. I stuck up for him. I went out with him. I stuck up for your husband every time, and I don’t have to sit here and get ridiculed for it now. No way.”
Marquardt asked Jeffrey Wilson, “Is that true?”
“I don’t know what the complaints were,” he said. “They were never put in writing.”
“What did you do to help Jeff?” Marquardt asked Miller.
“I went with him and worked with him, wrote tickets,” Miller said.
“The matter is that Jeff was off injured,” Marquardt said. “For those whole three months, Jeff was paid. Now, Frank and Rick got together with Jeff to find out his intentions. It’s on the agenda tonight that we have a set of (code enforcement officer) guidelines in writing, and we want to open the position. Jeff is more than welcome to apply for the position. Jeff was never fired from the position. It is an appointed position by council.”
Marquardt added later in the meeting, “This thing is getting blown way out of proportion. The exact thing is that Jeff was off and we should have taken action three months ago and we didn’t. It’s my fault as much as anybody else who sat on this council prior to Dan and Robbie coming on this council. Somebody was off injured and we should have filled the position because he couldn’t do the job. Frank stepped up to the plate and started helping out. Rick was already was doing it for quality of life and assisting.”
Later in the meeting, the borough council voted to open the code enforcement officer position on a motion by Krick, seconded by Heiser. Applications must be submitted at the borough hall by 3 p.m. March 4, with interviews to be done the following week and possible appointment made at the regular meeting March 10.
In other matters, Marquardt announced the committee assignments.
“I put a list of committees together and I hope that everybody can work together,” Marquardt said.
• Street committee — Kessler, chairman; Heiser.
• Police committee — Miller, chairman; Heiser.
• Finance committee — Miller, chairman; Kessler.
• Personnel committee — Krick, chairman; Kessler.
• School building committee — Heiser, chairman; Miller.
• Building/property committee — Krick, chairman; Kessler.
• Lighting committee — Heiser, chairman; Krick.
• Parks and recreation committee — Heiser, chairman; Miller.
• Recycling committee — Kessler, chairman; Miller.
• Code enforcement/quality of life committee — Krick, chairman; Heiser.
“If anybody has any questions or concerns involving any of these committees, contact those councilmen or call borough hall and Candice (Squires, borough secretary) will get the information to them,” Marquardt said.