ASHLAND - After tabling the decision at last Tuesday's reorganization meeting, the Ashland Borough Council will decide what to do with the borough manager/secretary position and the fate of current borough Manager Thoma Joyce.
Wednesday's meeting will also include two appointments to fill vacant two-year council seats.
The reorganization meeting lasted 1 hour, 17 minutes. Before being called to order, Mayor Dennis Kane administered the oath of office to councilmen Frederick Spieles and Patrick Cooney, both who won re-election in November. A third re-elected councilman, Ray Walacavage, was unable to attend the meeting due to a family matter.
Spieles and Walacavage ran in November for four-year and two-year terms. Both chose to accept the four-year seats, leaving the two-year seats vacant. The seats are expected to be filled on Wednesday.
The meeting was called to order with council members Spieles, Cooney, Patti Wesner and Daniel Weikel. The election of president went to Spieles in a 4-0 vote. Walacavage was elected as vice president in a 3-1 vote, with Cooney voting against, and Wesner was elected president pro-temp, also in a 3-1 vote, with Cooney voting against.
After James Diehl was retained as solicitor, the position of secretary was presented. Joyce serves as secretary as part of his position as borough manager. Cooney motioned to reappoint Joyce, but the motion died due to lack of a second. Wesner motioned to open the position, with Weikel seconding the motion. Before the vote, questions and remarks were raised from Kane, Cooney and Joyce about opening the position, which would leave Joyce in the position of having to apply for the job. The discussion continued until Diehl advised that council go into executive session since it was a personnel matter.
The executive session lasted 26 minutes. When council returned, Wesner withdrew her motion. The matter was tabled to be decided at Wednesday's meeting.
Other appointments and reappointments made were:
- Treasurer: Patricia Moyer.
- Health officer: Dr. Anwar Nakkoul.
- Deputy health officer/Code enforcement officer: Barbara Lyden.
- Borough and sewer engineer: Entech Engineering.
- Emergency management director: Brian McCabe.
- Deputy emergency management director: Christopher Groody.
- Vacancy committee: Maryann O'Hearn.
- Fire chief: Philip Groody.
- First assistant fire chief: Ray Jones.
- Second assistant fire chief: Charles Orth.
- Third assistant fire chief: William McFadden.
- Fire inspector: Christopher Groody.
- Fire mechanics: Philip Groody and William McFadden.
- North Schuylkill Council of Governments: Patrick Cooney, primary delegate: Thomas Joyce, alternate.
- North Schuylkill Landfill Association: Thomas Joyce, primary representative; Patrick Cooney, alternate.
- Ashland Downtown Inc. revitalization representative: Patti Wesner.
- Civil Service Commission: Rosemarie Noon, James Gruber and John "Jack" Reilly.
Committee appointments will be announced. The Borough council will hold its monthly meetings on the second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. Workshops will be held the Monday before the regular meeting at 6:30 p.m.