In a unanimous vote Monday, the city council approved the contract for its new police chief, Richard F. Wojciechowsky, who was sworn in Dec. 31.
His 2014 salary will be higher than that of his predecessor, police Chief Joseph H. Murton V, who retired in December. Murton's 2013 salary was $81,845.77. The 2014 salary the city council approved for Wojciechowsky on Monday was $84,850.
It's not because of the 2 percent salary increase the council promised its administrators in November, when the council announced a 1 mill tax increase for 2014, City Administrator Thomas A. Palamar said Monday night.
"It's not based upon the last chief's salary. The new chief's salary was negotiated between the chief and city council," Palamar said.
At its February meeting Monday, the council also held the first reading of Bill No. 2/2014, which will set the salaries and wages of appointed and elected office holders.
On Nov. 27, Councilman Michael P. Halcovage, head of the city finance committee, announced non-union administrators would receive a 2 percent salary increase: "Last year, there was a zero salary increase for our non-union administrative employees. The last increase in their salaries was 2012."
That 2 percent was calculated into the salaries for the non-union administrators in Bill No. 2/2014, Palamar said.
They include the following: city administrator, $80,495; city clerk, $71,763.37; fire chief, $51,965.35; code enforcement officer, $43,050.93; street crew chief, $56,628.95; and mayor, $5,200.
In other matters at the council's February meeting, Councilman Joseph J. Devine Jr. said council members weren't given sufficient time to review the credentials of two candidates to the Greater Pottsville Area Sewer Authority Board of Directors. So when it came time to vote on them, he voted "nay" for both.
However, the rest of council approved those candidates:
- Joe Spotts, Pottsville, who was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Ethel McCloskey Joyce, to expire January 2016. Joyce died in February 2012.
- Kevin Hoke, Pottsville, who was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Ron Dermo, to expire January 2017. When contacted Monday night, Dermo said he resigned in April 2013.
"Just wanted to resign. Different interests," Dermo said.
All members of the city council were present Monday night. The others include Mayor James T. Muldowney, Ronald J. Moser, Mark J. Atkinson and Halcovage.
"I want to congratulate both Mr. Spotts and Mr. Hoke on their appointment. Tonight, we had to make 24 appointments. The list was given to us a week and a half ago. I was kind of overwhelmed. I wanted a little bit more time just to make sure all qualified, possible candidates could have come forward. I want to get to know people I don't know," said Devine, a new councilman who took office in January.
The council, which is made up of all Democrats, had another dissenting vote when making an appointment Monday night.
Council appointed Tina Zanis, Pottsville, a Republican who lost her bid for a council seat in November, to serve a four-year term on the Planning Commission for the city to expire Feb. 9, 2018.
Moser, who was appointed to the council in January, voted "no." When asked why after the meeting, Moser said, "No comment."
Appointments the council made unanimously Monday are as follows:
- Joann Burns, Jay Johnston and Dorothy Botto, all of Pottsville, to four-terms on the Fair Hiring Board for the City of Pottsville to expire March 2018.
- Martine Noel, Sydna Cookson and Nicole Stock, all of Pottsville, as school crossing guards, employees of the City of Pottsville Educational Service Agency at a rate of $25 per day.
- James Marconis and John Mansell, both of Pottsville, to four-year terms on the Planning Commission for the City of Pottsville to expire Feb. 9, 2018.
- Patricia A. Ross and Michael Vigoda, both of Pottsville, both reappointed to serve four-year terms as alternate members of the Planning Commission for the City of Pottsville, to expire Feb. 9, 2018.
- Jason G. Witmier, reappointed to the position of safety officer for the City of Pottsville Fire Department for a four-term, retroactive to Jan. 1.
- James E. Misstishin Sr., reappointed to the position of training officer for the City of Pottsville Fire Department for a four-term, retroactive to Jan. 1.
- Misstishin, appointed to the position of assistant fire chief for the City of Pottsville Fire Department for a four-term, effective July 1.
- Jeffrey N. DeAngelo, appointed as primary sewage enforcement officer for the City of Pottsville.
- Michael Peleschak, appointed as alternate sewage enforcement officer for the City of Pottsville.
With a slideshow presentation in the council chambers Monday, representatives of the city's blight task force unveiled another slate of 10 properties it will begin aggressive enforcement efforts on. This is the fourth "Top 10" list the task force has unveiled since June.
In June, the city council unveiled the "Top 10 Worst Properties in the City of Pottsville." In July, the council unveiled the "Second Top 10." In December, the council unveiled the "Third Top 10." The "Fourth Top 10" and their owners are as follows:
- 40. 417 North St., Robert Sullivan
- 39. 734 Hornung St., David Petravich. Petravich is the city's assistant code enforcement officer, Palamar said at the meeting. "David Petravich is one of our employees. He didn't own it when it became a problem. Hopefully, he's going to own it when it's not a problem. Dave has recently bought the property. The property's been cleaned up, secured and there are renovations planned," Palamar said. According to the online Schuylkill Parcel Locator, Petravich bought the property from John Roberts on June 24, 2013, for $936.
- 38. 552 N. Centre St., Daniel Sarge
- 37. 331 E. Norwegian St., Melvin Fishburn
- 36. 539 E. Norwegian St., Lucille Callendar
- 35. 555 Peacock St., Rafael Cruz
- 34. 439 Fairview St., Joseph Yutz Jr.
- 33. 730 N. Third St., Garage Flex
- 32. 318 S. Second St., New Legacy Investments
- 31. 547 N. Centre St., Sarge