MAHANOY CITY - A borough resident questioned Mahanoy City Borough Council on Tuesday on whether borough ordinances and codes posted on the borough website are up-to-date.
Resident Robyn Sincavage spoke during the public portion of the borough council's monthly meeting about the accuracy of what is posted on the website at www.mahanoycity.org.
Borough Manager Daniel Lynch said that they are current, but there are older ordinances that are out-of-date, and that the website version contains the ordinances as they are at this time.
Sincavage then brought up an ordinance that requires the borough manager to live in the borough, which Lynch does not.
"The borough council has the obligation to withdraw that requirement with any borough employee," council President Patti Schnitzius said. "The borough manager used to be required to live in town, but we've waived that for other borough managers as we have for Danny."
"You can change an ordinance?" asked Sincavage.
"Quite honestly, I thought we had changed it," O'Pake said. "It may not be up-to-date on the website. I don't know that, but I believe that if you look at the code book, you'll see that."
Sincavage said that the borough code on the website shows the residency requirement for the borough manager.
When asked, Mahanoy City police officer-in-charge Lt. John C. Kaczmarcyk said he refers to the printed borough code book, not the website. Mayor Nancy Petritsch said anyone can come into borough hall and review and search the borough book.
Sincavage said that both the printed and web versions should be the same.
"The website should be updated," Sincavage said, stating that if the information is not correct, then there could be legal ramifications involving enforcement.
"There should be something put on the website that the ordinances that are in place are for guidance purposes only, with the technical ordinances are set in the borough code book that's on file here in the office and anyone can look at it," O'Pake said. "We should probably add that (disclaimer) to the Internet and that should solve the problem."
"So there is an updated book in borough hall?" Sincavage asked.
"The one in the borough secretary's office is available for anybody to inspect," Kaczmarczyk said.
"That's updated continuously," Schnitzius said.
Councilman Raymond Cavenas clarified the requirements in hiring employees.
"I was told this that the borough is an equal opportunity employer, and when you are that you can hire anyone from anywhere," Cavenas said. "That's what I was told when I first came on council."
"That's true," O'Pake said. "I'll look into the code book when I get home."