MOUNT CARMEL - A part-time maintenance employee was promoted to a full-time position on a split vote Thursday by borough council.
Howard Watkins will earn $27,040 annually and be eligible for health insurance, a desire of his that prompted action by Councilman Joe Lapotsky.
The borough now has three full-time maintenance employees and no part-timers.
Lapotsky motioned that the promotion be granted, and it was seconded by Clem Plisiewicz. The vote carried 4-1, with Lapotsky and Plisiewicz joined in favor by Councilmen Robert Barrett and Robert Shirmer. Council President Tony Matulewicz was opposed.
Councilman Gary Hixson was away on work and Councilman Leroy "Chico" Moser had a family emergency, and neither was available to attend the monthly meeting.
Matulewicz has pushed for privatization of borough services in the past and said he was opposed to hiring any full-time employees. His dissent Thursday, however, was due to the procedure, he said.
The issue was discussed during an executive session Monday, but details of that discussion weren't satisfactory to Matulewicz.
He said council members present agreed to wait on a promotion until another employee, Frank Wydra, retires, as is expected in three months.
Having no health insurance, Lapotsky said Watkins was prepared to seek other employment.
Watkins was hired as a part-time employee in June.
Lapotsky said Watkins and another newcomer, Alan Matzura, who also was hired in June, have made a positive impact in the borough. He said they collectively found $1,500 in scrap, found useful equipment and supplies in the borough garage that had long been forgotten and made repairs to borough equipment.
"I just don't think it's worth losing an employee over three months of health care," Lapotsky said.
Matulewicz believes the issue wasn't reviewed in depth. No one on council could answer the full cost the move would have on borough finances - combined salary, benefits and taxes - nor could they answer what impact it would have on the pension and health plans.
He also said the borough manager indicated there was no immediate need for a third full-time employee, and Watkins' salary was not discussed in the executive session.
Watkins will earn $13 hourly, up from his $12 wage as a part-timer. Plisiewicz sought the raise to cover costs the employee will incur for his health insurance.
All non-uniformed borough employees must now pay 20 percent of their health care costs.
As to the impact on finances, Plisiewicz said with one retirement earlier this spring, a cushion was building since that former employee was no longer on the payroll. That former employee was also earning a larger salary, he said.
"I know it will cost us less than what we have been paying," Plisiewicz said.
"We carried five (full-timers) before, I don't see why we can't carry three now," Barrett said.
Lapotsky estimated Watkins and his single dependent would create a health care cost of between $9,000 and $10,000. Matulewicz estimated it at $11,000.
Matulewicz also opposed the move because it was not on the agenda and could be seen as a surprise to the public, going so far to say it was "not transparent."
"I'm not debating whether or not he's a good worker," he said.
He read a proposed resolution he crafted that, if adopted by council, would require all official action such as hirings be debated in a public "committee of the whole meeting" and listed on the agenda for the monthly meeting. It would prohibit any votes on "official action" not listed on the agenda but allow for emergency exceptions.
No vote was taken on the resolution Thursday.
Both Plisiewicz and Barrett said Matulewicz himself has brought up topics last minute at meetings, with Barrett saying there have been "lots" of those instances.
Matulewicz countered that as council president, he can't make a motion on any items to be voted on. Since he's barred from doing that as president, he couldn't possibly bring anything last minute to the floor.