Approved minutes - Regular Meeting  Approved minutes - Special Meeting 442043 Approved minutes - Special/Workshop Meeting    Special Meeting April4 4,2023 6:00P.M.  AS Special Meeting oft the Meyersdale Borough Council was calledt to order by President Folka at6 6:00PM,April Mr. Ackerman, Mr. Baker, Mr. Folk, Mrs. Gnagey, Mr. Parisi, Mayor Smith, and Solicitor Valentine were Mr. Folk explained that there aret two applicants, ai motion will be madet toj put the two applicants ont the ballot and Council will vote via roll call vote. During the roll call vote, each member of Council will state the name of the applicant in which they are voting for. Mr. Folk voiced his concerns regarding drama and discord within. Council and the malicious comments and drama that are being circulated vias social media. Mrs. Gnagey made the motion toI nominate "Ginny" Knieriem at Brett's request to filll his vacancy until the end ofthes year, until the fall election. Mr. Parisis seconded.. Motion passed. Mr. Ackerman made ther motion to nominate Mr. JeffI Irwin. Baker seconded. Motion passed. Mr. Baker asked Solicitor Valentine ifhes should abstain due tot the fact that he abstained at the March 14,2023 meeting. Solicitor Valentine indicated that he can maket the choice to abstain ort to vote. Mr. Baker explained that hel has heard rumors regarding some Council Members andj people int the audience have made comments that) hes should abstain. He reported that he initiated the request to ask Mrs. Knieriem to apply and that he will be voting for her. He also reported that hes spoke with) Mr. Irwin ont this date and he told! him what his vote was going tol be. Hei indicated that some think that sincel Mrs. Gnagey isl his boss ont the Municipal Authority that shel has control and he isl her puppet. He explained that he didi nots speak tol Mrs. Gnagey regarding this matter. Solicitor Valentine explained that although shei isal board member, she is not his boss. Mr. Baker explained that hes served with? Mr. Irwin on Borough Council for eighty years and thought that he dida a wonderful job, but that hei intends to vote for Mrs.) Knieriem. Mr. Baker was angered by the situation and indicated that everyone is Solicitor Valentine reported that Mr. Baer did nots show upt tonight because hei is upset. Mayor Smith spoke to Mr. Baer prior to the meeting and! Mr. Baer askedt the Mayor to1 report to Council that hel has nothing against either candidate, but that he does not agree with the process and does not want tol be part oft the process. Ai member from the audience askedf for Solicitor Valentine to explain thej process.  4,2023.  Thej purpose oft the meeting wast to discuss filling a vacancy on Borough Council.  present. Mr. Baer was absent.  acting liket third graders.  Solicitor Valentine explained: Nominations must ber made by motion. have their letter read.  Nol law toi indicate thatt thej persons being nominated have the opportunity tos speak, although itisl his thought that itisab better processi ift the candidates have a chance to speak, read their letter or Council: should also have the ability to ask the candidates questions. Our class of Borough does not have districts, wards, etc. SO when you: are electedt to) Borough Council your represent everyone int the Borough, notj justa a specific area. Itish his opinion that everyone should. have the opportunity toa ask questions, because itis owedt tot the tax payers. Solicitor suggested allowing the candidates tos speak and then allow Council to ask questions.  Special Meeting- -April4,2 2023  Page/1    under the: sunshine. Law, tne vote must De each members vote. Applicants were givent the opportunity tos speak. Mrs. Knieriem: summarized: her letter Soon willl bea a 40 year resident of Meyersdale. Involved in volunteer work.  rom canl vote: aloua so as to anow the recoraing or  Husband has al business in which she ist responsible for the financial part of. Has worked withs state and federal government through OSHA, IRS, prevailing wage. Currently Treasurer oft the locall Elks Club, hold responsibilities there on al local and national level. Looks atl Meyersdale andl loves the town. So much opportunity here and wants tob bej part of moving Reported that hel had apologized tol Mrs. Knieriem after the last election and there are no animosities Disappointed the way the votet took place att the last meeting. Heb became aware that Brett was goingt tol leave, he: sent an e-mail tol President Folk, the Secretary and thel Mayor expressing! his interest ins serving on Council. Councilman Parisi reached out tol him and pledged his support and he would hope that thes support had not changed. Mr. Irwint thinkst that Mr. Bakers shouldi recuse himself from the vote because one ofh his bosses ins sitting beside him, he works witht the daughter of! Mrs. Knieriem, and Mrs. Knieriem's sister is also al MMA Board Member. Mr. Irwint thought thaty you couldr make a good case for ethics that itisi inappropriate and that Mr. Baker has a biasi ifhe were to vote for Mrs.) Knieriem. Mrs. Gnagey objected to thes statements madeb by Mr. Irwin. Mayor Smitht texted Mr. Irwin earlier int the day andr reported that he received a call the evening before from the State Police (Mayor Smithi interjected that a call was received, but! he did not know what agency it came from) asi if there was ana assumption madet that thel Mayor would need tob break at tie vote. The caller indicated thati ifMr. Irwing gets the position that there will be ani investigation of an old police. computer and that had Mayor Smith concerned. Also there is someone: saying that ifMr. Irwing gets on Council the Department of Justice and Federal Government willl bei involved. Hei indicated that itis very unfortunate how the matter materialized and got tot this point. Mrs. Knieriem commented that shei isl her own person, she makes up! her own mind and she is not in anyone's back pocket. She takes offense tol Mr. Irwin'ss statement regarding Mr. Baker, she indicated that Mr. Irwin and his sister both were on Council. Mr. Irwin commented that hea and his sister were elected onto Council by the general population. She felt ast though she was railroaded: at the last meeting. She didn'thave: a chancet to speak, her letter wasn'tread, Jeff's letter wasn'tr read and Brett's resignation letter wasn'tread. She indicated that she has very little communication with" Terry. Her communication" withl Kareni isl limitedt to occasional Relay forl Life events, Karen doesn't tell her what to do onl Relay and she doesn'ttell Karen what to do on the Borough Council. Her sister recuses herself whent there arei issues concerning her daughter. Shej just wants to helpt the community, itisl her chance toj provet that she can look into things and be al little different. Mrs. Gnagey reported that Council was not given the applicant letters until she got the attorney involved.  thet town forward. Mr. Irwin between them.  She indicated that the letters were denied by Mr. Folk.  Special Meeting- April4,2023  Page12    There was al heated discussion whether or not members of council could ask questions. Apologies were: made and Mr. Parisi was permitted to ask each candidate the following question: Why were they not on the ballot and Mrs. Knieriem indicated that she found out aboutt the upcoming vacancy and thought thats she would get in and helpt the community to fulfillt the immediate need. She could go on and try int the fall. Mr. Irwin would not want to commit to 4 years. He found out aboutt the vacancy and want tos seel how things go andp possibly doing a writei inc campaign int the: fall. He has been made aware that there is quibbling amongst the Council Members and het thought that with his experience as a Council member he could create some harmony and work together. He wants tos support Mayor Smith with thep police, support the Borough workers and) helpi in  running for Council.  any way he can. Itwould be his hopet to run on a write in campaigni int the fall. Eachi member of Council named the candidate they were voting for as follows:  ROLL CALLVOTE: Mr. Ackerman- Mr. Irwin Mr. Baker Mrs. Knieriem Mr. Folk - Mr. Irwin Mrs. Gnagey- Mrs.) Knieriem Mr. Parisi- Mrs. Knieriem ADJOURNMENT: 6:30P.M.  Mrs. Knieriem was appointed toi fill the vacancy by majority oft the roll call with three votes.  Mr. Ackermani made the motion to adjourn.. Mrs. Gnagey seconded. Motion passed. Ther meeting adjourned at  htsis C.AeknN Patricia C. Ackerman Borough Secretary  Special Meeting April4, 2023  Pagel 13    RESOLUTIONI NO. 7-2023  RESOLUTION OF THE BOROUGH COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF MEYERSDALE, SOMERSET COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA, APPOINTING AN INDIVIDUALTOI FILLA VACANCY. IN THE OFFICE OF MEMBER OF COUNCIL WHEREAS,a vacancy in the Office of Elected Member of Council oft the Borough WHEREAS, Section 901 of the Borough Code charges the Borough Council with WHEREAS, the Borough Council oft the Borough of Meyersdale, Somerset County, Pennsylvania has chosen ani individual to fill the vacancy; and NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved by the Borough Council oft thel Borough of Meyersdale, Somerset County, Pennsylvania, that Council hereby accept the resignation creating the vacancy on Council and that Virginia Knieriem, a registered elector oft the Borough, be appointed to fill the vacancy that exists int the Office ofl Elected Member of BE it further resolved, that the above-named individual shallt take office immediately upon thei individual taking the appropriate oath of office and assuming his/her seat. Bei it further resolved, that the term of the abovei individual shall continue as provided Duly resolved, this 4th day of April, 2023, by the Borough Council oft the Borough of  ofN Meyersdale, Somerset County, Pennsylvania; filling such vacancy; and.  Council.  by applicable law.  Meyersdale, Somerset County, Pennsylvania.  BOROUGH OFI MEYERSDALE By A President of Council  ATTEST:  Abiin C.Qen Borough Secretary    MEYERSDALE BOROUGH COUNCIL  Regular Meeting.  Special Meeting 44043  GUEST: SIGNI IN ADDRESS EE 134 Wloald  PLEASE PRINT NAME Oady DulL NMMeL DLo AAAchihA4 1 t5h  TOPIC  Seko Rloguin 35Bjo.dlugsts  10 IL 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24  GUESTS MUST STAND WHILE SPEAKING  GUEST SIGNINONEXCEL    Meeting minutes Tue4 4/4/20231 10:00PM Hi Thank you.  KAREN GNAGEY ksgnage/gbelsouthnex To: Patricia Ackerman OyNAtONN Cc: Marc Valentine valenunenonhcenteregalassec@gmal.com: officials on how they were going to vote during tonight's meeting.  Iwant it noted int the meeting minutes that! objected twice to Jeff individually questioning elected  Sent from AT&TY Yahoo Mail fori iPhone  httpslloutlook! live.c MMAAMNMONMOMMTEASRENONUMONCNVN- 1/1