Feb 11, 2016 2 min read

CHARLEROI – Charleroi Council fired the borough manager without stating a cause Thursday, a month after his office was incorrectly eliminated.

Council voted 4-3 on Thursday to fire Donn Henderson retroactively to Jan. 14, when council eliminated the position without doing so through an ordinance.

Another motion brought to the table Thursday to authorize Charleroi’s solicitor to prepare an ordinance to eliminate the position of borough manager died for a lack of a second before an overflow crowd in council chambers.

Council then went behind closed doors to discuss having a forensics investigation performed on the computer Henderson used. Councilman Larry Celaschi rescinded his motion calling for that investigation immediately after council returned to the table.

Henderson reminded the borough last month that his position was created by an ordinance and it needed to be eliminated the same way.

“This was never about the budget or money,” Henderson said after council went into the executive session to discuss the computer probe. “It’s a personal agenda.”

Celaschi said earlier in the meeting “information came forward that caused concern” about the computer.

Solicitor Alan Benyak declined to comment on Henderson’s termination.

Some members of council called an earlier closed door meeting with Fallowfield Township-based Middle Monongahela Industrial Development Association, which has plans to purchase and redevelop the historic Coyle Theater in the 300 block of McKean Avenue.

A reporter from the Observer-Reporter challenged the legality of the 5 p.m. executive session, prompting council to leave the meeting room door open for the session with MIDA.

MIDA representatives, who arrived with Susan Morgan from Washington County Redevelopment Authority, discussed the group’s history and new focus on blight with five of seven members of council. The council members at that meeting were Pivovarnik, Celaschi, Deborah Kruell-Buck, Randy DiPiazza and Ed Bryner.

After that meeting was opened to the public, it was not properly advertised under Pennsylvania’s open meetings law, Council President Paul Pivovarnik confirmed.

“That was an error on the borough’s part,” Pivovarnik said after the regular meeting ended.

Benyak said he was not aware of the meeting with MIDA.

Pivovarnik said MIDA needs to present its redevelopment proposal for the Coyle to the borough’s planning commission.