Nov 6, 2022 2 min read

DONORA – With the deadline to prepare a 2023 budget bearing down, Donora Borough Council is set to hire an interim borough administrator next week.

The borough administrator’s position has been vacant since June.

“We’re running out of time,” said Councilwoman Cynthia Brice at Thursday’s council work session.

A motion to hire Warren Cecconi is expected to be on the Nov 10 meeting agenda. Cecconi served stints as interim borough administrator in 2017 and 2019.

After the meeting, Councilman Gilbert Szakal Jr. said he expects Cecconi to be in the position through the end of the year, at the most.

Mayor Donald Pavelko said Thursday that there were some applicants for the position. However, no interviews have been scheduled.

“Maybe when we get Warren in, he can help us out on that,” said Councilman Fred Berestecky.

Council also again discussed the 2023 garbage rates and billing.

In October, council voted down a motion to approve a sanitation payment schedule of $180 payable by March 31; $240 by June 30, and a penalty rate of $300 beginning July 1, processed by the magistrate.

Brice suggested a payment schedule of $180 until June 30 and $240 for the rest of the year.

“We’ll have a better chance of getting that money for garbage,” she said.

She also suggested a $20 monthly fee for renters for each month they occupy a house or apartment.

In 2021, council approved a refuse and recycling contract for 2022-24 with Fayette Waste LLC of Waltersburg.

After that contract was approved, it was decided to shift from an annual payment payment plan to quarterly payments as a way to ease the burden on the customer.

But that did not seem to work, as 249 of the borough’s 2,400 residential customers have not made a payment and 66 others made partial payments.

Council did not reach a solution Thursday, but a vote is expected at the Nov. 10 meeting.