Donora council approved a motion to accept bids for a forensic audit on the borough’s finances after a heated discussion at Thursday’s meeting.

The audit, which will cost an estimated $50,000, will examine Donora’s financial information and accounts from 2017 to 2023.

Council appeared to be confused by the wording of the motion, which resulted in a conversation about the specifics of the audit.

Councilwoman Cindy Brice questioned why the audit would look back seven years and what it would entail.

Solicitor Steven Toprani told Brice that the terms of the audit can change even if the motion passes.

“Once we engage with an auditing firm, the scope of the auditing will be defined by the contract entered into,” Toprani said.

As council went back and forth, members of the crowd grew restless. One person interrupted the meeting to voice his discontent with the idea of spending $50,000 on an audit. He shouted at council, asking what the proposed audit was for.

“Do we want to know if people have been stealing or not,” Councilman Gib Szakal asked the angry citizen.

Szakal added that he wants to know why council is spending time discussing the proposed audit at the meet-DONORA • A4 FROM A1 ing, as it was already addressed during last week’s work session.

“Why’s it all being brought up during the meeting,” he said. “Do we want it or don’t we want it, because last week you seemed all for it.”

Councilman Tom Thompson and Brice both said they are in favor of the audit.

Council then argued about whether or not they would have to accept bids for the audit. Toprani stepped in to clear up the confusion.

“My reading of the language is this will be advertised as a bid subject to qualification,” he said.

Pest problems persist

Donora resident Judy Gray addressed council about the ongoing rat issue in the borough.

“Has anybody driven through town and seen the garbage laying everywhere and the dog crap laying on the sidewalks and stuff like that,” Gray asked. “That’s the reason why we have so much going on.”

Brice said the measures the borough have taken to mitigate the rat infestation in Cement City have been successful.

“When they first came in, they were getting very good results,” Brice said. “I have to say the people in Cement City stepped up — a couple of properties were cleaned out and sold that were a problem.”

The councilwoman also said that there’s no way to exterminate all the rats.

“There’s always someone that’s going to leave their garbage in a bag; there’s always someone that’s not going to maintain their property,” Brice said.

Susan Vitalbo suggested that Donora issue an administrative warrant to the owner of the house that is allegedly the source of the cockroach issue in the borough. Council informed her that would not be possible, which appeared to upset her. “The issue is one of access into a person’s home,” Toprani said. “And there’s this thing called the Fourth Amendment.”

“How many more years is it going to take before my grandson can play in his yard,” Vitalbo asked council. “You force these people to live with these bugs — you force them.”

The borough is constructing a plan to legally order the homeowner to properly maintain their property.

“The issue is on the property owner,” Toprani said. “We’re working with ways not to trample their rights because unfortunately they have rights too.”