Click here to subscribe today or Login.
By SCOTT L. GOMB Times Leader Community Reporter
Sunday, January 30, 2000 Page: 17A
FORTY FORT – Attorneys can’t agree on whether a special meeting two weeks
ago of three Forty Fort council members was illegal, and a councilwoman plans
to let a court decide.
Council President Andy Tuzinski and council members Susanne Stone and
Louis Cardoni met Jan. 16 and decided to reinstate Sam Blaski as a police
officer. Blaski had not worked for Forty Fort for six years, when he left to
take a full-time job as a police officer in Plymouth.
When Blaski left, he turned in his badge. But Tuzinski, who called the
meeting, Stone and Cardoni felt that didn’t mean the officer was no longer an
employee because the council never terminated his employment.
So the council members instructed Police Chief David Voda to reinstate
Blaski that day. Then Tuzinski called another special meeting a week later,
this time for the full council, and asked it to vote on reinstating Blaski.
The motion passed 5-3, with one member absent.
Councilwoman Lisa Howell, who voted against reinstatement, said Tuzinski
violated state open meeting laws by not inviting all nine council members to
attend the Jan. 16 meeting. Howell said the majority of the council members
didn’t know about the meeting because Tuzinski didn’t notify them, advertise
the meeting in a newspaper or post the agenda, all required by law.
As a result, Howell said she has contacted attorney Bruce Phillips, who
said the meeting was illegal. Howell is planning legal action, although she
wouldn’t elaborate except to say council members who attended the meeting can
be fined $100 if found guilty of holding an illegal meeting.
“It’s the principal of what (Tuzinski) did that concerns me,” Howell
said. “He can’t do whatever he wants.”
Tuzinski said Saturday that Solicitor William Keller told him the meeting
was legal. Keller could not be reached for comment Saturday.
“I have to go by what the borough solicitor says,” Tuzinski said. “I’m
only interested in doing things the best I can for Forty Fort.”
Tuzinski said the meeting was an emergency, but he would not comment
further because it was a personnel matter.
A third attorney, Brian Gatleib of the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association,
said the law on the matter is a “gray area,” so it’s hard to say whether the
meeting was illegal.
He said it might not have been illegal because a majority of council
members were not present.
Call Gomb at 829-7242.