Mt. Pleasant council named Sharon Lesko the new Mt. Pleasant Borough manager, replacing the late Jeff Landy.
Council approved a three-year contract, setting her salary at $55,000 annually.
Councilman Richard Cholock was absent and Councilwoman Patience Barnes abstained.
“First of all I think Sharon has already made a very good borough manager and I will support you going forward but I will abstain because of potential legal questions still out there,” Barnes said.
“I truly appreciate your support,” Lesko told council. “I am 100% for the borough and I won’t let you down.”
Mayor Diane Bailey said earlier in the meeting that Landy’s knowledge and commitment to the borough will be missed “but we have to move on.”
Last month council agreed to hire an assistant borough manager and Solicitor Deanna Istik said the borough would try to advertise the position by Friday.
In other business, council authorized the submission of a demolition application for McCali Manor at 462 W. Main St. using Act 152 funds.
The structure was destroyed by fire more than a month ago. Councilman Michael Barrick said the borough is filing the application on behalf of Jane Altman, property owner.
“She was told that if she rebuilt she would have to have an engineer or an architect’s seal on the plans and I think that she was hesitant to have to pay the extra cost that went along with that,” said Barrick.
Barrick added the grant money available for the demolition, if the county approves the application, maxes out at $75,000. If the demolition costs more, Altman would have to provide the remaining costs unless the borough decides to help.
Barrick said Altman doesn’t seem to be in favor of demolishing the structure at this point.
“We’re submitting the application on her behalf, but ultimately it’s her property and she has to come up with a plan to figure out what she wants to do,” he said. “This application is us just trying to open some doors for her so she has choices.”
“It’s dangerous right now,” said Councilwoman Diana Lasko. “We can’t just leave it sit there like that.”
Lesko said if the property owner doesn’t agree to move forward with the demolition, the borough should consider condemning the property.
Council on Monday accepted proposals from Gibson-Thomas Engineering at a cost of $5,000 to create a scope of work and site plan for a project to turn the Frick Park hillside into a new parking area, a scope of work for $2,000 for a project at the Arevalo property for the possibility of providing off street parking at the east end of Main Street as well as a scope of work for $10,000 for the possibility of a dog park at the former soccer fields at the Willow Park property.
In other business, Councilwoman Cynthia Stevenson reminded residents it is illegal to set off fireworks within 150 feet of any structure.