Charleroi council fights over TV

It has been moved from council chambers to the police department.

There’s always a calm before the storm.

Though leaders in Charleroi may not always agree, meetings in council chambers have remained relatively tranquil over the past several months.

That changed Wednesday as tempers flared over the removal and subsequent relocation of a television.

There were several items up for discussion during the agenda meeting, and everything went smoothly until near the end of the agenda when “TV exchange” was brought up.

The item was requested to be put on the agenda by Councilman Larry Celaschi, who felt there had been a typo or mistake as it was printed, because he planned to discuss a “stolen TV.”

“On this it says TV exchange,” Celaschi said. “I had stolen TV listed on here when I submitted my two agenda items to our borough administrator/ secretary. Where is our TV?”

Celaschi was referencing a large flat-screen television that was hung on a wall inside council chambers and has been removed.

President Kristin Hopkins-Calcek stepped in to answer before things got heated, explaining she changed the wording of that item on the agenda because she thought it was misleading.

“I don’t think there was any basis to say there was a stolen TV, so I changed it to the appropriate line item that you are speaking of which is a TV exchange,” she said.

Hopkins-Calcek explained that the TV in question wasn’t stolen, but is being used by Charleroi Regional Police to monitor the borough’s re cently purchased security cameras.

The police department, which covers Charleroi, North Charleroi, Speers and Twilight, is stationed on the first floor of the Charleroi Bor ough Building.

“The location of this TV has changed from here (council chambers) where they could not be monitored,” she said, “down to the desk at the regional police station, because they (police) are the individuals who monitor the new cameras.”

She added that the TV in council chambers wasn’t used as often as it could have been, as residents who attend meetings have seen first hand.

Councilman Jerry Jericho said that was because the TV was stationary and in a bad location.

“These people here would have to come over here (referencing his location in the room) and sit,” Jericho said. “I talked to, including myself, five people who said to move it.”

Jericho said the police department plans to reimburse the borough $500 to purchase other televisions to replace the one that is now in the police station.

Additionally, Jericho said he will donate brackets to hang new televisions when they are purchased. He felt smaller TVs with more versatile brackets would be more practical.

“We will put them up close to the railing, they extend out, you can pull them out and they turn,” Jericho said. “You can put them aside when they are not in use and they will sit against the wall. If we have something we want to see, you can pull it out to face the audience. The other one can face us. Case closed. Not that 85-inch television that we were the only ones who could actually see it because they’re not made to be viewed from the side.

“The police department has it, and the only thing it is being used for is borough cameras. It’s not being used for anything else and you can go down after this meeting to look at it.”

Hopkins-Calcek piggybacked Jericho and reiterated that taxpayer dollars were used to purchase the TV and it wasn’t being put to good use.

Jericho pointed out it had not been purchased by a vote anyway.

Celaschi disagreed, and said it wasn’t that simple.

“It wasn’t voted on to buy the darn thing anyway,” Jericho said.

“Yes it was and I’ll explain that,” Celaschi said.

Jericho interjected again before a back and forth ensued, claiming there had not been a vote taken.

“When I asked our borough manager, when that box was sitting along that wall, where that TV came from, he told me he made an executive decision to buy it,” Jericho said.

Celaschi brought up the budget, claiming the decision to purchase the TV should have been done by vote, and not an executive decision by the borough’s manager or any council member.

“Jerry, we voted on the annual budget,” Celaschi said. “Within the annual budget, there was a line item entitled capital improvements. Everybody voted to pass that budget, so with capital improvements line items we were to do improvements in these council chambers.”

During past meetings, Hopkins- Calcek and Celaschi both brought up potential improvements for the borough in separate discussions.

In February, Hopkins-Calcek wanted to consider updating the borough website, which never went further.

In March, Celaschi brought up needs for technology upgrades in the form of audio/visual equipment and digital billboards.

Upgrades to the website, AV equipment or billboards have not again been placed on an agenda for discussion or put up for a vote.

“It’s the same thing we discussed at last month’s meeting,” Celaschi said.

On Wednesday, Hopkins-Calcek reiterated her point.

“The TV is still being used to improve,” she said. “It has a better use at this juncture. Anyone who has witnessed it has seen that this TV has not been utilized. And it cost taxpayer money to pay for it, so we made a decision to do an exchange with the regional police, who will then reimburse us to put more functional TVs in here so that the crowd, as well as council, can benefit.

“And the larger TV is being put to wonderful use actually, now in our police station monitoring our cameras that were paid for by taxpayers.”

Mayor Gregg Doerfler asked where the determined reimbursement of $500 came from.

“I think that TV was $1,400,” he said. “So that doesn’t add up.”

Jericho and Hopkins both interjected, explaining that the TV still belongs to the borough and that smaller TVs from the police station would be relocated to other areas within the borough building.

“I have no problem with it being used for the cameras,” Doerfler said.

“I don’t like how it was done. You said you talked to five people.”

“Four, including myself,” Jericho said. “That’s five. I talked to right here (motioning to members on his side of the table).”

“The rest of us don’t count?” Do- erfler asked.

“How does it feel?” Jericho shouted. “I went through it for two years, referring to a previous term on council. Me and Nancy (Ellis) were out of the loop all of the time, so I don’t want to hear it.”

Celaschi asked if he could continue, unless any other points needed to be made, but said he wasn’t finished.

“On the next line item?” Hopkins- Calcek asked.

“No, on this one,” he said. “So we are still going to talk about the TV?” she said.

“Absolutely,” Celaschi responded. He disagrees that it was never used and pointed out a few examples, most recently a committee meeting that he claims was unable to accommodate those who wanted to virtually attend to discuss solutions with Columbia Gas regarding road repairs.

Additionally, Celaschi said on Monday he and Doerfler were sup posed to have a Zoom call, but did not have access to the appropriate technology.

Celaschi said he noticed the TV had been removed at a Charleroi Re- gional Police Board meeting held in council chambers March 19.

He questioned the legality surrounding the decision to remove or donate the television, citing borough code.

Celaschi went on to reference sections of the state borough code that he believes were violated including the powers of council, sale of per- sonal property and specific powers, however some of his references as presented do not coincide with the most recent version of the code.

Tensions became high as Celaschi continued to make accusations and Jericho tried to defend himself.

Hopkins-Calcek interjected at times as the back and forth continued before both men got loud.

In the middle, she shouted “enough” over and over but they ignored her and continued to argue.

The back and forth continued as she banged her gavel.

“Enough, enough, enough. Larry enough, Jerry enough,” she yelled. “Enough. Enough. Let’s just calm down for a second. Hold on, just calm down for a second.”

She reiterated the TV was not sold or donated, but relocated, but Celaschi again brought up legalities in reference to the police board and the decision-making process.

Hopkins-Calcek again tried to move on, but they continued fight ing, circling back to each other with various accusations, insults and explanations.

“Were you born brain dead?” Celaschi shouted at Jericho.

“About as dead as you,” he replied. Solicitor Steve Toprani interjected after Councilman Paul Pivovarnik asked if the agenda could be amended to make a motion to donate the TV to the police.

“I think we need to revisit the beginning,” Toprani said. “I heard something I didn’t like at the start, which was there was never a motion to purchase the thing to begin with. I am not going to get into a disagreement, but what I heard was there was a line item in the budget.

“The budget is a forecast. That is all it is. It’s an accounting practice that we file with the state to show how we are going to spend money. How we spend money is routinely done by council. We voted last month to buy street signs, we vote to buy light bulbs. Why did we vote to buy a $1,400 TV to begin with? So let’s fix everything in one swoop.”

Council members continued to argue about how votes were taken, if at all, and if the TV was donated, sold or simply relocated, how amounts were decided to determine value and who made those decisions as members in the audience began to sigh and talk amongst themselves.