At the November 12th council meeting, the first thing that stood out were the approximately 30 resolutions and two ordinances on the agenda. As they no longer provide digital copies of the individual resolutions online prior to the meeting, it was a scramble to read through them all and be prepared to ask questions.

The first surprise came when Mayor Richard Onderko went off the agenda to announce he was making the current acting Administrator, Traci Dillingham, the permanent Administrator.

In making this announcement, the Mayor Onderko stated that he wanted the public to know:

"I'm full time, ok? I'm the Mayor of the community, and I put a lot of time into this Borough, and I assist Traci on day to day operations of this Borough everyday."

We are not sure why the Mayor felt it was necessary to make this about himself, when he was attempting to justify the appointment of Ms. Dillingham based on her qualifications.

There was no resolution, just a voice vote from the Council. We're not sure how something this important comes through without a formal Resolution presented.

The vote break-down was:
Council President Ron Skirkanish: No
Councilman Joe DeVito: No
Councilman Branden Agans: Abstain
Councilwoman Jade Puia: Yes
Councilwoman Barbara Madak: Yes
Councilwoman Dayna Camacho: Yes

A curious question: Is a Council vote majority needed for such appointment? There were 3 yes votes, 2 no votes, and 1 abstain.

Watching the body language of the Council, you could see there was something more to this vote. Councilwoman Barbara Madak seemed flustered after casting her vote, leaning over several times to confer with Councilman Ron Skirkanish. Unfortunately, no one other than the Mayor spoke after the vote was taken.

Mayor Onderko was livid and chastised Council President Ron Skirkanish for his no vote while not mentioning Councilman DeVito or Agans at all.

This matter was brought up again at the start of public portion, when Administrator Dillingham asked to speak. Ms. Dillingham thanked those who supported her, highlighted her accomplishments and struggles with the role, and then indicated that:

"I can no longer avail myself to those who also opted to say no outside of business hours."

How does that statement resonate with the fact, that not more than a few minutes earlier she was speaking of those in town as "family"? That the newly appointed Administrator felt it was necessary to include that in her public comments is concerning.

How can things get done for the residents of Manville if the person tasked with that responsibility seems to be able to pick and choose who they will help, and when? This is not what we as residents expect nor want from those at Borough Hall.