Sharpsburg council formally approves contract with consulting business founder

Sharpsburg officials took a public vote April 9 to hire Jason Dailey and his company, Dailey Operation Consulting, for temporary administration and managerial services after first voting to hire him in February during a closed-door meeting, a possible violation of the state’s Sunshine Law.

The law requires that all votes by a government body occur in open session before the public, according to Melissa Melewsky, media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association

Melewsky said the closed-door vote could have violated of the state’s Sunshine Act, but that ratifying a hiring at a public session is a common way agencies rectify the issue.

Sharpsburg Council’s vote April 9 occurred more than two weeks after Dailey was first introduced by council as the borough’s interim manager.

Council did not acknowledge the possible Sunshine Act violation during or after its April 9 meeting.

The vote was unanimous with all council members in attendance.

Borough Solicitor Matt Kalina and council President Adrianne Laing declined to comment.

Dailey said he is on a month-to-month contract with the borough with compensation not to exceed $6,500 per month.

He will assist in day-to-day operations as well as with the search for a new borough manager. There is a clause in his contract in which either party can give a 30-day notice before terminating the contract.

The council’s goal is to have a new manager appointed to the full-time administrative job within eight months.

“Managing a very active borough is going to be, I think, very appealing to someone,” Dailey said after the April 9 meeting. He also thanked council for its support.

Dailey, 47, is the founder of a consulting business and is a winter maintenance instructor with the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs.

He served as Cranberry Township’s public works director for nearly 14 years and a little over a year as its utilities director. Dailey also worked as Crescent Township’s manager from 2000 to 2004 and West Deer’s manager from 2004 to 2008.

Dailey was hired following former borough Manager Bill Rossey’s sudden retirement Feb. 24. Rossey said he was stepping down for personal and medical reasons.