Sewickley has a council vacancy, no borough manager

Sewickley no longer has a borough manager and borough council has a vacancy in the 1st Ward.

Both announcements were made at a council meeting Tuesday evening, in which council unanimously accepted the resignation of their colleague, Christine Allen.

Allen was in the fourth year of her first term. It is set to expire at the end of this year and she did not intend to seek reelection.

She submitted her resignation via email May 24 after an executive session. It came a little less than two weeks after Marla Marcinko was terminated as borough manager in a split vote. Allen voted against firing Marcinko.

Council members Tuesday night did not comment on either issue.

Ward 1 boundaries include the north end of Blackburn Road and the west side of Beaver Street.

Council has 30 days after that to fill the vacancy. If it doesn’t meet that deadline, it could become a matter for an Allegheny County judge to decide.

That timeline means the public appointment would have to be made prior to the regularly scheduled July 11 voting session.

A special meeting was scheduled for 6:30 p.m. July 6 to fill the vacancy.

Deadline for 1st Ward residents to submit a letter of interest for the position is Friday, July 2.

Borough officials said two people have applied as of Tuesday.

The vote was 5-4-1 to fire Marcinko on May 11 after a closed-door discussion in an executive session.

Mayor George Shannon cast the deciding vote following a split on council, 4-4-1.

Council president Jeff Neff, council vice president Todd Renner, Sean Figley and Ed Green voted to fire Marcinko. Council members Tom Rostek, Cynthia Mullins, Allen and Julie Barnes dissented. Larry Rice abstained.

Borough Solicitor Richard Tucker was working on some form of separation agreement with the former manager.

Neff said Tuesday that those efforts were ongoing.

Council has yet to give a reason for the termination. Neff said last month there was no criminal probe or investigation of any impropriety that led to the termination.

Rostek and Allen had said they were surprised and disgusted at the move.

Her termination was not listed on the meeting agenda and Marcinko did not participate at the May meeting.

She said via email to the Tribune-Review days after the firing that she was in Arizona at the time dealing with the loss of her older brother. He died suddenly May 7, according to the email.

She did not respond to calls seeking further comment.

Marcinko began working as Sewickley’s top administrator in April 2019. She previously lived in the borough and spent four years working as manager for Altoona.

Marcinko’s name and position have been removed from the borough website.

Its administration section lists Fran Frynkewicz and Diane Vierling as bookkeepers, Erin Huber as administrative assistant and no title for staffer Mary Hertz.

Marcinko’s last day as a borough employee was May 28, Neff announced Tuesday.

Council approved the formation of a manager search committee. Its members are Barnes, Figley, Rostek and Green.

The committee assisting borough staff includes Rice, Renner and Neff. Mullins is working with the parking authority.

No deadline applications was announced, and it is unclear when the position would be filled.

Rice was appointed as assistant secretary to assist with official document signing in a manager’s absence. There is no salary for the position.