Sewickley officials hire Donna Kaib as new borough manager

Sewickley officials have tapped Reserve Township manager Donna Kaib as their new top administrator.

She was hired as the new borough manager via an 8-0 vote on Aug. 10.

Councilman Tom Rostek was absent.

Kaib was not at the meeting. Her start date is scheduled for Aug. 19.

“We’re excited to have her (and) we’re looking forward to working with her,” council president Jeff Neff said after the vote. He deferred further comments to councilwoman Julie Barnes, who was a member of the manager search committee.

Barnes said there were 20 candidates for the position and five were interviewed.

“I think she seems like a great people person,” Barnes said of Kaib. “She seems to have a heart for public service. She rose her way through the ranks in her previous experience. She has handled a lot of issues that would mirror the kind of issues that we would see here.”

Kaib has been serving as Reserve’s manager since January 2012.

“I am very excited and look forward to working with the borough council, mayor, residents and business owners. I am honored to have been chosen as Sewickley Borough’s manager,” Kaib said via email.

Council members did not publicly discuss any further background information about Kaib and declined to disclose her salary.

Kaib will formally replace Marla Marcinko, who was terminated in May after a closed-door discussion. Her firing was not listed on the May 11 meeting agenda. Her last day as a borough employee was May 28. She had been the borough’s top administrator since April 2019.

Council unanimously approved raises for two administrative staffers after an executive session.

Elected leaders declined to disclose how much the raises were for or who they were going to.

Other matters

Council intends to speak with Plum-based A. Liberoni Inc. and officials from Lennon, Smith, Souleret Engineering about some paving problems, particularly an issue along the 300 block of Thorn Street.

Councilman Ed Green said the contractor raised the street over the curb when paving it.

He called the work “sloppy” and “an abomination” that needs to be fixed.

Council awarded its near $597,000 contract in April via 6-2 vote with Neff and vice president Todd Renner dissenting. Allen, who was still on council at the time, was absent.

Neff said at the time there was a dispute with the company about the quality of work a few years ago, in particular the intersection of Grant and Thorn streets.