Packed crowd, tensions fill Monessen meeting

By EMILY BENNETT DILULLO
ebennett@yourmvi.com
With half the police presence and double the resident turnout, Monessen city council reunited Wednesday night to get to work at a business meeting that exceeded three and a half hours.
In a considerably more mellow meeting in contrast to the tumultuous reorganization, council and the mayor followed an agenda that was made available to the public and council minority ahead of meeting time — an advancement from the lack of agenda made available on Jan. 6.
Only one police officer was present to oversee last night’s proceedings, in juxtaposition to the two officers present at the Jan. 6 meeting and the three officers that attended the recent redevelopment authority board meeting.
While the meeting was punctuated with unrestrained comments and interruptions from residents, notable motions made by council include the acceptance of the resignation of Municipal Fire Chief Chris Rhome, a failed motion to fire City Administrator John Harhai and a tabled motion to oust Brooke Farmer from her position on the Mon Valley Sewage Authority Board.
Despite a certain level of newfound productivity among council, bills could not be paid because of a lack of itemized and organized receipts by way of finace director Councilman Gil Coles. A motion to hire a prospective full-time police officer had to be tabled because of the mayor’s lack of knowledge related to whether or not the individual was on the civil service eligibility list. Answers about financial stability without securing a tax anticipation note went unanswered.
Six minutes before the clock struck 7 p.m., lawsuits were served to Mayor Matt Shorraw and councilmen Coles and Don Gregor for the charges filed by former mayor and chair of the Redevelopment Authority Board Lou Mavrakis alleging Sunshine Act violations related to the Jan. 6 reorganization meeting.

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