Letter to the editor: Contacting Penn Hills officials isn’t easy
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This is in response to Mayor Paulene Calabrese’s comments on the Penn Hills website, pennhillspa.gov.
Mayor Calabrese stated that she would find out about public affairs on social media and wondered why people don’t bring it up to her and council.
Did she ever consider that Penn Hills leaders can be difficult to reach and that council meetings can be intimidating for some people?
To speak at a council, one can call the manager to be on the agenda for the next meeting. This manager, as another council member stated, is not good with people. Once they come to the meeting, the large desk can be intimidating and when they get to speak their three minutes, the answer is often the silent treatment. I have been to several council meetings and have seen people being treated poorly by council and the manager.
Not only that, but the sound system is downright terrible and the “puh, puh, puh” makes it difficult for the audience to know what is being discussed. At one meeting, the effect was so severe I had to leave because it was actually painful. When I discussed this with a council member, she spoke to me in a demeaning manner and said she would definitely not call for service on the system. Why so unprofessional?
If you want to speak or write to someone at Penn Hills outside of a meeting, that can be difficult too. At least three council members do not have a business email, something every other office worker has. I have had jobs where I had an email account and had no choice in the matter, so why do they not have one? If you leave a message early in the week for someone to call you, they will not get your message until Friday. Likewise, any actual letter is probably not seen until then. I don’t know of any business, family, friends or couple that does this. Why does Penn Hills Municipality?
By the way, if one uses the “Contact Us” form on the website, they will write their message only to have it not go through.
Important matters are discussed at non-voting meetings, yet I found out that none of these meetings are transcribed or recorded. If one wants to find out about these matters, there is no documentation whatsoever. There is a saying in nursing and health care: “If it is not charted (documented) it did not happen.” Why have these meetings about the Rodi Road and kennel situations we have if there is no record of them? Should the audience have their own recorders and take notes, as that might be the only evidence anything was discussed?
If people were treated in a professional manner by Penn Hills leaders, you would know what your community needs and would not have to wonder why people are writing on social media.
Robert J. Connor
Penn Hills