Penn Hills Council debates separation agreement with police chief
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Penn Hills residents have received more details on the proposed separation agreement with police Chief Howard Burton.
A special, nonvoting meeting was held Oct. 25 at the request of Deputy Mayor Catherine Sapp and Councilmen John Petrucci and Jim Getsy. The special meeting was held after all three missed the regularly scheduled voting meeting on Oct. 18.
On Oct. 18, an injunction was filed in Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas and granted to stop council from voting on a separation agreement with Burton, as well as giving a contract for the position to Lt. Robert Myers.
No action was taken during the meeting, but the public was allowed to comment on this specific issue, and council members offered their opinions as well. Sapp, who spoke on behalf of Petrucci and Getsy, stated the separation agreement is not a buyout, and no money would be paid in addition to what is already owed.
“I want to take time to explain to everyone, so we have clear facts,” Sapp said. “Councilman Petrucci, Councilman Getsy and myself have not and will not, never, ever spend your money frivolously and irresponsibly.”
The issue stems from the pending retirement of Burton, who is set to earn about $269,000 in salary and benefits between Oct. 18 and Dec. 31, according to Penn Hills manager Scott Andrejchak.
The separation agreement would provide those benefits to him, as well as grant him the accrued time that he earned during his tenure as police chief.
According to the separation agreement, Burton has 104 hours of holiday time and 16 hours of personal time. This would have been included in the Nov. 19 payroll.
The rest of the accruals would have been payable on Jan. 14, 2022, a combined total of 2,980 accrued hours.
Andrejchak said the amount of payment for time accrual of approximately one year is due to Burton. It would not change if his employment ended Oct. 18 or Dec. 31. Burton has been with the police department for 53 years, serving as chief since 1991.
“This is about stopping golden parachutes,” said Mayor Pauline Calabrese. “Penn Hills is in no position to continue the excessive spending culture that started years ago. The last business manager left with the same sweetheart deal. Council should permit the chief to continue working until the end of the year, leaving with dignity, rather than leaving under an early separation agreement.”
“I filed this injunction because we would be paying two chiefs,” Councilman Frank Pecora said at the meeting. He, along with JoAnne Fascio and Jerry Chiappinelli, filed the Oct. 18 injunction. “I checked with our solicitor, and he said on the 19th, (Myers) would start being chief. Now it might not be a huge amount of money, but still, why are we paying two chiefs? I don’t understand that.”
Due to the injunction, the voting will be on Nov. 15. All parties are set to appear before a motions judge Nov. 10.
Burton declined to comment.