Allegheny Township supervisors appoint new manager, approve $67,000 crime‑reporting grant and authorize blight‑abatement liens

Jamie Morabito, chairman of the Allegheny Township Board of Supervisors, presided over the June 10 meeting where the board appointed Dan Miller as township manager effective July 8, 2024, at an annual salary of $102,000 under the terms of an employment agreement approved by the board.

The supervisors also approved applying for a Pennsylvania Crime and Delinquency grant, with no local match, to purchase crime‑reporting software and internal policy‑management tools in an amount not to exceed $67,000. The grant approval was introduced and moved by Supervisor Mike Korns and seconded by Vice Chairman Jeff Pollick.

A contested set of motions produced several 2–1 votes. The board authorized the township manager to negotiate private lawn‑maintenance contracts to address blighted properties and to attach unpaid bills to property liens after staff exhausts remedies with property owners; that motion passed 2–1 with Supervisor Mike Korns dissenting. Solicitor Craig Alexander told the board that municipalities that adopt the IPMC (International Property Maintenance Code) or similar local ordinances may perform this type of nuisance correction and pursue remedies in some cases.

Supervisors also voted to investigate the Toys for Alle Kiski Toy Drive fund to seek return of township‑related funds that were written by check to the Leechburg Fire Company; that motion passed 2–1 with Korns dissenting. At the public‑comment table, resident Patrick Leyland specifically asked the board to return his 2022 donation tied to that drive.

Other routine actions approved by the board included acceptance of May departmental and financial reports, approval of half‑mile markers and GPS locating along the Tredway Trail, acceptance of a resignation from part‑time officer Jacob Zepeda, and a salary adjustment for Tax Collector Val Hassa from $16,000 to $17,200. The board also authorized the chairman, township manager and public‑works superintendent to attend the annual PSATS conference, a motion that passed 2–1 with Korns dissenting. An Eagle Scout, Kira Long, briefly presented a project to the board during the meeting.

Votes at a glance: • Appoint Dan Miller, township manager (effective July 8, 2024); motion: Pollick/Korns; outcome: approved; salary: $102,000; reference: employment agreement (on file). • Approve PA Crime and Delinquency grant up to $67,000 (no local match); motion: Korns/Pollick; outcome: approved. • Authorize negotiation of private lawncare contracts for blighted properties and attach bills as liens after remedies; motion: Pollick/Morabito; outcome: approved 2–1 (Korns dissenting). • Investigate Toys for Alle Kiski Toy Drive fund and seek return of funds; motion: Pollick/Morabito; outcome: approved 2–1 (Korns dissenting). • Approve half‑mile markers with GPS on Tredway Trail; motion: Pollick/Korns; outcome: approved. • Accept resignation of part‑time officer Jacob Zepeda; motion: Korns/Pollick; outcome: approved. • Increase Tax Collector Val Hassa salary from $16,000 to $17,200; motion: Pollick/Korns; outcome: approved.

Why it matters: The manager appointment and the software grant shape township operations and public‑safety reporting; the blight‑abatement authorization gives staff a new enforcement tool but drew a formal dissent and raised questions about process. The toy‑drive investigation is a follow‑up on past township transactions that residents and supervisors flagged during public comment.

The board adjourned at 8:47 p.m. The minutes, department reports and related documents referenced in the meeting are on file with the township.