Fury erupts at West Middlesex council meeting; Big question: Who runs council?

Mar. 17—WEST MIDDLESEX — What happened at Wednesday's West Middlesex Borough Council meeting? Even those involved are still sorting it out.

The key piece involves the status of council President Eric Lucich and Vice President Dave Moyer.

Councilman Bill Novak made a motion to reorganize council. Novak said he and others on council were "unpleased" with Lucich and Moyer's leadership.

Novak and Councilman Bob Lark voted in favor of reorganizing. Lucich and Moyer voted no. Councilman Tim Webster was absent, which resulted in a tie vote.

Mayor Stacey Curry was called upon to break the tie; she voted in favor of a reorganization.

Eventually Lark moved to name Webster president. Novak and Lark voted yes and Moyer abstained. Some remember Lucich voting yes, others recall him casting a no vote.

In a Friday phone interview, Lucich said it was a complicated meeting with multiple votes, and wasn't sure how he voted on that particular motion and would have to check the records to find out.

Regardless, all council members agree: The voting results were in favor of Webster becoming president.

A motion was made to name Lark vice president. But Lark declined the nomination, saying he didn't know what Webster's intentions were to accept or decline the presidency.

In a Thursday phone interview, Curry said that since Webster wasn't in attendance to accept or reject the offer, the office remains unfilled. The vice president's job also remains unfilled, she added.

In phone interviews in the days after the meeting, all council members and Curry agree that Webster didn't purposely avoid the meeting to create a tie vote. All agree he was out of town for legitimate reasons and they knew that before the meeting.

Webster couldn't be reached for comment.

Novak said he only found out Webster wouldn't be there until after placing the reorganization measure on council's agenda. But he acknowledged that was before the meeting.

Novak also said he talked to Webster and told him what his plans were for the meeting.

"He knew I was going to call for the vote, and he gave his opinion," Novak said of Webster. But Novak declined to specifically say what Webster said.

Novak declined to give specific reasons why he wanted to oust Lucich and Moyer from their officers' posts. Regardless of other council members' actions, Lucich and Moyer still remain members of council.

Curry said the decision to restructure council didn't involve Webster's absence. She said the decision had been growing in recent weeks as Lucich had missed a couple of important meetings and wasn't available to sign documents. Further, both Lucich and Moyer created low morale among borough employees.

"Both of them have attempted to stop me and other members of council from communicating with borough employees," she said. "And they've been antagonistic towards us."

Moyer isn't buying the coincidence that the motions were made involving Novak, Lark and Curry when Webster was absent.

"This was a well-calculated attack," Moyer said. "All of this didn't happen by accident."

Lark said he had multiple reasons for wanting the two removed as officers. The key one, he said, was both have made no effort to discuss a state report completed last year on possibly merging the West Middlesex Volunteer Fire Department with Shenango Township Volunteer Fire Department.

"The state spent thousands of dollars for this study and Lucich won't bring it up in discussion not only with council, but to have meetings with both fire departments and the community on the subject," Lark said.

He also complained Lucich let members of the audience disrupt meetings and hurl accusations at him.

Both Lucich and Moyer adamantly defended their tenure on council. Both said their decisions were for the best interest of the community.

The other council members were contacting borough employees and were improperly asking them to perform tasks, Moyer said. A system was created whereby council members and Curry could contact either men who would relay necessary information to the employees, Moyer said.

"We put in a command structure so our employees wouldn't be confused on what their duties are," he said. "We're not trying to interfere, we're trying to do what's best for the community. They (other council members and Curry) can talk to us anytime."

Lucich said over his three years with council he's missed only a handful of meetings outside of regular council meetings."

"And if somebody needed my signature and I wasn't immediately available I would have contacted Mr. Moyer to be there," Lucich said. "Both of us want this community to run smoothly."

Moyer agreed.

"If we knew things needed signed we will make the proper arrangements," he said.

Council's next scheduled meeting is Tuesday. But there's a dispute over who can legally run the meeting.

"I could be wrong, but the way I interpret the Borough Code is that the mayor isn't allowed to run a council meeting until the reorganization meeting is completed," Lucich said. "The reorganization of council can't be completed until we hear from Mr. Webster on whether he wants to accept the job."

Should a quorum show up at Tuesday's meeting, it could result in a recess until Webster is heard from, he said.

Novak adamantly disagreed.

"The state Borough Code clearly allows the mayor to conduct a council meeting," he said.

Should Lucich or Moyer attempt to run the meeting, Novak said he would would leave.

"I'm not going to be part of an illegal meeting," he said.