Mack’s Employment Controversy

There is quite a controversy surrounding Larry Mack and his employment status. This particular controversy is still not solved even after the special meeting that took place the other day amongst the Clearfield Borough Council. One councilman, Tim Winters, says that the controversy is pretty ugly to say the least. Winters and a councilwoman, Patricia Kavelak, prepared a packet of information together and provided it to the GrantDaily.com. The packet included information on the Uniform Construction Code enforcement. In the packet, there is an outline of the argument made against Mack, stating that his hiring simply was not valid because he did not meet several of the official Building Code requirements that had been made. Both Winters and Kavelak agree that Mack was issuing permits to others without actually receiving a BCO certification for such permits. This practice creates a legal issue for the borough as a whole.

Kavelak had several questions to ask, wondering whether or not the council decides to pass a motion in which Mack would be rehired. She says that when she asked this question, she found out that the council had not passed such a motion and that information was made available in the informational packet. Kavelak also decided to cite the Rules of Order, which basically indicate that an original motion has to be rescinded by the council in order to make a completely new motion validated. She continued to ask questions as a way of finding out answers on why the motion had originally required Mack to get a certification while he was on a probationary period. She wanted to know if Mack would need a BCO certification in order to keep his position as a code official and how he could retain his original position if he does not meet the current requirement for the position.

In the meantime, Winters released a press statement in which he said, “I was elected to the office of councilman to represent and serve the best interests of the residents of Clearfield Borough, not to join the ‘Old Boys Club.’ I will not tolerate the ongoing charade that is day-to-day operations of the Borough of Clearfield.” He also said, “A couple of my fellow councilmen should reevaluate their reasons for serving on this board, and our solicitor and borough operations manager should consider other options for their employment.” Kavelak also wrote her own press statement in which she said, “As an elected official, I am trying to be accountable to my position and the constituents I represent. Doing the right thing in this situation, as always, is simple and direct. Unfortunately, that is not always the chosen path.By correcting, or attempting to correct, errors of this and the previous council here tonight, I am striving to maintain the best interest of Clearfield Borough. I am confident in the information I have presented and believe eventually the truth will provide the path to a successful outcome of this unfortunate occurrence.”