Leetsdale is under new borough management, again.
Council unanimously voted June 11 to fire borough manager Janet Hardy-Miklos, just shy of six months after her hiring.
Members voted in the same fashion shortly after to hire Jason Dailey, founder of West Deer-based Dailey Operational Consulting, as interim manager and to head a borough manager search at a cost not to exceed $8,500.
The search is expected to begin by late July after Dailey gets acclimated to his new surroundings.
Hardy-Miklos, a resident of Vanport Township in Beaver County, started working for Leetsdale on Jan. 6.
She was hired the night before and took over for longtime borough secretary/treasurer Jennifer Simek.
Council members declined to say why she was terminated, citing personnel matters.
Council president Maria Napolitano said Hardy-Miklos was an at-will employee and still in her probationary period.
“We wish Janet the best in her further endeavors,” Napolitano said after the meeting.
Dailey said Hardy-Miklos left the office very organized and administrative assistant Danielle Jarrett-Flickner has been exceptional with the transition.
The borough manager search is expected to begin sometime in late July after Dailey gets familiar with his new surroundings.
The search is projected to take between three and nine months.
Council vice president Osman Awad said Dailey will be a great fit as the borough looks for another administrative leader.
“People elected us to watch over their money and improve the community,” Awad said. “That’s what we’re doing.”
Meet the new boss
Dailey, a managerial journeyman, has an extensive resume helping local governments.
The roving manager has worked temporarily for Springdale, Sharpsburg, Lower Burrell, McCandless and Allegheny Township, in addition to his full-time experience at West Deer and Crescent Township.
Dailey served as Cranberry’s public works and utilities director for years.
He also served as Verona’s borough manager last year and previously led the development of Verona’s DCED-funded Strategic Management Plan.
His most recent work is with Kiski Township, which recently hired its new manager, James Murry.
Murry, a former chief of staff for Pittsburgh City Council District 7, is expected to start his new role June 22.
Dailey said he is excited to get to work in Leetsdale.
“This is a very busy, energetic council,” he said. “Residents are very active and interested in what’s going on here.
“This borough manager search is going to be tailored to a seasoned manager that will have some firm footing in the industry, and be able to step right in and really work at the speed that this council’s working at. I can tell right off the bat it’s a fast-moving place.”
Residents should not expect to see Dailey in the office regularly, as he is set up to work remotely. The actual office schedule was not announced as of presstime.
Dailey said residents will receive return phone calls and emails quickly and should not expect any major changes in services.
Napolitano became familiar with Dailey’s capabilities while he served as interim executive director for Quaker Valley Council of Governments.
Dailey filled in for Patrick Conners, who left Quaker Valley at the start of the year to take the same job with South Hills Area Council of Governments.
“Having seen him at work, I have the highest confidence that he will be good for us,” said Napolitano, who is also Quaker Valley COG vice president.
Dailey was able to find Michelle Harkins of Allison Park, who was unanimously appointed as the new QVCOG executive director in February and received rave reviews from multiple delegates since then. An executive board handled COG candidate interviews.
Dailey said he expects Leetsdale to form a committee and engage in an extensive search the same way.
“We’re early on everything right now,” he said. “I don’t know what I don’t know yet about Leetsdale. Whenever I’m in these interim capacities, I like to get to know what the operation is and what the inner workings are.
“When we go out, we actively recruit. It’s not just putting an ad in the paper or into those manager networks. … This area has a great pool of talent for that next manager to interact with.”
Police chief contract
Council also unanimously voted to terminate police Chief Dan Raible’s contract, but did not fire the department head.
The contract was set to expire at the end of the year.
However, Borough Solicitor Dan Conlon said it contained an automatic renewal clause and had to be terminated in order for council to renegotiate terms.
Councilman Ben Frederick, public safety/police committee chair, said the police chief’s contract has not been addressed in at least 10 years.
“He’s not being terminated,” Frederick said. “He’s done a great job. I was here when he was named full-time, then sergeant (and) then chief.”
Frederick said he will not be on the negotiating team.
Several residents at the council meeting spoke favorably of Raible’s service to the borough.
“He’s been exemplary,” said former councilwoman Beth Carroll, who talked about how the chief helped her during a troubling time.
Napolitano, after the meeting, said she appreciated the input from the chief’s supporters.
“We want to do a comprehensive review of (the contract’s) terms,” she said. “I was very happy to hear strong community support for the chief, and I was very happy to hear specific examples of incidents where he has been very good working with residents and being a positive presence in the community.
Raible and Mayor Sandra Ford did not respond to multiple messages seeking comment.
TribLive submitted a Right-to-Know request on June 12 seeking information about the chief’s contract and employment history. Borough officials confirmed receipt of the request that evening. On June 16, the borough asked for a 30-day extension to respond.
Local governments have five business days to respond to a request in writing, either providing the information, denying or partially denying the request or invoking a one-time extension of up to 30 calendar days.