The executive director of the North Central Pennsylvania
Regional Planning and Development Commission has been placed on
administrative leave until further notice, a member of the agency’s
executive board confirmed Wednesday.
Ron Kuleck, who was at the center of a controversy two years ago
when 10-year contracts were approved for high-level administration
at the commission, will retain his salary and benefits while on
leave.
According to Elk County Commissioner Christine Gavazzi, who also
acts as the first vice chairwoman of the executive board, Kuleck
was placed on administrative leave by the board Nov. 28.
Gavazzi said the board’s decision against Kuleck has nothing to
do with the inner workings of the commission. She added Kuleck’s
responsibilities are currently being handled by Deputy Director
Howard Glessner, with fellow deputy directors Mike Lawrence and
Donald Masisak.
“This has nothing to do with the services that North Central
offers … it’s just something within house,” Gavazzi said. “In the
meantime, Howard is taking care of things and between the three of
them, it’s business as usual.”
While it was not immediately clear if there was an investigation
of any sort ongoing, Gavazzi said Kuleck will be away from North
Central until “further notice,” adding “at the proper time it
(matter of the administrative leave) will come back to the board if
there is any decision that has to be made.”
Gavazzi declined to further elaborate on what exactly is
occurring with the administrative leave.
Calls left Tuesday and Wednesday seeking comment with the
commission’s director of public relations, Pat Walsh, were not
immediately returned. Meanwhile, McKean County Commissioner John
Egbert, who represents the county at North Central, declined to
comment on the situation.
While Kuleck’s salary and benefit figures were not immediately
available Wednesday afternoon, the director was earning $99,039 in
2003, according to wages released at that time.
This is not the first time North Central has been at the center
of a microscope.
During the height of the employee contract controversy, Kuleck
openly, and at times bitterly, lashed out at U.S. Rep. John
Peterson, R-Pa., who he cited as leading the charge against the
agency with his request to open the non-profit organization’s
financial information for public perusal.
Eventually Kuleck, at the urging of state lawmakers Sen. Joe
Scarnati, R-Brockway, and Rep. Dan Surra, D-Kersey, and numerous
requests by area media, including The Era, agreed to release the
salaries of 95 employees, which at that time averaged $39,420.
Kuleck also called for the 10-year contracts to be cut in half
as part of the measure.
In response, Peterson crafted legislation in Washington
requiring all economic development agencies to make their audited
statements, annual budgets and minutes of meetings available to the
public upon request or risk losing out on federal Appalachian
Regional Commission funding.
The law effected any agency operating within the Appalachian
Region, including North Central.
