The North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development
Commission’s executive committee will hold a special meeting
Friday, at which time the fate of the agency’s executive director
could be decided.

The meeting will get under way at 1 p.m. at North Central’s main
office on Montmorenci Avenue in Ridgway.

On Wednesday, Elk County Commissioner Christine Gavazzi said she
could not say whether a decision will be made regarding Ron Kuleck,
who was placed on administrative leave until further notice by the
board Nov. 28.

To this point, officials have remained tight-lipped about the
circumstances surrounding the board’s decision or if there was an
ongoing investigation. Gavazzi did say previously the matter did
not involve the inner workings of the commission.

Gavazzi serves as the first vice chairwoman of the executive
board. She did say the panel will be holding an executive session
dealing with personnel matters at the Friday meeting. A notice of
the meeting indicates that general business will also be discussed
at that time. Executive sessions were also held by the board on
Nov. 30 and Dec. 21, but it was not clear if those pertained to
Kuleck.

The board held a meeting earlier this month, but did not discuss
the Kuleck issue.

Kuleck will retain his salary and benefits while on leave. His
responsibilities are currently being handled by Deputy Director
Howard Glessner, with fellow deputy directors Mike Lawrence and
Donald Masisak.

Kuleck was at the center of a controversy two years ago when
10-year contracts were approved for high-level administration at
the commission.

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 impacted any agency operating within the Appalachian
Region, including North Central.