Life insurance for former commissioners stumps Rostraver [The Valley Independent, Monessen, Pa.]

July 08--ROSTRAVER -- When resident Donald Bottman asked the township commissioners Wednesday why former commissioners are still receiving life insurance benefits, the board members were stumped.

Bottman, who served as a commissioner from 1976-79, asked the board members in November to stop accepting health insurance benefits from the township.

At the board's Wednesday meeting, Bottman said he discovered while looking though insurance information he acquired at the municipal building that former commissioners Harold Hazelbaker and Carl Russell are still listed as life insurance recipients with monthly premiums of $10.60 from Unum Life Insurance of Atlanta.

Commission Chairman George Martin and commissioners Andy Temoshenka, Brian Sokol and Pat Egros said they did not know why the two names were on the invoices.

"I don't have an answer for you right now," Martin told Bottman.

"I don't either, Don," Solicitor Timothy Maatta said. "It's a surprise for you to tell me that."

Bottman said Hazelbaker and Russell served around the time he was a commissioner.

Sokol said the two former commissioners last served on the board in the late 1990s.

Sokol said he and his father, a former commissioner, did not receive benefits after he was finished serving on the board.

Temoshenka, a previous commissioner who returned to the board this year, said he too hadn't received benefits when he was not serving.

"I don't know what's going on here, but my goodness guys, come on," Bottman said.

"We will address that issue," Egros replied.

"There has to be a reason why that was left on," Martin added. "There's going to be some research."

After the meeting, Martin said he remembers a previous agreement about extended benefits for former commissioners and township employees. But he could not recall specifics.

In an unrelated matter, the commissioners increased the number of members on the recreation board from five to six.

"The recreation demands have increased immensely in this township," Martin said.

The board reduced the number of members from six to five in August 2008 because there were not enough members in attendance for meetings to take place.

The commissioners appointed Jack M. French to the recreation commission.

French will serve the remainder of the year in place of June Beveridge, who died May 21.

Larry Callaway was appointed to the recreation commission through 2015.

Temoshenka said the township has received an award from the Allegheny Smart Growth Initiative for a mixed use area the commissioners created last year.

The commissioners approved a three-year lease of three Dodge Charger police vehicles from Tri-Star Motors.

The lease will cost $70,305.

Martin said three of the township's Crown Victoria police cruisers that will be traded in will offset the cost of the lease.

The sewage authority will move its office from the municipal building to 1744 Rostraver Road by the end of the month, Martin said.

Jeff Pikulsky can be reached at jpikulsky@tribweb.com or 724-684-2635.

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