Tarentum Manager Michael Nestico excited for new post in Murrysville, proud of work in borough

Outgoing Tarentum Borough Manager Michael Nestico is eager to rebuild ties with Westmoreland County when he assumes the position of top administrator in Murrysville next month.

A resident of Jeannette, Nestico worked as an attorney and municipal manager there before taking the reins in Tarentum five years ago.

“I’m looking forward to renewing many of the professional relationships with county and state officials in the area,” he said. “It was difficult to transition away from Westmoreland County, so I’m excited to come back to where I have a lot of familiarity.”

Nestico was paid about $85,000 in Tarentum. His salary in Murrysville will be 117,000.

Nestico’s last day in Tarentum is expected to be June 3. He feels he’s leaving the borough’s municipal operations better than he found them.

He’s most proud of revamping internal policies and boosting employee relations.

“When I started, we had some difficulties to overcome,” he said. “The culture has changed tremendously. We are much more transparent. We are very productive and very efficient.

“The entire staff is truly committed to this borough, and they all seem to care about their role and want to make the community a better place. Their willingness to trust me and buy into an improved work environment is probably the item I’m most proud of as I leave.”

Council will search for Nestico’s replacement with help from the Allegheny League of Municipalities. The borough will pay up to $3,000 for consulting services.

Council President Scott Dadowski said a search is expected to be rigorous. Consultants will help whittle the list of candidates, compose interview questions and research backgrounds.

“We are going to search far and wide for our next municipal manager,” Dadowski said. “We want it to be a good fit.”

Major effort to remove blight

Dadowski thanked Nestico for making great strides during his time in the borough, citing a massive effort to remove blighted buildings from all parts of town.

The borough spent more than $220,000 last year to raze 26 abandoned homes that were in disrepair. There are nine on the list this year.

“I think it goes without saying that one of the big accomplishments is all of the redevelopment efforts that we have been completing,” Nestico said.

“We have removed a great deal of blight in the community and prepared a number of properties for redevelopment.”

The work led to the processing of at least a dozen vacant property applications from residents looking to buy adjacent properties for side yards or property rehabs.

Nestico credited much of his success to the support of council.

“They are all dedicated to improving the conditions in our neighborhoods,” he said. “They have allowed me to allocate significant resources toward these efforts. Otherwise, the progress we have made would not have been so impactful.”

Nestico said the job in Murrsyville came at the right time. With chief administrator Jim Morrison retiring at the end of the year, Nestico said, there’s a chance to work for six months on a smooth transition.

“I’m very thankful for the opportunity ahead and excited to get started,” he said.