2 hopefuls seek appointment to vacant Latrobe Council seat

Latrobe Council will consider filling a vacancy in its ranks at its Feb. 14 meeting.

Appointments to standing committees also will be considered, as council looks to organize a special panel to review a study for proposed streamlining of the city fire department.

Two men who are involved in other community organizations have submitted letters of interest for the council seat, according to city Manager Michael Gray.

Candidates Thomas Long Jr., who also is up for reappointment to the Greater Latrobe Parks and Recreation Commission, and William Yuhaniak, a Latrobe firefighter who fell just sort of election to council in November, will be asked to attend the February meeting before council acts on the appointment.

Councilman Ralph Jenko, who also is the deputy mayor, suggested the two hopefuls “come to the meeting and explain what they’re trying to do. It’s great that there are actually two people who are interested.”

In the general election for three council seats, Yuhaniak finished just out of the running, less than two dozen votes behind incumbent Jim Kelley.

A custodian at Greater Latrobe Junior High, Yuhaniak is a captain and treasurer with Latrobe Volunteer Fire Department Hook & Ladder Company No. 2. He said fellow company members suggested he run for council so they would have a voice on the panel.

The candidate who is appointed by council will fill out the term of Eric Bartels, whose seat became vacant after he was elected as the city’s mayor in November.

Fire study review eyed

Gray is hoping to kick off the review of the fire department study with a committee including himself, Jenko, Fire Chief John Brasile and one representative from each of the department’s five companies.

Gray said the review will consider “what we can do to help the fire department be more efficient, cost savings and membership retention.”

Late last year, Latrobe implemented one of the suggestions of the fire department study, which was led by Nick Sohyda, chief of the Mt. Lebanon Fire Department.

Council revised the process for selecting future fire chiefs — opening the position to eligible applicants, as is done when choosing other city department heads, instead of relying on results of the fire department’s internal officer elections.

City officials opted to wait on investigating other recommendations of the study until newly elected council members were seated.

The study suggested consolidating the fire department’s facilities and equipment by eliminating at least two of the five companies.

The fire stations of Freewill Hose Company No. 3, at Lehmer Street and Ridge Avenue, and Free Service Unit No. 6, on Lloyd Avenue, were cited as potential candidates for closure.