DUBOIS – DuBois City Council on Monday night recognized 15-year-old Aviana Gillaugh for winning the 2023 national-qualifying tournament in boxing.

Aviana is a ninth-grader at DuBois Area High School.

The tournament, which was held in March, serves as a qualifier with two possibilities.

Elite athletes are invited to participate at Olympic trials, which select U.S. participants for the 2024 Summer Olympics being held in Paris, France. 

Qualifier champions will also receive invites to the 2023 USA Boxing National Championship.

Also, on Monday night, council decided it will continue Thursday work session meetings but with a modification.

According to April 6 work session minutes, the meeting had adjourned and Beverly Kurts wanted to speak. 

It was noted that council has not permitted public comment at its work sessions but welcomes it at regular voting meetings.

Further Mayor Ed Walsh explained how work sessions are merely a drafted agenda for the upcoming council meeting.

Kurts, however, believed it was her “right” to speak at any public meeting and so she inquired with Solicitor Toni Cherry.

Cherry said that was incorrect and Kurts disagreed, arguing council had not just prepared items but voted on them as well.

Walsh indicated that it was fine as those city matters didn’t involve money.

On Monday night, council’s agenda included a proposal to eliminate Thursday work session meetings.

Instead, it considered having executive sessions prior to regular voting meetings. Executive sessions are closed to the public.

Council, however, decided it will continue work sessions but without voting. It also reminds citizens there will be no public comment.

Public Comment

During public comment, council heard from multiple individuals.

At its previous meeting, council indicated it would not respond publicly but at a later date.

And council did.

However, resident Linda London took issue, indicating city correspondence on March 31, 2023 was dated April 20, 2022.

She said it was a “small issue” that slipped by council, which surely looked it over before dissemination.

So, London questioned what else council might be missing or overlooking in city paperwork, and urged council to speak up.

Resident Debbie Meckling was concerned over the city manager contract agreement.

She said when City Manager John “Herm” Suplizio signed his initial 10-year contract in 2015, it lacked a morality clause. 

Without this clause, she asked if the city remains “on the hook” even if Suplizio were to be found guilty of the alleged crimes.

She also asked who wrote the contract agreement and if the solicitor was aware of its provisions.

“I don’t believe it (the contract) was in the best interest of the taxpayers,” said Meckling. “How was this allowed to happen?”

Former City Manager Ron Trzyna had two issues. The first involved missing local copies of two audits.

He said the city’s only copies of two audits were currently in possession of the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office.

Trzyna learned the full copies were unavailable, as he requested copies for his personal review.

He suggested city officials contact the auditing agency and request new copies. That way local copies exist and are on-hand.

There was also some disagreement with regards to which audit years are currently unavailable.

Trzyna indicated audits were unavailable for 2016 and 2017; however, Secretary Bobbie Shaffer thought it was 2015 and 2016.

The second issue was with regards to the city manager’s contracts. 

Prior to his arrest, council voted to extend Suplizio’s contract until just before the consolidation of DuBois City and Sandy Township.

Following the AG’s announcement of Suplizio’s arrest, council rescinded his contract extension pending resolution of the case.

Trzyna asked if council could simply revote to rescind the contract extension, or if it was already legally binding.

Resident Glenda Dixon thanked city officials for looking into two Main Street crosswalk timers. 

She also wanted officials to look at the Brady Street and Long Avenue intersection.

City Redevelopment Director and Assistant Public Works Superintendent Joe Mitchell said he’d get in contract with PennDOT.

Videos included below show the time each crosswalk allows at the Brady Street and Long Avenue intersection.