Mar 19, 2015 By David Singer 3 min read

With just over two months before the May 19 primary election, some political dust-ups happened in South Fayette Township. At the March 18 board of commissioners voting meeting, commissioner Jessica Cardillo-Wagenhoffer introduced a motion to censure fellow commissioner Deron Gabriel after he sought legal opinions from the township solicitor without the rest of the board present. The motion passed 4-0. Commissioner Gabriel was not present, and had told the board he would be out of town on business.

“Any time a formal legal opinion is needed or asked for, the board needs to be present or at least aware of it,” Cardillo-Wagenhoffer said. “He has twice asked for opinions regarding my personal life and plans for the Watson Institute.”

Commissioner Cardillo-Wagenhoffer entered a first-time offender program in February that could have her insurance fraud charges expunged after two years. She never pleaded guilty, which allows her to keep her government seat, according to state law. Prosecutors in the case said she lied about living with a friend after her home caught fire in 2012, and submitted false receipts totaling $1,500.

“I don’t know why there has been no issue or question about her ability to serve,” said commissioner Gabriel.

“As for the legal issues (directed at me), I’m on a legal committee, and I’m of the opinion that I can ask for an opinion when it’s needed … I was asking for clarification of the Watson Institute’s plans and if we were going to see possible sale of the property (at 214 Hickory Grade Road) because the township has been paying real estate taxes and maintaining the property for nearby youth sports leagues,” he said. “But we should always follow the law. If there are issues there, I’ll be following the law.”

Regarding the Watston Institute property currently owned by John Kosky, he said he’s allowed township to use the property for soccer fields since 1993.

“We not only let them use the property, we built the fields for them, charging the township only for fuel for the machines. The total cost from us for the field work was $3,870.00. When Allegheny County reassessed the property, we asked that the township reimburse us for the taxes assessed on the fields only. The township has had unrestricted use of the property for 20 years, including using the property for the annual 4th of July fireworks,” he said.

In regular business, at the recommendation of police Chief John Phoennik, the board unanimously approved the hiring of two police officers, Michael Benney and Collin Griffith, who are scheduled to start working in the township April 6 pending mental and physical evaluations.

Phoennik said Griffith has been a life-long resident of South Fayette and has been working part-time for the Bridgeville police department, and that Benney has been working for a few years for Pittsburgh city police.

The board also voted to pass along township zoning maps to the planning commission to determine requested re-classifications and updates. The biggest re-classification is being sought by John and Stacy Kosky, who are seeking to have 243 acres of their nearly 800-acre plot along Cecil-Sturgeon Road in Gladden to be re-zoned from residential to PED, or potential development, which would allow lease or sale of the property to developers.