[HISTORY: Adopted by the Borough of Columbia 2-9-1976 by Ord. No. 533; amended in its entirety 12-30-1983 by Ord. No. 579 (Ch.
18 of the 1971 Code). Subsequent amendments noted where applicable.]
GENERAL REFERENCES
Administration of government — See Ch. 5.
The Office of Borough Manager is hereby created
by the Borough of Columbia, subject to the right of the Borough, by
ordinance, at any time to abolish such office.
[Amended 9-22-1998 by Ord. No. 670]
The Manager shall be chosen on the basis of
his or her executive and administrative abilities. The Manager shall
have a degree in business administration or a degree in engineering
or an equivalent degree as determined by the Borough Council. The
Manager shall be a citizen of the United States, but he or she need
not be a resident of the Borough.
The Manager shall receive such compensation
for his or her services as shall be fixed by the Council from time
to time. Before entering upon his or her duties, he or she shall give
a bond in the amount prescribed by the Borough Council, conditioned
for the faithful performance of his or her duties. The premium on
such bond shall be paid by the Borough. The bond of the Borough Manager
may be included in and covered by a blanket bond in effect for all
Borough employees, if the Borough shall have obtained such blanket
bond.
The Manager shall be the chief administrative
officer of the Borough, and he or she shall be responsible to the
Borough Council as a whole for the proper and efficient administration
of the affairs of the Borough. He or she may perform any of the nonlegislative
powers and duties of the Mayor that shall be delegated to the Manager
by the Mayor, subject to recall by written notification at any time.
The specific powers and duties of the Manager
shall include the following:
A.
The Manager shall supervise and be responsible for
the activities and the personnel of all Borough departments, facilities
and property and of all activities conducted by the Borough, including
the sewage treament plant, the streets, refuse removal and disposal,
recreational centers and parks and all other Borough-operated utilities
and facilities. The Mayor is authorized to delegate his control over
his Department of Police to the Borough Manager.
[Amended 12-12-2016 by Ord. No. 878]
B.
He or she shall recommend to the appropriate committee
the hiring or discharge of any employee under his or her supervision,
shall take such action thereon as is approved and directed by the
reviewing committee and shall have the right to suspend any employee
under his or her supervision, provided that persons covered by the
civil service provisions of the Borough Code and any collective bargaining
agreement with the Borough shall be hired, suspended or discharged
in accordance with such provisions and provided further that the Manager
shall report, at the next regular meeting thereafter of the Council,
any such action taken by authority of this subsection.
C.
The Manager shall prepare the Borough budget with
the assistance of Council committees and shall consult with the appropriate
officials in the preparation of the sewage treament plant budget.
The Manager shall be responsible for the administration of the Borough
budget and sewer budget after their adoption by the Council.
[Amended 12-16-2003 by Ord. No. 726; 12-12-2016 by Ord. No. 878]
D.
The Manager shall hold such ex officio offices and
positions as the Council may from time to time assign to him or her.
E.
The Manager shall prepare an agenda for and attend
all meetings of the Council and its committees, with the right to
take part in the discussion, and he or she shall receive notices of
all special meetings of the Council or its committees.
F.
The Manager shall keep the Council informed as to
the conduct of Borough affairs. He or she shall submit quarterly reports
on the condition of the Borough finances and such other reports as
the Council requests, and he or she shall make such recommendations
to the council as he or she shall deem necessary.
G.
The Manager shall see that the provisions of all franchises,
leases, permits and privileges granted by the Borough are observed.
H.
The Manager shall supervise the performance and execution
of all contracts entered into by the Borough, except insofar as such
duties are expressly imposed upon another Borough officer by statute.
He or she shall attend to the letting of contracts in due form of
law.
I.
If specifically requested by the Borough Council,
the Manager shall see that money owed the Borough is promptly paid
and that the proper proceedings are taken for the security and collection
of the Borough's claims.
J.
The Manager shall be the Purchasing Officer of the
Borough and shall be responsible for the making of all purchases as
directed by the Borough Council. Furthermore, on his or her own initiative,
he or she shall have authority to make ordinary purchases, provided
that no such purchase shall exceed the legal limit provided by law
for non-bid contracts and established by the Legislature of the Commonwealth
of Pennsylvania from time to time and provided that such purchases
are consistent and in accordance with budgetary appropriations previously
approved by Borough Council.
[Amended 8-9-2004 by Ord. No. 735]
K.
All complaints regarding services of any Borough employee
shall be referred to the Borough Manager. He or she shall investigate
and dispose of such complaints and report thereon to the Council.[1]
[1]
Editor's Note: Former § 18-6L and
M, regarding powers as Market Master and Zoning Officer, which immediately
followed this subsection, were repealed 12-16-2003 by Ord. No. 726.
Except for the purpose of inquiry, the Borough
Council, its committees and its members, shall deal with the administrative
service of the Borough solely through the Borough Manager, and neither
the Council nor any of its committees or any of its members shall
give orders, publicly or privately, to any subordinate of the Manager.
If the Manager becomes ill or needs to be absent
from the Borough, he or she shall designate, from the appointed officers
or employees of the Borough, one person who shall perform the duties
of the Manager during his absence or disability. The person so designated
shall not perform those duties for a period longer than two weeks
without the approval of the Council.
[Amended 12-16-2003 by Ord. No. 726]
In the event of a vacancy in the office of Borough
Manager, the Borough Council may appoint a temporary Borough Manager
and a temporary Zoning Officer to exercise the powers and to be subject
to the duties of the aforesaid offices. The person or persons so appointed
shall serve at the pleasure of Council at such salary as may be determined
by the Council upon such appointment. Additionally, in the event of
a vacancy in the office of Borough Manager, until a temporary Borough
Manager or permanent Borough Manager is appointed, Borough Council,
in accordance with applicable Pennsylvania law, shall exercise and
perform all of the rights, duties and obligations of the Borough Manager,
which duties, rights, powers and obligations may be assigned to the
appropriate standing committees of Borough Council.
[Added 12-11-2017 by Ord. No.
892]
Borough Council may from time to time appoint an Assistant Borough
Manager to exercise the powers of the Borough Manager in the absence
of the Borough Manager and/or at the direction of the Borough Manager.
The person or persons so appointed shall serve at the pleasure of
Council at such salary as may be determined by the Council upon such
appointment. Additionally, in the event of a vacancy in the office
of Borough Manager, such person may be appointed by Council to exercise
and perform all of the rights, duties and obligations of the Borough
Manager until the vacancy is filled.
