Council Votes To Remove Planning Board Member

 

By Dakota Hendricks

MATAMORAS — In a 5-2 decision, the Matamoras Borough Council voted to notify Dmitri Roby that they would be removing him from the Planning Board.
After another display of conduct the Council deemed inappropriate, Councilman Kevin Rose made a motion to remove Roby from his position. Roby missed the previous Planning Board meeting where an applicant presented an informal "sketch plan" that was quite detailed. Roby was not present to speak his mind and chose to collaborate with other Planning Board members outside of a meeting – potentially violating the Sunshine Act – to present a letter to the Borough Council on the informal proposal.
The decision to draft and present this letter was not made in an open meeting and had at least half the Planning Board involved. Roby wrote a similar letter in April after missing that month's Planning meeting and was reprimanded for his actions during the April Council meeting. Residents have lodged several complaints against Roby for alleged conflicts of interest and other issues at previous meetings.
Rose, who said at the previous meeting Roby's conduct could open up the Borough to a lawsuit, made a motion to remove Roby from the Planning Board after the required 15 days notice. Councilman Mark Madsen asked if Roby's conduct was a liability issue, and Solicitor Jason Ohliger said he would review and advise the Council afterward.
The motion was approved with Councilmen Dayne Losee and Eric Kudrich voting against the decision. Roby has 15 days to notify the Borough if he wants to hold a hearing on the issue. Roby informed the Board that he intends to ask for a hearing. Ohliger said the hearing would involve proving misfeasance, malfeasance and nonfeasance, each described as a failure to perform duties obligated by law........For more information subscribe to our paper.