Secretary's computer monitored

From the BCCT.

Impassioned infighting and underhanded behavior: Not just for Morrisville any longer.

Officials: Secretary's computer monitored
By: JAMES MCGINNIS
Bucks County Courier Times

Accusations flew back and forth despite the borough solicitor's warning that personnel matters should remain confidential.

Six years before her recent suspension, Tullytown Secretary Beth Pirolli's work computer was fitted with a device to track her activity, borough officials disclosed Tuesday night during a heated town hall meeting.

As the regular council meeting quickly devolved into a discussion about Pirolli, Councilman Rick Adams said then-resident Ed Armstrong, who is now a councilman, personally "put on the rubber gloves" and had installed a device on the borough's secretary work computer to monitor it for political activity.

Adams said the bill for the device had been filed under another name and he challenged Armstrong and others at the meeting to take a lie detector test and answer questions about the alleged incident.

Armstrong flatly denied installing any such device. Armstrong said it was Adams who had approached him in 2003 to ask whether it was possible to monitor Pirolli's computer. Armstrong said he told Adams that it was possible to monitor the computer, but he denied any further involvement.

Beth Pirolli's sister Holly Kettler said at the meeting Armstrong "was obsessed" with the borough secretary, who was suspended March 26 after a closed-door meeting of the Tullytown Council.

Kettler asked whether anyone had contacted her sister to talk about the allegations that led to the suspension. Council President Joseph Shellenberger said that no one had contacted her.

There was certainly plenty of talk about the borough secretary Tuesday, though she wasn't in the borough hall to hear it or to respond. The newspaper was also unable to reach Pirolli after a visit to her home on Main Street.

The details about Pirolli's career and her recent suspension were discussed publicly and for about an hour during the meeting. Borough solicitor Mike Sellers repeatedly cautioned that such that personnel matters should remain confidential.

At the March 26 meeting, Councilwoman Mary Ann Gahagan had publicly stated that at least some of the allegations involved certain checks that were found in Pirolli's desk.

The borough secretary was suspended with an affirming vote by council members George Fox, Ed Czyzyk, Shellenberger and Armstrong. The motion to suspend Pirolli included a condition that she should continue to receive both pay and benefits.

However, Councilman Matt Pirolli, Beth's brother, said she was not being paid and he wanted to know why. Pirolli abstained last month from voting on her suspension.

Shellenberger said there was "a very good answer" as to why the borough secretary had not been paid.

That reason was discussed in a closed-door meeting and should remain confidential, Shellenberger said.

Longtime borough resident Al DiGiovanni said he came to the council meeting Tuesday night to complain about basketball hoops on his street.

"But from what I'm seeing here tonight," he said, "you guys have a much bigger problems than I have."