Shenandoah code enforcement officer resigns
KAYLEE LINDENMUTH / SHENANDOAH SENTINEL - Shenandoah Streets Worker Joe Michalik sets up a camera as Code Enforcement Officer Mark Pronio holds the ladder on June 6, 2024.
SHENANDOAH – Shenandoah’s code enforcement officer is leaving the job as of this Friday.
Borough Council accepted Mark Pronio’s resignation at Monday night’s council meeting, effective June 19.
“It has been a pleasure over the past year serving those citizens who take pride in this community,” Pronio wrote in his resignation letter, as read aloud by Tony Sajone, borough manager. “It has also been a privilege enforcing out ordinances and holding those property owners legally accountable who do not have the same community pride.”
Pronio was not present at Monday’s council meeting.
He had been among the most effective code enforcement officers in the borough’s recent history, spearheading the demolition of the M&T Quart Store at Main and Cherry Streets and the installation of trail cameras in trash dumping hotspots in town.
At last month’s meeting, Pronio was championing a blight remediation program in the borough.
“I’ll draw up the outline,” Pronio said at the time. “I want the language to read in a way that it will supplement or help us cultivate more grant money in the future.”
“I need council to be on board with me,” Pronio added. “I’m not going to waste the time doing this if you guys aren’t going to approve this.”
“If we’re serious about turning Shenandoah around and picking up the blighted properties,” Pronio continued, ” I remember talking about it at a meeting a couple months ago, I don’t remember the last time we built anything in Shenandoah. Well, if we do this, I guarantee you we’ll be building.”
Discussion of the blight remediation program was on Monday’s agenda and was tabled following Pronio’s resignation.
In his resignation letter, Pronio said he was proud of the work he’d accomplished and looked forward to seeing those efforts built upon.
“I appreciate those members of council who have the best interests of the borough of Shenandoah at heart and sacrifice their personal time to make Shenandoah a better place without agenda or rancor,” Pronio continued in his letter, as read by Sajone. “I sincerely urge the council to strive for much more professionalism and decorum particularly at monthly meetings as it continues to work to serve the people of Shenandoah.”
Following Pronio’s resignation, Council President Joe Boris asked for a motion to advertise his position immediately, motioned by Diane Korenda and seconded by Mike “Zeckie” Uholik.
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