‘Tremendously difficult to replace.’ Embattled Halfmoon Township manager hands in resignation
A month after an attempt to fire her failed, Halfmoon Township Manager Denise Gembusia has handed in her resignation.
On the consent agenda for Thursday night’s township meeting is “acknowledgment of manager resignation, effective March 31, 2022.” Following a series of heated meetings, the agenda also includes a letter from an architect withdrawing his proposal for a township project out of concerns about “serious issues concerning the way the Board of Supervisors conducts their business.”
The Centre Daily Times on Wednesday contacted all five members of the board of supervisors. Chair David Piper, Vice Chair Ron Servello and Supervisor Chuck Beck did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In an email, Halfmoon supervisor Robert Strouse said he is “disappointed” that Gembusia, who has been with the township since March 2020, is resigning.
“Her professionalism, knowledge and preparedness will be sorely missed, and tremendously difficult to replace. I wish her success in her coming endeavors,” he said.
“I find it truly shameful how several members of our board, as well as a few members of the community have treated Ms. Gembusia since the beginning of the year. This treatment was highly unprofessional and undeserving, and I am concerned with how we will be able to recruit a qualified candidate to the now open position with the mistreatment of the previous manager part of the public record.”
Supervisor Patricia Hartle agreed, stating Gembusia’s resignation “is a tangible loss for the township,” and said the impact will be immediate.
“Throughout her tenure her municipal knowledge, professionalism and work ethic was an incredible asset for the township,” Hartle wrote in an email.
“Since the beginning of the year, the Halfmoon Township Board of Supervisors has had a new member and a new chairperson. It is regrettable that the manner in which a majority of this board has chosen to operate has lead to Ms. Gembusia’s resignation,” Hartle wrote. During the March 10 meeting, Strouse and Hartle voted to appoint a new chair of the board, but the motion didn’t pass.
Gembusia declined to comment.
How did we get here?
In a contentious Feb. 25 meeting, a motion to fire Gembusia failed 3-2, with Piper and Beck voting in favor. There was little insight into why they wanted to fire her; the only reason Piper provided was that Gembusia is “defiant.”
During the next meeting, March 10, the board held an hour-long executive session for “personnel,” as requested by Piper and Servello. After hearing an outpouring of support for Gembusia during public comment, the split board later voted to attempt to move toward a resolution with the manager. That included a “corrective performance process” that was expected to be 60-90 days, though few details were given about the process. Piper and Beck voted in opposition.
Gembusia’s last performance review was in December 2021. According to documents obtained by the CDT, former board chair Danelle Del Corso sent Gembusia a summary review of the board’s feedback on her performance, on behalf of the board, on Dec. 16, 2021. The board ranked her performance consistently at 3 or 4, out of 5, in various areas.
When questioned by residents — some wearing “We stand with Denise” stickers — about what the plan was if the board fired Gembusia, none was given. Beck told them, “Wait and see.”
In an email Wednesday, Strouse and Hartle said they were unaware of any plan in place to replace the manager at this time.
More issues
Also on Thursday’s agenda is a letter from a State College-based design architect, Michael Siggins. He had submitted a proposal for alterations to the Halfmoon Township Municipal Building, but he has since withdrawn it.
“I attended the last board of supervisors meeting and watched the previous two meetings on YouTube. I came away with the opinion that there are some serious issues concerning the way the Board of Supervisors conducts their business for the township and with the citizens of the township,” Siggins wrote.
The proposal was still under consideration, Strouse said. The township is attempting to move its administrative offices from the current location to the community center. That center has two large meeting rooms, and it was the township’s intent to convert one of the two rooms into administrative office space so they could then terminate the lease on the current office space, Strouse said, therefore saving the lease payment dollars.
Siggins wrote the board’s position regarding the details and scope is “ill defined at best.”
“I am also concerned by what I perceive to be a potential for the relationship between the Board of Supervisors and myself to be adversarial and, most importantly, present circumstances that could result in professional liability for me and my consultants.”
This story was originally published March 23, 2022 at 4:41 PM.
