Londonderry Township hires new manager, waives residency rule and appoints zoning officer

The Londonderry Township Board of Supervisors on Jan. 9 unanimously approved hiring David Blechertas as the township's new manager, authorized a waiver of the township's residency requirement for the position and appointed Duane Brady Jr. as the full-time zoning officer and building codes official.

Londonderry Township Board of Supervisors Chair Bart Shellenhamer called the special meeting to order at 7 p.m. Solicitor Jim Diamond presented the employment agreement for David Blechertas and asked the board for a motion to hire and appoint him as Township Manager effective Jan. 24, 2024. Supervisor Anna Dale moved the appointment and Vice Chair Ron Kopp seconded; the motion was recorded as initially stating a salary of $133,000 but was corrected during the meeting to reflect an annual salary of $130,000. The motion passed unanimously.

The board then voted to waive any requirement in the township code that the township manager reside within Londonderry Township municipal limits. Secretary/Treasurer Mike Geyer moved the waiver, which was seconded by Supervisor Mel Hershey; the motion passed unanimously.

The board next considered the hiring of Duane Brady Jr. as the full-time Township Zoning Officer and Building Codes Official, effective Jan. 16, 2024, at a salary of $70,000 per year with the full-time employee benefits outlined in the employment summary provided to Mr. Brady. Supervisor Anna Dale moved the appointment; Vice Chair Ron Kopp seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.

The Honorable Judge David Judy administered oaths to both appointees in the meeting record.

Separately, the board set the termination date for outgoing Township Manager Steve Letavic's employment agreement to Jan. 31, 2024. The motion to set the termination date was moved by Supervisor Mel Hershey and seconded by Secretary/Treasurer Mike Geyer and was recorded as passing unanimously.

What this means: The board completed multiple personnel actions in a single special meeting, formalizing management transitions and adjusting a residency requirement for the chief administrative post. No votes recorded in the minutes showed dissent; the minutes record each motion as passing unanimously. The meeting recessed for an executive session at 7:10 p.m. to discuss a personnel matter with legal counsel and reconvened at 7:30 p.m.

The board did not record additional details about the manager employment agreement beyond the effective date and corrected salary, nor did the minutes record individual roll-call votes beyond noting unanimous passage. The minutes indicate both appointees received their oaths before the meeting adjourned.