Frackville council members voted Thursday night to launch a third-party investigation into a borough employee or borough employees.
Solicitor Mark Semanchik did not disclose who is the focus of the investigation and was tight-lipped on any aspect of it, just saying that it involved an employee or employees.
On Thursday, council members were unanimous in approving a contract with Strategic Investigative Resources LLC, of Lansdale, to conduct the investigation. The company was founded and operated by James F. McGowan, a retired homicide investigator with 21 years of investigation experience.
McGowan’s firm provides third-party investigation services to municipal governments, among other functions, according to its website.
Frackville agreed to pay McGowan $175 per hour. For that money, McGowan requested that he be named the “designated investigator” in this matter. He’ll complete a review of all policies, reports, documents, and recordings.
The investigation will include recorded interviews of those involved, which the borough will receive upon their completion. A report will be prepared detailing McGowan’s findings.
McGowan also requested that Frackville name a single point-of-contact for the borough as he conducts the investigation. Council members approved Semanchik for that role.
The vote to open the investigation by hiring McGowan’s firm was added to Thursday’s meeting agenda as a result of an executive session held prior to it. The borough announced previous executive sessions on Sept. 8 and Aug. 27.
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