-STOWE-
By Chadwick Dolgos
Pandemonium broke out during Stowe’s March 8 meeting after President Robin Parrilla challenged members of the audience about the commissioners’ record on responding to their concerns.
“I honestly want to ask you, what haven’t we done for you when you come here every month?, he said to several residents who have persistently called out Parrilla and his peers during recent meetings.
After listing a few complaints, including unresolved parking issues and animated electronic business signs, township resident Amy Urbano attempted to remove herself from the forthcoming confrontation.
“I’m not going to sit here and dispute this with you,” she said to Parrilla.
By then, the flood-gates were open, and the board lost control for a large portion of the meeting.
Commissioner Kelly Cropper-Hall and Parrilla went back and forth with residents Jeffrey and Patty Paul, Tyler Kochirka, Ron Gallagher and Urbano, addressing everything from Parrilla’s delinquent taxes and Cropper-Hall’s rental properties to the high rate of shootings in the area and political grudges. Everything was on the table.
It took more than 10 minutes for the board to regain control of the meeting and resume with their regular business.
While many of the issues brought forth have been addressed in the past, the frustration from both residents and board members on display during the meeting revealed that these issues have not yet been resolved.
Commissioner Cheryl McDermott, who did not engage in the chaos of the evening, took to Facebook to share her thoughts the following day.
“As an elected PROUD Stowe Twp. Commissioner, what I witnessed at last evening’s meeting was a disgrace,” she said. “The president and finance chair brought our meeting to pure embarrassment.”
Patty Paul, who Parrilla referred to as “the lady who wanted the favor in December with Santa Clause but never showed up,” also took to Facebook to share her thoughts, apologizing for feeding into the drama.
“President commissioner Robin Parrilla ruffled my feathers and I fell right into it,” she said. “No one can reason with Robin.”