Evanick says no to buyout

By PAT LITOWITZ
plitowitz@ncnewsonline.com

The Lawrence County Housing Authority's executive director rejected an early retirement package last week.

The announcement surprised two of the board's four members, who had not approved the proposal made to Robert Evanick.

"I don't know how they can offer him a buyout without consulting the board first," Ernestine Wise said last night.

"I don't know anything about it."

Chairman Robert Heath also expressed his frustration.

"I wasn't really told a dollar amount," he said. "They asked me if I was for a buyout and I said no.

"For one reason, we couldn't afford a buyout. And I don't think Mr. Evanick wanted to leave."

When contacted yesterday, Evanick downplayed the controversy.

"They wanted to give me an incentive to take an early retirement, and I decided that I just wanted to continue working."

The question of who authorized talks with Evanick is not clear. Board member Donald "Ducky" Conti said Evanick was "pondering on retiring." Other than denying Evanick was offered $200,000 to leave, Conti provided no additional information.

"That number is too large," he said.

Board member Jeffrey Scrim, who is on vacation, and suspended board member Gary F. Felasco could not be reached for comment.

Although Evanick is a civil service employee, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development does not have a say on his buyout package. HUD provides the authority with its funding.

"They had offered me a cash incentive and paying for my sick time and vacation time," Evanick said. "I told them I just wasn't interested. I want to work for five more years until I'm 65."

The question of where Evanick will work during that time also is being raised. A source familiar with housing authority issues, who requested anonymity, said Evanick was relocating to Pittsburgh once mayor-elect Bob O'Connor takes office.

The source said Evanick was expected to be hired by Pittsburgh's housing authority.

Dick Skrinjar, O'Connor communications director, quickly rejected that as rumor.

"I know nothing about it," he said yesterday. "The chief of staff will sit in on all the hirings that we do here. It's premature to have announcements about other people's positions."

Evanick said he could not comment on that report.

The housing authority has been mired in controversy. Along with Felasco's notoriety, issues involving the cost of the agency's cars and the combining of contracts for painting and grass-cutting plagued the authority last year. HUD suspended Felasco - who is the county treasurer and facing criminal charges involving theft - from his board seat on Nov. 29.

Evanick has disassociated himself from another agency, Affordable Housing of Lawrence County. Formed in August 2003 by the housing authority, the objective of the nonprofit group was to build housing for low-income families.

"We originally decided we were going to build new housing for the disabled," said Evanick, who last week left the board he was serving as chairman. "Once (the organization) decided to go the route of buying individual houses and fixing them up, then I lost interest in it."

Addressing Evanick's departure from Affordable Housing, Conti speculated that events surrounding the housing authority had made Evanick "gun shy."


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