He officially retired on September 1st, but remained on site to help his successor acclimate to the general manager position.
Chuck Cardinale has spent most of his career as a member of the Charleroi Borough Authority, but he is ready to retire.
Cardinale officially resigned as ABC’s general manager on Sept. 1, but will remain as a consultant for the time being as the network’s new GM, former attorney Dennis Palso, settles into his new role.
Cardinale joined the agency in 1990 as a crew member working on the Monessen. At the time, offices existed in the communities they served.
“This building wasn’t here yet at the time. It had three different offices at the time,” Cardinale said.
In 2005, he bid for the position and accepted the position of water station operator as foreman, and in 2007 became water station superintendent.
Almost 10 years later, in 2016, he became an assistant to then-general manager Ed Goranka. Mr. Goranka retired in 2018 and recommended Mr. Cardinale for the position.
Over the years, there have been many changes, improvements, and challenges.
One of the biggest hurdles, aside from keeping operations running smoothly during a global pandemic and hiring a staff of nearly 40, is that Cardinale will be led by Palso and the ABC board of directors. With the support of everyone, they worked hard and succeeded in saving water. authority.
The Charleroi City Council has begun by discussing the idea of valuing its assets, including those of the Charleroi borough authority, starting in 2022.
It took several months, but in November the City Council took steps to begin the process, with or without ABC’s cooperation.
The authority has made its position clear, passing a resolution in October 2022 opposing the potential sale, arguing that the only reason for the appraisal is the sale.
Discussions between the City Council and the ABC continue, with the ABC tabled a proposal to purchase the borough-owned sewer line for $2 million to address the borough’s financial woes and hopefully avoid continued sales talks. The offer was rejected. It was rejected by Congress during a special session.
Negotiations continued in 2023, but at a special meeting on May 24, a resolution to dissolve the authority was proposed by the borough’s third-party legal representative, and a statement was read out that referred to finances and continued negotiations with the ABC. At the time, it was a little controversial. The reasons for the dissolution include the need to eventually build a long-term partnership and resolve issues with the district’s MS4 and collection systems.
In June, when the resolution was scheduled for its first reading, people packed into Charleroi’s community room to urge officials to reconsider.
After nearly two hours of public comment and discussion of the agenda, the late Frank Patera, then City Council President, said the ordinance would not be read and it was removed from the agenda.
On June 28, 2023, district officials agreed to take the possibility of dissolution or sale to an outside company off the table, and to allow ABC to purchase district-owned sewer pipes for $3.7 million. agreed to keep costs low and save jobs for dedicated staff.
It’s one of the things Cardinale is most proud of.
“It was a big deal for all of us,” Cardinale said. “All of us worked together, myself, Dennis, the whole board, some of the councilors, and I’m really proud of that, but most of all I’m really grateful. We saved it from privatization, kept jobs, and kept interest rates low.”
The fee structure has also been a priority for Cardinale since becoming general manager.
Sewerage rates have not increased since 2013, and water rates have remained unchanged since 2019.
Additionally, the district’s combined sewer overflow fee was lowered from $32 to $28 several years ago.
Keeping prices low and services high was important, as was the authority’s investment in infrastructure.
“We have invested heavily in infrastructure and water,” he said. “We are currently working on a $2 million project for a backup generator to power the plant.”
Although it was stressful at times, Cardinale was able to do the job with great help from his dedicated staff, who he considers like friends and family, including Mr. Palso, who served as his right-hand man for two years as a lawyer. I accomplished it.
Board members learned of Mr. Cardinale’s plans to retire and asked him for his recommendation.
Parso was at the top of the list.
“I didn’t want to choose who would replace me, but I recommended Dennis,” Cardinale said. For the past two years, I’ve been by your side day in and day out. He learned his job by working with me every day, as we were together all day and sometimes on the phone all night. The board was impressed by that. ”
ABC’s board of directors voted to hire Mr. Palso at its Aug. 27 meeting. He took office on September 1st.
When Parso was first approached about taking the role, he did not take it seriously.
“At first I thought it was a joke, but the more I thought about it, the more I appreciated the time I spent here, especially the long hours I worked with Chuck and Beth last year,” he says. . Said. “The Authority has a great board of directors, great employees and a great management team, and I felt surrounded by so many great people that I could take on the role of general manager.”
Paluso feels ready for the challenge.
“I am excited about this new opportunity to continue serving the community in a different way,” he said.
Cardinale is confident the board made the right decision.
“I know Dennis will do a good job,” Cardinale said. “He deserves it.”
Looking back on his career, he says it wouldn’t have been possible without being surrounded by great staff and learning from industry greats like the late Walter Hopkins, ABC’s former chairman of the board, who passed away during the pandemic.
“There are a lot of people I want to thank for helping me get to this point,” Cardinale said. “I would like to thank Chairman Tom Santoro and the current Board of Directors, as well as former Board members during my tenure as General Manager. All of the staff and employees here are just a great group of people. Without them, I would like to thank I wouldn’t be able to do the job I love.”
He plans to remain at the ABC as a consultant for now, but his retirement is on track with only a month left.
“I keep myself busy and have a lot of projects at home and help out my family,” Cardinale said. “It’s only been a few weeks, but I think I’m getting used to it.”
