A divided Coatesville council Monday night renewed a three-year contract for City Manager Harry Walker and agreed to a one-year contract extension for Police Chief William Matthews to allow him additional time to recover from an unspecified medical condition now preventing him from obtaining mandatory state certification.

It was Matthews continued failure to become Act 130 certified that drew the ire of of a handful of city residents who attended the meeting in protest of continuing Matthews employment. At one point during the public comment section of the meeting, Council President Karen Jorgenson attempted to shout down James Pitcherella of Sterling Street who was challenging Matthew's ability to function as the city's top cop.

"The only significant thing he (Matthews) has done is walk to the bank and cash his check," Pitcherella had remarked earlier in the meeting.

Council Member Kurt Schenk termed Pitcherella's comments egregious. "He (Matthews) is a brilliant man. He is writing the books that other chiefs are reading." Schenk, who has supported Matthews since his hiring in April 27, 2007, said Matthews is setting up the police department for "great things in the future".

Matthew's original contract dated May 22, 2007, required him to obtain state certification as outlined by the Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission (MPOETC). At the end of last year, Walker announced that Matthews was unable to take the state certification test because of a still undisclosed injury that prevented him from taking the physical part of the exam.

"Every police chief in Pennsylvania is Act 120 certified. Why can't our police chief be state certified?" asked Joe Hamrick of 13th Avenue. And Mike Zemacke of Sterling Street questioned Matthews whether he had a badge and implied without Act 120 certification he might be charged with impersonating a police officer if he did present a badge. Matthews said he did have a badge.

The actual status of Matthew's injury, which Walker said was no job related, was questioned by Council Member Marty Eggleston, who joined with Council Member Ed Simpson in casting the only two negative votes against the chief's contract extension. Eggleston asked Walker whether he had seen a medical report. Walker said there is no documentation on file. However, Matthews had provided written authorization for the city to contact his doctors.

Council Member Patsy Ray said it was Matthews who was responsible for the city keeping its Weed and Seed grants. "If you say he is only an administrator, maybe that's what the city needed all along," she said.

The resolution approved by council extending Matthews contract noted that the police department is "undergoing dramatic change" and needs continued "stable leadership."

Schenk said he would like to see Lt. Julius Canale take over as police chief once Matthews leaves. "He (Matthews) said when he came here he wasn't going to stay for an extended time."

Those voting for Matthews' contract extension were: Council members Kareem Johnson, Robin Scott, Patsy Ray, Kurt Schenk, and Council President Karen Jorgenson.

At the end of the meeting, Jorgenson apologized to Pitcherella for not allowing him to speak uninterrupted during the three-minutes members of the public are allowed to speak before council.

Walker's contract was approved without much comment. Simpson cast the lone dissenting vote; Eggleston abstained. Later he said his abstention should not be viewed as support for Walker's contract. "because I am not."

Walker was hired in 2006 to a two-year contract netting him $85,000 annually. He received a 3-percent pay increase along with other city administrators last year that increased is salary to $87,000. The new contract does not call for a pay increase. Walker said Monday night that he is to be paid an additional $16,000 by the city Redevelopment Authority where he serves as executive director; however, he has forgone that salary until the RDA becomes fiscally solvent. Both his predecessors, former city managers Jean Krack and Paul Janssen, were paid extra for serving as RDA executive directors.

Matthews will continue to be paid $83,000 under the terms of his one-year contract extension.