(News)

Council President Mike Cherepko and City Controller Ray Malinchak squared off again Wednesday night over an investigation into McKeesport's trash-hauling contract.

The fireworks at last night's city council meeting came hours after the Daily News reported that Malinchak is going ahead with his long-rumored plans to run for mayor this fall against Cherepko, the Democratic candidate.

Council for months has been arguing over the city's trash collection bills, which are about 20 percent higher than expected since the contract was switched from Allied Waste Services to Clairton-based Nickolich Sanitation. The increase in tonnage from 10,000 to 12,000 tons per year has virtually wiped out the $800,000 that officials hoped to save by switching from Allied to Nickolich.

In April, council voted to conduct an investigation into why the amount of trash being picked up has increased, and in May invited the company's president, Nickolas Nickolich, to answer questions from officials and the public.

But one week later, Malinchak announced that he was launching his own investigation, and that he had hired Corporate Security and Investigations of Monaca, Beaver County, to conduct a probe.

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Last night, Malinchak attacked Cherepko for saying that council would not reimburse him for hiring CSI. "You made a statement, mister council president, saying that you would 'see me in court,'" Malinchak said. "Why would you say that? You must already know how people are going to vote."

Cherepko retorted: "Mr. Malinchak, anyone up here who can read the Home Rule Charter knows that you had no authority to go out and begin this investigation."

Malinchak has frequently been at odds with Cherepko and other allies of former Mayor James Brewster. On Wednesday, Patrick Cloonan of the Daily News reported that Malinchak is gathering signatures to run against Cherepko this fall as an independent. There is no Republican candidate filed.

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Malinchak's investigation has been disruptive and intrusive, claimed Councilman Dale McCall, with some city employees being questioned at home. McCall asked why CSI is targeting city workers, when trash hauling is done by an outside contractor. "Our employees are getting caught up in something that they shouldn't have been caught up in," he said.

But Councilman Darryl Segina --- who ran for mayor against Cherepko in the May Democratic primary --- criticized Cherepko for not taking swifter action. "You had the opportunity to take control of this investigation, and instead, you tried to bury it," Segina said.

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Requests for proposals have been sent twice to at least six private investigation firms, Cherepko said, and none of them would bid on the job. He added that Nickolich's testimony at the May meeting had cleared up many of the questions.

Nickolich and his attorney, John Linkosky, said that trash collection has increased because of the high percentage of rental properties in McKeesport, dumping at McKee's Point Marina and other locations, and because Nickolich crews remove rubbish, including construction debris, that previous haulers wouldn't take.

CSI expects to complete its probe by September, Malinchak said.