Wilkinsburg council last week tabled a vote to open its committee meetings to the public, but it opened the door for what likely will be a lengthy discussion on the matter next week.

Council voted 5-4 Jan. 20 to table Pamela Macklin's motion to open the borough's committee meetings to the public, including council members not serving on committees. In January 2008, council President Eugenia Moore announced that borough committee meetings would be closed to the public and they have been since then.

Vice President Jason Cohn said he favors open meetings but believes Ms. Moore has the authority to decide how to organize meetings.

Solicitor Isobel Storch said borough code gives council presidents the power to establish operating procedures for committee meetings but doesn't allow them to determine who can attend meetings.

The Pennsylvania Sunshine Act requires meetings to be open to the public with advertised meeting dates when actions are taken by a quorum, or majority, of borough council. Wilkinsburg has three council members assigned to each of its seven committees and would need five members to establish a quorum.

Ms. Moore said that a meeting on Wednesday will include discussion of the borough's five-year comprehensive plan, an outline of the benefits of a revised committee structure and the reorganization of committees for this year.

She said she supports closed meetings because they allow committee members to conduct business without intervention from other council members.

"We did this so we don't have so much micromanagement going on in the committees," she said.

But Ms. Macklin said opening committee meetings was one of her highest priorities during last year's election campaign and that open meetings were "necessary" to the democratic process.

Council voted to appoint Ms. Macklin as chairwoman of the planning commission.

It also voted to pay borough tax collector Almetta Seate $1,300 over two years of service and to spend $30,000 for a new telephone system at the borough building.

Councilman Carl Lewis suggested paying Ms. Seate $1,300 for the entire four-year term because of the borough's financial difficulties and because actual collection duties are performed by Berkheimer Tax Administrators.

But Mr. Cohn said the borough has had a greater rate of success with collections since Ms. Seate took on the role in 2008 and passed duties to Berkheimer, and Ms. Seate's pay should be at least comparable to past collectors.

"I want to remind people of the absolute nightmare we had in tax collection," he said. "Tax collection is running smoothly right now."

Ms. Seate acknowledged her tax collector duties are limited to answering basic tax questions and said she refers problem cases to Berkheimer, but she said she deserves to be paid to represent the borough.

"If you want me to represent something, pay me for it. I'm retired, most of my retirement benefits are going toward health care, I need the money," said Ms. Seate, 84. She said she would not run for tax collector after the completion of this term.

Council also passed a motion to donate space in the borough building to establish a testing center for potential Census employees and as a Census resource center for residents.

The Census Bureau is hiring Wilkinsburg residents for full- and part-time employment at $15 per hour.

Benita Johnson of the U.S. Census Bureau gave a presentation on the collection process and outlined requirements for those who want to work for the bureau. She said the count will affect the borough's funding for the next decade.

"Energy assistance... senior, disabled housing, public schools, clinic funding -- are all based on census information," she said. "It's like giving this borough a tax return, money coming back to the community for the next 10 years.

"When you don't fill out that questionnaire and send it back, you hurt yourself and you hurt this borough."

For more information on employment with the U.S. Census Bureau, call the borough building, 412-244-2900.

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