Penn Forest resident Jeff Antonucci cited ethics violations and personal enrichment charges against Penn Forest Supervisor Alan Katz, for what he claimed were lewd and vulgar renderings of Penn Forest Township depicted where residents are called "clowns" in a website produced and written by Katz.

Katz was blasted by members of the public at the Penn Forest Board of Supervisors meeting Monday night, for behavior contrary to representation of the township.Katz remained quiet during the public forum as he aimed a camera at the more than 60 people in attendance. Some footage of the public had previously been shot during meetings and placed into what Katz calls his "unofficial website."While recording and documenting public meetings is within the law, residents argued that a private citizen has certain expectations of privacy that the courts tend to respect, which public officials lose as a trade off for transparency within government. Public officials are elected leaders whose expectation of privacy is diminished by the nature of being public and an "elected official."Antonucci asked Chairman Paul Montemuro, "Have you seen the website?"Montemuro replied, "Yes." He smiled, appearing hesitant."Mr. Montemuro, you need to decide which side of the fence you are on," Antonucci said clearly. "If you are on his, you are not with us."Antonucci read from the Pennsylvania Board of Township Supervisors Ethics Rules, which he said states to avoid conflicts of interests in personal and private affairs that, "Public Office is a Public Trust." Antonucci charged Katz with using the name Penn Forest. In addition, the website degrades and dehumanizes persons who are recognizable within the township as a parody, but also clearly makes issue with political agendas, he said.He said that the website calls residents "clowns," and there is an obese woman unbuttoning her pants. There is a parody, he said, of deceased former township Supervisor Harry Connolly.He also noted the various advertising of Katz' businesses co-mingled on the site, advertising his financial services, his rental business, and other purposes to gain personal enrichment off of the township, thereby creating for himself ethics violations.Antonucci looked at Katz while he was speaking. Katz continued to look through the lens of the camera aiming it at Antonucci. He told Katz that he does not expect to be on his website.Antonucci seemed both angry and frustrated, and said, "Do us a favor, your fired."There was applause and agreement from members of the public during his time at the podium.Antonucci said an ethics violation would be filed.Resident Fred Kirkpatrick also addressed the supervisors, expressing his discontent with the behavior of Katz and recalled behaviors Katz displayed at the May 7 supervisors' meeting, when Katz was teleconferencing by phone because he was out of the country. The meeting was both confusing and irritating for the public who listened to Katz's sentences in fragments, and his seemingly callous responses over other supervisors, he didn't stop talking at times.And unknown to him, obviously because he was on the phone, the chairman was picking up the gavel to stop him when words couldn't or wouldn't. Kirkpatrick spoke strongly against Katz' website and his behavior as an elected official. The response to Kirkpatrick from the public was affirmative and they applauded in agreement.After the meeting in response to the public's anger over his website and the ethics violations allegations, Katz said, "It's for entertainment purposes only. If you don't like the content, don't tune in."Katz said it wasn't the first time he dealt with ethics investigations, adding that he was involved with investigators when the township tax collector was violating ethics and fined. He said that he would argue about personal enrichment charges."No personal gain," he said.He also provided a copy of a letter he submitted to the township last year which can be found on his website. It is a letter of pointed items Katz deemed necessary to running the township office in both a legal and professional model. He said some items have been done and improved while other items remain open. The letter is reticent of a concerned elected official who has researched the township, not the supervisor who has been publicly ridiculed and asked to be removed from office.Chairman Montemuro had no comment about Katz' website or the public reaction to it.In other business, author and environmentalist, Jeff Williams approached the supervisors requesting support to prevent the Bethlehem Authority's Proposed Wind Farm."I am all for clean energy," he said, "but not at the expense of the environment."In a lengthy thorough impact study, written and researched by Williams, who wrote 25 books on Pennsylvania's outdoors, he asked for supervisors' protection of the area deemed The Penn Forest Property and asked supervisors to contact Bethlehem City Council to oppose the plan to place wind turbines by Delsea Energy along Call Mountain."I hate the board taking any position …," said solicitor Tom Nanovic.Penn Forest Supervisors committed last month to researching ordinances pertaining to gas and oil industries or to the Marcellus Shale Industries and Wind Turbines like neighboring municipalities have already done. Nearby Kidder Township has taken a lead in developing ordinances and emergency preparedness plans to regulate any industry considering the township's resources. This is the second month that the solicitor stopped a supervisor from stating an opinion about the wind turbines and the township's relation to that industry.Montemuro said previously that no money would come into the township as a result of the wind turbines and that the township has no authority for any regulation, even if it falls within the township's boundaries.Williams thanked the members for listening.The past boards have done motions improperly or illegally and Montemuro said that's going to end.Look up "Motions" he said, referring to the township code. Motions must follow procedure, and it will start now, he said. A motion passed to follow procedure on motions.Supervisor Judy Knappenberger is no longer personnel manager, a motion passed unanimously.Montemuro said a payment of $16,700 was received by the Pa. Turnpike for land purchased.There was discussion between supervisors over replacing deceased Supervisor Harry Connolly's seat. A meeting was held on May 25, where each supervisor proposed to place a person of their choice in his seat. However, Supervisor Knappenberger said she was against that process for fear of that person being a friend. So they all left that meeting at a standstill, with no outcome."We are at a stalemate now," she said.The next meeting will be on July 2 at 7 p.m.