The title "Mayor" tends to conjure up images of men in suits who might be a touch unapproachable and a little stiff.

 

Plum Mayor Rich Hrivnak is none of those things.

 

Even in a suit, Hrivnak's warm smile and thoughtful manner make people feel comfortable.

 

After a few months in office, he's the first to admit that becoming mayor of the town he's lived in most of his life has been a learning experience.

 

"It's been a lot of fun," he says with a broad grin. "I've been enjoying learning things."

 

Hrivnak was on council in the mid-1990s so he had an idea of how local government works before campaigning for mayor.

 

But, this role is different. As mayor he has no vote and no official say in council decisions.

 

That doesn't mean he doesn't weigh in on important issues.

 

"I have a good bit of input on the issues that need my input," he says. "But, I don't feel the need to comment on everything just because I want to make sure I have my say."

 

In Plum, like many small communities, the mayor's primary function is to oversee the police department.

 

"I have a good teacher in Chief Bob Payne. It's his department and it's his to run."

 

Hrivnak feels his role in police matters should be that of an advisor and he lends his human resources and business experience to department issues.

 

He looks at the department's troubled history and ongoing FBI investigation as in the past and says Payne is doing a great job.

 

"I hope it's resolved soon one way or the other.

 

"Then we can continue to move forward."

 

Early in his first term as mayor, Hrivnak started a new program in the borough geared toward helping children.

 

"Plum Reads!" is a reading program designed to get books into the hands of new parents to increase literacy in the borough.

 

"All mayors have pet projects and I wanted to do something to help kids in general."

 

Development might not fall under the heading of "pet projects," but the potential Plum Borough boom is something that keeps Hrivnak thinking of ways to bring smart development to town, to make an inevitable expansion to im-prove the quality of life.

 

"We're at a point in history where we have a lot of housing development and we have to balance that with commercial and retail, and reduce the tax burden on residents. We need more services without more taxes. We need to bring controlled development to the borough."

 

Hrivnak's vision is that of a town center. The borough owns 110 acres in Renton and council is in the process of figuring out what to do with it.

 

Part of the property will go toward a new public works building.

 

Hrivnak would like to see the land used to develop a central meeting place for Plum residents. Maybe a new borough building, a post office, coffee shops, small retail and sidewalks. He says Plum is like a series of small towns with no real meeting place, no main street.

 

"You could pick up a paper, your dry cleaning, have a cup of coffee. We may also be able to expand our parks and recreation with an outdoor amphitheater like the one in New Kensington. There is an opportunity for us and we have enough space to do it."

 

He's doing a lot of research into this concept, including looking at funding from county sources. He envisions a public-private partnership. The Renton site might qualify for brownfield redevelopment money because a portion of it rests on old mine property.

 

Another project Hrivnak is eager to get started is that of a coal-miner's memorial. He'd like to recognize that people from all different backgrounds worked in the many mines around the borough and kept the town together.

 

"It would be a great way to honor those men," says Hrivnak who has spoken to members of the Allegheny Foothills Historical Society, graphic designers and others about the creation of a memorial. "It would take a community effort but it's something we can do."

 

When Hrivnak isn't working on borough matters, or as the director of human resources for Leed's, a promotional product vendor, he is at work on his most important job -- being Richie's dad. Richie is 3 years old and he is the light of his father's life.

 

Hrivnak and his wife, Charlene, operate a Toys for Tots benefit every Christmas and the couple is teaching Richie how important it is to help others.

 

"I'm the most blessed man in the world and it's our responsibility as humans to give back."