At its May 7 meeting, Slippery Rock borough council observed a moment of silence honoring the memory of longtime resident Chuck Brochetti. The retired Slippery Rock University professor and longtime member of the borough’s water and sewer authority died April 20. He was 84.

Particularly poignant were the words of council President Russell Karl depicting Brochetti as a great friend of the town and its people — despite his penchant for challenging borough officials on a multitude of issues.

“We recently had the passing of a member of the community who was very close to this council as well as the borough,” Karl said. “Whether you agreed or disagreed with Chuck was irrelevant with the fact that he believed in this borough.”

The council’s gesture appeared noble and sincerely motivated. There’s no reason to believe otherwise.

Those paying tribute to Brochetti included Bonnie Davis, a landlord with several rental properties in Slippery Rock and, like Brochetti, a frequent audience member and participant at council meetings.

It was obvious that Davis and Brochetti shared a mutual respect and trust and kindred mission to hawk-eye local politicians. Davis said of Brochetti, “He would challenge council all the time. He was a very dedicated and honest and caring person. He couldn’t wait to come to this meeting.”

Five and a half years ago, a former Slippery Rock council member called for a moment of silence, that time to honor Davis’ life companion and business partner, Frank Monteleone.

The son of a former Slippery Rock mayor, Monteleone died Nov. 16, 2013, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His body was found outside the borough building — a location he chose, apparently, to punctuatehis frustrations with what he frequently called an unresponsive and vindictive local government.

According to the Butler Eagle news report of the meeting three days after Monteleone’s death, the moment of silence erupted into pandemonium requiring police Chief Terry Fedokovitz to restore order.

An editorial the next day suggested that the outburst “gives a measure of credence to Monteleone’s claim of vindictiveness,” and stated: “Whether you loved or hated Monteleone, it shouldn’t matter in a period of mourning for him.”

The decision Monteleone made to end his life was indefensible and senseless then. It still is. And painful memories should not be dredged up indifferently, unless there’s a point to be made. There is.

Monteleone went out with a bang; Davis, with a whimper. Last week she told council she’s selling her rental units and getting out of Slippery Rock. She said she’s frustrated with inadequate and uneven code enforcement. She said she’s tired of waiting for better governing that seems so slow in coming.

Maybe Davis does not relish a continuation of the battle without Brochetti there to guard her flank.

A month after Monteleone’s funeral, Brochetti penned a letter to the editor of the Eagle in which he quoted a particular French philosopher. He wrote, “About three centuries ago, Voltaire offered this satirical comment: ‘I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one. “Oh Lord, make my government look ridiculous.” And God granted it.’”

He added a rebuke: “By the way, Lord, cancel my prayer; council has already taken care of it.”

By outward measure and appearance, they’re working on it. They’re improving. By Davis’ measure, the changes came too slowly.

The sad thing is not that a new council will strive to prove Brochetti wrong; or ignore the rebuke and prove him right. The sad thing is that there might not be any Davis, Brochetti, Monteleone or other taxpaying witness on hand to give a damn one way or the other.