Questions about the status of the executive director of the Butler County Housing and Redevelopment Authority may be answered at a meeting on Friday.

Executive director Perry O’Malley was placed on administrative leave Jan. 15 for undisclosed personnel reasons.

Authority solicitor Andrew Menchyk said the authority’s board will have a 10 a.m. meeting at the authority’s office on Woody Drive.

Board chairman Margaret Clawson said this morning that she could not discuss O’Malley’s situation, but she said questions that people have likely will be answered at Friday’s meeting.

“Those interested should really attend,” Clawson said, noting that there will be a public comment period.

Menchyk on Tuesday would not say whether discussion of O’Malley’s leave will be on the agenda of the meeting.

“The agenda for the meeting hasn’t been finalized yet,” he said.

However, board member Jerry Andree said some aspects of the leave likely will be discussed then.

Neither Menchyk nor board members have provided a reason why O’Malley, who has been with the authority for nearly two decades, was placed on leave.

Menchyk and Andree met with county commissioners this past Friday to discuss the leave. Andree said the meeting was less than half an hour.

“We just discussed the process we’re going through,” Andree said. “And we let them know there has been no impact on the authority’s services or its residents.”

Andree did not elaborate on the meeting.

Commissioner Jim Eckstein said the county commissioners were not told an exact reason why O’Malley was placed on leave, but said the authority should be sharing the information with the public.

“This is common sense to me,” Eckstein said.

Menchyk maintains that O’Malley’s leave is a personnel matter that allows it to remain an issue the board can discuss in a private executive session.

Menchyk declined to comment on the meeting with the commissioners.

Attorney John Trant is the interim executive director for the authority. Menchyk said the authority board expects O’Malley to return after the indefinite leave.

In another staff action, the board in December voted to approve a promotion for Sandra Reges, the operations manager for the authority, to be deputy executive director. Menchyk said that promotion is dependent upon approval from the state’s Civil Service Commission.

Clawson said she could not comment on the deputy executive director’s position.

O’Malley continues to be paid his salary of about $128,000 per year.

The housing and redevelopment authority oversees more than 600 housing units for low-to-moderate- income individuals and the elderly. It also oversees multiple programs, including one dealing with blighted properties.