Connellsville police outline relaxed hiring rules and describe PUC-driven water service‑line inspections

Connellsville — The Connellsville Police Department on Sept. 16 told the city council it will change its hiring process to expand the pool of applicants, offer signing bonuses and coordinate outreach about an upcoming Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) requirement that water utilities identify service‑line materials at customer residences.

The police chief said the department will no longer require applicants to already hold Act 120 certification to apply for entry‑level officer positions, allowing the city to recruit candidates who would complete academy training after hire. "The idea is to get as many applicants as possible," the police chief said, adding that six people had already picked up applications.

The department also discussed offering a signing bonus tied to a written agreement requiring a minimum three‑year commitment from recipients and said the solicitor is drafting the required paperwork. "With the signing bonus, they also would have to sign an agreement that they would be committed here for at least 3 years," the police chief said. The department said it will coordinate any agreement with the city's collective‑bargaining unit and civil‑service rules.

Council and staff discussed internal promotion testing as well. The department said a corporal position opened when an officer left and that three patrol officers are eligible to take a written exam and oral interview for promotion. The police chief said the written test and oral interview are scheduled for next month and confirmed the civil service board handles the appointment process.

Separately, the chief described work by Pennsylvania American Water to comply with a PUC order requiring identification of materials used in service lines that deliver water into homes. The chief said contractors working for the company will need access to basements or wherever the service line enters a residence to determine whether lines are lead, copper or plastic. He said the utility has until 2027 to complete the work and that residents may self‑identify their service line by submitting photos to the utility.

The chief said the utility's contractors will be identifiable — wearing hard hats, high‑visibility vests and company identification — and that the city will post notices on social media and encourage local media coverage when visits begin. "They've done this before. They came through here and did meter changes," the chief said, adding that the city will use its social channels to publicize the schedule.

Council members asked about scheduling and how residents who are not home will be handled; the chief said crews will leave a card and arrange appointments if necessary. He also said the department will publicize instructions residents can follow to document their own service lines by photo.

Why it matters: relaxing the application requirements may speed recruitment in a department that described difficulty attracting candidates. The PUC‑mandated service‑line inventory could require residents to allow entry to private homes or to follow a self‑reporting process, and the city will be the conduit for notices and local questions.

What comes next: staff said they will produce draft signing‑bonus language for council review, coordinate any required collective‑bargaining or civil‑service approvals, and post information about the water company inspections ahead of crews' visits.