Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Police Hiring topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council debates hiring a full-time police officer as stormwater costs weigh on decision
Summary
Mayor Robert Wolf and the police chief said a recent candidate had completed testing and would pursue consortium testing, but councilors cited uncertain stormwater repair costs as a reason not to move forward with hiring at this time.
Mayor Robert Wolf pressed the council for a clear explanation of why a motion to hire a candidate for a full-time police officer failed, saying the borough "owes the candidate an explanation for having him go through all this testing and evaluations. He is a good candidate and will be testing in the consortium." Council members said the question of hiring was influenced by recent and pending stormwater repair costs.
Councilor Melissa Winkler said she was not aware the borough was seeking to hire another officer and raised concerns about the financial impact of recent stormwater issues. Councilor James Kerns likewise pointed to stormwater-related expenses as a factor in the decision not to proceed with hiring immediately. The Police Chief provided the June 2024 department report; no formal hire was made during the meeting.
The discussion left the candidate's status unchanged: the candidate will continue through consortium testing, and councilors said the borough needs to resolve budget uncertainties related to stormwater repairs before committing to an additional full-time officer. The council did not vote on a hiring motion at the meeting.
