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Council stopped scheduling part-time officers and cut a full-time patrolman last year.
ASHLEY – Council unanimously voted Tuesday to reinstate three part-time police officers who were laid off in July due to budget cuts.
Joe McGlynn, 29, Ed Weidow, 33, and Phillip Collotty, 40, were sworn in by District Justice Joseph Halesy at council’s work session prior to Tuesday’s regular meeting. Council member Jim Mullen said the officers will be paid $10 per hour.
Last month, council fired police Chief David Cerski two days after his pregnant ex-girlfriend obtained a protection from abuse order against him. Mullen said council could not give the reason for Cerski’s termination because it is a “personnel issue.”
“I’m thankful that they’re back,” said Sgt. Joe McGlynn Jr., of the part-time officers. McGlynn Jr. is the borough’s only full-time police officer and the father of the reinstated officer Joe McGlynn.
The state police have been helping provide protection for the borough since July after council stopped scheduling part-time officers. It cut full-time Patrolman Brian Kalish in September, leaving only Cerski and Sgt. McGlynn on duty. Council said plans to hire a police chief haven’t been discussed yet.
In related business, Sgt. McGlynn provided council with a detailed police report for the month of March. Like the March report, council announced that future reports will consist of an itemized list of the types and numbers of incidents.
Frank Drazba asked council if Mayor Rick Oravic receives compensation whether or not he attends council meetings. “He hasn’t been here in eight or nine months,” he said. “He’s not doing his job and I think his pay should be stopped.”
Council said Oravic is paid $150 per month and is only required to attend one meeting a year, which is the borough’s organizational meeting in January.
Council voted 4-2 to outsource the borough’s payroll processing to One Source. Stacy McGovern and John Gibbons voted against the move. Council member Joe Gorham said an internal audit revealed the borough needed to get a better hold on its money.
By shifting some of the responsibilities of the borough secretary, which included payroll processing, the borough regained more than $16,000 in revenue, Gorham said.
The move gave the secretary more time to pursue delinquent garbage fees, netting $11,000, and to attend 26 hearings, which brought in $5,800, Gorham said. “If you wanted a return on your investment, to me, that’s eight times our investment.”
In another matter, a Manhattan Street resident asked council for help with a four-unit nuisance property on Manhattan Street. He complained the tenants have garbage piling up on their porches and no curtains in their windows. He also said he had to call 911 several times because of the unruly behavior of some of the tenants. Council said the borough’s code enforcement officer would investigate.