East Greenville to Hire New Officer; Renegotiate with Current Officer.

            The termination hearing for Andrew Skelton, chief of the Borough of East Greenville Police Department – which started Tuesday morning at Borough Hall on Main Street – will resume Monday, according to Solicitor Michael Peters.           

            Mayor Keith Gerhart has recommended that Borough Council dismiss Skelton – who took himself off duty at 4 p.m. on Sept. 6 for an undisclosed reason – for professional neglect and violation of his official duties, according to Michael Peters, East Greenville's solicitor. 

            In other news, two police related resolutions proposed by the mayor of East Greenville received the unanimous approval of borough council Monday night.

            Initially, the members granted Gerhart permission to begin a contract negotiation with an officer with the Borough of East Greenville Borough Police Department. Then, they voted to allow Gerhart to begin the process of hiring a part-time police officer.

            The mayor told the audience that Joshua Halteman sent a letter to borough officials requesting to renegotiate his contract. According to Halteman, the intent is to streamline his four-year agreement, which expires at the end of 2020. "It's missing a few things," he said after the public meeting. The officer declined to comment further on the situation.

            Halteman, who was hired in August of 2017 as a part-time officer, was promoted to full time two months later, will earn $56,000 in 2019 and $58,000 in 2020, according to the language of his police officer employment agreement obtained from borough officials. The contract includes language that would entitle him to the equivalent of nine months of salary and benefits "upon termination."

            During the meeting, Gerhart   did not provide any additional details regarding the ideal candidate or a timeline to make a hire.

            He did not return an email message sent Monday night, after the meeting, seeking information related to a timeline or the decision making process along with questions regarding the borough's negotiations with Halteman.

            The Borough of East Greenville Police Department handled 102 of 122 incidents in the municipality in December, according to a monthly activity report presented during the meeting by Gerhart.

            The municipal department handled four accidents, 17 traffic incidents, 12 public service calls, six assists, one warrant and 33 others, according to information read by the mayor.  The state police responded to 14 traffic incidents, three for public service and one DUI, domestic and protection from abuse, according to Gerhart.