A six-year lawsuit between Pennsburg and East Greenville, brought about by the dissolution of the Upper Perk Police District, could be nearing a conclusion, according to Pennsburg's solicitor. 

Near the end of Tuesday's council meeting, Daniel Sager announced that he would be requesting a declaratory decision when he appears next month before Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Jeffrey S. Saltz.

            According to Sager, he and the East Greenville's solicitor will argue their cases before the judge on May 9 in Norristown. He said a trial in the civil suit had been planned, but both parties agreed on all the submitted facts.

            "It's a legal issue," Sager said after the meeting.

            According to the solicitor, the main issue is the police pension Pennsburg took over after East Greenville Council voted unanimously on Sept. 6, 2016 to leave the commission. Sager described the expense of police equipment that East Greenville believes it is owed by Pennsburg as nominal.

            Council voted to approve updated terms for a $1.3 million bridge loan with QNB for planned renovations at the municipal building, located at 76 W. 6th Street. A plan to re-bid a revised renovation plan delayed the proposed timeline.

            After the meeting, council president Diane Stevens confirmed that the municipality will likely pay a higher interest rate. When the members cast a similar vote in November, the interest rate was 3.75 percent.

            The revised proposal calls for including repairs to the municipal building as the base bid, and include proposed upgrades to the maintenance garage and the construction of a salt shed as alternates. During a Jan. 24 building committee meeting, borough engineer John Rundy said he believed all three projects could be completed at a cost of around $1.351 million, the amount of a low-interest loan secured from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He said bidding the project this way will allow municipal officials maximum flexibility to complete as much of the work as possible.

            Upper Perk police are utilizing funds from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to enforce the state's vehicle code around the construction on Main Street between 8th and 11 streets. According to Chief Joe Adam, $14,000 from the state agency will cover overtime funds for his officers through the end of April.

            "I don't know if we will spend the entire amount," said Adam, who added that he will request an extension throughout the summer. "But it will be close.

            The officers patrolling the project's detour have noticed an increase in violations, according to Adam. He said after the meeting they include a jump in speeding, following too closely, stop sign and school zone violations. He also claims some drivers are running red lights at the newly installed temporary lights on Montgomery Avenue at the intersections of 8th and 11th streets.

            Commuters should expect a consistent police presence along the detour from the bridge replacement project. The chief said he will continue to schedule 10 traffic details there every week.

            In March, the Upper Perk Police Department responded to 739 total incidents. They included 216 for public service, 191 vehicle investigations, 137 traffic details, issued 128 traffic citations and 101 warnings. The officers also issued four parking tickets or warnings and made four arrests, including two for burglary or attempted burglary. Additionally, they responded to three reportable accidents and two non-reportable accidents along with two false alarm calls at a business.

            The department handled four reported thefts, two of which they closed. It also responded to one incident each of a sex offense, assault/harassment/stalking, motor vehicle theft, public drunkenness/disorderly conduct and one other offense.