East Greenville Mayor Withholds New Officer's Name

            East Greenville Council voted to hire a new police officer Monday. The members unanimously approved the addition of a fifth officer, who will work part-time.

            Borough officials did not disclose the name of the officer. It was not listed on the meeting agenda.

            Mayor Stephen Wescott did not identify the hire. Westcott said he was not prepared to disclose that information when he was asked.

            "I have my reasons," the mayor said following the six-minute meeting.

            A failure to disclose the name of the officer may have violated the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act in three ways, according to Melissa Bevan Melewsky, the media law counsel for the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association.

            She said Tuesday morning that council must provide a meaningful opportunity for public comment before all votes, and the candidate's name is necessary for the public to provide comments before the decision is made. The public can't comment if they don't know what or who is being voted on, according to the lawyer.

            Further, Melewsky argued that the vote by council is not truly public unless the potential officer's name is released; if the public has to guess what a vote was about, it's not really public. Additionally, since the officer is a public employee, the officer's name is a public record under the Right-to-Know Law unless the officer is currently working undercover.

            According to Westcott, the new officer will receive an hourly wage that is included in the borough's current budget. The mayor did not provide that amount, stating that he did not know that figure. The salary and other payments made to public employees are also public under the Right-to-Know Law.

            The new officer, the only part-time member of the Borough of East Greenville Police Department, has a lot of professional experience, according to Westcott. He said the candidate approached the borough.

            "The new officer seems to be a very good fit for the borough," said the mayor, adding that the recent retirement of former Chief Randy Morris created the ideal timing for the hire. "We need some more assistance."

            The new officer should begin patrolling the borough in April, according to Westcott. He said the hire will maintain a probationary status for one year.

            Earlier this month, municipal officials declined a request to provide a copy of the contract for new police Chief Josh Halteman. The response from Sharon Kachmar – the borough's secretary and treasurer, message, received Feb. 6 – includes a link to the borough's Right to Know request form.

            Council also voted to apply for two grants to complete upgrades at Action Park.  According to Manager Jim Fry, the plan is to utilize MontCo. 2040 grant worth $120,000 and a Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant for $100,000 to complete the work.

            The proposed improvements at the skate park, located at 524 Colonial Drive, include the construction of a permeable loop walking path, the rehabilitation of the existing basketball court and skateboarding infrastructure, the installation of a public drinking fountain, trash cans, benches and picnic tables as well as additional landscaping. 

            Council utilized both grants to complete upgrades at Bieler Park, according to the manager.

            The best-case scenario calls for work on the project to commence later this year, according to Fry. However, he said previously that the upgrades would likely occur in 2026.