Dawson council seeks answers form police officer
DAWSON – Council voted to notify Roger Adams by mail to attend the Dec. 9 council meeting and to explain his intentions regarding his police position in the borough. Last month, Adams told the Herald-Standard in a telephone interview that he would tender his resignation as police officer and code enforcement officer because he doesn’t have the time to devote to the borough that he would like.
“With my duties as code enforcement officer for Bullskin and Dunbar townships, my security business, my private investigation services and my job at Warehouse Groceries, I simply don’t have the time that Dawson council wants me to devote to police protection in the borough,” said Adams.
To date, however, Adams hasn’t turned in his resignation. Council President Patty Lint said, “That’s why we want to sit down and talk to him. If he wants to do the job fine, but if he doesn’t, then we need to know that.”
In other related matters council discussed other options for police protection, including a cooperative agreement with neighboring municipalities and fixing up a car that Lint donated to the borough to be used as a police car.
Council discussed the fact that there are several people who are interested in serving the borough as police officer, but those people don’t want to use their own personal vehicles for the job.
Borough secretary Mary Jane Winterhalter reported that she received three quotes from police professional liability insurance that range from $2,165 to $2,365. Winterhalter said those quotes do not include car insurance.
“I can tell you that the quotes I got are more than double from last year,” said Winterhalter.
Council instructed Winterhalter to research the cost of insurance coverage for a police car and agreed to have someone look at the donated car to see how much work will have to be completed before the vehicle is roadworthy.
In other unrelated matters, council announced that residents interested in being on call for emergency winter help should contact Winterhalter.
Council also voted to research transferring a portion of the borough’s savings to a higher-yielding account. Winterhalter reported that the account earns 1.6 percent interest.
Council additionally agreed to transfer $4,000 from the general fund to the PLGIT savings account. Winterhalter said the borough has $9,500 in the general fund.
Dawson Volunteer Fire Company representatives reported that the fire company received a PPC classification of 6 from the Insurance Services Office Inc. The classification is an improvement from their previous classification of 8.
The Insurance Services Office Inc. is a supplier of statistical, underwriting and actuarial information for the property and casualty insurance industry.
The fire department also announced that they are selling smoke detectors for $8 each, and, if necessary, will install them free of charge for residents.