Brownsville seeks applicants for part-time job openings
BROWNSVILLE – Borough council is looking for part-time employees for both the police and the street departments. Council President Jack Lawver said one of the two full-time street department members is currently out on leave and a second person is needed to help with snow removal. The borough is checking to see if it can hire from the previous list of applicants for a full-time position or if they have to readvertise the opening since it is for part-time employment. Lawver said action needs to be taken soon.
“We still have the same amount of roads as we did years ago when we had a 10-man street department,” Lawver said.
Lawver said there isn’t much work this time of year unless it snows, though three people are needed during the warmer months to keep up with the grass cutting and road maintenance work.
Council is also asking the borough’s Civil Service Commission to advertise for part-time police officers and to conduct the appropriate testing due to a shortage of part-time officers.
“We conducted testing last year and only two of the applicants are now working part-time in the borough,” Lawver said.
The commission will also be instructed to review the current applicant list.
The borough council police committee met Monday evening with the police officers to discuss operations. It was decided that all of the police officers will spend part of their shift patrolling the public housing projects in the borough to fulfill the borough’s agreement with the housing authority to provide extra patrols at the housing units. The goal of the program is to reduce the number of incidents at South Hills Terrace and Snowden Terrace, though an initial increase in reported incidents is expected because of the increased patrols.
In an effort to reduce police department expenses, officers are being asked to use the old police car for out-of-town conferences and hearings instead of taking their personal vehicles. The change will reduce the amount spent on mileage reimbursement.
Council voted to pay each of the officers who attended the meeting for the hour they were there, even though the officers had said they would meet without pay. The issue was raised when it was noted that one officer missed work at a second job to attend the meeting. There are plans for the officers to meet with the police committee every three months.
Council also voted to apply for $75,000 in grants through the Fayette County Redevelopment Authority. Council is seeing $25,000 for road projects, $35,000 for code enforcement and $15,000 to demolish dilapidated buildings whose owners can’t be located. Lawver said liens would be placed against those properties for the cost of the demolition, so the borough would recoup the money if the properties were sold.
Council also reaffirmed by resolution the appointment of Charles Russell McMaster to borough council. Council had initially named McMaster to the council by motion, not resolution. A replacement is being sought for McMaster on the borough parking authority. Letters of application are being accepted and an appointment will be made at the February meeting.
Albert Dascenzo was reappointed to the parking authority and John Hosler was reappointed to the library board of directors.