Council authorizes hiring of police officer
FAIRCHANCE – Borough council on Wednesday authorized the hiring of an additional part-time police officer after hearing complaints about disorderly juveniles, animal abuse, drug use and dealing and vandalism at Fairchance Community Park. Michele Hutzel and Irmine Rowe told council that youths torture and kill ducks and turtles, use vulgar language, urinate on picnic tables, damage buildings and use and sell drugs in the park.
They asked council to make a rule that requires parents to supervise their children at the park.
Hutzel said she has confronted some of the kids about their behavior, but they mocked her using obscene language. She said she is afraid to take her grandchildren to the park because of the out-of-control juveniles.
She said kids throw rocks at ducks and smash their eggs in nests, and she has heard kids brag about killing and beating turtles.
“Cruelty to animals leads to cruelty to people,” Hutzel said.
Another resident said there might be too many ducks at the park. He said the park is littered with droppings from ducks and geese.
Councilman Neal Christopher said he called the state Game Commission about the ducks and was told the animals are not under the commission’s jurisdiction because they are domestic.
He said people from all over Fayette County used to release ducks in the park.
Councilman Pete Franczyk, who said he has witnessed drug deals in the park, suggested establishing a crime watch program.
Christopher said he would obtain information about crime or neighborhood watch programs.
“I’ll be the first to join,” Christopher said.
Council President Richard Pukl said council couldn’t force parents to accompany their children at the park.
Mayor Thomas Tanner joined Pukl and Franczyk in saying that council has worked hard to improve and maintain the park.
Pukl said there is money available in the police budget to hire a part-time officer. The borough currently has one part-time officer.
Tanner said he knows an officer who would be willing to work part-time.
Council then authorized Tanner to use the money to hire a part-time officer.
Turning to another matter, Pukl said the Eberly Foundation and foundation President Carolyn Blaney each agreed to donate $1,000 to Tanner’s beautification program.
Tanner said the money will be used to plant trees along on Church Street, around the borough building and around a park parking lot in the fall.
In an unrelated matter, council agreed to amend its employee pension plan to allow spouses of employees to collect benefits immediately after the employee dies.
Currently, the spouse cannot collect those benefits until he or she turns 65 years old, Pukl said, adding that the plan has been frozen and only four or five past and present employees are in the plan.