For one of them – Police Department’s future – chief suggests regional option
By Kathleen Brady Shea, Managing Editor, The Times
New Garden Township Police Chief Gerald R. Simpson addresses the supervisors on the need to begin working on a permanent home for the department.
The New Garden Township Supervisors tackled a crowded agenda during a 3-½ -hour meeting on Monday night, running the gamut from fire and police protection to water and financial woes.
Delivering the annual report of the Avondale Fire Company, President John Morris III said New Garden Township generated 736 emergency medical services calls and 283 fire calls in 2013, representing 56 percent of the company’s responses. The mainly volunteer organization also serves Avondale Borough and portions of Franklin, London Britain, London Grove, and West Marlborough Townships.
Supervisors’ Chair Betty Gordon said the township is fortunate to have the company’s services. “I really appreciate you and all of your crew,” she said.
Several residents expressed concern about a letter they received last month from Artesian Water Company, which wants to construct a pump house on an easement it has near Broad Run and Newark Roads to access the Cockeysville Aquifer, a plan township officials believe runs afoul of New Garden ordinances.
The residents said they received a letter from Artesian last month about testing it planned to conduct to measure the impact on neighbors of extracting 200 gallons of water per minute from the well and exporting it to Delaware. Vincent M. Pompo, the township solicitor, said Artesian received a letter from the township in response, advising the company that its plans would violate township ordinances.
To date, Pompo said the township has not received any application from Artesian. The supervisors agreed that Artesian’s plan offers no benefit and potential liabilities to the township.
A motion to authorize Interim Township Manager Spence Andress to secure a proposal from National Penn Bank for a five-year, $186,000 loan for capital expenditures prompted some discussion before it passed. Supervisor Patrick Little questioned why money had not been set aside in the budget and said he wanted to hear more about the planned purchases. Andress explained that efforts were being made to build up a capital reserve fund, but in the meantime, some purchases should not be delayed.
Two of them – police vehicles – were already postponed, said Police Chief Gerald R. Simpson, adding that he recognized that $96,000 for two Dodge Chargers represented “a lot of money.” However, he noted that the purchases were long overdue after placing them on a back burner a year ago.
Updating the supervisors on the Police Department’s facility, Simpson said, “We are making do with a bad situation.” He explained that the department’s temporary facility, a double-wide trailer, is “substandard,” just like the previous one, and he urged the supervisors to authorize a professional needs assessment so that taxpayers’ money would be used in “the right way” to finance a permanent facility.
Simpson pointed out that questions about the department’s location have gone unanswered for many years, accentuating the need to begin solving the problem. The supervisors voted to pursue bids on a needs assessment study, not to exceed $30,000. The police chief distributed an article that ran in PA Township News in September, which he said provided a good analysis of the pros and cons of regional policing. “I’m asking the board to look at this material,” he said. He added that he believes “regional policing has some value” and deserves inclusion in the mix of options for the township.
In other police business, the supervisors agreed to permit Simpson to sell six out-of-service shotguns, which could be used for hunting, for $175 apiece to members of the department rather than just destroy them. Simpson also received authorization to hire two part-time officers, one to replace Pedro Melendez, who left to join the state police, and the second, which was included in the 2014 budget, to provide back-up coverage. The new officers are Jose Reyes, a retired state trooper, and Ryan Kushner, a recent graduate of the police academy.
Delivering some distressing financial news, Andress said the township’s health-insurance plan for employees was discontinued by Aetna, which offered a new plan that came with a 52 percent increase. Andress said he planned to look for alternatives, acknowledging that finding “comparable coverage at affordable costs” could be a challenge.
The next supervisors’ meeting is scheduled for Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m.
