North Franklin Township sells fleet of police cruisers after disbanding department
North Franklin Township supervisors on Tuesday sold a fleet of cruisers that have been out of service since the board disbanded the local police department last year.
The board sold the four vehicles to other municipalities for a total of $91,801, supervisors announced at a board meeting Tuesday.
The township’s four police officers lost their jobs in December when the municipality ran into severe financial hardship and supervisors determined they could no longer afford the cost of the department.
Supervisor Bob Sabot said he supports contracting for police coverage or finding a way to create a regional force.
The supervisors, however, must abide by the union contract, which requires an agreement with the former officers for a change in police services or a delay until 2020, when the labor pact expires, township solicitor Gary Sweat said.
Sweat said negotiations with the union on that topic had reached an impasse.
In other business, the board gave approval to Sweat to file a lawsuit in Washington County Court to recoup more than $30,000 that a former police officer received in an overpayment for unused benefits.
A former township secretary made the mistake when Dean Urbanic resigned to take another job in July. Sweat said he has been unsuccessful in reaching Urbanic.