This week’s Tullytown Borough Council meeting had some fireworks during a discussion over police staffing.
The discussion came after a resident raised concern to council that it was mentioned at the last meeting that the borough has only one officer on duty at some times.
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Council member Nina Chrzanowski said council approved starting the process of hiring a new officer in September.
Council President Mary Ann Gahagan responded that the solicitor told her after the last council meeting not to send a letter to the Tullytown Borough Civil Service Commission to begin preparing to hire a new full-time officer.
Chrzanowski was confused why the previous council vote to prepare for the hiring was ignored.
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“I know I want the process to start for hiring a full-time police officer,” Chrzanowski said.
Gahagan explained it was a misunderstanding and she thought she wasn’t supposed to do it because of labor negotiations.
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Chrzanowski said she was upset over a lack of communication on labor matters and a bill for a labor attorney charging $7,000.
Council Vice President Bryan Servis responded that some of council had to consult an attorney because there was an “illegal” vote on lowering the pension obligation that wasn’t properly studied at a previous meeting. He said that might have been part of the bill, but he wasn’t sure the full reason why there was a $7,000 invoice.
Gahagan said reports to council aren’t common.
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Chrzanowski said the work to prepare for the hiring of a police officer should start the day after this week’s meeting.
Police Chief Daniel Doyle pointed out there is a nationwide shortage of police officers. He said there are nine part-time officers who help fill out staffing.
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Council member Holly Kettler was upset there was a majority council vote to start the process to hire a full-time police officer and no action had been taken.
“It was just starting the process, okay? We weren’t actively out there to hire people. We were just getting the process started. It was made very clear in the minutes of the last meeting, but you chose to not do it. That takes a lot of guts, Mary Ann, or no brains,” Kettler said.
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Kettler firmly said she thinks there should be an investigation into why Gahagan didn’t start the process that was approved by council.
Council also discussed advertising police jobs in the Bucks County Courier Times, but council members said it wasn’t worth the money.
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After the testy exchanges, council member Matt Pirolli made a motion that was approved by the majority to reorganize the governing body.
Gahagan was removed as president, and Nina Chrzanowski was voted in to take the seat.
Council Vice President Brian Servis declined to continuing serving in that role, and Pirolli was appointed to that seat.
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Editor’s Note: The story was updated to correct the spelling of Brian Servis’ name.
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