- South Whitehall Police Chief Glen Dorney requested commissioners authorize buying four new Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles
- The township had initially planned to purchase more of the Ford Explorers the department had been using, leaving commissioners with questions about the switch
- In other news, the township completed its 2022 audit
SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — South Whitehall Township Police Department will get four new vehicles after a debate about which models to choose.
Police Chief Glen Dorney requested township commissioners at Wednesday's meeting authorize buying four new Chevrolet Tahoe police package vehicles.
Though the township initially planned to buy more of the Ford Explorers the department has used, Dorney said the Ford Explorers have had technical issues and do not have enough space for all the needed equipment.
“I'm just a little confused. The [vehicles] were OK last year, we all approved the budget. What happened?”Commissioners Monica Hodges
“We've looked at options, and I think this is the best option, or else I wouldn't be here tonight, I wouldn't be here proposing this,” Dorney said. “So as a professional in this field, I think it's the best thing for this department to do moving forward.”
Commissioners Monica Hodges, David Kennedy and Diane Kelly said they felt there was not enough information to make the decision and wondered why Dorney had not shared his concerns earlier.
“I'm just a little confused,” Hodges said. “The [vehicles] were OK last year, we all approved the budget. What happened?”
Vehicles have 'issues'
Dorney said the current vehicles have recently had issues with the motors and the water pumps. He said he spoke with officers at a New York police department who had switched from the Ford model to the Chevrolet model and found they had fewer problems.
The total cost of the four vehicles with the extended warranties would have been $288,280, which was within the budget. Dorney said each requested vehicle would have cost about $1,000 less than the Ford model.
In response, board President Diane Kelly said the board did not have enough information about what the new vehicles would cost long-term, which she said is important to consider for every new vehicle buy.
“Doing things piecemeal and starting down a road where we don't have the information that many of the board members asked for at our last meeting causes me to hesitate to move forward in a new direction,” Kelly said.
The board had agreed to meet to discuss the options, but Township Manager Tom Petrucci said there was not a time when everyone was available.
'Communicate in the future'
About 10 township police officers came to the meeting and stood in the back of the room. Dorney said he did not ask them to attend, but the vote was important to them because their vehicles are like their offices.
“It's my responsibility to them in the back of the room and the department to stand up here for them, to try to fight for what's best for them, and I think, quite frankly, for the township,” Dorney said.
The board ultimately voted unanimously to authorize buying two Chevrolet vehicles and two Ford vehicles so the township could evaluate them and determine which best served the needs of the department.
“I appreciate the information we've gotten from New York State but very much would like to see us perform our own real-life, staff-controlled analysis of this moving forward."Board President Diane Kelly
“I appreciate the information we've gotten from New York State but very much would like to see us perform our own real-life, staff-controlled analysis of this moving forward,” Kelly said.
After the vote, Kelly requested township staff conduct an analysis of all current township vehicles and create a policy with objective criteria to guide future purchases.
Kelly also said she had not heard about the problems with the current vehicles before the request.
“If there's a way for you to communicate that to us in the future, I believe it would be helpful,” Kelly said.
Other business
Also Wednesday, Dorney said changes to the recruitment process for the police department have “more than doubled” the pool of available candidates.
He said the department has had 70 applicants since it dropped its college degree requirement, among other changes.
The board voted to combine the Environmental Advisory Council, Air Pollution Board, and Green Advisory Council into one board. Neither the Environmental Advisory Council nor the Air Pollution Board have met for many years.
The board initiated a 30-day comment period for the draft Comprehensive Parks & Recreation Plan for the township. The plan lays out short- and long-term goals for the township’s parks.
The township recently completed its 2022 audit. Audit Senior Manager Megan Thompson said that, unlike in past years, the audit agency did not have many suggestions for how the township could improve the process, saying staff did “a really great job.”
The first workshop meeting for the 2024 budget will be on Oct. 26.
