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HONESDALE — The Honesdale Borough council on Monday approved a preliminary 2012 budget and it is now available online.
By a unanimous vote, the council approved a budget which has been changed since it was originally approved by the previous council.
Finance committee chairman Scott Smith said there has to be a 10-day public review period of the budget. That period began Wednesday and runs through Feb. 7. The council will vote on the final budget at its Feb. 13 meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m.
Smith also announced the borough has placed the budget on its website. Visit http://psabdns4.com/honesdaleborough.com/finance-committee/ and you can download a PDF file of the budget.
The budget is generally unchanged from when it was first presented by the new council shortly after they took office in early January.
It does allow the borough to keep a full police force of eight officers until August, at which time that number will be reduced to seven when an officer retires.
As for next year’s budget, Smith along with newly appointed Mayor Ed Langendoerfer said they are working with the police department to try and hammer out an agreement. The mayor said it is his goal to keep the police department fully staffed with eight people.
Insurance plan
In another matter before the council, Smith said he met with a representative from Keystone Municipal Insurance and discovered the borough has not met certain requirements required by the company.
Smith explained over the past couple of years, the rates for worker’s compensation insurance have risen because there have been a higher number of accidents. He didn’t give details on the accidents.
But Smith did say the insurance company had requested from the borough certain requirements about safety and those had not been met.
He said the company requested a safety committee be put in place by the borough involving representatives from each of the departments. He said that committee will be charged with developing a safety program that includes monthly inspections.
The committee will be made up of representatives from the Department of Public Works, police department, fire department and the safety committee. Smith said it was his intention to allow the department heads to appoint representatives to the committee. A chairman of the committee will be appointed at the Feb. 13 meeting.
Smith added that the insurance company will train the committee on how to set up the program.
“This saves us all the way around,” said Smith, referring to insurance costs as well as safety in the workplace.
HONESDALE — The Honesdale Borough council on Monday approved a preliminary 2012 budget and it is now available online.
By a unanimous vote, the council approved a budget which has been changed since it was originally approved by the previous council.
Finance committee chairman Scott Smith said there has to be a 10-day public review period of the budget. That period began Wednesday and runs through Feb. 7. The council will vote on the final budget at its Feb. 13 meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m.
Smith also announced the borough has placed the budget on its website. Visit http://psabdns4.com/honesdaleborough.com/finance-committee/ and you can download a PDF file of the budget.
The budget is generally unchanged from when it was first presented by the new council shortly after they took office in early January.
It does allow the borough to keep a full police force of eight officers until August, at which time that number will be reduced to seven when an officer retires.
As for next year’s budget, Smith along with newly appointed Mayor Ed Langendoerfer said they are working with the police department to try and hammer out an agreement. The mayor said it is his goal to keep the police department fully staffed with eight people.
Insurance plan
In another matter before the council, Smith said he met with a representative from Keystone Municipal Insurance and discovered the borough has not met certain requirements required by the company.
Smith explained over the past couple of years, the rates for worker’s compensation insurance have risen because there have been a higher number of accidents. He didn’t give details on the accidents.
But Smith did say the insurance company had requested from the borough certain requirements about safety and those had not been met.
He said the company requested a safety committee be put in place by the borough involving representatives from each of the departments. He said that committee will be charged with developing a safety program that includes monthly inspections.
The committee will be made up of representatives from the Department of Public Works, police department, fire department and the safety committee. Smith said it was his intention to allow the department heads to appoint representatives to the committee. A chairman of the committee will be appointed at the Feb. 13 meeting.
Smith added that the insurance company will train the committee on how to set up the program.
“This saves us all the way around,” said Smith, referring to insurance costs as well as safety in the workplace.
In other business:
• Council president F.J. Monaghan said members of the council were invited to attend one of two meetings being hosted by PPL to discuss the power line projects in the area. One is in Wilkes-Barre and the other is in the Lake Wallepaupack area. Monaghan said PPL has informed him the meetings will be closed to the public and media.
“I personally don’t like the idea it’s not open to the public,” said Monaghan.
• The borough was informed by PennDOT the state cannot authorize allowing banners to hang over Church Street unless the borough issues a letter it will take liability responsibilities in case of injuries. Monaghan said the borough sent a letter to Greater Honesdale Partnership director Gail Tucker, who had made the original request.
