HONESDALE, PA — The Honesdale Borough Council faced three pressing issues at its March 14 meeting. None was new, but all had new urgency.

The borough’s critically understaffed police department has reached breaking point. Its two full-time officers and 12 part-time officers are insufficient to cover three eight-hour shifts seven days a week. Police Chief Rick Southerton and Mayor Melody Robinson are working with council members Jeremy Ebert, Mike Dux and Chris Murray to find a feasible solution, but all concede that right now both public safety and borough police officers are at risk.

Four possible solutions were mentioned: hire two more full-time officers, recruit additional part-time officers from neighboring communities, eliminate borough police coverage of one shift, and reduce the number of officers on day shift. Southerton is in favor of the first two solutions and opposed to the second two.

In response to Ebert’s suggestion of having the borough eliminate coverage of a different shift each day, keeping lawbreakers off guard, Southerton said that it would be relatively easy for the public to know when the force is not on duty, either by listening to a scanner or seeing police cars parked behind the department office.

Southerton told the council it would be a mistake to reduce the number of officers assigned to day shift, an opinion reinforced by the off-duty borough officer present as spectator. Sergeant Donald Thacher said the public already routinely complains that no one is manning the department office or answering its phone.

The problem underlying both the current situation and each of its potential solutions is lack of money in borough coffers. If the borough hires two more full-time officers as of April 1, it will cost $70,122 this year alone in pay and benefits. That’s roughly four percent of the borough’s total budget, for each officer. Five years from now, those same two officers will cost $221,026, a fact that will almost certainly translate into substantial tax increases.

But doing nothing is not an option either, because overtime pay now being racked up by the department’s drastically overworked officers is already straining the budget.

Ebert said the council welcomes innovative solutions from the public. Ideas should be submitted in writing. Call 570/253-0731 for more information.

Insurance Committee Chair Ebert continued to deliver discouraging financial news, noting that the council was unable to find a new provider for its employee workplace safety insurance, his own company included. The reason: too many retirees with generous benefit packages. For now, the borough must live with the $1,133 monthly premium. Going forward, the borough may offer its employees higher salaries in exchange for reduced retirement benefits.

Amid the grim financial news, there was a glimmer of hope. Independent counsel Anthony Sherr, who represents the council in the $100 million lawsuit brought by Michael Morris and Steve Smith in connection with renovation of the former Sullum’s building, has recommended that the council seek to have the lawsuit dropped and to recover $250,000 guaranteed by Morris if the renovation was not completed. The council will put the recommendation to a vote at its March 21 meeting.

Said council vice-president Bob Jennings, “That money would pay for two full-time police officers and then some.”