A part-time officer has been added to the ranks of West Penn Township’s police department.

Township supervisors unanimously agreed at Tuesday morning’s meeting to hire Tom Rodgers as a part-time police officer. His rate of pay was not announced at the meeting.

Also on Tuesday, the board on a 2-1 vote agreed to hire both Michael Kunkel and Nathan Henry as full-time CDL road crew laborers at the rate of $27.79 an hour.

Board Chairman Tony Prudenti was opposed.

“It’s all about the budget,” Prudenti said. “We don’t have budgeted for that extra road crew person.”

Prudenti said that each road crew position costs the township about $75,000 per year, and added it would have to come up with another $75,000 this year and next year.

“Budgetary-wise, we don’t have the money to do it,” said Prudenti, who noted both of them were great applicants.

However, Supervisor Glenn Hummel told Prudenti he believes the township has the money to afford the two full-time CDL road crew laborers.

Hummel added that township roadmaster Jeremy Frable believes he can make a way for it to happen.

Police truck

Prudenti then discussed the police department’s 2019 truck for which the transmission went. The vehicle has 120,000 miles on it.

He noted that when they went to trade it in, they were told they’d get only $5,000 for it.

As a result, Prudenti said he would like to see the township sell it on Municibid.

Hummel said that in his opinion, $5,000 is way to low for that truck.

“That’s just a hard pill for me to swallow,” Hummel said.

At that, the board agreed to put the vehicle for sale on Municibid.