PDF/MessagefromtheMayor.pdf

A Message from the Mayor

  

My name is Frank Welsh and I have lived in the Borough with my family since 1978. Being appointed to the position of Mayor of Hughesville Borough was almost as much a surprise to me as it was to many of you. I have never been really interested in politics but I have been dealing with elected officials since 1992 when I became an Emergency Management Coordinator (EMC) for Fairfield Township. Since that time I have earned my Professional Certification in Municipal Emergency Management through the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and I have done some consulting work with municipalities regarding emergency management, specifically developing Emergency Operations Plans. In 2004 I was appointed to the position of EMC for Clinton Township and after consulting with Hughesville Borough Council through 2006 I was appointed to the position of EMC for the Borough when the previous EMC resigned. Prior to consulting with the Borough Council relative to emergency management I had only attended a small number of Council Meetings and not on a regular basis. Once I began consulting I missed two meetings during 2006 and 2007 and became somewhat knowledgeable about the issues facing the Borough and I began providing Council with input as a citizen on a variety of issues. When former Mayor Edner moved from the Borough and resigned his position Borough Council had by law a 30 day period to appoint someone to the position or the position would be filled by the Vacancy Board or the Courts. Having been present at Council Meetings for nearly two years and providing input to Council on a variety of matters must have mattered to Council as I was asked to consider the Mayor’s position. I informed Council that I would consider the position, check with my employer and get back to them.

After checking with my employer and talking with my family I notified Borough Council that if they wanted to appoint me I would accept the position. At a special meeting in November 2007, held to discuss personnel matters, legal matters and other Borough business I was appointed Mayor to fill out the remainder of Mayor Edner’s Term.

Many people do not realize, as I did not realize, that the Mayor’s primary function is to maintain charge and control over the Borough’s Police Department. The Mayor has no direct control over any other department within the Borough and this could be a good thing as I have found there is enough to do just dealing with Police matters. I discovered very quickly that the Police Department had some issues (some stemming from years gone by) that needed to be addressed in a timely manner. The twenty-two (22) years I have spent with the Department of Corrections has given me a strong background in the criminal justice system and is an advantage when dealing with these Police Department issues. I have also spent the last five years working as a security officer with the East Lycoming School District and have had a good amount of contact with the Borough’s Police Officers.

I have spent many hours in the Borough Office and on the streets researching the activities of the Police Officers and the Department in general. I guess one could say that I did my homework. After doing the homework and analyzing the research I found it quite obvious that some changes had to be made. I initiated some changes within the Police Department by direction in the forms of an initial policy and procedures manual (the old one was outdated and poorly written) and through the issuance of memos to the officers/Police Department. I have reinstituted the use of a time clock for the officers for time accountability, with the help of the Borough Secretary, Dee Moyer, I initiated purchasing accountability by the mandatory utilization of purchase orders for all Police Department purchases (except fuel which is tracked otherwise) and I began holding officers accountable for their actions or inactions. I was surprised to see that accountability was a foreign concept within the department. To me it is very basic; you have a job to do, there are rules you must follow to get the job done, you are given the authority to do the job and you are accountable for getting it done correctly.

There has been resistance to the changes that I have brought to the Police Department both from some of the officers and from their friends but I will not be dissuaded from developing a Police Department that is proactive, “Protects and Serves” the citizens of our community and is responsive to the needs of the community all the while being fiscally responsible.

We are currently in the process of re-organizing the Police Department to meet the previously mentioned goals. To this end Rich Shearer has been named Acting Chief of Police and has taken an active role in meeting the goals I have established for the Police Department.

1.      He is developing with the assistance of Robert Hetner, School Resource Officer, and Ron Lorson, Principal, a good working relationship with the East Lycoming School District knowing that what happens at school is brought to the streets and what happens on the streets is taken to school.

2.      He has established a foot patrol program for the business district of the Borough

3.      He has re-instituted the bicycle registration program in the Borough. Bicycles can be registered at the Borough Office during normal business hours or those bicycles purchased or serviced at Pearson’s Bike Shop can be registered there.

4.      There are several other initiatives being worked on and when they are in place I will be sure to let you know. It is vitally important for you to understand that since some of the issues that the Borough’s Police Department is facing have developed over many years and we will not get them resolved in a matter of a few short months however that is not to say we are not working on them diligently. There will be more changes coming for the Police Department and the Borough so please do not hesitate to give your input to your Council Persons or Mayor and please attend the Borough Council Meetings which are held at the Borough Office on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 PM.

 

Let me say to all of the Citizens of Hughesville Borough: I have taken an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and to execute my responsibilities with fidelity. The only way I know how to do this is to be straight-forward and doing what is right. I have learned a long time ago doing what is right will not always make one the most popular individual, because it means that difficult decisions must be made. I have had to make some difficult decision and I have heard all about myself and my heritage because of the decisions I made.

I have heard that I came to the position with a personal agenda and I guess if I want to be honest I have to say guilty as charged. My agenda was and is very simple: I want a Police Department that will “Protect and Serve” the citizens of this Community and one that we can all be proud of.

I have heard that I am difficult to work for. I guess I am if being difficult to work for means; I expect an individual to do the whole job, that I will follow-up to see if the job is being done correctly, and that I will hold that individual accountable for his/her job performance.

I have been told very pointedly that I can’t change history. I don’t want to change history I want to help create a brighter future. Very simply stated, if what we have been doing over the years has not worked then we obviously need to make some changes.

I will continue to work very diligently for you the citizens of Hughesville Borough and in return I make one request. When you hear the rumors that your Mayor said this or your Mayor did that, that are floating around the eating and drinking establishments of our Town before you get angry and repeat it ask me about what you heard. If what you heard is correct I have no problem telling you that it is correct and explain the situation. If it is incorrect I will tell you that and tell you why it is incorrect.  

There has been resistance to the changes that I have brought to the Police Department both from some of the officers and from their friends but I will not be dissuaded from developing a Police Department that is proactive, “Protects and Serves” the citizens of our community and is responsive to the needs of the community all the while being fiscally responsible.

We are currently in the process of re-organizing the Police Department to meet the previously mentioned goals. To this end Rich Shearer has been named Acting Chief of Police and has taken an active role in meeting the goals I have established for the Police Department.

1.      He is developing with the assistance of Robert Hetner, School Resource Officer, and Ron Lorson, Principal, a good working relationship with the East Lycoming School District knowing that what happens at school is brought to the streets and what happens on the streets is taken to school.

2.      He has established a foot patrol program for the business district of the Borough

3.      He has re-instituted the bicycle registration program in the Borough. Bicycles can be registered at the Borough Office during normal business hours or those bicycles purchased or serviced at Pearson’s Bike Shop can be registered there.

4.      There are several other initiatives being worked on and when they are in place I will be sure to let you know. It is vitally important for you to understand that since some of the issues that the Borough’s Police Department is facing have developed over many years and we will not get them resolved in a matter of a few short months however that is not to say we are not working on them diligently. There will be more changes coming for the Police Department and the Borough so please do not hesitate to give your input to your Council Persons or Mayor and please attend the Borough Council Meetings which are held at the Borough Office on the second Monday of each month at 7:00 PM.