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It's the hottest law enforcement topic along Lycoming Creek Road this summer.
Old Lycoming Township supervisors will, at their next meeting, schedule a date and time to hold a community meeting on efforts to regionalize the township police with Tiadaghton Valley Regional Police in Jersey Shore at the end of August.
Residents remain emotionally charged up as they eagerly await the end of a three-year exploration process on whether to regionalize, a decision that has not been made by supervisors, but which shows promise based on savings and analysis of the benefits of combining coverage into a single department with two stations.
Supervisor David W. Shirn, who began the informal discussion on police regionalization with former Jersey Shore Borough Manager Joe Hamm in 2019, has informed the Sun-Gazette ahead of the meeting that he was not in favor of the present regionalization concept.
However, Linda Mazzullo, supervisor and board chair, said the next step will be for her, Supervisor Dave Kay and Shirn to announce a date and time for a meeting, which is likely to be in the Old Lycoming Township Fire Hall on Dewey Avenue, one that will likely include a vote taken on whether to regionalize, as supervisors must start to deliberate on the annual proposed 2023 budget, she said.
Efforts are under way to finish the draft budget that shows an estimated savings to taxpayers of $42,000 a year, Mazzullo said.
"That is subject to change," she said. "We are waiting for pension and final health care figures," she said.
At the meeting, supervisors likely will take a vote on whether to regionalize, Mazzullo said. Should the vote be for regionalization, the next step after that would be to select a police commission, she said.
Such a commission would, ideally, consist of two Old Lycoming Township supervisors and a member at large from the township and two members from Jersey Shore and Porter Township, Mazzullo said.
The police commission would be tasked with determining the interview process for a chief of the Lycoming Regional Police Department, present a final budget and work on contract negotiations with police officers, Mazzullo said.
South Williamsport borough officials have stated they are taking a wait-and-see attitude to see how the regionalization goes and look into it and other communities may have expressed possible interest in joining, Mazzullo said.
However, some in the township believe the process to merge into a combined force of two stations -- one 13 miles from the other -- is on too fast of a track.
A question from James Sortman, representing Concerned Citizens of Old Lycoming Township and a retired district judge and law enforcement officer, was whether a supplemental study would be done in conjunction with exploration to create a department of 21 officers, 12 full-time from the Jersey Shore-based department and nine full-time, in the township. He later cited concern about the staff changes and inflation aspects incurred today that were not added when the DCED did the study.
Kay said he did not believe that was needed. He said the existing state Department of Community and Economic Development study was sufficient.
Nathan DeRemer, interim township chief and chief of Tiadaghton Valley Regional Police, said the department would combine 21 officers in two stations -- one on Green Avenue in the township closer to Williamsport and another near Jersey Shore, about 13 miles to the west.
DeRemer methodically went over updated information, which essentially challenges summations presented by the citizens' group.
Among the moments that left the room silent was DeRemer's explanation that regionalization came with "deal breakers."
These would be there had to be the same level of service for less money or better level of service for the same money and that there must be one police station in Jersey Shore area and one in Old Lycoming Township.
Cost misconception was explained. Assuming the budget that was used is $2.5 million, revenue of an estimated $500,000 must be deducted for contracted services, fines, state aid -- making the actual expenditure estimate $2,039,046.
Assuming the percentages of charter members are as follows: Old Lycoming Township's share 54%; Jersey Shore's, 30% and Porter Township's 16%, so the amount Old Lycoming Township would pay is closer to $1.1 million not $1.3 million, which was suggested in a prior citizens group analysis of the 2020 DCED study and quickly assembled calculations.
Percentages in the presentation were based on assessed value and population.
When the study was completed eight municipalities were assumed to be charter members. Today, three municipalities listed above will be charter members, DeRemer said.
It is estimated Tiadaghton Valley Regional Police Department has combined assets amounting to $341,275 while Old Lycoming Township has $321,810 in assets.
Additionally, the Jersey Shore area-based department has 12 full-time officers with 130 years of combined service while the township has nine full-time officers with 54 years of combined service.
Thresholds to meet
"We were tasked with meeting two thresholds involving regionalization," the chief said.
First, a building in Old Lycoming Township and a building in Jersey Shore.
Second, the same service for less money or better service for the same money, he said.
While numbers given are projections the focus group feels confidently that these two thresholds have been met.
"Ask yourself this, 'If we do not regionalize, can we still meet both of these thresholds?'" he asked.
As for what has been requested by the citizens group to "push pause" on regionalization, DeRemer said this exploration process has been going on for over three years.
Moreover, throughout this timeframe the township changed managers, supervisors and chiefs. The borough changed managers, council members and mayors and additional municipalities and officers have been added, he said.
Another factor to consider is a $100,000 grant for regionalization efforts, which expires in 2024.
Additionally, contracted municipalities (which are not limited to but as examples include Hepburn and Lycoming townships) will be expiring.
A lack of transparency asserted by some residents was disputed by DeRemer.
"It is being portrayed that there has been a lack of transparency throughout this process," DeRemer said.
However, three resolutions were passed in 2020 by three charter municipalities -- Old Lycoming Township, Porter Township and Jersey Shore, he said.
Regionalization has been on the agenda and discussed at the Tiadaghton Valley Regional Police Department monthly commission meeting for two years and at multiple other municipal meetings, including contracted municipalities, he added.
The history of this regionalization effort began as early as March 2019 and continued in various means through to the Oct. 14, 2020, DCED study presented to municipalities, the report stated.
Also given ease to residents was input by Old Lycoming Township Sgt. Bobby Cochran who said the officers he works with just want to continue to provide the best protective services available.
Police here want to get out and meet the residents, such as they intend to do at the upcoming National Night Out event 6 to 8 p.m. on Aug. 2 at Fairlawn Community Church and they want to be available for anyone whenever the call to 911 comes in.