Politics & Government

Canonsburg Council Discusses Hiring New Police Officer During Executive Session

Borough officials said building renovations were also discussed behind closed doors.

Following a 30-minute meeting of the Canonsburg Council Monday night, the public was asked to leave, and a 40-minute executive session prior to adjournment proceeded.

Although the agenda read that the executive session was about building renovations, Councilman Rich Russo, who stood in for Council President John Bevec during the meeting, said afterward in a telephone interview that the session regarded public safety.

According to the Pennsylvania Sunshine Laws, a set of laws pertaining to public meetings and hearings, an executive session can legally be called for the following reasons:

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  1. To discuss any matters of personnel including hiring, firing, promoting, discipling or evaluating any member or prospective member of the borough.

  2. To have information or strategy meetings about a collective bargaining agreement, which also has to do with employment.

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  • To meet with an attorney about outstanding litigations.

  • To discuss thing that would break confidentiality agreements or laws if spoken about in public.

  • To allow state-funded, state-related or state-owned colleges and universities to talk about admissions or standings.  

  • To consider and discuss the potential purchase of real estate.

  • Borough Manager Robert Kipp expanded further on the nature of the public safety issue in an emailed statement.

    “The building issue was simply to clarify a contract item, which has been resolved. It simply needed to be brought before full council’s attention and was a minor issue at best.

    The public safety issue was a personnel matter.”

    Borough Solicitor Patrick Derrico said the issues regarding the building renovations discussed behind closed doors were “insignificant.”

    “They could’ve brought it up in the regular meeting,” Derrico said.

    Derrico said the matter of public safety mentioned by Russo was talk of hiring a new police officer.

    The borough would get the Civil Service Comission to “test for another placement,” Derrico said. 

    According to Russo,  the public safety issue discussed during the executive session will likely be brought up during the agenda and voting meetings in September.    



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