Contract talks between Glen Osborne, Sewickley police have begun

Contract talks have begun between Glen Osborne and Sewickley Police Department officials with the goal of getting a new deal done in the coming months.

Glen Osborne contracts out its law enforcement services to the neighboring Sewickley force. The current five-year contract expires at the end of this year.

Borough secretary Diane Vierling said $123,808 was budgeted for police protection this year.

Draft proposals were distributed to officials for review at the Glen Osborne Council meeting on Aug. 19.

Both Glen Osborne and Sewickley councils would have to vote on a new agreement.

“It’s all in the early stages,” Vierling said.

Police Chief Dave Mazza, who is handling Sewickley’s side of the negotiations, met with Glen Osborne Mayor Thomas Huddleston and public safety chair James Cohen on Aug. 14.

The chief said he came away from that meeting confident that a contract will be finalized sooner rather than later.

“I’m extremely optimistic that there’s not going to be any issues entering into another agreement with Glen Osborne for police services,” Mazza said on Aug. 27.

Sewickley does not have a designated Glen Osborne daily detail. However, officers respond to every emergency call and incident.

There is also an officer at Osborne Elementary School at least three days a week for student arrival and dismissal. This has been the standard service for years.

“There have been no issues,” Mazza said. “We take the police services we provide to Glen Osborne very seriously.”

The chief declined to get into specific proposed contract terms, other than that the department wants another five years.

Mazza called the proposal “fairly paralleled” with the existing contract, and having a long-term deal “simply benefits both sides.”

Huddleston acknowledged Mazza’s request with respect to contract length and declined to disclose further proposal details.

“We have a joint proposal that we’re redlining, and we’ll review with council in September,” Huddleston said. “This is really an extension of the existing agreement with some minor modifications, which I can’t get into now. That’s what we’re reviewing.”

Glen Osborne’s committee meeting was set for Sept. 2.

It is unclear if there will be a quorum due to the Labor Day holiday and vacations. Its July 15 meeting was canceled due to a lack of a quorum.

Sewickley Council’s next voting meeting is Sept. 9. Glen Osborne Council’s next voting meeting is Sept. 16.

Huddleston anticipates having a final version ready for both parties to act on in October.

“I think they’ve been an incredible partner, and I would love nothing more than to enter into another contract with them,” Huddleston said of Sewickley police. “I feel comfortable we’ll get this passed.”