📈🚓 Wyo Long-Term Financing & Police Vehicles (& Support the Wire, free!)

Author

Dr. Angela Adler
October 04, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

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Wyomissing Fire & Police met on September 30th, and Wyomissing Finance & Administration met on October 3rd.

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Wyomissing Fire & Police Updates

Wyomissing Fire & Police met on Monday, September 30th. Discussion included:

  • approved Reading Hospital Fun Run in part of Wyomissing

  • police department

    • approved $125,000 for ordering two police vehicles to be billed in the 2025 budget year, subject to Wyomissing Finance Committee approval

    • discussion hybrid or electric vehicles for police department in future, needed infrastructure (charging stations etc.) - tabled for a later date

    • discussion of Penn State Berks police mutual aid agreement

      • part of Penn State Berks sports fields are in Wyomissing

      • need to know Spring Township’s willingness to have mutual aid agreement, as majority of campus is in Spring Township

      • suggested amending existing western Berks mutual aid agreement

      • tabled decisions

  • denied a motion to allow Safe Berks to put purple ribbons on borough stop signs for Domestic Violence Prevention Month in October

    • considered a slippery-slope request

    • noted that the committee is against domestic violence and will do whatever they can to prevent it, but will not allow the ribbons

  • Western Berks Ambulance

    • calls are up - COVID infections

    • FEMA teams are primarily in North Carolina due to hurricane damage

    • JD Vance visited last week, Donald Trump expected at some point - provide EMS services for events through liaising with Secret Service, bill the campaign

  • West Side Emergency Management

    • training for new disaster data management in progress

    • audit completed by December

    • closing Old Mill for water line work - using message board to spread awareness

    • setting up interoperability radio communication box for large events with multiple agencies corresponding

    • BerksAlerts is updated and running

  • fire department

    • fire prevention open house October 9th, 6 - 8pm - smoke alarms

    • ladder truck repair 2-3 weeks

    • new engine change order underway, delivery in 4-6 weeks

    • apparatus research on aerial devices - 42 to 48 months build time so planning ahead

      • purchase late in 2025 or early 2026 for 2030

    • putting together language regarding Deputy Fire Chief position with Civil Service Commission

      • start applications around holidays, evaluations in January, start date in March

For more details:

Wyomissing Finance & Administration Updates

Wyomissing Finance & Administration met on Thursday, October 3rd. Discussion included:

  • received $40,000 additional state aid for pension plan (above what was anticipated)

    • needed to be allotted to pensions

    • approved allotting state aid for pension plans according to past practice

    • tabled decision - according to past practice, would go over budget by $100,000 for fourth quarter MMO contribution due to unanticipated new hires and rate changes

  • long term financing for public works garage

    • one-time prepayment feature

    • $370,000 debt service payments annually for total of $7.4M in principal and interest

    • anticipate $2.7M grant for reimbursement from the state (up from previously anticipated $2.1M) - will reduce the term from 20 to 15 years

    • needed ordinances depending on selected option

    • approved recommending a particular option put forward by PFM for approval by council

    • denied motion for bond ordinance due to selected option

For more details: