Moore Township supervisors made a motion to hire two new police officers for the township at their June 6 meeting. The move comes after Police Chief Gary West suggested that the board hire two new officers.
The two part-time officers, who already underwent interviews and backgrounds checks prior to the board of supervisors decision, are Kevin O’Hay of Bushkill Township and Jacob Hartzell of Pen Argyl.
Board chairman David Tashner pressed fellow supervisor Richard Gable on the officers’ experience, asking whether or not they have prior experience in other police departments. Gable said he was unable to answer that, but assured Tashner that both officers have been through relevant schooling, and would undergo rigorous training upon joining Moore Township’s police force.
“They’ve been through the course; they’ve been through the school,” Gable said. “Even if they do work in other departments, we still put them through rigorous training.”
Gable said West is looking to hire a total of four new officers, with O’Hay and Hartzell being the first two.
In other business, Solicitor David Backenstoe detailed a bizarre occurrence after a township resident planned auction off two lots within the township. Backenstoe said resident and former Environmental Advisory Council member Rodney Jarinko planned to auction two lots he owned in Christian Springs Estates.
Jarinko contacted the township to figure out whether the lots he owned were listed as two separate lots on his deed, or whether they were merged together, to see if he could sell them separately.
Backenstoe set out to find if the shared lot line between the two parcels was deleted to merge the two lots or not, to discern whether Jarinko could sell both lots individually.
“As it turns out, Rod only owns one lot. He owns Lot 2 of the Christian Springs subdivision. He does not own, by deed, Lot 3,” Backenstoe said. “He was so sure he did, that he’s been paying taxes on Lot 3 since 1972.”
Backenstoe said records show Jarinko owns the .3 acres in Lot 2 of the subdivision, but county tax records show Jarinko has been paying taxes on .6 acres, which only show one larger lot.
“He could have purchased Lot 3 by deed, and it was never recorded,” Backenstoe said. “Right now, the only deed on record for Rod in Christian Springs Estates is for Lot 2, and it is the one with the house on it. But the other lot is not in his name at this point.”
“He has clearly, if not legally by deed, equitably by action, exercised possession of the property,” he said.
However, Backenstoe said that at this time, Jarinko can only sell Lot 2, until proving ownership of the other lot.
“This is one of the oddest things I’ve ever seen in my 30 years as a municipal solicitor,” Backenstoe said.
To conclude the meeting, the board of supervisors changed the date of their July public meeting date from Tuesday, July 4 to Thursday, July 13 at 7 p.m.
