Phone Issue in W. Reading Resolved
Posted on: Friday, 29 July 2005, 15:00 CDT
Jul. 29--West Reading borough employees will be allowed to keep borough-owned cell phones after council members voted against a plan to take them away.
Borough employees received a memo from Borough Manager Lorri K. Swan to turn in cell phones by Tuesday. But borough council held a special meeting Thursday to discuss the plan, voting 6-0 to let employees keep the phones.
In the spring, council discussed taking away cell phones several after members received complaints about employees not answering the phones during the work week, said council member Pamela J. Barnhardt.
Council decided to allow department heads to keep their cell phones, but take them away from seven Department of Public Works employees and two firefighters, officials said.
But West Reading Fire Chief Mark Burkholder said he was never told about two of his assistant chiefs loosing their cell phones until he received the memo.
Both assistant chiefs receive text pages on their borough-owned cell phones when they are dispatched to a fire call, he said.
"To takes these away would have a tremendous affect on how we operate," Burkholder told council.
Council members said they would study the borough's cell-phone usage during future budget sessions.
Council also held an executive session for more than an hour and a half to discuss personnel. No action was taken, but Council President Stephanie Murray said the performance of several department heads was discussed.
She would not elaborate.
Swan did not attend the meeting. Council member Michael W. Morrill was absent.
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Source: Reading Eagle
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