Clarion Borough Council June 7 terminated the employment of borough police officer Brittany S. Gray following a 30-minute closed session.
The executive session included all council members (Zac Garbarino was absent), police chief William H. Peck IV, borough chief administrator Linda Lavan Preston and borough legal counsel John Marshall.
Gray’s termination is effective June 12. Her employment was still under probationary status.
Borough council president Carol Lapinto, Peck and Marshall all declined to comment on the action.
Council members did not comment on the issue before voting to terminate Gray’s employment.
Gray was hired as a full-time police officer July 6, 2021. Prior to being hired by Clarion Borough, she worked as a police officer in Punxsutawney.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed a bill into law in 2020 that created a database to track police misconduct statewide and force agencies to check the database before hiring an officer. But the legislature closed the database to the public.
It creates a statewide database of separation records, including criminal charges filed against an officer, ethical or civil complaints, and binding and final disciplinary actions. Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies are required to search the database when hiring a new officer.
In a related move, council approved a motion by Ben Aaron to authorize the borough’s civil service commission to develop an eligibility list of potential candidates for the vacant full-time police officer position.
Approved a request from the Clarion Area Boosters for a bonfire from 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 25 subject to COVID-19 warnings and CDC guidelines at the time. Approval is contingent with the event working with Clarion Fire and Hose Co. No. 1.
Approved a change order for the multi-site storm sewer project, adding additional inlets, piping and drainage swale work items to the Whitehill Place project site for a total cost of $14,940.
Approved a change order for the North First Avenue storm sewer repair project to add eight loads of material hauled out, five loads of fill rock hauled in, and exchange of one joint
of plastic pipe for one joint of concrete pipe for the total additional cost of $1,890.
Approved The EADS Group for the design of the fire department metal
siding project (west side of the building) for a lump sum cost of $13,000.
Approved a $1,500 contract with BrownBark Tree Service of Knox for the removal and clean-up of five dead trees at Paul A. Weaver Community Park.
Publicly thanked Limestone Township for a $250 donation for the maintenance and up-keep of Paul A. Weaver Community Park.
Accepted an offer from Union Council of Governments for pool equipment and other items no longer needed for a lump sum payment of $1,700.