Shillington Approves 5-Year Police Contract, Restarts Hiring

Shillington Borough Council approved a new contract with its police officers that runs from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2031, according to the minutes of its Sept. 10 meeting, which the borough posted Oct. 9. The minutes do not state the pay rates, raises or other terms, so what the five-year deal will cost taxpayers is not yet public.

The motion came from Michael A. Hoffert, vice chairman of the Police and Personnel Committee, was seconded by Dr. Elizabeth M. Bentz and "duly carried," the minutes say. No roll call is recorded. Six of seven council members were present; Nicholas M. Bentz was absent. Anyone who wants the contract itself can ask the borough office for a copy or file a Right-to-Know request; our guide explains how to file a Right-to-Know request in Berks County.

A new hiring list, after the last one fizzled

Council also voted to activate the borough's Civil Service Commission to create a new eligibility list, the pool of tested candidates from which the borough hires police officers. The commission ended the previous hiring process "due to lack of participants," Mayor Andrew R. Hivner reported, and was ready to start a new list once council authorized it. In August the mayor had told council that two applicants made it through the written and physical agility tests for a new officer's job, with oral exams still to come, according to the Aug. 13 minutes.

At the same meeting, council approved updated Civil Service rules and regulations forwarded by the commission, and approved $8,925.82 in police overtime for August. The department handled 355 incidents in August, including 42 arrests, the mayor said.

The mayor also briefed council on two August incidents: a shots-fired call in the 200 block of South Wyomissing Avenue, after which a suspect was located and charged, and the Aug. 28 Governor Mifflin High School football game that was stopped and the stadium evacuated after a report of a person with a firearm. The investigation found the initial reports "were not accurate," according to the minutes, and a meeting was later held with school officials, law enforcement and residents to discuss the incident and plan for similar ones.

Council authorized the borough to prepare and advertise an ordinance setting a 2026 Halloween curfew.

Grants, sewer work and other spending

• Council adopted two resolutions applying for Statewide LSA grants, a state grant program: $57,800 for a 2027 Ford F-350 pickup (Resolution 8-2026) and $45,900 for a 2027 Ford F-250 pickup (Resolution 9-2026). These are applications, not awards.
• Council authorized the final payment of $89,454.79 to J. Phillips Excavating & Hauling LLC for the Brobst Street sanitary sewer replacement project, and a final payment of $4,951.41 to the same contractor for the valve installation project. It also approved a change order on each project to match the contract to the quantities built.
• Two pieces of equipment were approved: a Viper magnetic locator for $3,173.44 and an Aquascope leak locator for $6,142.50.
• Council authorized advertising the borough's Mack 10-wheeler truck for sale, released $184,528.33 from a letter of credit for the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood project, and, at the Fire Committee chairman's request, approved buying and installing a 20-by-20-foot carport at 217 Catherine St., provided it fits within the property lines, waiving any setback rules.
• August bills: $396,849.84 from the General Fund, $391,808.92 from the Water Fund, $379,009.72 from the Sewer Fund, $93,796.16 from the Recreation Fund, $13,376.43 from the Fire Fund and $622.76 from the Streets Improvement fund.
• The borough received $154,743.03 in earned income tax for August from the Berks Earned Income Tax Bureau.

Rental inspections: a court case to watch

Terrence Naugle of Great Valley Consultants, the borough's building code official, briefed council on what the minutes call "the ongoing appeal concerning rental inspections and refusals of such inspections," and said the appeal process "will likely be lengthy." He recommended the borough keep running its normal inspection program and document every refusal in the meantime.

Shillington is not a party to that case. The borough's Aug. 13 minutes identify it as Pennsylvania Supreme Court Docket No. 22 MAL 2026, "concerning rental inspections and the use of administrative warrants for that purpose." That docket is Rivera v. Borough of Pottstown, in which the court agreed on June 23 to decide whether an administrative warrant to search a home requires individualized suspicion under the state constitution, according to the court's order. The outcome could affect how Shillington and other boroughs inspect rentals when an owner or tenant refuses entry.

Two property matters were also noted. The owner of 200 W. Lancaster Ave. will handle demolition of the porches and renovation of the building, with a site meeting planned for later in September. A request from the owner of 18 Catherine St. to repave Maple Alley stays tabled until the engineer finishes the 2027 streets project plan.

What happens next

Council's next meeting was scheduled for Oct. 8; minutes from it were not posted when this story was written. The contract's cost should show up in the borough's 2027 budget. The August minutes put the borough's required 2027 police pension contribution at $87,702. Our guide explains how to find any Berks municipality's meeting schedule, and how Berks County government works covers which services boroughs and townships handle.

Questions or corrections: corrections@berksbeat.com.