Mayor Rita Frealing and the Gettysburg Borough Council last night honored Dave Reese, Parking Meter Maintenance and Laborer, for 41 years of service to the borough. Reese retired on November 2.
Frealing said that since 1981 Reese had performed numerous services for the borough, including helping maintain the parking garage and other areas.
Frealing thanked Reese for his “Outstanding dedication and unselfish service to both the citizens of the borough of Gettysburg and his fellow workers.”
The audience responded with avid applause and cheers.
Proposed 2022 Budget
After three budgetary work sessions the council is completing the draft of the proposed 2023 borough budget, which will be published on Nov. 28. The council will consider and potentially adopt the final budget at its meeting on Dec. 12.
The proposed budget, which includes no tax increase, creates funding for two new police officers who will likely be hired as cadets who have not completed required police officer training. This new policy, approved by the council at yesterday’s meeting, reflects a major change in how the borough hires officers. Rather than being hired with training, the new officers would complete training after being hired.
The borough said the shift to hiring non-certified personnel would expand the pool of applicants, making it easier to hire a more diverse police force including potentially a bilingual Spanish-English speaker.
Borough President Wes Heyser said the borough would work with labor relations to be sure the hiring was done properly.
The proposed budget also includes a provision that provides reduced taxes for volunteer firefighters who live in the borough.
News from Main Street Gettysburg
- 184 new memorial bricks were installed on Lincoln Square, bringing the total to almost 8,000 bricks.
- The Gettysburg Nature Alliance has donated $25,000 to the Welcome Center project.
- The Avenue of Trees along Steinwehr Ave. will be set up on Nov. 29
- The annual Gettysburg Christmas Festival will be Dec 2 to 4. “Every kind of reindeer you can imagine is going to be in Gettysburg that weekend,” said Sellers.
- Volunteers are needed for many different festival activities.
- More information about the festival is at https://www.agettysburgchristmasfestival.com/
Mayor Frealing said she had held her first set of office hours at Gettysburg College. Frealing said some students visited and indicated they “wanted to become part of Gettysburg.”
Charles (Chuck) Stangor is Gettysburg Connection's Owner, Publisher, and Editor in Chief. I would like to hear from you. Please contact me at cstangor@gettysburgconnection.org.
