(1/23) The Carroll Valley Borough Council questioned at their January 14 meeting how to recoup money spent on education for staff who subsequently leave their borough positions.

Under the present police and borough staff policies, the borough can make at least a partial education expense reimbursement to employees who seek further education which may or may not be directly related to their present duties.

Specifically at issue is, 1) if the employee soon leaves borough employment after taking advantage of education reimbursement, should the borough be entitled to a pay-back, and, 2) what amount of time should transpire between the time the educational expenses are reimbursed to the time the employee before compulsory pay-back is or is not implemented.

The topic became an issue of discussion when borough Police Chief Richard Hileman informed the council that the police department may be losing an officer, and that he was seeking permission to proceed with civil service exams geared towards hiring a new replacement if needed.

The council voiced concerns about losing an officer after presumably paying the individual to graduate from the Police Academy.

Hileman pointed out that his department only hires police officers who have already graduated from an academy, and thus, the borough does not pay to send officers to such a training facility. "They have to be trained before we get them," he said. "They have (already) been trained at their expense."

However, the police department employees, as well as town staff, as pointed out by Borough Manager David A. Hazlett, can be considered for at least partial reimbursement if they pursue further educational courses after becoming a borough employee.

Hazlett told the council that he would support placing a rider on the terms of employment of town staff addressing educational reimbursement issues. "I would support that, definitely."

According to the borough personnel manual, employees can be entitled up to $1,000 annually in reimbursements for educational course use. The expenditure must be pre-approved.

Approval takes into consideration the nature or applicability of the course or courses to be taken, and other criteria.