VIENNA — While the township’s police chief wasn’t present to provide his report to trustees, he still had some positive news for residents that could yield results in the near future.

As part of his report that trustee Phil Pegg read at last week’s meeting, police Chief Brian Darbey said the department had one new part-time applicant, for whom they were in the process of completing a background check. The department is gaining some traction after officials posted on social media that they were seeking full-time and part-time officers.

“We’re actually up to three part-timers now that are interested. We’ve had others that have turned us down because of social media in the township,” Pegg said. “I would expect, if everything works out, (to) get a couple of part-timers at the next meeting.”

Pegg said Wednesday that the township hasn’t had any full-time candidates apply yet. Regarding the part-timers who have already applied, however, he expects them to be approved, but it’s dependent on their background checks and other variables, along with Darbey’s decision.

With Darbey being on vacation this week, Pegg said he should know by Monday.

EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK UPDATES

Social media in the township hasn’t only deterred police applicants. When asked about the township’s status with updates to its employee handbook, trustee Mike Haddle said he wasn’t able to address it over the summer, as the season was “pretty busy.”

Trustees previously approved plans to form a committee in March, to be made up of a trustee, the township’s fiscal officer and several residents, to update the handbooks and employee job descriptions.

“With it being close to the election cycle, I don’t want to get into the applicants because it’s been very politicized out there,” Haddle said.

Haddle said he’s heard rumors that he wasn’t going to put certain individuals on that committee because he didn’t like them, which he said wasn’t the case.

“I had a couple people that were (interested) submitted their resumes, and then they backed out of it because they didn’t want to be part of that, and they didn’t want to be part of the social media on it,” Haddle said. “I had five names submitted and three of them backed out, because they didn’t want to be a part of it.”

In other action, trustees:

• Approved paying off the township’s remaining $18,095 balance to Mr. PC using money from the general fund.

• Acknowledged the appointment of Louise Rowland as an assistant fiscal officer.

• Acknowledged the appointment of Heidi Brown as an assistant fiscal officer. Fiscal Officer Jason Miner said the appointment was a formality, keeping Brown in the loop for a smooth transition to the fiscal officer position once she takes over in November.