EVANS CITY — As the borough moved to finalize the “disbanding” of its regional police department Wednesday, Jan. 3, a familiar face was appointed public safety director.

Joe McCombs, former chief of the Evans City-Seven Fields Regional Police Department, was named director of a new public safety department by unanimous vote.

Cheri Deener-Kohan, council president, said the position would “evaluate possible solutions” for future police protection in the borough.

“And it’s keeping our options open — because he is still a ‘policeman,’ he can do some of the police duties that we need,” she said “It leaves it open, and we’re looking maybe down the road at adding a part-time officer that needs an extra shift.”

Joe McCombs

Evans City and Seven Fields have been heavily reliant on state police since March, following the resignation of three full-time officers. The resignations left McCombs and Sgt. Donald Meyers as the department’s only remaining full-time officers, and both municipalities began moving toward dissolution in the summer.

By the fall, Seven Fields began seeking contracted services from Northern Regional Police Department, and the municipalities entered arbitration for buyout negotiations with the remaining officers.

Arbitration recently ended for the buyout, according to Deener-Kohan, with Meyers receiving “almost a year’s worth of salary” and health benefits.

“Basically, what it boils down to is that it has to be paid all at once,” she said.

Council further authorized payment for “their proportional share of remaining expenses” in the regional department.

Northern Regional began police services in Seven Fields on Dec. 26, and Deener-Kohan said Evans City would continue to utilize state police alongside the new public safety position.

And with the public safety department established Tuesday, Evans City formally rescinded its prior ordinance establishing the Evans City-Seven Fields Regional Police Department.

Deener-Kohan said the public safety department’s ordinance allowed the department to “repeal other inconsistent ordinances or resolutions,” effectively disbanding the former regional department.

“It gives us law enforcement, emergency response and emergency preparedness,” she said.

The effective date for the ordinance was “no sooner than Jan. 1, 2024.”

“On paper, the police commission and the department still exist,” solicitor Ryan Mergel said. “However, logistically speaking, both of the remaining officers — who were the chief and the sergeant — were done on Dec. 31.”

Mergel said there were “still some underlying issues with selling off the equipment” from the department but a further resolution, passed Tuesday, would give him the authority to complete the dissolution.

Passing unanimously, the resolution allowed Mergel to represent Evans City in final negotiations with Seven Field’s appointee for the regional department.

“It’s so we don’t have to have monthly department meetings and so on,” he said. “It should streamline things a little bit.”

Secretary Lori Brooks said the borough was in the process of removing links to the regional department from its website and the commission’s website was also slated to come down.

Mergel also congratulated board members on their efforts “winding down the regional police department.”

“I personally do feel that you guys did a very nice job,” he said. “It was an accomplishment, because it was done with minimal headache, and I know it was a lot.”

He added that, with no litigation, the process “could have been a lot worse.”

“There’s still some winding down to do,” he said, “but compared to where it was when I came in — just under a year ago — I think that the council did a good job.”