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Chester County Press

Kennett Square Borough approves a cooperative agreement with Kennett Township

04/05/2016 12:10AM ● By Steven Hoffman

Kennett Square Borough and Kennett Township have reached a cooperative agreement that will allow for even more collaboration between their respective police departments.

At Monday night's council meeting, Kennett Square Borough Council approved an intergovernmental cooperation agreement that stated, in part, that “...the borough council of Kennett Square Borough has determined that it is in the best interests of the health, safety, and welfare of the residents of Kennett Square Borough and the general public to cooperate with Kennett Township and to encourage mutual police aid between the two municipalities.”

Kennett Square mayor Matt Fetick said that the cooperation agreement will allow officers from both departments to more efficiently provide policing services to Anson B. Nixon Park, which is mostly situated in Kennett Township, and Pennock Park, which is situated in the township but is owned by the borough.

Previously, if an incident occurred in the portion of the park that is situated in Kennett Township, Kennett Square Borough police officers would have to notify the township police about the incident—and vise versa on incidents that occurred on property in the borough.

Fetick said that the policing agreement will allow police officers to be responsive to emergency calls and to conduct investigations without having to figure out whether an incident took place five feet over the borough line.

Fetick emphasized that during police pursuits or emergency situations, police officers are allowed to respond, even without a cooperation agreement. Officers from both departments frequently support each other and back each other up on emergency calls anyway, and the cooperation agreement simply allows for more collaboration and more responsiveness to public safety issues.

Additionally, Fetick said, the policing agreement will allow both police departments to work collaboratively on efforts to crack down on overweight trucks illegally using the State Street bridge, which could help reduce truck traffic in the borough.

The two municipalities have purchased the equipment necessary to weigh trucks, and the borough has officers who are trained to conduct the weight inspections.

“We're trying to ban trucks that are overweight and do damage on the road,” Fetick said, adding that he wants Kennett Square to have the reputation of enforcing weight limits.

Fetick lauded the new cooperation agreement. “There was an agreement years ago,” he said, “but it lapsed. I think this is a great cooperation.”

Borough council approved the cooperation agreement by a 5-2 margin.

In other business at the meeting, the borough is amending portions of Chapter 11 of the borough code that includes regulations pertaining to motor vehicles and traffic, snow emergency, and winter warnings. Borough manager Joseph Scalise explained that the amendments are intended to clarify certain aspects of the ordinance, including the portion that explains which of the borough's streets are included in the emergency routes during times when winter weather warnings are issued. Council approved the ordinance amendment.

Two borough residents, Sally Warren and John Thomas, were appointed to serve on the Brandywine Battlefield Task Force. Liam Warren was appointed to serve as the borough's representative on the Landfill Authority.

Borough council approved the special event application for the Third Thursdays that will take place on May 19, June 16, July 21, Aug. 18, and Sept. 15, as well as the Memorial Day Parade that is slated for May 30, and the Kennett BrewFest on Oct. 1.