Freeport borough offices closed to public as council tries to hire backup secretary

One could make an argument that Freeport’s government is suffering from “long covid.”

The term refers to having effects from the virus persist long after the infection is cleared. It’s much like Freeport’s situation with a borough building that has been closed to the public for the past two weeks and might be closed for weeks to come.

There is no virus in the building, but the borough is suffering aftereffects from the pandemic, namely, the lack of a backup borough secretary.

Borough Secretary Carol Crytzer suffered a health issue that prevents her from being on the job full time. Before the pandemic, the borough simply would have relied on a part-time backup secretary to keep the office open. But, according to borough council President Clint Warnick, budget and staffing issues during the pandemic forced Freeport to forgo having a backup secretary.

The few business transactions residents conduct in person at the borough building include paying sewage/garbage bills and working through complaints and issues with the zoning officer, Warnick said.

Initially, the borough was hoping Crytzer would be back full time. She is helping out but can’t return full time yet.

“We are scrambling now to find someone to come in and get caught up,” Warnick said.

Council had been making plans to hire a backup secretary. The process stalled during the pandemic, Warnick said.

Although the borough office doors are closed, Warnick and other officials have rolled up their sleeves to pitch in to take care of borough business such as paying bills and other tasks, he said.

Council is interviewing backup secretary candidates this week, Warnick said.

Council wants to increase the pay for the job, which currently is $10.60 an hour.

Warnick and new Mayor Zachary Gent acknowledged the wage is low and not competitive given the red-hot job market.

The borough will have to work with the Teamsters labor union to change the wage, according to Gent.

“It’s not as simple as calling a temp agency,” Gent said. “And, being a smaller borough with 1,500 residents, we don’t have the budget for the backup.”

Hiring a backup secretary, a unionized position, and increasing the pay is complicated, Gent said.

“We have to make sure we are not breaking laws and any collective bargaining agreement. We have to make sure to dot the ‘Is’ and cross the ‘Ts,’ ” he said.

The particulars of the position have to be dealt with, Warnick said, adding, “We had backup secretaries come and go quickly over the recent years, and we had a tough time filling them in.”

Gent added that just getting any person to fill the position isn’t a good idea.

“We have to make sure we are getting the right person because we are dealing with the welfare of our residents,” he said.

Adding to the problems, the borough’s website is down as work begins to revamp it.

In the meantime, the best way to reach the borough is via email. Send all inquiries to info@freeportpa.us. While messages can be left on the borough office’s phone, officials only can check the messages intermittently.

The borough won’t charge residents late fees for their sewage and garbage collection bills during this time, Warnick said.

Residents still can drop off their payments for sewage and garbage bills in the deposit box outside the borough office, he said. Payments also can be sent via mail to the borough.