EVANS CITY — The new joint police department for Evans City and Seven Fields should be operating on Jan. 1 as planned, but the details of the contract with union police officers still must be worked out.

Seven Fields uses Cranberry Township police for coverage. That contract will end Dec. 31, when the new regional police force will take effect.

Evans City has its own police force, and those officers will start covering Seven Fields on Jan. 1.

One additional officer will be hired.

Lee Dyer, president of the Evans City council, said negotiations with the police bargaining unit regarding the regionalization are ongoing.

He said the team coordinating the new department has given the bargaining unit four or five proposals, none of which has been accepted.

While he would not go into detail, Dyer said the language in the contract proposals has been the biggest stumbling block.

“We have ironed out many issues between us,” Dyer said.

But Dyer said everything else, such as buying start-up equipment and hiring of any new officers, is on hold until a contract is reached with the police.

“We’re still in serious negotiations,” Dyer said, “but it is absolutely my desire to have it start in 2015.”

Sgt. Don Myers, the chief negotiator for the Evans City Police bargaining unit, also hesitated to comment while talks are ongoing.

He said the hurdles in putting together the new force are “too many to number.”

“It’s a whole new department and a whole new process,” Myers said.

Still, he hopes that the new department will take effect Jan. 1.

“We’re at cruising altitude,” Myers said. “We don’t know what turbulence is going to come because it’s a work in progress.”

Tom Smith, Seven Fields borough manager, said he has alternatives in mind for police coverage should the new department not be ready when the Cranberry contract expires at year’s end.

“We do have other options, and we have explored those, but due to the ongoing negotiations, I don’t feel it would be appropriate to comment (on what those options are,)” Smith said. “At this time our main focus is on working issues out with the bargaining unit.”

Dyer continues to believe that the new force will be a bonus for all involved.

“It’s a fantastic idea for the police department, Seven Fields and Evans City,” Dyer said. “If it goes through, it will save a lot of money for both boroughs, as well as provide additional police coverage.”