LANCASTER TWP — Lancaster Township supervisors heard an update Monday from its interim management team and police sergeant about suggestions regarding administrative and infrastructure improvements made by Strategic Solutions.

Interim manager John Trant and interim secretary-treasurer Chelsea Puff told the board about their search for a new, permanent manager, while officer-in-charge Sgt. Michael Cornell updated supervisors as to how the police department would implement and prioritize suggestions offered in June by its interim management team.

As supervisors approved a job posting for a permanent manager last month, Puff updated the board on how many applications they'd received. According to Puff, the township has thus far received four applications, all from individuals who fully meet the qualifications for the position, which offers pay between $55,000 and $70,000 plus benefits for someone with a bachelor's degree, three to five years of work experience and direct experience with municipal budgeting and administration.The posting closes July 28.Puff said the interim team plans to conduct interviews during the second week of August, with a start date in early September. At that point, according to Trant, Strategic Solutions will transition “quickly into more of a support role.”In addition, the board approved a contract with Supporting Strategies for third-party bookkeeping. Resident and former supervisor John Meyer accused the board of “throwing money away” upon learning the cost was $1,299 per month.But supervisors chairman Joe Plesniak rebutted that, saying the township's auditing firm has “recommended this all along, for years.”The board tabled a motion to approve a recurring bill list, which Trant said would prevent the township from incurring late fees for regular bills such as utility payments. Trant recommended the board table the list until Puff could compile a complete list of regular monthly bills.

Cornell asked the board to consider some building-related costs to help the police department meet the recommendations made in June.Those recommendations included updating its evidence and property management systems, increasing staffing, increasing its office size and securing the township building, which currently contains the department.Cornell said the evidence and office size issues are inextricably linked as the department currently handles evidence securely, but simply lacks space to store it separately from all other departmental assets, and did not, on Monday, ask the board to expand its office.Instead, Cornell sought funding for improving and expanding its surveillance camera system, replacing the front door to the township building and installing new locks at the community building, main office and fire station.To increase the camera system, according to Cornell, would cost $1,780, which includes adding two cameras and moving two others to higher-priority areas around the department and township building. Supervisor Tim Zinkham said he would support such a move.“I think that's $1,700 well-invested,” he said.Replacing the front door would cost $1,995, Cornell said.Installing locks came with a few options. To replace the locks at all three buildings, it would cost $11,437, but to do so at the office it would be $6,800, with an additional $2,100 at each building.Roadmaster Mike Spiker said the locks need to be replaced even though the current hardware at the fire station is adequate.“When the previous manager Ben Kramer left, he took all the information or misplaced it,” Spiker said. “We have no way of changing (the codes); we don't have the paper work to change any locks. It disappeared.”In an interview Tuesday, Kramer disputed that, saying while he had the ability to change lock codes, he was asked to do that by the police department, which he said also had the lock information.“In the interest of moving forward, the township should take proactive measures to heed their individual consultant's advice and implement measures suggested, as opposed to looking at the past,” he added.The board did not approve the expenditure of any funds for those purposes Monday, instead agreeing to see what, if any, room there is in the budget for the expenses and revisiting the ideas in August.