SLIPPERY ROCK — Staff members in the borough street department and the police department may soon be able to include dependents in their medical and health insurance.

Council passed a collective bargaining agreement which borough manager Shawn Pugh said gives those in the departments the option to take UPMC insurance instead of their current Highmark plan, should they accept the agreement.

“We are required to provide Highmark or equivalent insurance,” he said after the meeting. “If they take the agreement, it would kick in Dec. 1 this year.”

Pugh said the borough reviews the insurance collective bargaining agreements every three years with each department.

Councilman Russ Karl made it clear in the council meeting that the insurance upgrade would not change the cost to the borough.

“We were able to find ways to add ... without any further cost to the borough to be able to include families in cost for medical, which is something we have been looking into for many years,” Karl said.

In unrelated news, council also passed a new ordinance that clarifies the duties of the borough manager. According to borough solicitor Rebecca Black, administrators found that the job requirements for the manager were never laid out in writing, so the borough adapted Butler Township's manager ordinance.

“It actually makes it easier for me to do my job,” Pugh said.