HARRISVILLE — Borough council voted March 4 to accept a bid to install security cameras in park and maintenance areas and is looking for a utility vehicle.

Two cameras each will be installed at the maintenance building, the pump station and the lift station. A resident proposed adding two cameras both outside and inside the maintenance building, but the council voted 4-1 to amend the bid and reduce the number of cameras. Members worried cameras inside the maintenance building would violate employees’ privacy.

While the council agreed monitoring employees is not the camera’s purpose, councilwoman Mary Ann Hughes said there are cameras inside the borough building monitoring employees as well, and the council should stick with the professional recommendation.

“In (the borough building), it’s different because you have documents and things like that. The maintenance building has tools and big equipment,” councilman Dave Evans said in response.

Evans also said while the borough has a $21,000 deficit, it should prioritize pump repairs over the inside cameras.

According to councilman John McFadden, eliminating the two inside cameras and their junction boxes will save about $750. The cameras cost about $350 each, and the junction boxes cost about $25 each. About another $250 will be discounted from the project further because the cameras are tax deductible.

The maintenance building has two entrances, the garage and a side door. The council discussed facing one camera toward the side door and placing the other by the salt piles facing the garage.

The council said the camera conversation was sparked by borough residents raising concerns about the lack of cameras in the park and not by theft or illegal activity.

“The quickest way to disable a town is to mess the sewer up,” Council President Kathy Bray said.

Adding cameras also requires installing internet at all three locations so police can check them remotely.

Bailey said according to Armstrong Cable Services, only the pump station has internet. However, according to maintenance workers at the meeting, all three locations have wireless routers. The council is looking into getting internet installed at the lift station and maintenance building.

The council did not discuss how many cameras would be installed in the park as there is not currently money in the budget for them. Council will revisit this closer to when Kozy Rest Campground opens April 12.

At Monday’s meeting, McFadden proposed attending an auction at the former Stonecrest Golf Course & Range in Wampum to bid on maintenance equipment. He was seeking approval to bid on council's behalf and a maximum amount.

McFadden wanted to bid on two golf carts that could be driven across grass for park maintenance. He said the price for each cart would be between $2,500 and $3,500, and purchasing these instead of a truck would help them avoid inspection, registration and other fees associated with owning a vehicle. The borough currently owns one truck for maintenance, which forces employees to drop each other off before conducting business.

According to the Pennsylvania General Assembly, golf carts are classified as vehicles that travel slower than 20 mph. They may be driven on public roads but not on highways except when crossing.

Hughes and some meeting attendees said the golf cart would not be legal to drive on State Route 8, and therefore could not access maintenance facilities like the pump station. It also could not drive beside the highway without entering private property.

The council then shifted to discussing if they could get around this regulation with a slow-moving vehicle emblem. Slow-moving vehicles are classified as traveling less than 25 mph. According to the rule, the emblem may also need to be accompanied by other caution lighting and signage.

The council denied McFadden’s request to attend the auction on its behalf, and will look for another vehicle to use for maintenance.