SLIPPERY ROCK — The future was on the minds of the borough council members Tuesday night.

Councilwoman Regina Greenwald put a chart on a dry erase board showing categories for budget planning and future projects. The chart also showed agencies related to the borough and companies that borough has contracts with.

The meeting was designed to discuss topics and plan projects.

Council Vice President Ron Steele said that road construction and repair are important topics. He said council needs to go through the borough, find the worst roads and decide the best way to fix them.

Council President Dave Miller said road construction probably would be near the top of important subjects.

He told borough administrator Lucinda Lipko to get council members a list of roads by next week and for council members to then to rank the roads for what kind of condition they are in.

Talking money, Councilman Ken Harris said that money for a new telephone system for the borough has been budgeted. He also said the police department’s oldest cruiser will by cycled out of use in two years.

Lipko said that the borough also needs a new dump truck. She asked council for permission to spend $78,000 on the truck, saying a dealership told her that she would have to order a 2015 model by the end of the week or else the borough would have to pay more for a 2016 model in a few months. She noted that the truck is budgeted for.

“It’s something we need,” Lipko said.

Miller and Steele said they did not like that the borough suddenly is forced to spend this money. They said they knew the borough needed the truck, knew it had been looking, but did not like having to make such a quick decision.

Councilman Bob Bowser said this is not Lipko’s fault or the dealership’s fault, but council’s fault.

“We waited too long,” Bowser said.

Council decided to buy the truck.

Lipko said the borough building has a number of problems, including a front porch that is sinking and water in the basement. She said it will need a new roof and new carpeting some time.

Miller said a new borough building should be added to the future list.

Lipko said the police department is requesting cameras for the interior and exterior of the borough building, a digital video camera for interviewing suspects and that the light bar in one of the cruisers to be moved from the cabin to the car’s exterior.

Harris said he was told at a Butler County Council of Governments meeting that a mandated police and firefighters radio update is coming and will be expensive.

Mayor Ron Fodor said the radios are switching from analog to digital, and it will take place within four to five years. Lipko said the borough already has a separate account for police radios.

In terms of personnel, Harris said the borough needs additional office help. He also said there have been discussions for increasing the amount of time that Professional Code Services, the company it contracts to do code enforcement, is available in the borough office.

For PCS, Steele said he would like to see if the company is more accessible, adding he would like to see if a packet of information could be produced for new business owners.

Bowser said he would like to see full-time help for Jim Grossman, the streets supervisor and the only public works employee.

Miller said planning such as this can give council an idea of what the budget might look like in a few years.

“If we are thorough, we could look at 2018 and guess what our spend will be,” Miller said.