More than a week after a long-awaited mediation session, Evans City and Seven Fields remain locked in a stalemate over the division of assets from their now-defunct regional police department.

Discussions between borough representatives have not yet brought about any type of resolution. However, Evans City solicitor Ryan Mergl referenced the late April mediation session during a Monday, May 5, council meeting, saying that talks were still ongoing.

“I have not heard anything else back from him (Mergl) as to how it was moving forward,” Evans City Council President Cheri Deener said. “I just got a call that he was speaking with Seven Fields and that negotiations were still in progress.”

The Evans City-Seven Fields Regional Police Department dissolved at the end of 2023. Since then, ongoing disagreements have centered around the value of the remaining assets, particularly three police vehicles.

Dawn Servello, Seven Fields vice president, said in an email Tuesday that she was confident about a deal being struck at some point.

“For over 30 months, Seven Fields has made good faith efforts without success, while Evans City, according to their meeting minutes, has established a police force without acquiring essential equipment, such as weapons, ammunition or related gear — aside from the purchase of a new Dodge Durango police vehicle,” she wrote.

“A resolution is certain. The issue is whether a collaborative resolution is possible.”

She also contends that Evans City has controlled the evaluation process of all the remaining assets.

“All inventories have been conducted solely by Evans City, with no participation or access granted to Seven Fields,” she wrote. “As a result, Seven Fields is only able to assign value to the vehicles at this time.”

Evans City officials have previously denied that claim, saying Seven Fields representatives took the opportunity to evaluate the inventory some time in the spring of last year.

Servello also said Evans City officials suggested holding the mediation at the Evans City Borough Building, but the offer was rejected and the session was held by phone on Monday, April 28.

When the department was first established a decade ago, a charter agreement signed by both boroughs detailed that any expenses would be divided based off on population.

That left Seven Fields to handle 61.5% of any costs — including wages, insurance and regular maintenance — while Evans City was responsible for 38.5%.

The agreement states that in the event the department would dissolve, the real estate, vehicles, equipment, materials and supplies retained by the department would need to be appraised to determine fair market value.

At that point, the commission is to pay all debts and obligations, but once debts were paid, the agreement indicates the Evans City and Seven Fields Regional Police Commission should pay each participating municipality the value of its initial capital contribution.

“In the event that the regional department’s participating municipalities cannot agree upon an equitable distribution, in like kind, the assets shall be sold and the cash proceeds distributed in the foregoing proportions,” according to the charter agreement that was signed on Sept. 9, 2013.

Servello cited the agreement in her Tuesday interview.

“In light of (the agreement), Seven Fields maintains that all assets should be sold and the proceeds distributed in accordance with the outlined procedures,” Servello noted. “Seven Fields Borough Council firmly believes that its taxpayers should not subsidize the establishment or operation of a new Evans City Police Department.”

She added that all remaining assets should be liquidated and the resulting proceeds equitably distributed as prescribed by the agreement.

“Our goal is to recover as much of our investment as possible in a fair and equitable manner for the benefit of our residents and taxpayers,” she said of the borough’s approach to negotiations. “Since Evans City unilaterally closed the Seven Fields police substation and took possession of all equipment without any consultation with Seven Fields, we still lack definitive information regarding what items remain to be sold, including — but not limited to — firearms, ammunition, technology and other assets.”

Servello also said that Seven Fields made an offer to Evans City in March and variations of that offer at mediation.

The proposal she detailed asks for $25,000 for the unmarked SUV/inventory/rental use, suggests Seven Fields should assume the commission solicitor invoices while Evans City assumes mediation costs, asks for reimbursement for the purchase of two new SUV batteries and proposes Evans City sell the remaining two marked police vehicles within 30 days with reimbursement of decommission expenses, if any.

Deener previously said that the assets should be sold through the commission and that the revenue be equally distributed by that percentage, should a fair deal transpire.

Evans City has also made proposals, though details about the borough’s offers were not immediately available.

As of now, though, there are no plans for any future meetings between the two boroughs.

“Seven Fields continues to keep the lines of communication open though I am not aware of any scheduled meetings,” Servello said.